Muffins!

This is a general muffin recipe that can be easily adapted to what you have on hand or what you like better.

Grain – 2 to 2.5 cups of flour, oatmeal, cornmeal or flake cereal (last two can only be used for one cup of grains)

I usually double this recipe and use 2 cups wheat flour, 2 cups white flour, 1 cup oats.

Milk – use 1 cup or substitute buttermilk or fruit juice (or some combination)

Fat – use ¼ cup veggie oil or 4 Tablespoons melted butter or margarine, or peanut butter (keep in mind that peanut butter makes them a little drier and a little heartier – as you would expect)

Egg – use one egg or substitute one heaping tablespoon soy flour and one tablespoon water

Sweetener – use 2 Tablespoons to ½ cup granulated sugar or substitute up to ¾ cup brown sugar or ½ cup honey (and decrease milk to ¾ cup)


Baking Powder – use 2 teaspoons (if using buttermilk, decrease to 1 teaspoon and add ½ teaspoon baking soda)

Optional additions (may be used in any combination) – use up to 1&1/2 cups total (if using more than 1 cup of wet additions, decrease milk to ½ cup)

Dry additions: nuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, coconut, wheat germ

Moist additions: blueberries, chopped apple, shredded zucchini, shredded carrot

Wet additions: pumpkin puree, applesauce, mashed banana, mashed cooked carrots or sweet potatoes

Spices: use spices that compliment additions (for example, 1 teaspoon cinnamon with ¼ teaspoon nutmeg with apples)

Jellies & Jam: fill cups ½ full w/batter, then add one teaspoon jam or jelly and top with 2 or more tablespoons batter

Topping: sprinkle cinnamon sugar on batter once separated into cups

Combine dry ingredients and then mix in wet ingredients until just combined. Batter should be lumpy.

Grease muffin tin (or use paper cups) and fill 2/3 full.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes (give or take 5 min)

Two of my favorite recipies from my mother-in-law

Chalupa

2lbs hamburger
1 small onion chopped (I use about ¼ cup minced onion spice)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cans kidney or red beans (~15oz)
1 large can (~one pound)) mild enchilada sauce
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 medium size can tomato sauce (~15oz)
1 small can tomato sauce (8oz)

Brown ground beef, drain fat
Combine all ingredients and simmer at least 4 hours in a crock pot
Serve with fried flour shells, shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, & sour cream

Chicken Enchilada

Sauté 1/3 cup chopped onion in one Tablespoon butter

Stir in:
¼ cup ripe olives (optional)
1 (4oz) can diced green chilies, drained
½ cup sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup

Reserve ¾ cup sauce and set aside

Add 1&1/2 cups cooked chicken and 1 cup shredded cheese

Fill 8 tortillas with chicken mix & roll up

Place seam side down in greased baking dish

Add ¼ cup milk to reserved sauce and spoon over tortillas

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min

Sprinkle with 1 cup cheese and return to oven

Turn oven off and let sit 5 min or until cheese melts

Newsflash! The homemade clock works!

So my amazing creation actually works!! This morning Rebekah came out of her room (with her brothers trailing behind) at exactly 7:20. She said she was watching the clock and when the sevens matched she knew it was time to get up! You are probably thinking 7:20???!?? This was Gordie's brilliant suggestion, set the clock 20 minutes slow so that it would match at exactly 7:20 - because that is really when I wanted them to get up but was not sure how to do that with the minutes. I'm sure they could match 7:20 exactly but if they did not happen to be looking at the clock for that minute I am not sure they would know that 7:15 comes before it and 7:30 comes later. In any case, we are very excited here! :)