Category Archives: postaday

February 3, 2014

Snow Day fun

I know its Monday and I should be making Muffins, but it snowed, again, and I had other things on my FROZEN mind. Since I knew I would be spending some quality time outside shoveling the driveway I decided to make it fun AND make it all part of my blog today.

Ice marbles in the process of freezing in the snow.

One thing I’ve wanted to do since the weather turned colder is try my hand at making ICE MARBLES. This is an idea I stole from Facebook and Pinterest.

What you need:

Round balloons
Funnel
Food dye
Bowls
a water faucet

Blow the balloons up as far as they’ll go, then release the air. Insert the small end the funnel into the neck balloon and put the food dye into body. Carefully take the neck off the funnel and put it on the end the faucet. Put a bowl under the balloon. Hold the balloon’s neck in place around the faucet as you slowly fill the body with water (it will come off if you aren’t careful).

Filling up Mr. Yellow, with a red bowl underneath, ready to catch the balloon.

Keep filling the balloon until it is totally full. You should only have a little space a the top of the neck to tie off. (This is messy — heck the entire procedure is messy!)

Mr. Rd in a white bowl. Tied off and ready to go outside to freeze.

I kept the balloons in their bowl on the porch until I was ready to transfer them to their snowy location.

When the snow slowed down I went outside and shoveled the driveway and sidewalk. Today’s snow is the first one this winter that is really snowman worthy. So with thoughts of Olaf dancing in my head I considered how to best make my own little frozen guy. I used sand castle method and packed the snow into forms instead of rolling balls. (I’m a kid at heart, but I’m not getting on my hands and knees and rolling snow balls). I got what I needed from the garage — a clean trashcan was perfect for the base, a 5 gallon bucket for the body and a potted plant pot (starter pot) for the head. A little galvanized bucket made the perfect hat. I found some sticks for his arms.

“Olaf” in the works.

Then I brought my ice marbles over from the porch and placed them around my snow man.

When I’m doing a blog I tend to take a LOT of process of pictures. It kind of drives my family crazy. Like WHY do have to take a picture of EVERYTHING? Well today’s a good example of why I need to take tons of pictures, and document every step of the way. Because life doesn’t come with a Command Z button. That’s why. If something goes wrong you can’t go magically backward and do a mulligan. So today when I realized that I’d put the Ice Marbles down the wrong order (they were mean to be in ROYGBV order) I SHOULD have taken a photo before moving the balloons.

But I didn’t.

I picked up the Orange one and moved it.

No problem.

Moved the Yellow one. Piece of cake.

Picked up Mr. Red and SPLAT!!!

It exploded!

Cold, red water all over my nice white snow. (And my coat and gloves and pants.) It looked like my snow man had died.

That’s today’s lesson for you kids… let freezing latex balloons lie!

I covered up the snowman blood as best I could and moved the yellow balloon (still in the bowl because it had a pin sized hole at the top) over instead. I’m trying not to let improper color order bother me too much. I don’t think Olaf will mind.

With a little luck it will snow just enough more to really cover up the rest of that red.

I was hoping to surprise the neighbor kids when they got home from school. … And I mean surprise them in a fun-snowman-ice-marble good kind of way, not in a creepy-bleeding-snowman kind of way.

This blog goes out to: Maggie, Jenny and Hope — who keep me young at heart.

4 Comments | posted in Olaf, postaday, snow

February 2, 2014

Secondary Character Saturday: Disney Princes

By ritalovestowrite

No doubt you’ve been wondering WHEN I was going to get to this weighty issue… Who is the best Disney Prince?

For this completely bias blog post I’ll only being considering Disney Princess’s from movies I’ve actually seen. (So sorry Naveen, Flynn, and Kristoff, I neither have a little one of the appropriate age to act as multiplex chaperone, nor am I cool enough to have seen Frog Prince, Rapunzel or Frozen on my own.) Likewise excluded will be Disney heroes of the non prince variety (Li Shang and John Smith) and non human princes (Simba, etc.) They will be weighed on the merits presented in the Disney movie alone (not in the source material or in any of the insipid direct to video sequels.)

That leaves (in chronological order):

Prince Florian (Snow White and the Sven Dwarfs) LOVE INTEREST: Snow White. PROS: Good singing voice, handsome, excellent swordsman, kind, charming, polite, ability to bring back the dead with a kiss, looks like an actual human 17 year old, good with animals, friendly with dwarves. BUZZ FEED HOTNESS RATING: 9 (1 being the best out of 10) poor Florian ranks only 9 because of his blandness. They also claim he’s too pretty with his pretty, pretty puffed sleeves. Personally I don’t think it is fair to judge the 1930 movie by our 2014 drawing standards. I like that he looks like an innocent 17-year-old. Personality wise, thought? Not much shows up on-screen.

Prince Charming (Cinderella) LOVE INTEREST: Cinderella. PROS: Excellent Dancer, handsome, good singer, discriminating in his choice of life partners, persistent, determined. BUZZ FEED HOTNESS RATING: 8 (out of 10) Buzz feed basically gives him the bump on Florian because Charming has more clothing style. I think Charming has more going for him than his epaulets and tan. He has a real connection for Cindy, and he’s determined to find HIS girl, and not be shuffled off with what ever princess fits the royal shoe bill.

Prince Phillip (Sleeping Beauty) LOVE INTEREST: Princess Aurora. PROS: BRAVE, handsome, excellent sword skills, good singer, good with animals, good shot, has the ability to wake some one from a 100 years sleep spell with a kiss. BUZZ FEED HOTNESS RATING: 7 (out of 10) this seems a little low to me. Prince Phillip gets big, big, big marks from me. He really goes out and saves his princess — and goes through a heck of lot to do it.

Prince Eric (The Little Mermaid) LOVE INTEREST: Ariel. PROS: Handsome, responsible, kind, loyal, dog lover, good ruler, funny, good sailor. BUZZ FEED HOTNESS RATING: 2 (out of 10) Now you’re talking.

Hunk alert! Prince Eric — with his big blue eyes, jet-black hair, and incredibly expressive eyebrows — is arguably the most attractive prince on the list. If you’re a straight woman or gay man, and you didn’t have a crush on Prince Eric at some point, you’re either lying or in denial. He’s sweet. He’s romantic. He loves dogs. I’d give up my fins to be with him. [buzzfeed.com]

Prince Eric also saves the day (and the princess) with a big of heap of bravery at the end of the movie. Come on… kiss this girl. He’s a big fave.

Prince Adam (Beauty and the Beast) LOVE INTEREST: Belle. PROS: kind, generous, protective, becomes self-aware, feels bad for what he did in the past and tries to make up for it. CONS: temper, temper, temper, self loathing. BUZZ FEED HOTNESS RATING: 5 The folks at the Buzz like the Beast in all his heart warming hairy-ness. B&tB is my fave Disney movie, hands down, but more because of feisty, smart, brave Belle than anything else. However, the Beast — and his journey to self awareness — and the amazing music in the film are other wonderful reasons to love this movie. You had me at Chapter Three.

Prince Ali, aka Aladdin (Aladdin) LOVE INTEREST: Jasmine. PROS: resourceful, smart, charming, romantic, big-hearted, warm. He’s one of the first guys who are allowed to be a hero for their own sake, not as a foil for the Princess. BUZZ FEED HOTNESS RATING: 1 (out of 10) Buzz Feed edges out Aladdin over Eric because of Aladdin’s added personality. I loved the first Aladdin. Not so much the sequels that taint my appreciation of the original.

So who makes the final cut? I’m knocking out Charming and Florian right off the bat. Sorry fellas. Aladdin and Adam you’re gone too.

That leaves Prince Phillip and Prince Eric… Both handsome, brave, funny, charming, kind, thoughtful…

I can’t decided. I think I’ll need you all to weigh in here.

3 Comments | posted in Disney, postaday, Secondary Character, Thought of the Day

January 28, 2014

Muffin Tuesday PB&J&B Muffins

By ritalovestowrite

Yesterday I spent way too much time on the Mozart bioBlog so I didn’t have time to make any muffins… thus I bring unto you… MUFFIN TUESDAY! Today I have for you PB&J&B (Peanut Butter, Jelly and Blueberry) Muffins. I’ve done a double batch so I could send a few off to college kiddos, but you can just as easily halve this and make a single batch.

PB&j&B Muffins

INGREDIENTS

2 cups sifted All-Purpose Flour

1 1/2 cup Buck Wheat Flour

2 tablespoons Wheat Bran

1/2 cup White Sugar

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

2 tablespoons Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

2 cups Skim Milk

1/2 cup Lo-Fat Greek Yogurt

2/3 cup Peanut Butter

2 Eggs

4 tablespoons melted Butter

2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

1/2 cup Jelly

3/4 cups mashed Blueberries

3/4 cup chopped Almonds (or Peanuts)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prep 24 muffin cups with cooking spray.

2. Combine Flour, Buck Wheat Flour, Wheat Bran, Sugar, Brown Sugar, Baking Powder and Salt in a large bowl.

3. In a blender combine Milk, Yogurt, Peanut Butter, Eggs, Butter and Vanilla. Blend on low.

4. Pour the liquid into the dry and mix until well combined.

Action shot!

5. Put about 2 tablespoons of batter into each muffin cup.

6. In a small bowl combine the Jelly and the mashed Blueberries.

7. Divide the Jelly/Blueberry mixture evenly onto each of the muffins.

8. Cover the Jelly with another 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter. Try to do this so you have enough for all the muffins.

Muffins in the fore ground are complete, those in the back left have the jelly, but not the top layer of batter.

9. Sprinkle the chopped nuts on top.

10. Bake for 20 minutes. Muffins are done when they are golden brown and pass the toothpick test. LET COOL (the jelly will be hot!)

I loved the flavor of peanut butter and the sweetness of the jelly. The little pop and zing of the blueberry was extra nice surprise. Alas I didn’t have any tasters around to give me a second opinion. I did give the ladies at the post office a few, but I couldn’t wait around to see what they liked or didn’t like. Guess you’ll just have to whip up a batch and judge for yourselves. 😉

———————————————————————————————————–For all of you in the South East US dealing with the ice and snow today… be careful Y’all! Be patient on the roads (if you have to go out on the roads.) AND build me an Olaf snowman! (Olaf was my Secondary Saturday Character two weeks ago.) Cheers! Rita

Leave a comment | posted in Blueberry, Muffin Monday, Muffins, Peanut Butter Jelly, postaday, Thought of the Day

January 27, 2014

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1.27.14 Thought of the Day

By ritalovestowrite

“My great-grandfather used to say to his wife, my great-grandmother, who in turn told her daughter, my grandmother, who repeated it to her daughter, my mother, who used to remind her daughter, my own sister, that to talk well and eloquently was a very great art, but that an equally great one was to know the right moment to stop.”–Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Painting of Mozart by Barbara Krafft (1764–1825) (Image courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on this day in Salzberg, Austria in 1756. Today is the 258 anniversary of his birth.

The youngest of seven children, only Wolfgang and he sister Maria Anna (whose nickname was Nannerl) survived infancy. His father, Leopold Mozart was a composer, teacher and violinist. Leopold began teaching Nannerl to play the keyboard. Little Wolfgang looked on and was soon absorbing the basics of the instrument. By four years old Leopold would play a game with his son, teaching him a minuet which Wolfgang would play back “faultlessly and with the greatest delicacy, and keeping exactly in time… At the age of five, he was already composing little piece, which he played to his father who wrote them down.” [Mozart: a Documentary Biography]

Portrait de Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Salzbourg, 1756-Vienne, 1791) jouant à Paris avec son père Jean-Georg-Léopold et sa sœur Maria-Anna [Image courtesy: Wikimedia Commons]

Starting in 1762 the Mozarts began to tour Europe. At first Leopold, Nannerl and Wolfgang all performed, but by 1769 Nannerl was left at home, and Leopold focused his efforts exclusively on Wolfgang. The purpose of the tours was to showcase the talents of the family and to try to get a position as a court composer. In March of 1773, at 17 years of age, Mozart was appointed as assistant concert master for the Royal Court of Salzburg. Wolfgang was prolific in composing a number of instrumental pieces (string quartets, symphonies, sonatas) and vocal works (masses minor operas). Most notable works from this time period were his violin concertos (espeically K. 216, 218 and 219) and his breakthrough Piano Concerto in E-flat (K. 271). But Salzburg offered him neither the salary nor the opportunity to write operas that he desired and he began to look elsewhere.

Here’s Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 4 in D, K. 218

He resigned from his post and traveled to Augsburg, Mannheim, Paris, and Munich touring, and looking for a new position. Eventually he wound up in Vienna as an independent composer and performer.

The year 1784, proved the most prolific in Mozart’s performance life. During one five-week period, he appeared in 22 concerts, including five he produced and performed as the soloist. In a typical concert, he would play a selection of existing and improvisational pieces and his various piano concertos. Other times he would conduct performances of his symphonies. The concerts were very well attended as Mozart enjoyed a unique connection with his audiences who were, in the words of Mozart biographer Maynard Solomon, “given the opportunity of witnessing the transformation and perfection of a major musical genre.” [Biography.com]

In 1776 and 1777 he had back to back operatic successes when he joined forces with librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte for The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni.

Circa 1780: Family portrait: Maria Anna (“Nannerl”) Mozart, her brother Wolfgang, their mother Anna Maria (medallion) and father, Leopold Mozart, by artist: Johann Nepomuk della Croce [Image courtesy: Wikimedia Commons]

Emperor Joseph II appointed him “Chamber Composer” a decade later.

It was a part-time appointment with low pay, but it required Mozart only to compose dances for the annual balls. The modest income was a welcome windfall for Mozart, who was struggling with debt, and provided him the freedom to explore more of his personal musical ambitions. [Ibid]

His financial problems continued, due in part to his lavish spending, and in part to the fact that Austria was at war. The composer sank into depression.

The two-year period of 1788-1789 was a low point for Mozart, experiencing in his own words “black thoughts” and deep depression. Historians believe he may have had a cyclothymiacs personality with manic-depressive tendencies, which might explain the periods of hysteria coupled with spells of hectic creativity. [Ibid]

He rallied in 1791 (his final year). He composed The Magic Flute, one of his most beloved Operas, along with piano and clarinet concertos, a string quintet in E-Flat and his Ave Verum Corpus . All the while he was working on his Requiem.

Here’s Mozart’s Ave Verum:

Mozart died at the age of 35 on December 5 1791. The cause of death is unclear. While his death certificate list “Military Fever” as the final cause, there have been over 100 theories on how he died (including mercury poisoning and rheumatic fever.)
He composed more than 600 works in his short life. “Works that are widely acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music.” [The New World Enclyclopedia]

Leave a comment | posted in Music, postaday, Thought of the Day, Today's Birthday, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

January 27, 2014

Paul Newman 1. 26.14 Thought of the Day

By ritalovestowrite

(Image courtesy: Detroit Performs.com)

“If you’re playing a poker game and you look around the table and can’t tell who the sucker is, it’s you.” — Paul Newman

Paul Leonard Newman was born on this day in Shaker Heights, Ohio, USA in 1925. Today is the 89th anniversary of his birth.

The second of Arthur and Theresa Newman’s two boys, Paul took an early interest in acting. He made his debut as the court jester in Robin Hood on his elementary school stage at the age of 7. The Newmans lived in the wealthy Shaker Heights neighborhood of Cleveland, where Arthur owned a sporting good store. Paul graduated from Shaker Heights High in 1943 and attended Ohio University of Ohio for a while before he was kicked out for unruly behavior (including crashing a beer keg into the president of the University’s car.) He joined the Navy with hopes of becoming a pilot, but when it was discovered he was color blind he became a radio operator. He served three years in the service.

[Image courtesy: Listal.com]

Back home he went to Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. He received his BA in drama and economics in 1949. He developed his craft in several summer stock productions before moving to New York and joining the Actors Studio.

In 1953 Newman had his Broadway premier in Picnic. He follow that with The Desperate Hours and Sweet Bird of Youth. He did TV appearances on series like Tales of Tomorrow and Appointmen twith Adventure.

His first film role was anything but successful…

In 1954, a film Paul was very reluctant to do was released, The Silver Chalice (1954). He considered his performance in this costume epic to be so bad that he took out a full-page ad in a trade paper apologizing for it to anyone who might have seen it. He had always been embarrassed about the film and reveled in making fun of it. [IMDb]

But second time was a charm and he was pleased with his work as Rocky Graziano in Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956). After Cat on a Hot Tin Roof came The Long, Hot Summer with Joanne Woodward (who would soon become his second wife.) [Ibid]

[Image courtesy: paul-newman.com]

The 1960s would bring Paul Newman into superstar status, as he became one of the most popular actors of the decade, and garnered three more Best Actor Oscar nominations, for The Hustler (1961), Hud (1963) and Cool Hand Luke (1967)…1969 brought the popular screen duo Paul Newman and Robert Redford together for the first time when Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) was released. It was a box office smash. Throughout the 1970s, Newman had hits and misses from such popular films as The Sting (1973) and The Towering Inferno (1974) to lesser known films as The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972) to a now cult classic Slap Shot (1977). (Ibid)

He finally got the Best Actor Oscar statue in 1986 for his role of Fast Eddie Felson in the Color of Money. (Color of Money was the long awaited sequel to The Hustler.)

In all he was nominated 10 times for Academy Awards over a span of 5 decades.

[Image courtesy: People Magazine.com]

Films were not the only thing on his mind… A passionate race car driver since the early 1970s, Newman became co-owner of Newman-Haas racing in 1982, and also founded “Newman’s Own”, a successful line of food products that has earned in excess of $100 million, every penny of which Newman donated to charity. He also started The Hole in the Wall Gang Camps, an organization for terminally ill children. He was as well known for his philanthropic ways and highly successful business ventures as he was for his legendary actor status. [Ibid]

Newman died of lung cancer at the age of 83 in 2008.

[Image courtesy: Daytona-Rolex.com]

Leave a comment | posted in postaday, Thought of the Day, Today's Birthday

January 26, 2014

Secondary Character Saturday: Walt Disney (Saving Mr. Banks)

By ritalovestowrite

(Image Courtesy: Disney, Inc)

WHO: Walt Disney

FROM: Saving Mr. Banks

BY: Kelly Marcel, Sue Smith

PRODUCED: 2013

PROS: Friendly, Motivational, Charming

CONS: Manipulative

(Image courtesy: Disney, Inc.)

BEST SHINING MOMENT: Revealing the story of his difficult youth when he takes P.L. Travers to Disney Land

LEAST SHINING MOMENT: Trying to sneak in the cartoons when she clearly is against it.

WHY I CHOSE HIM: Admittedly I’m giving this nod more to Tom Hanks than Mr. Disney — and that might have something to do with the fact that I just saw Captain Phillips. Hanks was wonderful in both films, but he was definitely the lead (and title) character in the latter, so I can only honor him on Secondary Character Saturday for his work as Uncle Walt in Saving Mr. Banks.

1 Comment | posted in postaday, Secondary Character, Thought of the Day, Walt Disney

January 22, 2014

John Hurt 1.22.14 Thought of the Day

By ritalovestowrite

“If you do an interview in 1960, something it’s bound to change by the year 2000. And if it doesn’t, then there’s something drastically wrong.” — John Hurt

John Vincent Hurt was born on this day in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England in 1940. Today is his 74th birthday.

His movie career dates back over 50 years (starting with Young and Willing), but his first serious role was in 1966’s A Man for All Seasons. He earned Best Supporting Actor BAFTA nomination for his work as Timothy Evans in the film. He worked steadily through the lat 60’s and early 70’s. In 1971 he won a BAFTA for his best supporting work in 10 Rillington Place. and another, for best Actor, for The Naked Civil Servant in 1975

In 1976 he co-starred in the BBC drama I, Claudius as the debauched Roman emperor Caligula. In 1978 he won a Golden Glob and BAFTA (and an Academy Award nomination) for his work in Midnight Express. The same year he did the voice work for Hazel in animated film Watership Down (he later played General Woundwort for the TV series) and Aragorn in the animated The Lord of the Rings. He rounded out the decade by playing the ill-fated Kane in the Sci Fi classic Alien and Raskolnikov in the BBC’s Crime and Punishment.

The Elephant Man brought him another BAFTA (and Golden Globe and Oscar noms.) In 1983 he starred in The Osterman Weekend and was the Fool to Olivier’s King Lear.

In 1984 (the year) he starred in 1984 (the movie) as Winston. 15 years later, having learned his lesson that 2 + 2 = 5, he flipped roles and played Big Brother (on-screen) for the Paper Zoo Theatre Company’s production of the Orwell novel.

Besides his voice work younger audiences will recognize Hurt as Mr. Ollivander from the Harry Potter series.

(Image courtesy Fanpop.com)

Leave a comment | posted in John Hurt, postaday, Thought of the Day, Today's Birthday

January 22, 2014

Lead Belly 1.21.14 Thought of the Day

By ritalovestowrite

“We all in the same boat brother. You rock it too far to the right you fall in the waddah, rock it too far to the left you fall in the same waddah, and it’s just as wet on both sides.” — Huddie Ledbetter

Lead Belly singing and playing the 12 string. (Image courtesy: the Lead Belly Foundation)

Huddie William Ledbetter was born on this day on the Jeter Plantation, Louisiana in 1889. Today is the 125th anniversary of his birth.

He was the only child born to sharecroppers Wesley and Sally Ledbetter. When he was five his family moved to Leigh, Texas. His uncle Terrell gave him his first instrument, an accordion, shortly afterward. Ledbetter went on to master “the piano, harp, mandolin and harmonica but he is best remembered for his 12 string guitar.” [The Real Story of Huddie Leadbetter 1889 – 1949] He stopped attending school after 8th grade and left his father’s farm by the time he was 20. He went on the road to play music (when he could get the gigs) and work as a day laborer. It was said that he could pick 1000 pounds of cotton in a day. He also worked on the railroad lining tracks.

Lead Belly with Josh White and others. (Image courtesy: the Lead Belly Foundation.)

But Ledbetter was short-tempered. He once said: “ “When I play, the women would come around to listen and their men would get angry.” In 1918, he fought and killed a man in Dallas and was sentenced to thirty years [ Lead Belly Foundation]

After serving seven years of hard labor he wrote a song asking Texas Governor Pat Neff for a pardon.

“Please, Governor Neff, Be good ‘n’ kind
Have mercy on my great long time…
I don’t see to save my soul
If I don’t get a pardon, try me on a parole…
If I had you, Governor Neff, like you got me
I’d wake up in the mornin’ and I’d set you free”
[The Real Story of Huddie Leadbetter 1889 – 1949]

Neff took his word for it and released him, and Ledbetter left Texas for Louisiana. By 1930 he was back in prison, this time in the Louisiana State Penitentiary, in Angola for attempted homicide. There he was interviewed by John and Alan Lomax

The Lomaxes had discovered that Southern prisons were among the best places to collect work songs, ballads and spirituals and Leadbelly, as he now called himself, was a particular find…Over the next few days the Lomaxes recorded hundreds of songs. When they returned in the summer of 1934 for more recordings Leadbelly told them of his pardon in Texas. As Alan Lomax tells it, “We agreed to make a record of his petition on the other side of one of his favorite ballads, ‘Goodnight Irene’. I took the record to Governor Allen on July 1. On August 1 Leadbelly got his pardon….” [Ibid]

He moved north with the Lomaxes and began to perform in the folk community where his talents earned him the title “the King of the Twelve-String Guitar”.

Leadbelly recorded for a variety of labels, including Folkways and he performed tirelessly. Over the next 9 years his fame and success continued to increase until he fell ill while on a European Tour. Tests revealed that he suffered from lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease) and he died on December 6, 1949. [Ibid]

He wrote over 500 songs in the following genres:

children’s songs
field songs
ballads
square dance songs
prison songs
folk songs
blues

Some of his most famous songs include:

Good Night, Irene
Midnight Special
Cotton Fields
Boll Weevil
Kisses Sweeter than Wine
Rock Island Line

His name was changed several times through out his life, but he preferred Lead Belly.

Lead Belly’s guitar, “Stella”. (Image courtesy the Lead Belly Foundation)

Leave a comment | tags: Lead Belly | posted in Lead Belly, postaday, Thought of the Day

January 13, 2014

Muffin Monday: Maggie’s Dateabyte Muffins

By ritalovestowrite

Here it is MONDAY and I’m actually getting my Muffin Monday blog out on time. That is due in large part to my guest chef Maggie who created this recipe (and did pretty much everything for me.) So hats off to Maggie, and I hope you enjoy Maggie’s Dateabyte Muffins…

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups of White Whole Wheat Flour

1 tablespoon of Baking Powder*

1 tablespoon of Baking Soda*

1 tablespoon of Salt

1 stick of unsalted Butter

1 1/2 cup Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

1 cup Skim Milk

1/2 cup chopped Dates

Crumble — 1/2 cup chopped Sweet and Crunch Peanuts (or 1/2 cup chopped nuts plus 2 tablespoons of sugar)

The Sweet ‘N Crunch Peanuts were part of Maggie’s Christmas stocking from Mom-Mom. So cheers to Mom-Mom for mystery basket ingredient!

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prep muffin cups (this recipe made 16 muffins)

2. In a large bowl mix together the Flower, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Salt.

3. In a another bowl cream the Butter and mix in the Brown Sugar.

4. Add the Eggs to the Flour mixture and slowly add the milk.

5. Mix in the Butter and Sugar.

6. Fold in the Dates.

7. Divide evenly among the muffin cups and top with Crumble.

8. Bake for 25 minutes until muffins are golden brown and pass the toothpick test.

These muffins are fluffy but not overly sweet. They paired well with butter or brie (and, of course, go particularly well, with daughters who are home for the holidays.)(* We both thought they would have benefited from a touch less baking soda and baking powder. I suggest making these with a teaspoon of each instead of a tablespoon.)

Before baking.

Fresh from the oven.

Leave a comment | posted in Muffin Monday, Muffins, postaday

ritaLOVEStoWRITE

Category Archives: postaday

Snow Day fun

Secondary Character Saturday: Disney Princes

Muffin Tuesday PB&J&B Muffins

PB&j&B Muffins

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1.27.14 Thought of the Day

Paul Newman 1. 26.14 Thought of the Day

Secondary Character Saturday: Walt Disney (Saving Mr. Banks)

John Hurt 1.22.14 Thought of the Day

Lead Belly 1.21.14 Thought of the Day

Muffin Monday: Maggie’s Dateabyte Muffins

Follow Me:

SEARCH

Email:

Recent Posts

Check out the Archive:

Blog Stats

BLOGchean Award Winning Blog

Versatile Blogger Award

Legal Info:

ritaLOVEStoWRITE

Category Archives: postaday

Share this:

Share this:

PB&j&B Muffins

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Follow Me:

SEARCH

Email:

Recent Posts

Check out the Archive:

Blog Stats

BLOGchean Award Winning Blog

Versatile Blogger Award

Legal Info: