Friday Fragments

So I had these all typed up on Tuesday and then the post got deleted. Now I have to try and remember everything. This is not good when you have problems remembering things.

Whitney is home in a week. Better make sure I have food in the house that she likes.

I didn't get to go to anything for Staff Week. I planned on going to bingo but when it was time to go one person wasn't going to be in the office and we had a class going on. So I had to stay back.

The grass still isn't mowed. The mower broke on Sunday and it has taken us two days to figure out how to fix it. And now it won't start. So going to try a new spark plug and if not, we'll have to buy a new one. I did plant a few plants though and pulled out dead bushes. So something was accomplished and we don't look as bad as another house on the street.

People never learn at work to make sure and ask me about hiring BEFORE making offers. Now I've got to try and clean up someone's mess. And it isn't going to work out like they wanted but that's why you ask me first.

I've been spending way too much time on cruisecritic.com in anticipation of our cruise in 6 weeks. If you are taking a cruise I highly suggest going there because they have the answer to everything on the boards. Of course not much changes if I go check it out every couple of hours. I really need to stop that.

Blogger Problems

So last night I was trying to work on my Friday post on my ipad and I couldn't see it. This has happened before since the new blogger took over. It seems like I have to buy an app in order to blog from an ipad. I refuse to spend money on something that should be free. This sounds like a conspiracy to me. Plus now I've lost the entire blog entry. Super bad.

I'm also trying to figure out how to create a page to put all my recipes on with links. I'd like to gather enough of them and make it easy to find so I can join Secret Recipe Club. I've got a lot of recipes to go but I figure if I start now organizing it will be easier. I also could just put a keyword search button on the blog but I've tried to add the gadget and it won't work.

I use Google Chrome for my browser at work and Mobile Safari for the ipad.


If anyone has guidance, please let me know.

Chicken Tamale Pie

So I've played around with Pinterest like everybody else in the world. My main focus has been on food (of course). There are so many desserts that are posted I try and find savory dishes. Mainly because I want to pin stuff I might make and as much as I love dessert, I don't make it very often.

So I was going through my pins and found this recipe. It just looked comforting from the picture.

Chicken Tamale Pie

Author: Tracy adapated from Pinch of Yum, adapted from Cooking Light

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 45 mins

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup fat free milk
• 1/4 cup liquid egg 
• 1 1/2 tablespoon taco seasoning, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 (14 3/4 ounce) can cream-style corn
• 1 (8.5 ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Jiffy)
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
• 1 (10 ounce) can red enchilada sauce 
• 2 cups shredded cooked turkey breast
• 3/4 cup shredded cheese (I used a colby/monterrey jack blend)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine the first 7 ingredients (milk through green chiles), using just 1/2 tablespoon of the taco seasoning, in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a round pie plate (mine was glass) coated with cooking spray.
3. Bake at 400° for 20-30 minutes. While corn is baking, toss the chicken in the remaining 1 tablespoon taco seasoning. When corn is done – it will be just barely set and golden brown – pierce entire surface liberally with a fork (it might stick a little bit to the fork). Pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. 

So I used turkey instead of chicken since I had a frozen cooked breast in the freezer and I'm all for using what you got. Make sure you use a deep dish pie plate, otherwise you are going to flow over. The corn mixture cooks to the top of a deep dish. I wondered how I was going to get the sauce/turkey/cheese on it without a mess but it worked. I did cook it on a cookie sheet for the last part because I was afraid of spillover.

If you like tamales you will probably like this. The corn mixture turns sort of into the mushiness I associate with tamales. It had a kick to it but not overpowering.

We liked it but probably won't make it into our regular rotations. Just not special enough for us. But still tasty and lots of leftovers. I don't think they will freeze well though so we'll be eating it to finish it up.

Bacon Risotto

This weekend I cooked not once but twice. Believe me this is a big deal. I wanted to cook stuff that I knew Whitney wouldn't like and since she'll be home in two weeks, I figured I better get cracking. She doesn't like rice and Dan and I love risotto, so I thought that would be good to make. We have a recipe that we like but I wanted to experiment. I found a recipe for bacon risotto on allrecipes and thought hey, we like bacon, let's try it.

I have to pat myself on the back and say I made a perfect risotto. Creamy and cooked to perfection. The basic recipe could be adapted to use any kind of vegetables or meat you wanted. The bacon was nice but actually wasn't necessary. The important part is the creamy texture you get in the risotto.

Bacon Risotto (recipe from allrecipes.com)

• 1/2 pound bacon, diced
• 5 cups chicken stock (I used 3 cans + 1/3 cup white wine)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cook and stir the diced bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon and reserve.
2. Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a saucepan over high heat; reduce heat to low to keep the chicken stock hot.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion begins to turn golden brown at the edges, about 2 minutes. Pour in the rice and stir until the rice is coated in butter and has started to toast, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; stir in one-third of the hot chicken stock and continue stirring until the rice has absorbed the liquid and turned creamy. Repeat this process twice more, stirring constantly. Stirring in the broth should take 15 to 20 minutes in all. When finished, the rice should be tender, yet slightly firm.
4. Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, the Parmesan cheese, and the reserved bacon. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

I made a couple of changes. I added white wine after coating the rice before adding any broth. It also took me about 25 minutes to get to the right consistency. I added salt and white pepper before it finished so that would cook in. Use this as a good base for making risotto and you can't go wrong.

Friday Fragments

Well I thought I would have a bunch of fragments and now I can't remember most of them. So we'll just see how well I do as I type freeform!

It rained last night. It was a lovely sounding rain with thunder in the distance. Of course that means we can't mow the yard (still). I'm afraid the neighborhood will ban against us. We've become the yard that looks bad because we still haven't mowed for the first time. Hopefully this weekend. I hope to get the bird feeders out and look at planting a couple of flowers. That might be pushing it though.

My tv viewing has come down quite a bit since shows I watched ended and I haven't added any new ones. Revenge and Glee just started back up so we have about 5 more weeks of those. Amazing Race is still going but losing steam. And I really don't have any other reality shows on right now. Guess that means we should be watching baseball.

Whitney will be home in two weeks for summer break. We'll have to go up to school to help her pack up the dorm room and move back. Where in the world are we going to put all her stuff?

Her summer job doesn't start until public school is out so she will have three weeks at home to do nothing. My guess sleep will be high on the list of activities.

Work has been super busy still. I thought last week when I had a bunch of proposals due that was going to be it. But now there is another proposal deadline next week and I know of at least 5 proposals going out for that one. Plus add on working on next year's budget and whew I'm getting worn out by spreadsheets and numbers.

Next week is Staff Week at work. Its one week where they have different activities for the staff who works here. I haven't attended any of the activities in years though. I had been on the committee for a long time and got burned out. But I'm thinking I may go to bingo on Monday. Maybe I can get lucky.

Those certainly were not exciting fragments. I need to make notes so next week I'm better prepared.

BBQ Pork/Cheese Panini

I originally had this post ready to use for the May Crazy Cooking Challenge. But I found a better recipe. This one is still good so I will share it with you.

The recipe I chose was from Authentic Suburban Gourmet. She mentions that this is a good way to use leftovers. Looking at the ingredients I knew I had just the right ones.

Panini with Roasted Pork, Caramelized Onions, Cheddar and Bacon 


Ingredients:

Ciabatta Loaf
Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Caramelized Onions
Cheddar Cheese
Crispy Bacon
Olive Oil

For each sandwich, cut about a 5 inch slice of ciabatta bread and then slice in half to open it up. Remove some of the excess bread if desired. Brush each outer side of the bread with olive oil. Start on the bottom slice by adding a slice of cheddar cheese, then several thin slices of pork tenderloin, then about 3 or 4 slices of the bacon and top with caramelized onions.

Place onto a panini pan or press. Cook for about 5 to 8 minutes until all ingredients are hot inside and the bread is crispy. Enjoy!


I actually didn't follow the recipe exactly. I used it as a base for my own creation. I know a little outside the box (especially for me) but I got a little lazy and didn't want to spend the time carmelizing onions or cooking bacon. Plus she said use it for leftovers and that would have meant I had to cook something more. We had some shredded BBQ pork in the freezer that we had made ages ago and we really needed to use. I also had a cute little ciabbatta loaf from Walmart (yes I shop there...don't judge me). It was the kind you cook in the oven and just the right size for us.


The loaf size was perfect for two sandwiches. I cut the bread in half and put my cheese (sharp Provolone not cheddar because once again I used what was on hand) on the bottom. I then scooped out some of the top (because it was already almost empty) and spread a little BBQ sauce on it. Then I added some heated up pork. After I put the sandwich together I put the olive oil on one side and put it on my George Foreman grill (it is perfect for this) and then oiled the other side. It only took about 3 minutes for the cheese to melt.

The result was a delicious panini. The bread was super crispy and smooshed just right. My only problem was that the cheese wasn't flavorful enough for the sandwich, but that was my fault. Half a sandwich was enough for myself and my husband so we have leftovers.


I will definitely use this method for making paninis again. The oil on the outside really helped crisp the bread up.

Hodgepodge - About Time I Do This Again

So after a few weeks off, I decided to join back in. Maybe it will help kickstart my thought process for blogs.




1. Spring is in the air (at least in my neck of the woods) and the birds are singing...what's your favorite bird?
I like birds, I really do. I just never know what type of bird I'm looking for. I can recognize a cardinal and a hummingbird. That's about it. So I like those because I know what they are when I see them. I do enjoy when the hummingbirds come to visit our feeder. I probably should get that out now.

2. Speaking of birds...do you tweet? If so tell us your screen name and we'll come flocking to your Twitter site. Even if you don't let's all pretend here that we do-in 140 characters or less, sum up your week so far.
I signed up a couple of weeks ago and don't know how to use it. LOL. I have tweeted one thing and I have one follower (not my husband). I don't even know how to login...good thing my ipad has everything saved. I don't know what my screen name is either. Is is with the @ sign? This is so sad. :( I feel inept.

So in 140 characters my week: Sunny no tornado Piles of work never end Vaca 60 days away

3. Its been reported recently that employers are not only viewing the facebook pages of potential hires but they're also requesting your facebook password to have a look at what you've kept from public view. What say you?

There is no way anyone should be asking for passwords. That is just wrong and I would tell someone no if they asked. However I don't have a problem with people looking at facebook pages of potential hires. If it is public, then it is public. Just like googling someone's name. I don't have a problem with that either.

4. It's April and you know what that means-Major League Baseball is back in action. What's your favorite baseball movie? If that's too hard, what's your favorite sports themed movie?

Do I have to list just one? Geez. Dan and I quote baseball movies all the time.

Bull Durham has to be the favorite though. Chock full of quotes. Just watch it and tell me you don't chuckle when they are on the mound trying to figure out what to get someone for a wedding gift, fix someone's hitting curse and breath through eyelids.

Field of Dreams is a close second. All you need to do is hear James Earl Jones say "Baseball" and you know. It gives you goosebumps. Of course that movie always makes me cry.
Both of them have Kevin Costner although that isn't my reason for liking them.

Then there is A League of Their Own. It's a simple game...You throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball.
Can you tell I like baseball movies? Probably because baseball is my favorite sport.

5. Something else this season brings-asparagus. Yes please or no thanks? If it's yes please what's your favorite way to have it prepared?
I dislike asparagus. I've tried to like it but just don't.

6. What drives you? (Don't you love how I sandwiched that one in between asparagus and jugglers???)
I think I'll be a smart aleck here and say my 2009 Honda Civic Coupe!

7. April 18th is International Jugglers Day...can you juggle?
Does juggling projects count? I have to juggle money in my head. I think that counts so yes I can juggle!

8. Insert your own random thought here.
Whitney won the housing lottery. Well it isn't like they were giving away a house. But she did get the room type and roommate she wanted for next year. They have a double with a shared living space. Each girl had their own bathroom. Can you imagine having that luxury in a dorm when you were in college? They have a little kitchen too. Their theme: Disney/Sorority (won't say which one). Quite a combination I know. Whitney has already started buying Disney plates/cups. She is so cute sometimes.

Paper, Paper, Paper...Everywhere

Do you ever get the feeling you are drowning in paper? It seems that no matter how much work I get done, the paper multiplies.



This is the pile that isn't quite as important. It hangs out behind me so I don't look at it all day. If I looked at it all day I think I would go crazy. And yes my desk drawer is still broken. I refuse to pay $40 to get it fixed.



This is the pile of paper next to my computer. It should be all the important stuff that I'm working on or that my boss gives to me that he thinks is important to work on. See that folder up there...that's from a meeting three weeks ago. I'm supposed to type up what was decided and email it around the country. Ask me how far I've gotten on that. Don't you just love the pattern of the paper to match the desk curve? That was accidental but looks cool.

My steno pad is what keeps me on track. Well sort of. I write down any phone messages and then I also scribble any notes that I think are important. I keep them around for a year in a drawer. I'm not sure what good that does since I don't date anything. But it makes me feel important.

The sad thing is that I hate to have clutter. Some days I'll try and straighten it up and clear stuff off. But then it just grows again.

Friday's Tornado

Well Friday it happened. Norman was hit by a tornado. Around 4 they announced at work that we needed to go to the storm shelter. A great benefit that we have at work is huge storm shelters. This is the first time since we've been in the building that we had to go their during work hours. Of course half the building was gone (probably storm chasing) so we had lots of space. Cell phones don't work very well so I had to rely on wifi. I checked in with Whitney and she kept me updated on what the news was showing because I couldn't get any streaming tv on the iPad. Probably too many people doing the same thing. The forecasters came down so I knew it was serious. Then they gave us the ok to go back. Sirens were still going off outside for town but it was to the east of us. I trust the forecasters if they say it's ok to go back. Dan was finally able to call me and say he was ok. Cell phone coverage was very sporadic so if you plan on that for your escape think again.

We made national news almost right away, probably because half of them were already in the building doing stories about the high risk over the weekend. My mom called to check on us before I had even left work.

When I got home I watched the news and the helicopters were showing the damage. Norman lucked out and no major injuries or fatalities. The tornado was a small one but it did do damage. It hit an apartment complex and then skipped its way across downtown. Somehow it missed two middle schools and a high school which hadn't left for the day.

I went around today to look at the damage. The area near the apartment was still closed because of downed power lines.

This is one of the old trees near a downtown park. They have a lot of concerts here in the summer.

This building got hit and lost a lot of its outside brick wall. They were already tearing it down today.

Norman was very lucky. We know this. Others in the state and Midwest were not so lucky yesterday.

Fragments and Following - Double F Friday

UPDATE - We did get bad weather TODAY and actually had to go to our storm shelter. Tornado was about three miles west of our building. We are safe but don't know if we have power at home. The storm shelter won't get cell phone coverage but we have WIFI so was able to keep in contact with Whitney so she could tell me what was going on.

Hooking up with Mrs. 4444 for Friday Fragments.



The weather is supposed to be nasty tomorrow. The good part of working with weather people is I know too much stuff. And I get free codes for weather aps. Got one for Whitney that acts as a weather radio and wakes the phone up if there is severe weather where you are. Uses GPS so it knows when to act. I like that and feel a little safer with her having it.

I really need to decide if I'm planting anything this spring. We tore out our front hedges two years ago and still haven't put anything there. I'm thinking maybe I'll plant flowers. Of course I'll have to pull weeds to do that. Blech. There is a reason why I stay inside all summer.

I've been working on seven different proposals this week. We may have good news about one of them where I can do a little less work. Its my biggest one so that would be super exciting. However the one proposal that I really need to get done can't be because the organization hasn't announced our guidelines. They better hurry because I have people on it and I need to figure out how to pay them shortly.

I actually made a to do list the other day for work. I don't do that too often but was so covered in paper I knew I would forget something. Luckily I've crossed off several things on the list and only added one.

Whitney hurt her knee yesterday and went to urgent care. They wrapped it up and gave her crutches. Poor thing is trying to get two tests, three papers and a presentation done in the next week. Plus a bunch of sorority stuff to raise money for their cause. And today is Relay for Life which she is doing.

Cruise countdown is 9 1/2 weeks. I got to print out boarding passes last week. Let the excitement build.

I survived volunteering at two services last Sunday. The 10:00 had 1,800 people. I'm not kidding. We had every chair in the auditorium and overflow in the lobby so they could watch on a big video screen. For the six services they had there were 8,000 people. That was the most they have ever had. WOW is all I can say.

Hodgepodge Away

Time for a little hodgepodge today. Lots of people playing along.


1. Have you ever played golf? Any interest in playing? Do you have a significant other who loves to play? Did you watch The Masters this past weekend?

Does miniature golf count? I have a bad shoulder so I've never played the real sport. Dan has played but not lately. I drove the cart for him once, my one experience at the golf course. We've watched the Masters in the past (like 10-15 years ago) but haven't lately. Mostly I watched because of the scenery. I can never see the ball flying in the air even with the cameras following it.

2. Hats are back in fashion this spring...how do you feel about wearing a hat? (fyi-I'm not talking baseball caps) When was the last time you wore one?

No hats for me. I think I look terrible in them. No ball caps, no cowboy hats, no stocking caps. Nothing.

3. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 meaning proficient and 1 meaning "I'd starve", how adept are you at using chopsticks?

I'd say probably a 7-8. I love sushi so I figured I'd better learn how to use it for that. When I get pad thai I start off with chopsticks and when I'm tired, I switch to a fork.  Lately that has gotten less frequent so I must be getting more adept at it. No rice though. And if you watch people using them, a lot of times they use the shovel/slurp method. You know keeping their face close to the bowl/plate. I don't think that is attractive.

4. Has technology taken over?

The age old question. Technology has been taking over since the days of the steam engine. We just have to accept it and adapt.

5. In the course of a day how often do you look in a mirror?

Only when in the bathroom or after I eat to make sure there is nothing in my teeth.

6. Tulip or Daffodil?

I like tulips. Growing up in Wisconsin we had them planted outside the house and I thought they were so pretty. I know we can grow them in Oklahoma but it just seems like too much of an effort to get one flower out of the bulb.

7. I am proud of myself for __________________.

Taking a two+ week vacation this summer. I haven't done this in years and I've warned everyone that once I leave I'm not looking at emails so they will have to just survive without me. How many people think that this is really going to happen?

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Whitney sent a text at 1pm on Sunday to see if she could come for Easter dinner. We had nothing planned (i.e. no food) and she wanted to bring a friend. I ran to the store, bought a ham and side dish stuff and by 5:30 we had dinner on the table. Thank goodness hams are pre-cooked and all you have to do is warm them up. Met another of her friends and I have to say she has had excellent taste in girlfriends this school year. Joining her sorority was the best thing she did.

Meet My Friend Sarah

The long awaited blog about my blog friend Sarah. Sarah writes Sarah has Moxie and if you haven't read it, head on over and see how fabulous she is. I found her blog through Bloggers "Blogs of Note". Its the only one I've ever seen on that list that is remotely interesting. She currently lives in Brussels but originally is from Minnesota. She travels the world both for her job and also because she loves exploring. In many ways we are complete opposites and yet we talked for hours over two nights.

We met for dinner twice last week. (Guess that means she didn't get tired of me after one night, lol). I love what she wanted: steak, Mexican and BBQ. To hear her describe the food in Brussels they don't know anything about beef. So the first night we went to Mickey Mantle's Steakhouse. It satisfied her steak need and we shared a bottle of wine and talked about random topics. Of course, the only photo I took was of dessert. The steak was delicious but my dessert was the star.

Apple Crisp

Key Lime Tart

The next dinner we had was BBQ. We went to Earl's Rib Palace and the moment you walk into the place you smell the smoke. Sarah was so funny, she just wanted to take in all that smoke and try and smell like it on the plane the next day. Once again, Oklahoma delivered and she was quite happy even saying the sauce was one of the best she had in a long time.

Being around Sarah made me realize that you take many things for granted when you live in the same place forever. She talked about the open sky and the grandness of the land. To me it is so normal to see the sky and the grandness I see as plain old flat land. What a refreshing take on things. The other thing that we take for granted is being an American. You never really think about it unless you are like Sarah and live in a different country. For all our faults, the USA is still the best place to live in the world.

I'm very happy to have finally met this woman who has kept me entertained for years with her stories about trips to Paris and South Africa, the "Sass Cobra" and living life across the ocean. Thank you Sarah for two great evenings.

Crazy Cooking Challenge - Blueberry Crumb Muffin

Month two for my participation in the challenge. When I saw the topic I wasn't sure I would do it. We don't eat muffins. Anytime I have tried to make them, they never come out. Of course I've always used the mix and they seem to stick to the papers or the tin. But I figured Whitney would be home for spring break and this would be a good treat. I printed out about 10 recipes. So many looked similar but I diligently went through them all. I gave them to Whitney to pick out and she narrowed it down to two. I was surprised she didn't pick the chocolate/blueberry one but she said it sounded strange. So we had two with crumb toppings. I chose the one that used a little less butter (since of course muffins are healthy). HAHA.

The recipe I chose was Blueberry Crumb Muffins from Dishing the Divine. Paula said that this recipe was just as good as her favorite muffin recipe. I figure that had to be a good sign.


Ingredients

crumb topping

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon

6 tbsp unsalted butter

1/3 cup light brown sugar

muffin batter

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

8 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 pint blueberries, rinsed, drained, and picked over (I used frozen blueberries)

Instructions

1. Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375F. Line a standard muffin pan with paper liners.
2. For the crumb topping, combine the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl and stir well to mix. Melt the butter in a small pan. Remove from the heat and add the brown sugar to the pan of melted butter and use a small heatproof spatula to stir them together. Scrape the butter and sugar mixture into the flour mixture, stirring it until the flour is evenly moistened. Set aside while preparing the batter.
3. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a mixing bowl and stir well to mix.
4. Combine the butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for about 1 minute, or until well mixed and a little lightened in color. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating smooth after each addition.
5. Decrease the mixer speed to low and beat in 1/2 the flour mixture. Stop the mixer and use a large rubber spatula to scrape down the bowl and beater.
6. On low speed, beat in the milk. After the batter has absorbed the milk, beat in the remaining flour mixture. Stop and scrape down the bowl and beater again.
7. Add the blueberries to the bowl and beat them into the batter on lowest speed for no more than 2-3 seconds, to crush some of the berries slightly.
8. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a large rubber spatula to give a final mixing to the batter.
9. Divide the batter evenly among the cavities in the muffin pan. Break the crumb topping into small crumbs with your fingertips and scatter over the top of each muffin. Bake the muffins until they are well risen, feel firm to the touch, and the topping is golden, about 30 minutes. Cool the muffins in the pan on a rack

Ready for the oven

Comments: I couldn't believe how thick the batter was. My experience with muffins usually is just the ones you get at hotel breakfasts. I think of them as somewhat light. These were very dense. I kept thinking I had the wrong size muffin tin. I filled up 12 cups to the top and overflowing. Then when I added the crumb topping I had so much extra. And they were pretty covered. I think I overcooked them by a minute (eventhough I pulled them out before the time on the recipe). The nutmeg was pretty strong (I like nutmeg) but I think a little less would let you taste the blueberries. The crumb topping was pretty crunchy (which is why I think I cooked them a minute too long). The next day I warmed one up and then put some butter on it and that seemed to help the denseness. Someone had mentioned that theirs were dry on the original blog and everyone else wondered why. Mine seemed dry too but butter helped.

Out of the oven

The blueberries kept their shape nicely

Would I make these again? No. Not because the recipe was bad its just that we don't eat muffins (in fact I've got most of them in the freezer). And actually with them being in the freezer, they have regained some moisture when we defrost them. Still wouldn't make them again but better this way for us.

Check out all the other versions of blueberry muffins out there.