Friday, November 14, 2008
Mo' betta
The BEST Blueberry Muffins
Wendy Barlow
Sift the following ingredients together in a large mixing bowl:
2¾ cup flour
¾ cup white sugar
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
Add the following:
2 large eggs slightly beaten
1 ½ STICKS of butter melted
¾ cup buttermilk
1 TBS. pure vanilla extract
1 ½ tsp. pure lemon extract
1 cup frozen unsweetened blueberries
*Line 24 muffin cups with the cupcake liners and fill half way.
TOPPING:
¾ cup quick oatmeal
¼ cup white sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
½ stick melted butter
Lightly press into the batter
Bake in a preheated 375’ oven for 15-25 min
Let cool in pan for 10 min
Makes 24 muffins
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Mmmmm . . . Fall foods. . .
Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
Adapted from Martha Stewart and Baking & Books
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon pumpin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon wheat germ
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
1 cup milk
6 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree
2 tablespoon melted butter
1 egg
Extra butter for cooking and serving the pancakesmaple syrup / confectioner's syrup
Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Add wheat germ, nutmeg; and a pinch of ground cloves. In a separate bowl, stir together the milk, canned pumpkin puree, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and the egg.
Fold mixture into dry ingredients.
Melt some butter in a skillet over medium heat; pour in 1/4 cup batter for each pancake.
Cook pancakes about 3 minutes per side; serve with butter and syrup, or with confectioners sugar.
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Also...this sounded sick delicious....
Easy as Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
1 15-Ounce Can Pumpkin Puree
1 14-Ounce Can Coconut Milk
1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar, Packed
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
2 Tablespoons Bourbon
2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
Pinch Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Okay, now this is a real tough recipe, so are you ready? … Take all of the ingredients, and mix them together in a big bowl until smooth and homogeneous. Chill if not already cold, and process in your ice cream machine as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer into an air-tight container and freeze until solid before serving. Whew! After all that work, this ice cream sure hits the spot!
PS: Not too keen on making a traditional pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving this year? Just make a batch of this ice cream, smooth it into a pre-baked graham cracker crust, and freeze until firm enough to slice. Perfect to make ahead of time, too!
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The next is not just a fall food..but looks delicious and I am on a roll..hungry eyes....
Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping Recipe
SND Note: Coat the blueberries with a dusting of flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom. Also remember to evenly distribute the blueberries across the muffin cups.
Streusel Topping Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, slightly softened and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Muffin Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
8 ounces sour cream
1/4 cup milk
3 cups (1 1/2 pints) fresh blueberries, stems removed
Directions
For the topping, in a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Add the butter pieces and combine the mixture with a fork until the topping resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place paper liners in muffin pans. In a separate medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
With an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. At low speed, beat one egg in at a time, then add vanilla, sour cream, and milk until combined. Add 1/3 of dry ingredients at a time and beat until just combined. With a spatula, evenly fold blueberries into batter.
Scoop batter into muffin pans and fill each cup to the top. Sprinkle topping evenly over batter. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a cake tester or wooden skewer comes out clean.
Makes 24 muffins
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Yummy Sugar Cookie Goodness
4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 c butter, softened
1 c powdered sugar
1 c sugar
1 c vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c sugar for dipping
Sift the flour, b. soda, salt and cream of tartar into a bowl and mix well. Beat the butter, c. sugar and 1 c sugar in a mixing bowl until creamy. Add the oil and beat until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix well. Chill, covered until firm.
* The dough will be wet and light...this is how it is supposed to be.
Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and roll in the remaining 1 cup of sugar. Arrange on a cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until light brown (I undercooked so they were less crispy). Cool for 2 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 7 dozen cookies
Frost (frosting recipe to come!) and serve!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Little's Dope-a-licious Lullaby
Just a flashback for those of you who tracked my journey to rap this for my newborn Little.
Shout outs....

Sue, Wobin and Leen (From left to right)....I don't know how in the little city of Slidell, LA I would end up with some of the raddest, funniest, most talented, witty, (flexible), craziest, danciest, most loving, got-yer-back type of BFFs in the universe. And if that isn't enough...these chicks can do a 3 day email conversation about cupcakes. In heaven did you guys get tailor-made to be my friends?! You gals were meant for me.
2: Bashas Supermarket
They offer babysitting in the store.
Seriously.
I am now a loyal customer for life.
Now one of my favorite things to do....ie, roam the supermarket aisles to dream about culinary delights; will not be Mcallus Interuptus by requests for Skootles, Cheetos, and whatever other items are within her reach. No more tantrums! I get to stop and free-read about Brangelina cover to cover without being pulled away by a screaming toddler. Oh the simple pleasures in life.
PLUS...they have plasma screens around the store just in case you are one of those worrying types that needs to peek in (I am not, but I love to spy).

3:The students at Paul Mitchell in SLC, UT...namely Rhiannon and Celeste.
They saved me from the head shearing of the century and were able (after 45 minutes of coaxing, caressing and a load of serums and detanglers) to get the round brush [Little was nice enough to implant in my scalp]...OUT. Angels, I tell you. Oh yes...and they didn't charge me.
http://www.paulmitchelltheschool.com/pmsp/index.cfm
4: KBAQ, 89.5
Thanks for keeping it harmonious in my car.
McCall calls it Princess music.
I call it sanity in the making.

5:Brothers
Somehow I got the ultimate hookup and got 5 of these bad boys. They rock. My family is the best and for some strange reason I got just about the best sampling of cool dudes ever (plus the married ones also hooked us up with some fab sis-in-laws). Less emotional than chicks, but just as loving and they pack a meaner punch :)

* In case you are wondering...this is Josh, taking his card losing punishment like a man...and shocking himself into oblivion with the bug zapper. Random and lovely . . .
There are many many other things and people I am grateful for (I could blog a few postings on Wendy and how heaven sent she is for being one of my greatest friends and the worlds greatest listeners...)but I have to get on to my next set of things for the day....just wanted to share some appreciation for some things that are on my mind this morning!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Awesome
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Fun with Little

Lovin' riding in Daddy's rental convertible...makes her hair blow...



Posing with the very scary Tiki mask (thank you Backyardigans!)
Lovin on Daddy
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Lovin' some Robert

Looking for something adorable?....
One of these days I will post a pic of Little in some of the dresses she made...they are stupid cute!
Friday, October 10, 2008
Reality TAG! . .Bethany ROcKs!
. . .just wanted to give Bethany a shout out for keeping it real amongst all the sugar coated picture perfectness. Thanks for a reminder of our humanity!!
Here is my bedroom right now:



Authors note: This little exercise in keeping it real actually helped me hang up approximately 30 items that were strewn across surfaces. . .didn't want to wholeheartedly fix the problem, but made a small dent nonetheless.
Also...this self awareness will never make a lateral move into me posting really fugly pics of myself (funny, yes...really truly frickin ugly, no!). Cellulite and other body abnormalities (real or imagined)... are still not what I want to be known for on the www and beyond.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Goodbye Amanda!





JLJ and Amanda

Wednesday, September 24, 2008
So Grateful . . .

Monday, September 22, 2008
Tag. . .I'm it!
Tagged...by Wendy
10 years ago I :
1:Was having the time of my life at Ricks college
2: Thought I was pretty grown up.
3: Considered my parents my best friends.
4: Was better at living in the present.
5:Had way better legs.
5 things on today's "to do" list:
1: Go to Wendy's
2: Figure out what to do with my life
3: Do about 65 loads of laundry
4:Figure out what is biting McCall in her room
5: Bug Bomb said problem to #4
5 snacks I enjoy:
1:Leftover dessert of any kind (just polished off the peach cheesecake that Wendy gave me...this should be the I heart Wendy blog!)
2:Uncrustable PB & J . . . don't judge me
3: Goldfish crackers
4: Easy cheese...I don't buy it anymore after I realized it only takes me like 4 minutes to drain that bugger.
5:Lunchables. I don't know...i have an addiction with processed food.
5 things I would do if I were a millionaire:
1: Go to culinary school
2: get the ladies fixed
3: get the mom belly fixed
4: hire a trainer so I could fix the thighs and butt on my own
5: Travel the world for at least a year.
5 places I have lived:
1:Anaheim, CA
2:Okinawa, Japan,
3: Virginia Beach, VA
4: Slidell, LA
5:Ann Arbor, MI
Five jobs I have had:
1:Barista at the Palladium Coffee House in Slidell, LA
2: TeleSurveyer/Housewife aggrevator at Western Watts in Rexburg, ID
3: Barista at the Underground in Rexburg, ID (I think I was the only one who knew how to use an espresso machine in the whole city)
4: Pest Control Sales...door to door...Fort Worth, TX
5: Staffing Manager for OfficeTeam/Robert Half Int'l
I tag...
Whoever. . . does anyone read this blog-o-mine?...
Each player answers the question themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment letting them know that they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person that tagged you know when you've answered the questions on your blog.
Saturday, September 06, 2008

A view from the top. . . Camelback Mountain... For all you haters who think Arizona isn't GORGEOUS...take a bite out of this!
Two fabulous and cute ladies and one super cheesy Deb . . . I tried/failed at doing the head snap to look adorable and nonchalant at the last moment...Koren managed it just fine and I missed the mark completely. Maybe by 30 I will perfect it and take a normal picture.When I can't hang out with my favorite Sue in the universe I will take her husband, dad, brother and brother-in-law in exchange. It's almost the same...almost.
A side of Deb at 28 years 363 days old. I have my mouth open, yakking . . . is anyone surprised by this? It's not a great pic...but there are so few pics of me floating around these days (I think that happens when you become a mom...you are always the taker and not the takee?..) that I take what I can get.
Side note....an absolute treasure of a friend told me to make a list of things I am going to do before I am 30. . . which I guess is not too far away.... so I thought I would follow her advice and start the list now and add to it as I come up with it...
So far here are some things that I've thought of:
- A backpacking trip (I got left out as a child on all my parents trips into the Uintahs . . .)
- Take another dance class (Latin Ballroom or Swing)
- Yoga/Pilates . . . to help me lose 4% body fat (BTW, I WILL NOT publish your post if you argue with me on this. It needs to be done.)
- Take a parenting class (I think this will help me find inner peace as well if I am not constantly threatening my almost 3 year old . . . there are better ways to go about this...)
- Read through the Book of Mormon, start to finish. I know that I have done this throughout my life but I think it's about time to delve a little deeper.
- Go to the temple at least 1 time every month (Wohoo. . .I am on track already!!!)
- Join a running club. . . which will also help me accomplish . . .
- Run a marathon. Operative word, RUN . . . which means that inevitably I will have to train.
Friday, September 05, 2008
This is how glorious the sky looked on my birthday . . . coincedence?. ..I think not!

. . . . where the temperature was about 30 cooler than Phoenix. . . the drive was gorgeous . . .


A Little video . . .







Little has been known to stop herself mid cry/tantrum/sadness to say " I need to wipe my tears . . .". This is followed by a quiet trip to a box of tissues to dab and wipe until she is satisfied the tears are gone.
Who does that?!
It's awesome & adorable and just goes to show she is a little dramatic like her ol mom.
So . . . recently she was throwing down a cry fest and noticed her little toy blowdryer on the floor and stopped the torrent of tears to announce "I need to blow dry my tears".
Awesome....and lucky that mommy always has the camera nearby...I was able to capture it for posterity.









