Strawberry Muffins

Good Morning Sunshinessss! Look what I made for today....Strawberry Muffins! I'm so excited because this is the first time I've ever made muffins from scratch. I was a bit nervous but in the end they turned out better than I expected.

For these muffins I would have probably used canola oil but I only had corn oil (another recipe I'm working on) so I used that instead. So if you end up making these let me know how they turned out for you.

What you will need:

3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
3/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup of Sugar
1 teaspoon of Baking Soda
1 teaspoon of Salt
1/4 cup of Light Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 cup of Corn Oil (or Canola Oil)
1/4 cup of Milk (I used reduced fat)
1 cup of Strawberries, sliced or diced
1/2 teaspoon of Orange Zest
Lightly greased Muffin/Cupcake tray

• Heat over to 375 degrees F/190 C.

• In a large bowl mix the flours, white sugar, baking soda and salt until well blended.

• In a small bowl beat eggs and light brown sugar together using a fork.

• Add contents of the small bowl into the large bowl along with vanilla, oil, milk and orange zest. Mix well. Then fold in strawberries.

• Using a 1/4 measuring cup, pour batter into each lightly greased muffin cups.

• Bake for 15-17 minutes. Every oven varies so you know your oven best. Mine was done in about 15 or 16 minutes.

Have a great Thursday and I hope you find some time to relax and calm your mind during this crazy week!

It's an "Epic" Wednesday

So it's Wednesday and I'm feeling a little bit cheeky today. I don't consider myself an expert on food but I cook what I like and enjoy the experience. I watch a lot of cooking shows to see what's new and what old techniques are coming back. However these videos threw me for a loop and I absolutely love them. They take cooking shows to an "epic" level!



We're not done yet...



I wish I thought of making these videos in college when I was crazier and skinnier! Have a great wednesday and please go burn off what you've just seen. I couldn't help myself today.
Subscribe to their YouTube channel EpicMealTime

Easter Cupcakes Part Deux

 I ended up making more cupcakes the next day when we had some friends over for the day. I opened up a package of Jolly Rancher Jelly Beans and Annie's Bunny Grahams and this is what came of it...

 

A little artsy touch...going for a shooting star look.

Been eyeing this blue egg for a while...glad my husband liked it!

Easter Cupcakes, Full Time Wife Style!

Happy Friday Everyone! Hope it went well or is going well for you. Today I wanted to share some festive cupcake pictures of my take on Easter sweets.

So I had this idea I wanted to create a nest full of eggs because every candy maker seems to be going for the "egg" shaped treat. Well, I was thinking, "how am I going to create an edible nest?" I've seen people use coconut shavings, frosting, royal icing and so forth, but I've never seen an edible nest. Luckily, my husband and I stopped by Target to get treats for my little niece's Easter basket and we found something I never thought I'd find...edible grass! And it tastes like wafers without the cream. Yum and Yay!

 

Here's what happens with you put edible grass, candy eggs, Wacky Cake and Southern Rock radio station on Pandora together...

 

 

These next ones are for the kid at heart...that's about anyone who loves to laugh and enjoy life to the fullest. Raise you hands and dance if you're with me!!

 

Family Recipe: Uncle Sam's Sardines

It's packed with Omega-3 fatty acids and it comes in a can...I'm talking about sardines! This recipe was first introduced to me by my Uncle Samuel when I was a kid. He didn't cook all the time because of his busy work schedule but when he did, it was really man-food good. Come to think of it, all the males on my mother's side are great cooks thanks to my grandpa. And I know he wouldn't want me to announce this but Uncle Sam is still single, great with children, clean and he's a great cook! (hehe I'll ask for forgiveness later)

Well, this dish is best served with warm rice and a side of cold sliced cucumbers. The dish calls for tomatoes, I used cherry tomatoes this time but any kind of tomato will do. I hope you enjoy making and eating it as much I do!

What you will need:

1 can of Sardines in tomato sauce with or without chilies

6-8 halved Cherry Tomatoes (Use a different kind if you wish)

2 tablespoons of Vegetable Oil

3-5 cloves of Garlic, minced

2-3 stalks of diced Green Onions (separate green from white part)

1/2 cup of chopped Cilantro

2-3 Green Chilies, sliced or use 1 tablespoon of Red Crushed Peppers

1-2 teaspoon of Fish Sauce

1/2 a Lemon or Lime

Salt and Pepper to taste

• Heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Then add garlic, chilies/red crushed peppers and a pinch of salt. Fry garlic until aromatic and slightly golden.

• Add green onions (only the white part) and tomatoes, saute until tomatoes are softened. Press tomatoes to burst their pulp. 

• Then add sardines, fish sauce, 1/4 cup of cilantro and salt & pepper to taste. Heat all the ingredients for about 2-3 minutes. Stirring gently occasionally. Squeeze lime/lemon over dish, mix in the rest of the cilantro and green onions, heat for 1 more minute.

• Remove from heat and let cool for about 2 minutes.  Serve in a separate bowl from rice and add a side of sliced cool cucumbers for dipping! 

Just in case you were wondering what kind of sardines I used:

They cost $.69-$1 each and I used the Green can this time.

Stuff For Hosting...Thanks CB2

Yeah, I would say this tray's message says what I would like to say sometimes...but I usually keep that in my head. Anyway, I'm always on the lookout for funky and fun entertainment ware. I've subscribed to CB2 for about two years now and today I decided I'd take some time to see what's new. I found this tray for $15.95 but it's currently on sale for $12.95.

And keep your drinks cool with this spiffy Mars Party Tub that matches perfectly with your attitude tray.

Keeping it chill for $24.95

And I know these chopsticks looks a bit gimmicky but doesn't it look fun?! This would also be great for people and kids who would like to start learning how to use chopsticks. Makes me smile. In fact, browsing for things online and sharing them with family and friends is something I really like doing. I could share so much more today but I'll just start with these three.

$3.95 each but the experience is priceless, young grasshopper!

I'm just scratching the surface of CB2 today...check them out for yourself! I'm off for some online shopping. Have a great day!

Jucy Lucy Burgers

I have to give Cook's Country TV all the credit for introducing me to this thick juicy and delectable burger that my family will enjoy for many parties to come!

Follow the instructions (it's free but they require you to register an email address) and make sure you have a ruler handy because the thickness of the patty matters.

I know you can make one if I can make one. I've never ever grilled anything before and for a first timer I think I did a pretty darn good job. And Thanks to my husband for being there as grill support. Hehe.