Muffins -- Blueberry

Best Blueberry Muffins Ever

By Jennifer Segal of Once Upon a Chef


Servings: 12 muffins Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes Total Time: 45 Minutes

2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off 2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup milk
2-1/4 cups fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (also called raw sugar or demerara sugar)
For Cooking

Instructions:
Non-stick cooking spray 12 paper muffin liners
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Spray the pan and the liners with non-stick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar for about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and almond extract. (The batter may look a little grainy -- that's okay).
Gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk, beating on low speed to combine. Add the berries to the batter and fold gently with a spatula until evenly distributed. Do not overmix.
Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin (an ice-cream scoop with a wire scraper works well here); they will be very full. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar evenly on top of the muffins.
Bake for about 30 minutes, until lightly golden and a cake tester comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of each muffin to free it from the pan if necessary (the blueberries can stick), then transfer the muffins to a rack to cool completely.

Appox 252 calories per muffin.

Squash casserole. Nancy Mullins

What with all the squash available right now, yesterday I made my mother's "original" (at least she didn't have a recipe) SQUASH CASSEROLE.
I used all the ingredients she did except the cheese.  She used VELVEETA  (in everything) and lived to be 96.  So I've been thinking all morning I should just quit avoiding it.  Thinking about going and getting it and keeping it on hand, like she did, just in case I need it.

HER RECIPE (her amounts)
1.  1 lb. SAUSAGE (cooked & crumbled)

2.  1 can cream of mushroom OR celery OR onion SOUP

3.  1 large cottage cheese carton full of cooked SQUASH (yellow or zucchini or mixed) (I used more)

4.  1 or 2 ONIONS cut up and sautéed in a little oil or cooked with sausage.

5. A chunk of VELVEETA

6.  Top with generous RITZ cracker crumb and butter mix

Mix and bake at 350-375 till bubbly and topping is golden.

Bon appetite

Nancy Mullins
2016. 0710

Squash casserole. Nancy Mullins

What with all the squash available right now, yesterday I made my mother's "original" (at least she didn't have a recipe) SQUASH CASSEROLE.
I used all the ingredients she did except the cheese.  She used VELVEETA  (in everything) and lived to be 96.  So I've been thinking all morning I should just quit avoiding it.  Thinking about going and getting it and keeping it on hand, like she did, just in case I need it.

HER RECIPE (her amounts)
1.  1 lb. SAUSAGE (cooked & crumbled)

2.  1 can cream of mushroom OR celery OR onion SOUP

3.  1 large cottage cheese carton full of cooked SQUASH (yellow or zucchini or mixed) (I used more)

4.  1 or 2 ONIONS cut up and sautéed in a little oil or cooked with sausage.

5. A chunk of VELVEETA

6.  Top with generous RITZ cracker crumb and butter mix

Mix and bake at 350-375 till bubbly and topping is golden.

Bon appetite

Nancy Mullins
2016. 0710

Soup Creamy Tomato Quick

Soup  – Creamy Tomato Soup

Max Pres member from Rachael Ray

Prep time 5 min.  Cook 15 min.

2 15oz containers, chicken or vegetable stock.  Prefers brand: Kitchen Basics
1 28 oz can concentrated crushed tomatoes

1 C heavy cream

    Coarse salt and black pepper

20 leaves fresh basil, cut into chiffonade for garnish.

Combine broth and tomatoes in a medium saucepan over moderate heat.
When soup bubbles, stir in heavy cream and reduce heat to low.
Season with a little salt and pepper and simmer gently 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Use an immersion blender and puree soup.  Serve bowls of soup with basil chiffonade and floating soup toppers.


Soup toppers, for garnish,
Crusty bread   Toast in toaster.  Rub with crushed garlic.  Drizzle with olive oil and black pepper.  Layer with shredded cheese.  Place under hot broiler to melt cheese.

fresh garlic
extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
½ pound shredded cheese to complement soup:

Sauce Cherry Sauce for Ham

Sauce Cherry for Baked Ham

Simple Cherry Sauce for Baked Ham

In a saucepan, stir together...
1 Can Cherry Pie Filling
Nutmeg to taste [Fresh ground is best]
Filtered water or apple juice [Amount varies according to desired thickness of sauce]

Heat over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture begins to boil
Remove from heat, and add...
1 tbsp butter

Serve warm with ham.

This recipe can be made with canned cherries which have been sweetened and thickened with cornstarch.