The best blueberry muffins ever.

A few weeks ago, I bought a 2.5-pound clamshell of blueberries at Safeway. They were $5! That's a hell of a lot of berries for $5, and I couldn't resist! After a longish bus ride home (any bus ride is longish when one is schlepping 15 pounds of groceries in a flimsy paper sack), I was like, "Man, what am I going to do with all these berries?" So I ate some and froze the bulk of them. Since then, I've been making delicious, delicious blueberry muffins. In addition to being lip-smackingly good, these muffins are also low-sugar and low-cal. Also, they're hella easy to prepare. Here, then, is Simple Daily Recipes' take on the traditional recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cups low fat milk
• 1/2 cup natural applesauce
• 1 egg
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Method:

Preheat oven to 400ºF degrees. Spray muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Blend milk, applesauce, egg in a small bowl and set aside.
Stir flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center and pour wet ingredients into the well. Stir with a spoon just until the flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy). Fold in blueberries. Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake until golden brown; regular size muffins bake in 18 to 20 minutes, mini-muffins bake in 10 minutes. Immediately remove from pan.

***

Note: the muffins are really good when prepared according to the recipe listed above. My second time making them, I added a teaspoon of vanilla extract and a generous teaspoon of cinnamon, and they were even better. You could probably add a quarter to a half cup more berries, too -- I haven't tried this yet, but I probably will, for batch #3.

CookieCakes

Ueberproductive day, beginning with croissants with Hook @ Boulange de Cole, segueing to a brief mall visit (to return something, people!), oceanside bike ride, some tidying, and a bit of baking. My project today was gingersnaps; I used a recipe I found on AllRecipes. Shocked by the amount of oil included (3/4 cup!), I subbed in applesauce, which may have been a bad idea. (Note: substituting applesauce for oil is a legit thing. I mean, my mom used to do it all the time when I was a tot, and I corroborated the legitimacy of this practice using none other than Google.) The so-called cookies taste awesome -- gingery, but not overwhelmingly so, with hints of clove -- but texturally, they're more like cakes. Muffin tops, actually. In that way, they're a little weird. Not sure if I'll bring them in to share with the coworkers. Indeed, the only reason I deviated from the gingersnap recipe I used (and reused) last summer is that I don't have that recipe with me, here, immediately, though I'll get my mom to email it...

There are 31 gingery CookieCakes lined up on Hook's counter. At some point, I'm going to get a wire rack.

America Party!

Happy Fourth! Growing up, my family celebrated this holiday somewhat inconsistently: sometimes, we'd cook out (albeit in the backyard) and see fireworks; sometimes, we'd just do whatever else we were going to do that day (albeit with the addition of those red/white/blue popsicles). Consequently, I never get as excited about the Fourth of July as I feel I should; this lack of fervor always inspires a slight guilt -- am I not patriotic enough? Why am I not more excited for cured/grilled meats? -- which, in turn, usually prompts me to get off the couch & do something, mostly so that I can say that I got off the couch and did something.

That being said, I'm legitimately excited for this year's Fourth. Hook and I are having a picnic (w/pals) at Alamo Square Park, and we spent the better part of yesterday making an assortment of homemade treats. Hook made an entirely from-scratch strawberry rhubarb pie and also some ginger candy (which, oh. my. god.) and, with the syrup leftover from the production of the candy, some homemade ginger ale. I made a ginormous loaf of bread whose taste and texture somewhat mimic that of a pretzel. (Note: I accidentally added too much yeast to the recipe, hence the textural abnormalities, and I also brushed the loaf with olive oil/sprinkled with salt before baking, hence the pretzelness.) No matter, though: I will happily eat that pretzel bread to celebrate the occasion of our country's birth.

Re: homemade pickles, Eating Well has not posted on their website the recipe we used, but they do have this very similar/almost identical recipe. Check it out!

Here is the recipe Hook used for making his ginger candy and ginger ale. The homemade ale tastes more like a commercially-prepared ginger beer; the concentration of ginger syrup also increases as you near the bottom of the club soda bottle, so the last swigs are actually the best part. Haven't tried the ginger ale float, but that, undoubtedly, is next on our list.

Enjoy Independence Day! Wear sunscreen! And, if you're prone to that sort of thing, raise a lukewarm can of domestic lager to celebrate this great land of ours! I'm off for a run, and then begins the stretch of picnic greatness.

I have earned the title of Cookie Monster

...or cookie maestro: take your pick. As I mentioned, this weekend was a snickerdoodle bake-a-thon, and what a -thon it was! I made two batches (so that I could give a bunch to friends...and also freeze some), and both turned out superbly. Here's the recipe I used:


Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups white sugar
* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 eggs
* 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt

(and for the topping)

* 2 tablespoons white sugar
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Combine 1 1/2 cups white sugar, butter or margarine, vanilla and eggs. Mix well.
3. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Blend well. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. Roll dough in sugar/cinnamon mixture and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheets.

***

I will definitely be making these again; not too soon, mind you - there's a huge Tupperware of cookies atop Hook's fridge - but soon enough. In the meantime, I may try to master the art of vegan chocolate cake...

Yesterday was the day of harassment.

Yes. So, yesterday was evidently The Day During Which Strangers Harass Kate; there were two separate instances of harassment. The first took place at a delicatessen: I had a paid holiday and met Hook downtown for lunch. We went to a deli near his office (this deli did not have great salads, but Hook liked his sandwich well enough and so that was good) and while I was at the register, paying for my salad and Baked Lays, a man slid a can of diet Sunkist orange up beside my food and said to the cashier, "Oh, we're together." In my mind I was all like, 'Dude WTF?' but then thought, 'OK, I can pay for this dude's can of soda I guess, it's a can of soda,' but before the cashier really had time to respond the dude smiled at me and said, "Gotcha." Elbowed me, retrieved his can of soda, and waited to pay. Mortified, I left the register without even taking my receipt and joined Hook at our table.

The second incident took place on the bus. I'd done a bit of shopping and was going to walk home but a drizzle started and then became a rainfall, hence the bus trip. When I boarded, I took a window seat; at the next stop, a man sat in the seat beside me. I didn't have my iPod at the time and so was fiddling with my phone, texting my sis, when the man beside me put his hand over mine and kind of jokingly tried to knock free the phone. No conversation, here: just the man half-slapping my hand, the phone. The man in the bank of seats directly across from me gave an alarmed look, which I returned. I couldn't tell if the man beside me was 1) trying, in some ass-backward way, trying to flirt with me; or 2) a legit psycho, so I said nothing. I kept texting. The man beside me leaned over and read all of my texts (none of which made mention of him), and then got off the bus three stops after he'd boarded.

These incidents left me profoundly unsettled: who are these brazen men, and why did they approach me from nowhere, on the same day?

I am glad to report that today has been a harassment-free day.

***

In more upbeat, sugar-related news, I am burning this soy-based, birthday-cake-scented candle, and it is just so excellent. My room smells like a beautiful cake! Speaking of baking, tonight is slated to be a snickerdoodle bake-a-thon, once I get to the store to pick up some cream of tartar.

***

Just finished reading "Brief Interviews With Hideous Men," which renewed my faith in contemporary fiction. Which statement may sound like an overstatement, but trust me, it is not.

Refrain: thank god for 3-day weekends.

For games night yesterday, I baked my first loaf of bread. I am not trying to toot my own horn here - merely stating the facts, people - but it turned out perfectly. Proof: the loaf in its entirety was consumed by four people. Today, I am baking more bread. Hook made rye crackers, which also turned out awesomely (though he would argue that the crackers' texture wasn't ideal, but I liked the biscuit-y quality).
I am mystified by how four ingredients can produce such delicious results.

You know what name I haven't heard in a while? Libby. When I was a kid, I knew tons of Libbys (Libbies?). Now? None. Bring back that name.

Reading goal 2010 is on track: I'm almost done with the anthology of Southern fiction I've been working on for a week, then I'm moving on to either "Eat Me" (Kenny Shopsin) or the 69 Love Songs 331/3. Running goal 2010 is not on track; my knee is still fucked up, and though I've been doing the stretches the PT gave me and slathering on muscle cream like nobody's business, the muscle is too tender to run on.

I might actually buy the raincoat I've been looking at online. Today's a deluge.

Quick!

This'll be a short one. Spent a few hours after work today creaming butter by hand, though Drew said he'd give me an inherited hand mixer and so the days of hand-creaming are drawing to a close. Baked a belated birthday cake for Hook, complete with candles(!) The cake was a traditional "golden" cake (a la Mark Bittman) with Meyer lemon buttercream frosting. It turned out pretty well, though the frosting could have been a little stiffer. (That's what she said.)

God, I've just consumed so much butter, confectioner's sugar, and Tecate. We are sitting on the couch like a couple of old folks, listening to the Glands; my sugar rush is finally wearing off.

Thank god tomorrow's Wednesday, right? This weekend holds in store a trip to Berkeley, a trip to the Bi-Rite Creamery, and maybe a trip to Amoeba. Maybe also a trip to American Apparel: I need some sheerish v-necks.

Aw, man: I was planning to ride my bike today (to Maple Farm Foods, to campus, around), but now it it raining and is supposed to rain all day. At noon, the chance of precipitation lessens to 30%, but I'm going to amend my daily plan to include the baking of cupcakes/the packing of boxes/the perusing of internet wonders. Sigh. Mostly, I am bored with my gym routine and was looking forward to exercising outside, but the world would have it otherwise.

Again: sigh.

Relatedly: red velvet cupcakes. Maybe I will bake some.

I have half an hour until Ali and I are walking to the going-out-of-business Camera Shop downtown. Should I nap? Or read? I realize that blogging about this will not bring about a swift solution, but the dilemma is present in my mind!

Last Friday, I successfully defended my thesis. Lasers! Horns! Sirens! Life since has been pretty sweet: I finished sorting through my schtuff and have a fresh batch of clothing to donate, made some Zucchini Pecan muffins, and went to the Sox/Twins game in Boston. The game was pretty badass: Sox fans, diverse as they are, are the rowdiest group I've ever encountered. (I realize that my past experience has not brought me into contact with many rowdy groups, but still.) The weather was a little crappy - drizzly, low 50's - but we had seats in the grandstand and were sheltered. AND, I had a Fenway Frank, the most delicious hot dog of all time. Mmmmm, stadium food. This August/September, I will also be going to some Brewers games...
We like sports!

Aside: the Zucchini Pecan muffins were no less badass than the game.

Leaning in the nap direction.

BAKE.

Last night, I made half a batch of Mohnschnecke, my all-time favorite baked good. (Note: If you know me, you know that I'm a baked-good fiend. Truly, it was difficult to determine that Mohnschnecke are indeed the top-ranked - I also love a good danish - but my decision is final. For now.) The 'schnecke (if I can so abbreviate them w/o looking like a total douchebag) turned out objectively well: that is, the final product was delicious and pleasant looking. But it didn't taste like the bakery version(s) available in Berlin. Perhaps this discrepancy is inevitable? I'm not sure. I'm an OK baker, but not a great baker; I have never invented my own recipe. I have a few ideas for altering the recipe I used - OK, one idea - and I will see how this alteration pans out. Mostly, though, I was happy to be baking, happy to be remembering Mohnschnecke and the wonderful bakery experience that is Germany. Also: happy to have so many poppy seeds in my possession.

I love poppy seeds.

This weekend will be frantic and glorious. I will finish editing my thesis, and Jane and I are having a bake-a-thon Saturday afternoon and evening. This bake-a-thon will be accompanied by the viewing of Now and Then, which I haven't seen since I was approximately eleven and which I don't remember. (It is also Jane's favorite movie.) So, fun and hellish business, hopefully in some sort of balance.

Halp.

A minor freakout. The plan was this: the plan was that Ali would work the morning shift today and I would work the morning shift today, and in the afternoon we would tidy the house/purchase last minute groceries/get our holiday wine situation in order/BAKE. As it turns out, Ali's [admittedly-fickle] boss called her in for a double shift today, and A. will be working until at least 10pm. = UGH.

I know I'll be able to get all this stuff done by myself, but I am filled with loathing at the thought of grocery shopping on the day before Thanksgiving. How was I to know that I'd use most of the milk I'd intended for stuffing? Or that my mom no longer likes salad mix and wants bunches of red leaf lettuce and romaine? = UGH. On top of all this, I was hoping to get at least 1/3 of my student papers graded; looks like that won't be happening.

Ah, well. Things could be worse: the house could still be in the state it was Sunday morning. We could have forgotten the turkey, or the pie crusts. I could be one of those people who feels guilty about taking a long time to grade (hah). But, none of these things are true. So, I'll forge through the next three.five hours of work, and then it's prep time.