April 17, 2008

umpkin Spice Muffins!! I have been threatening to make these for awhile now and today was the day. They are so delicious for breakfast. I have a friend who has never been here coming over for tea and breakfast this morning. We have always worked opposite schedules, so it never happened before. She is a wonderful painter and woodworking artist and she wanted to see some of my 'toys', like my spinning wheel and calligraphy work.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup buttermilk or 1/2 cup milk with a little vinegar in it
2 organic eggs
1 2/3 cups flour
1 cup chopped nuts, if desired (I didn't put any in today)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

STREUSEL TOPPING
      1 tablespoon flour
      2 tablespoons sugar
      1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
      2 teaspoons butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl combine pumpkin, sugar, oil, buttermilk, and eggs. Beat together for 1 minute. Add flour, spices, soda, and salt together. Stir into pumpkin mixture and mix thoroughly until mixture is moistened. Don't over stir. Fold in nuts. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Pour batter into cups filling 2/3 full. Sprinkle a little of the topping on the muffin. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve while still warm.

If you do not have a muffin tin, you can also put it into a 9x9" bake pan, or two pie plates and cut into wedges. 

I also starting to make my raised beds in the greenhouse today, which was one of my New Year's resolutions. I also start my garden seeds today. I am 4 days behind from when I planted last year, but no big deal. I had some herbs already started along with a couple 4 'Black Krim' and 'Fish' peppers to give away as gifts, but I never seriously start my seeds until around this week. I do not feel you do your plants any service starting them any earlier at my latitude. Even in Oregon, which is on the 45th parallel, I did not start them until St Patrick's Day. I am above the 53rd here.

The snow has melted enough that the dogsled is useless for hauling wood, so it is all packed down by armloads now. Good thing it is warming up and I only light it once a day if that. I did cook dinner on top of it last night though. I do so enjoy cooking on a woodstove.

Evidently it snowed an inch of snow everywhere but here yesterday.

Ahhh.. and I get to work on the magazines again today (yes.. two back to back)... finally.