Face Stuffing
Posted: September 23, 2012 Filed under: Food | Tags: baking, cooking, muffins 5 CommentsDo any of you ever try my recipes? I was wondering about that this morning, as I mixed up some apple cinnamon raisin mini muffins.
I also thought about what a good investment that mini muffin tin has proven to be recently. That’s probably because I only have six regular size muffin papers left, and a zippy bag full of tiny ones. Dozens of muffins have been consumed in the past week.
Mini muffins do have an added bonus of less waste when you have a child who insists you DON’T CUT IT MOM!! This demand must always be delivered at full volume, accompanied by splayed fingers and shaking arms, in preparation for a screaming fit if the damage has already been done.
What I really found amusing, though, was considering how young me would have been horrified at my cooking methods now. I used to be practically paralyzed with fear that something I made wouldn’t come out right. I measured and scooped and sifted and stirred until I was blue in the face.
I made muffins this morning with a bowl and a coffee spoon. I didn’t measure one single ingredient. And I spent not one second worrying about impending disaster, because I knew it would be okay, there’d be tasty muffins when I was finished.
I think I was that way because of my early kitchen training. My mom was pretty particular about measuring. Don’t scoop the flour with the measuring cup, use the back of a knife to level the top, measure liquids at eye level.
Now I can scoop, shake, and guess all I want, because it’s my kitchen, and my food, and my family.
I’m sure she was simply trying to make sure I had good fundamentals before I began experimenting, but I don’t think she ever realized how impressionable I was, and still am. Some things just stick with me.
For example, I vaguely remember some comment from my mom explaining the importance of hand washing. What I got out of it is that dirt is worm eggs. Dirt is made of worm eggs, and if it gets in your mouth you will grow worms in your tummy, and that will lead to all kinds of horrible things. Ian loves this one.
Hm, I started with muffins, but finished with worm eggs. Forgive me?
R. Sativus 
I was actually talking to Darcy about making homemade noodles, and remembered that you once mentioned you made them. Have you posted a recipe, because I’d love to try them!
I haven’t posted the noodle recipe, and I spent all day looking for the Good Housekeeping cookbook it’s in, but now I’ve found it!
Mix 1 cup flour, 1/3 cup water, 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk, 1 Tbsp olive oil, and 1 tsp salt until combined. Stir in additional 1 to 1 1/2 cups flour until dough is no longer sticky. Knead until smooth, then cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
Roll out and slice whatever size you like, then let dry flat for 1-2 hours on a towel or drape over cup rims to save space. Boil as usual, but keep an eye on them because they’ll overcook in a blink.
We like em best with any kind of cream sauce.
Ewwww….?
(The worm eggs, not your mini-muffins.
I’m thinking, as my kids learn about punctuation and spelling and grammar in school, that writing is a little like cooking. You have to learn the rules before you can break them well.
Or maybe not.
Yup, I’m amazed I ever got dirty as a kid.
I used to measure everything precisely too. Now, especially if it’s a recipe I know by heart I hardly measure. I think it comes with age and practice. My Grandma never measures anything.