Simple Goodness ~~ Saturday Muffins

During the week, very little cooking happens at breakfast time in this house. We 'fix' something. Cold cereal with milk and fruit. Granola and yogurt. Hot porridges with bananas or frozen berries in winter. But Saturdays are different. Saturdays mean homemade-this-very-morning muffins with butter and jam and coffee and juice. These muffins are hearty and substantial, and leave you feeling ready to tackle the fall yard clean-up. They are nourishing without tasting 'healthy', and truly muffin-y, but not at all like the overly sugared cake bombs found in most bakeries. Most importantly, these always feel doable, even when I've taken my time finding my way to the kitchen. It's become a little tradition we look forward to every week.

Saturday Muffins

Makes 18 muffins. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

dry ingredients: whisk together
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 cup stone ground corn meal
1 1/2 T. baking powder
3/4 t. baking soda
3/4 t. salt

wet ingredients: whisk in second bowl
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups plain or vanilla yogurt, kefir, or buttermilk
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 t. vanilla

Stir together wet and dry ingredients just until moist. Do not over mix. This should not be a smooth batter. Fold in 2 cups fresh or frozen berries or cherries (coarsely chopped if larger than blueberries) gently. Divide into paper-lined muffin tins. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 18 minutes.

These muffins hold up well and are also good for taking to a brunch or church coffee hour.

Simple Goodness ~~ Homemade Alfredo Sauce

The Professor and I have been making this sauce for our family for about ten years. It began when our friend Ike cooked for us from Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. The tomatoes and basil drizzled in olive oil, the green beans with butter and parmesan, and the orange sorbet put us over the edge, and we splurged on this cookbook when there was no money for splurges. We stay close to the proportions Marcella shares for this classic, but a small deviation from her method (credit to The Professor) yields a much thicker, creamier sauce. This is so simple to execute, and so good, you'll forget it's sold in jars and wish the restaurants knew what you know about pasta Alfredo.

Homemade Alfredo Sauce

4 T. butter
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
1 1/3 cups shredded parmesan, divided
1/4 t. ground nutmeg (essential! do not substitute.)
salt and pepper to taste

After draining your cooked pasta (penne is a favorite with our small children, linguine is the standard), place the pot back over low heat. Melt the butter, add 1 cup of the cream, 1 cup of the parmesan, and the nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Stir until the parmesan melts and sauce thickens, maybe 2-3 minutes. Toss in pasta, coating it thoroughly. Then add the meat/veggies and the remaining cream and parmesan. Toss gently. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve immediately.

Regarding additions:
Grilled chicken is always good. As are fine, steamed green beans. Cooked and sliced Italian sausage works well, too. I often use a frozen Tuscan mix when I'm in a rush. I simply place the still frozen mix in a large, hot skillet (8 of 10) with olive oil, sprinkle with a little garlic salt, turn the heat down to medium and let them steam/brown 'til tender while the pasta cooks.

This recipe makes enough sauce for one pound of pasta and another pound or so of additions.
That feeds our family of five with generous moreovers for the next day.

Simple Goodness ~ Mushroom Soup

Craving + impulsive purchasing of mushrooms. This has inspired a search for new dishes that feature this fairy-tale food. Which brought me to a recipe as old as the tales themselves.

Mushroom Soup

2 lbs. mushrooms, sliced
2 cups chicken broth
1 chopped onion
large pinch of thyme
3 T. butter
3 T. flour
2 pinches salt
ground black pepper
1 cup plain yogurt
1 T. sherry (opt.)

Cook broth, mushrooms, onion, and thyme in a pot until tender, 10-15 minutes.
Puree this soup base in a blender, leaving about a cup of the mushrooms in a separate bowl.
Set aside.
In the pot, melt butter and whisk in flour until smooth. Add the salt, pepper, yogurt, puree, and mushrooms. Stir well and heat through. Adjust seasonings to taste and add sherry, if desired.

Served with a large salad, homemade bread, and lit pillars, this makes a comforting autumn supper.


In my head:

~Just finished reading Tony Woodlief's Somewhere More Holy. An excellent sense of humor seasons this convicting and encouraging memoir/meditation on the refining fire that is family life.

~Sewing the apron dress from Basics for Girls in chocolate corduroy and flannel for the Wonderbug.

~Pumpkin Penne with Rosemary from the Toby Show blog, another fall delight.

Happy Sacking

Oh, yes. I've crammed my amalgamation of ugly, stained canvas grocery bags into this winged-wonder of a shopping bag, and, as if by magic, I *never* forget them when I rush out the door dragging three small children, groping for list, keys, purse, and sanity. Of course, how could I? This sack tantalizingly peeps through the laundry room door, sweetly singing its question.

"Shall we go to the store?"

It was a gift from my mother, who, after much begging, agreed to suffer the torment of returning to the East Side Cafe on her most recent journey to Austin and bring me two more. Oh, the things a mother will do for her only daughter. Perhaps someday I will endure a similar fate.

Corners of My Home

My own personal 'Art Walk' every time I walk from the sun room to the kitchen.

Learn more about corners here.

A Simple Smoothie

Yogurt smoothies are a favorite afternoon snack around here. The girls can truly help with making them, too. All I have to do is plug in the blender, pour the milk, and watch them go.

Simple Smoothies
makes 3/4 of a pitcher

Place in blender pitcher:
2 bananas, perfectly ripe to almost entirely black
1/2 cup milk/soymilk
1 1/2 cups vanilla yogurt

Add to this:
1 cup frozen fruit + 1/4 tsp. vanilla (we like raspberries best, but mangos are also very good)
or
a very generous dollop of chocolate syrup, berries optional
or
whatever else is on hand (pineapple chunks and/or juice, coconut, pumpkin & spice)

Blend away!
This recipe is very forgiving, so experiment freely and enjoy.