A little of this and a little of that...

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

I've been so busy with my last book release (Paradise Dead, only $1.99), this blog has been largely ignored other than dumping all our news into the Friday Celebrate the Small Things posts. September will be just as crazy, so bear with me.

But here are a few notes from this week...

Cooper had a good vet visit on Saturday and was okayed for a bath & grooming on Monday. Here is a little before and after shot.

What a difference a bath, cutting off the scraggly ends, and doing a blowout makes. I know it won't last and while we can bathe him, we're not supposed to use our hair dryers on them. Ones for dogs are WAY too pricey so he will continue to get a grooming every once in a while.

We did get to see two cute little hedgehog pets while at the vets. Wish I could have gotten a photo of their adorable little faces!

Stu's been busy working in the yard, mowing whenever the weather allows and cleaning up the landscaping. One big accomplishment was buying a rain barrel (flat back) to put where the gutter spout was letting the water drain back into our foundation. Bonus? It looks great!

I've kept busy helping a friend with a new website and spending time in the kitchen. Banana Nut Muffins may have replaced banana nut bread baking. Perfect size! The last six were a bit larger due to using up all the batter and I also forgot to sprinkle nuts on the top of those. LOL! But they were delicious! This is the recipe I used:

2 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon

4 overripe bananas

1 1⁄2 cups sugar

3⁄4 cup soft unsalted butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1⁄2 cup nuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two standard 12-cup muffin tins with baking cups, or use non-stick pans.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
Mash the bananas until smooth. Add the butter, then sugar.
Add the eggs, and vanilla and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.
Mix in the dry ingredients.
Fold in the nuts if desired.
Spoon the batter into the muffin tins to fill them about halfway or use 2 oz scoop.
OPTIONAL Sprinkle with nuts and sanding sugar if desired. (NOTE: I didn't use any sugar when I sprinkled the nuts)
Bake until a toothpick stuck in the muffins comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes.
Cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

When I finished baking, I made some refrigerator Bread 'n Butter pickles - two jars worth. Here is the recipe I used. Alton Brown's B&B's

I put them in used Mt. Olive Pickle jars we had saved and will shake them daily until they are a week old. Next time I will intersperse the onion pieces rather than layer them. Also, be sure to pack tightly or you will end up with a lot of liquid with the ingredients just floating in the jar. LOL!