magic muffins

One Sunday when I was still pregnant, I made a list of my priorities.  Since I wasn't working and had all the time in the world, I was used to getting stuff done on my time schedule.  I knew this was about to change, and so I decided that I needed to get my priorities straight.  I listed a few things that needed to get done every day for me to feel like myself (things like going outside and having clean floors--have you seen my giant furball of a dog??), and things that weren't as important, and maybe never needed to get done (things like watching tv or doing my hair...I mean, I brush it, but you know, doing it is another story).  One of the things that made it on the important list was having good, nourishing food to eat, preferably baked by me.

Now, I was no expert on having babies, but I suspected that there wasn't always a lot of time for baking.

That's why these muffins are magic.  You mix up a big bowl of batter and it can live in the fridge for a month while you scoop out enough batter for a few muffins every day.  Magic!

These muffins have been my best friend the past few months and it's high time they made their debut on the blog.

30 Day Bran Muffins
       from Favorites by Grace Ivory Little & Jane Ivroy Metcalf

4 cups All-Bran cereal
2 cups boiling water
1 cup butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 quart buttermilk
5 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
5 cups flour
2 cups Bran Flakes cereal


Pour boiling water over All-Bran cereal and let it sit. Cream butter and sugar; add eggs then dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk. Mix in All-Bran and water mixture. Last of all, stir in Bran Flakes. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes in a greased or paper-lined muffin tins.

My favorite way to eat them is with blanched, slivered almonds piled on top before baking.  Makes them nice and crunchy!  You can also add chocolate chips, fruit, or anything else your heart desires.

felted treasures

My friend Sarah sent me some big bags of beautiful wool roving last summer.  I was so excited when they came, but then we moved and moved and moved and painted and painted and painted and unpacked (do you see where this is going?) and well, I didn't get much felting done.  But I am happy to report that I did find some time before the holidays to whip out some little goodies.

This little robin was sent back to Sarah as a thank-you and she turned it into a Christmas ornament!  How clever!

And this trio of little balls was made for baby Harvey (well, he shares them with Gesso...).  Fun fact: did you know that you can felt with your incredibly fluffy puppy fur?  It's true!  So the insides of these balls are made of Gesso hair (maybe that's why he likes them so much??).

And because I was pregnant, I forgot to take a photo of the best one of all.  I felted a tiny green vw bus to send off in an xmas package, and shoot, it was cool.  But it got wrapped up and sent away before I remembered to take a picture of it.  Ah well.

snapshots

Greetings from the hibernation cave!  Things here are busy and good.  Here are some snapshots from lately:

The paperwhites bloomed.  It was real pretty.

My mom came for ten days and made pots of soup, spicy salsa, and homemade icecream.  Oh, and nobigdeal, she knit up these colorful balls for baby Harvey (he has almost mastered juggling with them! JOKING you guys!  he's just a baby).

Our 2012 yearbook is here.  

This little sweetie turned one month old!  Goodness.

Still trying to come to terms with it being 'winter'.  It is green and always feels like march.

Busted out the valentine garland I made last year.

This is my favorite fence post.  Ya know, if I have to pick just one....

And then the paperwhites died.  Oh sad.

dear mom,

thanks for the socks! we love them!

I get asked quite often if I knit, and my answer is that I don't knit, I get knitted for.  It works out great that counting stitches doesn't sound like my idea of a good time, but that I have a mom who has knitting needles for hands.  Seriously, this little mister has been royally spoiled with knitted goods, which I need to get around to sharing (once I figure out this whole typing with one hand skill...).

Happy February!