Summertime and the living is easy, don’t you agree? Our meals during summer look very different than during the other seasons when we are crazy busy. Summer means later dinners or even appetizers with a cold drink or glass of wine, and that becomes dinner many a day. This is what makes summer fun. [Read more…]
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Just like clockwork every year, it happens. The temperature soars into three digits or at least it feels like the number is 3 digits and everyone begins counting the days until cooler weather. Dinner still needs to be prepared and this time of year, the easier the better. No one wants to heat up the oven and in turn heat up the kitchen.
This main dish salad is perfect for these hot summer days and the leftover make great lunches for work the next day. [Read more…]
German Chocolate Caramel Brownies
Summertime! Don’t you just love it? While I am not a huge fan of the intense heat and humidity in the Midwest, I adore and cherish the picnics, family reunions and entertaining friends. It seems there is a bit more time in the summer to slow down and enjoy those you love. Goodness knows with the news headlines, we all need to spend time with those we cherish and love as well as count our blessings.
One of my top reasons for starting this blog was to have a central location where my family could access some of their favorite recipes that we have enjoyed throughout the years. Food traditions run through our veins. One such recipe is German Chocolate Caramel Brownies or as we fondly refer to them, Yum Yums. I have been baking this recipe for over three decades. This one passed down from my mom who must have prepared these hundreds and hundreds of times at our family lake home. What’s not to like? Chocolate and caramel studded with toasted nuts equals a home run hit each and every time they are served. [Read more…]
Roasted Grape Tomato and Green Bean Pasta
It’s May! Families all over the country are brimming with emotion, excitement, joy and tears as graduations and milestones are celebrated.
We have been reveling in graduation festivities at our home this month. This happened?
Our daughter is 18 and yes, she is graduating from high school this week. We couldn’t be more proud for a plethora of reasons. We can hardly wait to see what the future holds for our precious young lady. We were thrilled to attend her pinning ceremony last week and watch her receive her CNA pin (certified nursing assistant) as part of her senior year course work. Her love for the elderly and working with them is truly a gift from above. Enough already or I will have to stop writing and just go for the tissues.
I mentioned parties and yes, there have been parties galore. We enjoyed celebrating this special day with our family and friends and honoring our girl for all her hard work. [Read more…]
Cappuccino Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins
We have all had at least one, I hope, and some have been blessed with many. What? Why wonderful teachers, of course! Our daughter had the opportunity to experience English and grammar from a remarkable teacher who is devoted to her students and teaches with a passion. During the 2 years that she was able to receive instruction from Molly Totoro, my husband and I commented on several occasions that we wished we could have been so fortunate to have such an excellent English teacher. Mrs. Totoro made reading, writing and grammar come alive.
My heart skipped a beat when I recently read Mrs. Totoro’s blog. She featured a family favorite muffin. The reason for the heart skip was the source of this family favorite. Mrs. Totoro credited the book Mostly Muffins that was co authored by Barbara Albright. Barbara was a professional colleague and a kindred spirit that I admired. My recollection of Barbara from meeting her at professional meetings was that she was one special lady, always with a smile and a zest for life. Barbara was inducted into the James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame. It was a deep loss in the food world, when Barbara passed away from a brain tumor at the young age of 51 in 2006.
I baked these muffins one spring afternoon to honor two very talented, dedicated professional women that have touched my life. These muffins were wonderful tidbits and I savored the goodness of great writers over my afternoon cup of tea and treasured life’s memories. I shied away from the 2 to 2 ½ teaspoons espresso powder thinking that it would be a deal breaker for my family’s tastes. Wrong! Next time I will definitely bake with more espresso powder.
By the way, this recipe quickly became one that my family adores too.
I hope you will bake and enjoy!
Cappuccino Chocolate Chip Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons espresso powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup whole milk
½ cup unsalted butter, melted and allowed to cool slightly
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375° F. Spray mini muffin pans with nonstick spray.
Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, espresso powder, salt and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together milk, butter, egg and vanilla in a medium bowl.
Make a deep well in the flour mixture and add the liquid mixture. Stir until just combined making sure not to over mix.
Fill mini muffin tins about ¾ full. Bake for about 11 to 12 minutes. Allow to stand in pan for 5 minutes then carefully remove to a cooling rack to completely cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Makes about 32 mini muffins.
This was adapted from Mostly Muffins by Barbara Albright and Leslie Weiner and from The Totoro Family Recipe Collection.
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