Some Cards & Sourdough Muffins

Hi there everyone...how you all doing this 1st day of the Merry Month of May???? We are still in quarantine till the end of May. I must say....Been doing a lot of baking and cooking of different things. Been really having fun using my sourdough starter. She was in the fridge for a couple of days and I brought her out today to warm her up and then take 1 cup out, gave her another feeding and will probably put her back in the fridge for a couple of days. I will be needing some bread in a couple of days. Still have some buns in the freezer, so that will be good for a couple of days. 

While doing this post, I am in the midst of making "easy sourdough muffins" (okay I am back, another pan of muffins going in the oven). I will give you the recipe at the end of this post.

So these two cards, I made Wednesday night. The top one is going to my brother-in-law down in Illinois. I really like the way it turned out....very manly-man card. It's a die-cut, forget the name of who makes it. I just taped it to white card stock then used copic markers to color in the triangles and squares (guess there are not too many squares)...kinda fun to do, very relaxing. The Happy Birthday is a die-cut also, used sparkly paper, then glued the back to the top of the card.

The Hello card below is done the same way, except in pinks, blues and lavenders. The Hello is a die-cut done in silver. I then added gems to embellish the card. The card is going down to Indiana to a fellow blogger....she has been missing from blogland for a month or so....found out her computer pooped out. Gosh, being in quarantine and not able to be on the computer, that's got to be a double whammy!!!!

So here is what my muffins look like...not quite.....lol!!! Picture looks good though, doesn't it??? I shall have to try one before I end this post and give you a rating!!!

These easy sourdough muffns use up some discard to give your muffins a delicious sourdough taste!

This recipe is for a 10-12 muffins. 
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 c. sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 large egg, room temperature
1/3 c whole milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c liquid fat(oil, or melted butter, shortening, lard or coconut oil) 1/2 c. sourdough discard (make sure you stir down the bubbles before measuring.)

1. Preheat oven 425 degrees, Line a muffin tine with muffin liners or spray with nonstick spray.
2. Mix Dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
3. Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, vanilla, oil and sourdough discard until well combined.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients together, stir with spoon or spatula until well combined. The batter will be lumpy. Do not over-mix or the muffins will become tough. If using, fold in any add-ins.
(blueberries, raisins, chocolate chips, etc.) I topped the muffins with a butter, flour, sugar crumble. (this mixture added to the muffin very nicely. I usually use this crumble for my apple pies)
5. Divide the batter evenly between the 10-12 muffin cups.
6. Bake at 425 degrees for about 10 minutes and then turn the oven heat down to 350 degrees for about 5-7 more minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs.

Okay, these muffins were dangerously delicious, cooled down with a smear of butter....ummmmm....not thinking there are too many calories in these muffins....but they sure were GOOOOOOOD!!

I am rating these muffins from a 1-10??? I think they are a 10

Well hopefully JP will have enough goodies to last him for the week end. Chocolate chip cookies from Schwans, one donut and some soft sourdough cookies from last week.

Well time to close here....did lots of stuff today and I guess I am a little tired....so much to do so little time. Looks like it is time to work outside and do some planting...maybe some radishes and spinach...cold weather stuff that grows better in the early spring.

Keep looking up better days are coming and us prisoners will be set free!!!! Yes, free at last!!! Cheers ~ Louise 

Nothing Special....Just Occupying and Living Life

Hi there everyone...hope you are having a wonderful day. Can you believe it? June is almost over....how fast life goes! Wasn't it just May a few days ago???? I guess that is why we must live each day to the fullest and get the most we can out of a 24 hour day. I don't do very good at that though, because there are days when I just don't feel like doing anything!! But then there are those days that I get lots done and amaze myself with all the energy accumulated. Who can figure???

So last night I worked on this card for my grand-nephew. He likes trucks....I think it turned out neat, it is a "one-of-a-kind" kind of card....I am sure he will like it. He likes to fish too....so maybe next years card will have fish on it....I shall have to hunt and shop for "fish stamps" for the next year. His Birthday is this Friday, so hopefully it will get to its destination on time.

Blue Apron meals.....I really love these meals and so enjoy the "taste sensation" of each meal. I guess I will continue to do this, but only once a month....so you won't see these meals as often. I am getting quite the library of recipes and there are some that I have repeated, just because I enjoyed the meal so much.

The above recipe is called, "Black Garlic-Shoyu Ramen with Green Beans and Shiitake Mushrooms" This was so good and I actually have some left overs in the frige for JP's dinner tonight. The broth was rich and flavorful, using black garlic along with Ponzu Sauce and Soy Glaze, Furikake and ginger made this very tasty. Not sure if I want to make this again, as it will be hard to find all the ingredients. Maybe the Oriental store. The Ramen noodles were fresh along with the beans, mushrooms and egg.....yep, if I would make this again, guess I will have to experiment. I gave this recipe 5 stars!!!

We really enjoyed the above recipe, "Seared Steak & Spiced Potato with Sauteed Sugar Snap Peas & Tarragon-Labneh Sauce". I did add some steak to this meal and if I had, had extra potatoes in the house, I would have made extra of those too. The steak was left at room temperature, salted and peppered and seared in the fry pan. The potatoes were roasting in the oven with oil, salt, pepper and the Baharat Spice blend. (man that was a good spice). The beans were fried in the fond from the steak and seasoned with salt and pepper. The white sauce was made with labneh, garlic paste, vinegar and half the tarragon leaves. It had sort of a  horseradish taste and was very good with the steak. This was another 5 star recipe.

This is my basil growing in the front....guess it is time to do something with it....soon!!!

This is my little water fountain on the front porch.....the Flamingos are new to this space.....I am most definitely a Flamingo fan.....just bought another stamp with a flamingo....(lol)

Here are a few more pictures from the garden walk I went on last Saturday. These two pictures were at the same house. The top picture is the front of the house. Wish I could get the front of my house to look like this.

This was the side of the house. There was a big tree here and had to be cut down....the stump was left, so the owners turned it into a dwarf house....pretty cute huh???

In these two pictures are cards I made at Betty's house 2 weeks ago, thought I would add these to the mix today. I have been working on cards and making some gold frames (like the card below) to add flowers to. Maybe in the next few days I will finally put some cards together using my gold frames. I saw a card made with the frames and fell in love with the technique. This card is kinda like the card I saw on the Internet.

So there you have it....I think I shall bring this post to a close. I have some things to do out in the yard and also walk Kylie around the block. Tonight is the Bachelorette....I missed last week, so for sure I want to watch tonight.

You all have a great evening and keep looking up....better days are coming. Cheers ~ Louise

The Last Day of May and....

Hi there everyone....how was you Memorial Day Weekend.....my goodness, we plan ahead for the big day and then....POOH....it's gone.

I had a nice day...worked outside, pulling weeds and planting some tomato, pepper and cabbage plants and a few old seeds...if I don't see growth, I will replant.

We grilled out, (shucks no pictures) yummy prime rib hamburgers and red potatoes with a Caesar salad on the side. Then we ate on the front porch. Something we have not done in a long time for some reason. Yeah, I think I know the reason, I was sick all last summer and did not feel like grilling and eating on the porch. That could have been the reason.

Well, being this is the last day of May....I have 9 days till Hospice meeting. I have not even started to make cards yet.....but I think the following cards will be samples of what I will be making.

I found this card yesterday on the internet and thought it would make a great 4th of July card and even a Veterans Day card in October.

The butterfly card below looks like a fun card to make. Just punch a bunch of circles and 2 hearts for wings.

I made this card for Father's day, some birthday cards for men would be good with this design. It's kinda fun to do and very relaxing as it sort of reminds me of adult coloring.

As soon as I receive my Mini Misti in the mail....I am going to make this card. The flower comes in 4 different stamps...so using the misti will help with stamping this stamp.

Today JP and I had our teeth cleaned. We are good till September and another visit. Tomorrow the car gets an oil change. Friday through Sunday I will be sitting for Misty the cat.

I will go to her house, feed her, talk to her, pet her and clean her litter. She seems to enjoy my visits plus I even get paid to watch her. A Bonus!!!!

Saturday, Kylie goes to the groomer at 8:30am and then there is a demo at the Library put on by the Master Gardeners at 10am to 11:30 in how to do container gardening. They will put a planter together and then there will be a drawing for the planter. I feel "lucky" since I just won a Mini Misti.....lol!

Well time to close this post....hope you have a great evening and keep looking up....better days are coming. Cheers ~ Louise

May Day....May Day

Hi everyone...how was your first day of May....it went fast didn't it??? Saw this funny owl on the internet and had to copy and paste. That's me when I finally hit the pillow at 2am. I can hardly keep my eyes open and just want to zonk out for a few hours but then I have to tell myself JP will be home soon and you need to get something for him to eat.....yeah, not much nap time here. I am so glad when the clock is showing it's time to go to bed.

I don't have many plans for this week, except for getting my cards ready for Hospice. So yeah, I will be working on Father's Day cards and Birthday cards this week.

 

I might work outside and pull some weeds, hopefully my eyes do not tear up too much. Tis the season for allergies you know. I think we might buy a load of mulch this year and hopefully get rid of some week growth. I have so many plans in my head, I hope I can keep up with my ideas....if not, there is next year.

 

Time to close, I need to get downstairs and make a few cards. Keep looking up, better days are coming. Cheers ~ Louise

Last Day of April......

Hi there everyone....hope you had a nice Saturday and the last day of April. I had plans of working outside today....just a little bit chilly and cloudy with threats of rain. Guess it will rain tomorrow though.

JP mowed the lawn finally. But the weeds are over powering me, I don't know where to start first. I have more ideas then time this year and I need to catch up with myself from last year when I was so sick and did not get much done.

So today I went shopping, yes my favorite thing to do. Went to the hardware store, their flowers are set up and I bought a sweet tomato plant and a cucumber plant. That may be it for me this year, for some reason our yard is not conducive to gardening....too much shade. I may plant these plants in the front yard where we get LOTS of sun.

I also bought a little hanging light for the back yard, I like twinkling lights at night. They make me happy for some reason. I noticed the neighbors behind us bought a birdbath and bird feeder....that's neat, maybe the birds will come to our house and theirs for visits this summer.

Don't you just love my picture, I forget where I found it....might have been a fellow blogger....thank you Patty. I think the older I get....this is starting to sound so much like me.

I was at the Pharmacy the other day and two older people behind me were talking about forgetting things when they were at the store and how they need to make lists. I showed them my list and said, "I still forget things" hahahahaha....we all laughed. I said, "My mother never told me old age would be like this." The man said, "If my mother told me....I forgot." The lady said, "If my mother told me, I probably did not listen to her." We all laughed again......and then we forgot we were talking to each other...(kidding).

Well, I guess I shall close this post for tonight. I need to get downstairs and make some cards for Hospice. Next meeting is Friday the 6th....so I need to get (die) cutting (no pun intended) and get some cards made for Father's Day.

Tomorrow I will be making a Blue Apron recipe after church. "Grains of Paradise-Crusted Steak with Mashed Plantain, Collard Greens & Ginger Peanuts" Sound good? I will let you know with a picture and food critique. The picture looks good and I am most certain it will taste delicious too, I have not been disappointed yet.

See you in May with many new cards, food and most likely some gardening and flower pictures. Keep looking up, better days are coming. Cheers ~ Louise

The Merry Month of May

Hi Everyone!!!! Well, today is my first blog for the Merry Month of May!!!! Hey, hey!!! As you can see the above card is a very happy and cheery card for "mother-to-be" and "soon-to-be-baby". This little card came to be, because I bought a cloud punch and wanted to use it some how. My duckie stamp was one I had quite a few years and never used it for anything.....even tried to sell it, but it had no takers!!! GOOD THING!!! Because I never would have been able to make this card!!!!

I have listed this card on Etsy for $3.50 + postage. If you would like this card with a different colored background, like pink for girls or blue for boys or maybe a green background for whomever. Convo me on Etsy and I can make it whatever color you like. OR, if you would like a completely different color and use the card for a Birthday, thinking of you or for whatever, just let me know. If it is do-able, I am willing to do it. Give me a couple of days to make the card then I will convo you back letting you know it is finished. Your card will be marked "RESERVED FOR" with your name and you can pick it up and pay through paypal.

I finally found a stamp I have been looking for, for a couple of months, found it on Etsy.......I am so very happy!!! The stamp says "Simply Enjoy your life". The stamp is coming from Florida so hopefully it brings the sun with it......enough of these grey dreary days. The last rain we had was so hard that our kitchen ceiling started leaking again. I thought we had that problem solved, but no, guess not. The guy that fixed our roof said he would come back, I told him we are his worse nightmare. He just laughed and said he'll pull a few shingles off and redo it. He sure is being a good sport about this, no one else would do this for us.

The original roofer guy was the culprit, he cut corners and bought cheap supplies so he would have more $$$$ in his pocket. Guess this is what happens when you go for cheap estimates, you get what you pay for. In this case, we are still paying for his screw-ups. Maybe in the long run, one should not worry about the price, but go with the one that seems more expensive, maybe you will get better service!!! AND not have to pay for the roof a second time........"live and learn" a hard lesson to learn.

JP had his cauterization yesterday. There were no blockages in his heart and the Doctor said he has the heart of a 65 year old, which is what he will be turning in 13 days!!! He will have officially caught up with me and we will be 65 together for 6 months!!!! Then, I turn 66........ominous number!!!! My mind is willing but the body is not!!!!! 

Well, anyways JP has to rest this weekend, which he does very well, he goes back to work on Tuesday, a nice little break. I think we will go out to eat on Monday, kind of a prelude to his birthday. I have a coupon, buy one meal, second one free............so I think we can manage that, and maybe even get a dessert!!!! 

One last thought before I close.........this blog was simply pleasurable to do, cause I used Google Chrome, just don't know why it took me so long.......I just so struggled with the previous blog on Internet Explorer I was about to quit!!! Glad I did not. Well, you all have a great day and keep looking up for your redemption draweth nigh!!!

Many Cheers to you ~ Louise