No Pinapple? What?

I thought I was going to make Pineapple Upside-down Muffins this morning because we had some fresh pineapple left-over from Daddy's Mother's Day Brunch he created on the weekend...

Side note:  Kevin makes the BEST pancakes ever, I don't even attempt making pancakes or waffles!  It's Daddy's job, usually performed every weekend.  The entire crew can't wait until the weekend, since they know they will be eating pancakes/waffles with tons of butter and syrup (or Cheez Whiz --yuck but Daddy introduced them to it and they can't get enough).

...  Anyways, I made up some buttermilk substitute (1Tbsp. vinegar to 1 cup milk) and let it sit for 15 minutes.  I was preheating the oven and getting out the remaining ingredients when I couldn't find the pineapple in the fridge.  Kevin must have brought it to work for lunch, which is not a shock since he LOVES pineapple.  One of the reasons for making the pineapple muffins was because there was some in the fridge, but the main reason was that Kevin loves muffins and pineapple...  Bonus points for me.


What's the problem?  Well, now I had buttermilk that I needed to use up.  I've been eyeing pound cake recipes for a while and was wondering how they puff up with no baking powder, baking soda, etc.  It must be all the eggs.  The below recipe, Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Buttermilk Pound Cake was just what I needed to use up the prematurely made buttermilk.  The crew loved it...  could it be the chocolate chips?


Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Buttermilk Pound Cake

1 1/3 C. butter, softened
2 1/2 C. sugar
6 large eggs
3 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 C. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1Tbsp. cinnamon
1 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325. Beat butter at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Add flour to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon. Fold in chocolate chips.  Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch (12 cup) tube pan.

Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 5 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10-15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour).

Serves 12.

Lost + Found

Isn't it great when you find something that you thought you'd lost?  

For example, E-man lost his ball cap, but found it again at the bottom of the lost + found bin at school.  Gotta love those overflowing bins of unspeakable randomness.  

T-man was thrilled to find his favourite stuffed animal squished between his bed and the wall this morning, after he 'lost' it during the night.  It was tears, tears, tears until BEAR-Y was discovered.

T-man and BEAR-Y

Reegs is busy finding the potty as we have begun the journey of loosing babyhood and finding big girl-ness.  Fun times, maybe Mommy is loosing her mind?

Reegs sitting on the potty.  Stickers on her shirt for making pees in the potty.  She looks really serious because she is chewing a jelly bean reward.  Yes- I bribe my children!!!

My lost + found story involves a batch of homemade applesauce that I froze last fall.  It was an accidental find as Kev almost brought the container to work (he thought it was chili).  I was super excited to try this recipe out with the applesauce made from Grandma's garden.

Oatmeal Applesauce Muffins (makes 12)

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup buttermilk (or 1 Tbs vinegar and 1 cup milk)

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup applesauce

1 egg

Directions

Place oats in a small bowl, pour in buttermilk. Let sit for two hours at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

In a large bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and brown sugar. Stir in oat/buttermilk mixture, applesauce and egg; mix well. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean.

Love Twin B

xoxoxoxoxoxo