Bumblebee Blog

Bzzzz December 10th, 2009

I swear that I used a random number generator to pick the winner of The NEW Low-Maintenance Garden book. It’s only a coincidence that Carrie at Maywood Farm blog also happens to raise chickens.

Carrie left a comment that said: “I need this book because my husband and I are planning our dream home and are out of debt and saving money for the first time ever! I find books like these inspiring (even just looking at the cover makes me smile!)”

Gratuitous photo of rudbeckia in winter

Thanks to everyone who entered the drawing. Please drop by again, because I have another book that I will be giving away here in the next couple of weeks.

Posted In: Gardening

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Bzzzz December 8th, 2009

What’s the difference between a cupcake and a muffin?

Honestly, I don’t know. But I do know that I can eat a muffin for breakfast without anyone (aka my husband) giving me that “Oh-no-you-shouldn’t!” hairy eyeball. You get a free pass for breakfast with a muffin. You don’t get a free pass for breakfast with a cupcake.

But even if this WERE a cupcake—and I’m not saying it is—winter is here and I need some meat on my bones in case my car crashes into a snowy ravine in the country and I end up wasting away for days on end waiting for someone to notice I went to Wal-Mart.

Wait. I don’t need to rationalize. These are muffins, not cupcakes!

Ginger Coconut Muffins

These are a wonderful, moist and a bit spicy muffins that will make your heart sing. A bit of ginger, some cinnamon and a handful of coconut make it a not-your-usual-morning-cupcake-muffin. So drag out those muffin tins and bake away.

Ginger Coconut Morning Muffins

1 1/3 cups unbleached white flour 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1/3 cup sugar 3 eggs 1/3 cup unsulferated molasses 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup boiling water 1 cup sweetened, flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin tins with tulip liners or other muffin cups of butter and flour 15 muffin cups.

In a small bowl, mix together flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt.

In a mixer, beat together butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time and beat until smooth. Add molasses and beat until smooth.

Boil the water and add the baking soda. Gradually add this to the butter mixture. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat until blended. Stir in coconut.

Pour batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a knife inserted into one of the muffins comes out clean.

P.S.

Don’t forget You Need This Book. Leave a comment there by the end of the day tomorrow to be included in the drawing.