Bacon-and-Egg Muffins

Just think; you can make these fabulous muffins for breakfast...bacon, lightly scrambled eggs, and shredded cheddar cheese, all rolled into one!

There's about a dozen version of the Bacon-and-Eggs Muffins recipe online, but I found this to be the best, from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. This is what I call a 'hearty' breakfast, or 'snack'
treat. Here's the recipe, just click to view and print it!

Have a wonderful and safe Memorial Day weekend! xo
Bacon-and-Egg Muffins

Madeleines

Madeleines cookies are usually on the 'pale side'...as in color; they are also dusted with powdered sugar most of the time. I purposely chose mine with light brown sugar to give it a golden color, and wanted to show of the beautiful 'groove' lines from this awesome nonstick Madeleines baking pan which I ordered from Amazon.com...seems like this online order store has become a very favorite store of mine....that's where I ordered my Nikon COOLPIX L810 camera from, as well.

Would you believe this camera even has a 'food app?'...I mean, seriously! How cool is that?! It automatically sets itself for you for great close-ups on the food, but most of the time you have to do the adjusting, how close you want it. 16.1 MP, and 26X Zoom is great!

Getting back to the Madeleines...they are so buttery, light, delicious, and so easy to make. I found the recipe on...Joy of Baking.com

Here are some series of photos I took this weekend from my condo complex... between 7:00-7:45PM

Love my new Nikon COOLPIX camera

It may seem that I'm giving up blogging...which in actual reality sure looks like it; but the 'truth of the matter' is, I'm going through so much issues with all the new technical stuff I acquired all at once...is a bit 'overwhelming'!

Not only am I dealing with technical issues, but planning a nice little trip to Como, Italy on the first week of June for 2 weeks.

I had to return my new Canon Power Shot to exchange for Nikon Cool Pix (love both)...but can only afford one...one, that you can easily install the software and upload your photos for Windows 8.

Hope all of you moms had a wonderful day on Sunday...as my daughter and I had, as well! xo

 

No...this is not laundry hanging on an indoor drying rack...its really pasta sheets... oh, the doggies' food dish on the floor in the background; Way to go, Elisabeth...you're doing a 'bang up' job with your new camera...LOL

my homemade pasta...made with the old fashioned 'cranker' kind of machine! 

Easy recipe for homemade pasta...for each 1 cup of  all purpose flour, add 1 egg. For a generous portion to serve 4, I used 3 cups=2 1/2 lbs of flour, 3 extra large eggs, 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, and 1 Tblsp. olive oil. You can add all these ingredients in your food processor, or mix by hand to make your dough. Divide in 3 or more portions and feed them through the machine to a desired thinness, and attach the cutter for spaghetti, or fettucine. Let the sheets dry for about 20 minutes before you start cutting the pasta. Cook in rapid boiling water, and drain pasta as soon as it comes to the surface.

Just to let you know...I did a little editing, cropping, and retouching in the original photos!

Can you tell what's been edited, and fixed?

 
 

 

Blueberry recipes

Still having plenty of issues with my new Windows 8...new camera, and now I purchased a new HP printer/scanner to be compatible with the new PC. Will just have to have patience in getting all the equipment together and will create a harmonious effect...as soon as it is all completed.

In the meantime, I will be posting a couple of old favorites from my blog, and a new one that I just discovered through Pinterest!

Click on the title to find this gorgeous Blueberry Mini Tart with  ... mascarpone cream filling!

I've been buying so much blueberries lately, just enjoying them sprinkled on my shredded wheat cereal in the morning, but will be making some nice desserts soon. I saved this gorgeous mini tart on my Pinterest board...the photos are amazing; professional photography...no doubt!
Always curious to find the actual source it came from, and I found it! Gladly sharing it with you!

Photo and recipe from a previous post of mine

LEMON BLUEBERRY BREAD
adapted  from The New Basic Cookbook

TOPPING (Streusel)
 1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup un-bleached all purpose flour
4 Tbsp=1/2 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
1  teaspoon ground cinnamon

Stir the topping ingredients together in a small bowl, and set aside.

For the Bread/Tea Cake:

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup sour cream
4 Tbsp=1/2 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blueberris
Zest of 1 lemon
after zesting lemon, use the juice from it

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9x5inch loaf pan with cooking spray
In a medium bowl, stir the sugar, sugar, milk, sour cream, butter, and eggs together, until smooth.
In a larger bowl, toss together,. the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir the wet ingredients into it, and add the juice of the 1 lemon.
Carefully, fold in the blueberries, and the lemon zest, to combine.

Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan, and sprinkle with the topping, carefully patting it down a little.
Bake on 375 degrees for the first 30 minutes...lower the temperature to 325 degree F. and bake for an addition 25 minutes until topping is deep golden, and has formed a nice crunchy and thick crust.
Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes on a wire rack and transfer the loaf pan to continue cooling. Makes 1 loaf

 I would like to show off my new thrift find...a "fire king" oven proof blue glass loaf pan that I purchased at Goodwill, for $1.99. It's not as deep as your "pyrex" glass loafpans, but it really is pretty, and has a nice design on it. Besides the fact that it's such a bargain, this seems to be an antique from the sixties, or seventies. Have not seen one like that at all.

Sicilian Puttanesca Sauce 

my own recipe (recipe by Elisabeth)

(photo and recipe from a previous post of mine)

4 large ripe tomatoes
1/2 cup of white, or red wine ( I used white)
8 oil cured olives, or other black olives, pitted
4 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
also, extra for drizzling on top
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
6 anchovies, rolled in capers (optional)
a handful of white mushrooms, sliced (optional)
12 fresh basil leaves
a handful of Italian fresh parsley (optional)
1 lb. fusili lunghi, or spaghetti
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
grated Parmesan cheese

First thing you must do, is to drop whole tomatoes in boiling water, to blanch them, just enough to see the skin loosening, and taking them out of the boiling water with a slotted spoon. Add more water to the large pot that the tomatoes were blanching in, to boil the pasta. Run tomatoes under cold water to remove the skin, easier. Chop the tomatoes into small chunks, removing the hard core.

Heat the garlic an the crushed red pepper in a large skillet, adding the olive oil, over medium-high heat. Add the wine, let it cook down a little, and add the mushrooms, and cook until it sweats, and liquids released. Add the  chopped tomatoes, and cook for a few minutes. Do not let the tomatoes get soft, leave them in chunks. Add the olives, and anchovies with the capers, stir and heat though until it comes to a boil. Turn off heat, and cover, until you are ready to incorporate with the pasta. Drain pasta, reserving a small amount of pasta water, to add to the sauce if needed. Serve pasta in a large pasta bowl, adding the sauce on top, and drizzle with additional olive oil, and snipped basil, and parsley. Pass the Parmesan cheese. Serves 4. Absolutely divine pasta, you will ever taste!