273 replies to this topic

[Anna N]

The big clean up begins! Tomorrow we leave the Island and head home so much of today will be spent packing, using up or properly storing food and generally trying to return the Townhouse to its pre Kerry and Anna state.

I found some shrimp in the freezer which obviously won't travel or survive long so I cooked them in Old Bay for Kerry to snack on at her leisure.




Currently vacuum sealing flours and other dry goods which will remain here. Kerry will be back at the end of June.

[Kerry Beal]

those Fine Cooking bakeshop muffins look delicious and are exactly what Id like to try

do you have a reference? were they in the magazine?

many thanks!

I found it online - it's a little odd - you 'build' the recipe based on what you put in it. But the proportions look right - but I cut back the sugar consideraby.

http://www.finecooki...or/muffins.aspx

Edited by Kerry Beal, 22 May 2012 - 08:18 AM.

[Kerry Beal]

Darienne - they indeed have bottoms - and quite nice bottoms I might add!

[andiesenji]

In various regions these muffins have different names. As a child I knew them as "stuffed muffins" and a friend from Montana calls them "sinkers" but most of the recipes I have seen simply call them "filled" muffins. In my experience the batter seems a bit thicker than with plain muffins.

- Here's a recipe that is simple and very good and works with any kind of preserves and the batter can be flavored to complement the filling - such as almond flavoring with apricot preserves.
(3 tablespoons of sugar is more than enough - in my opinion most recipes use too much)

Cooks.Com has a bunch.

And here's a recipe with cream cheese added to the filling.

Many years ago I was visiting in Charleston, So. Carolina and was taken to a restaurant/bakery where a specialty of the house was a peach and cream cheese filled muffin that was enormous. Two of us split one. That was long before "jumbo" muffins or muffin tins were available ready-made.
That particular muffin had an interesting, slightly chewy texture so I asked and was told it was made with "flaked wheat" not wheat flakes but no other information about the recipe was forthcoming.

Edited by andiesenji, 22 May 2012 - 09:54 AM.

[Anna N]

Lunch today was light, simple but very satisfactory:



Hardened goat cheese, crackers and Branston pickle. It was washed down with a small glass of white wine from a cask - hey I'm tasked with trying to finish things up.

[rotuts]

many thanks for the ref. to the muffins. I was unable to get the FC site to work for me, issues with Java and Script, but I have the issue and will look into it. ( aside Fine Cooking has become for me the Go To Mag. in the last few years: they have adopted the 'pick from here 2, and from there 3 ... and discussed the method involved)

Id like to ask: are those muffins the same as if you made top of the line muffins and just used the tops? I ask as in the past I had an inexpensive pan from Bed&Bath (not theirs but of medium quality) that was for Muffin Tops. it has a shallow space about 1/4" circular that you put your muffin batter in and then baked.

It worked fairly well for just the tops. Which some of us think are the best parts. These Tops were not quite as good as true muffins 'topped' but worth more experimentation. They were not as 'fluffy'

I hope to return to this study soon.

many thanks again.

[CaliPoutine]

Can you find Old Bay in Ontario?

[Kerry Beal]

many thanks for the ref. to the muffins. I was unable to get the FC site to work for me, issues with Java and Script, but I have the issue and will look into it. ( aside Fine Cooking has become for me the Go To Mag. in the last few years: they have adopted the 'pick from here 2, and from there 3 ... and discussed the method involved)

Id like to ask: are those muffins the same as if you made top of the line muffins and just used the tops? I ask as in the past I had an inexpensive pan from Bed&Bath (not theirs but of medium quality) that was for Muffin Tops. it has a shallow space about 1/4" circular that you put your muffin batter in and then baked.

It worked fairly well for just the tops. Which some of us think are the best parts. These Tops were not quite as good as true muffins 'topped' but worth more experimentation. They were not as 'fluffy'

I hope to return to this study soon.

many thanks again.

These are actual whole muffins - not just muffin tops - they are from Fine Cooking 77 page 48-51.

[Kerry Beal]

Can you find Old Bay in Ontario?

Yup - not in every store - but Sobey's typically has it. Saw it in one of the stores here in Little Current the other day. Last year I had to have it sent up!

[judiu]

Remarkably these eggs worked although draining them well is a challenge. They were soft, fluffy and quite similar to scrambled eggs without that fear of over- or undercooking them.

Maybe you could use a spatter screen to drain them on?

I dunno. Maybe a brand new one but mine is a bit too grotty!

Hmmm; maybe a nail brush, or a prep brush (given their ready availibility for Kerry) and Dawn grease cutting detergent? Or just find a new one at a thrift store...

[Kerry Beal]

So we made an Old Flame - then packed all the booze away in boxes in the cupboard. Apparently a dry minister is going to be staying in the condo before I get back and I don't wish to offend (or tempt).



Cooked up a bit of rice and heated up the leftover Vietnamese Chicken. A perfectly satisfactory meal.

Now to pack more stuff away, get the Mini Green Egg tucked away, clothes packed...

[robirdstx]

Thanks for sharing! I've really enjoyed following along.

[Quiltguy]

Thanks for sharing! I've really enjoyed following along.

Me too. You've added a new "must have" toy to my list, the cotton candy machine....

[Darienne]

It's been terrific and a lot of fun.

(I'd love one of the cotton candy toys also.)

[Kerry Beal]

You realize of course this cotton candy machine is going to come home and never, ever get used again! It's the way of all toys - fun for a while!

[Tri2Cook]

Had a lot of fun following along this week+... sorry to see it wrap up.

[Tri2Cook]

You realize of course this cotton candy machine is going to come home and never, ever get used again! It's the way of all toys - fun for a while!

And, when you get tired of looking at it, the Northern Ontario Scavenger will offer to take it off your hands. No thrift stores up here, gotta do my bargain hunting long distance.

Seriously though, the bug to play with it again will hit. You'll probably figure out a way to whip up a batch of cotton candy and cover it in chocolate.

[Kerry Beal]

Seriously though, the bug to play with it again will hit. You'll probably figure out a way to whip up a batch of cotton candy and cover it in chocolate.

Funny you should mention that...

[andiesenji]

You realize of course this cotton candy machine is going to come home and never, ever get used again! It's the way of all toys - fun for a while!

But it's such fun to play with. I did use mine when I was still catering to make "candyfloss" cone tops for cupcakes for parties for children. Very popular, especially as I made them at the party so the kids could see what I was doing.

[Kerry Beal]

You realize of course this cotton candy machine is going to come home and never, ever get used again! It's the way of all toys - fun for a while!

But it's such fun to play with. I did use mine when I was still catering to make "candyfloss" cone tops for cupcakes for parties for children. Very popular, especially as I made them at the party so the kids could see what I was doing.

True - I'm still determined to get the fat based one to work.

[janeer]

An Old Flame is the perfect drink to end with. What a wonderful week, I could hardly keep up. Learned I don't need the Milk Bar cookbook...or a cotton candy machine. Reinforced the value of the green egg. And really good breakfasts.

[Tri2Cook]

True - I'm still determined to get the fat based one to work.

You'll get it. I have no doubt about that.

[Kerry Beal]

Well folks - it's time to bid you adieu - there is no more food in the fridge (well there are about 6 dozen eggs but they are going home with us) and the sun is just about all the way down.

It was not one of the truly amazing sunsets that the area is known for but it was still wonderfully peaceful sitting down by the water, listening to the loons, the sound of a baseball ringing off a metal bat in the distance and the drone of an engine from a boat coming in from one of the islands in the channel.






Tomorrow we'll head off down the island to catch the Chi-Cheemaun ferry which will take us from the island to Tobermory which is at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula. It's about 260 km home from there - and I'm sure it will take us a little longer than usual as there are a couple of liquor stores we need to hit and the emporium in Wiarton (home of Wiarton Willie - one of the spring predicting ground hogs). Never know what lovely junk you might find in the emporium!

Thanks for following along - it's been a whole lot of fun for us to share our food and experimentation with you.

[andiesenji]

Terrific blog ladies. Thanks for revealing your days and nights to us.

[demiglace]

Thank you it was a great week!

[Pierogi]

Thanks girls ! I wish there was a way that we could nominate you as "Perma-Bloggers". I always so enjoy your exploits. This was no exception.

[tikidoc]

Thanks Kerry and Anna! Great job!

[Anna N]

Thanks to all for following along. It's been great fun but I am ready to go home - I am such a wuzz away from my family.

[Beth Wilson]

It has been great following you guys. It made me miss home a bit and hanging with you two in the kitchen experimenting. Your sense of "Let's try it" is truly inspiring.

[Shelby]

Thanks you two! What a great sunset.