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Tuesday, July 24, 2012

TIKA'S APPLE BANANA WALNUT MUFFINS

Tika's Apple Banana Walnut Muffins (or bread)



  Moist and delicious. A favorite with scrambled eggs and juice, a cup of coffee or a glass of milk.
 What is pictured is smaller muffins than you might make, but had young kids over and they can't
 often eat a large muffin.

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup Crisco
2/3 cup sugar
Beat til fluffy (about 3-4 min, scraping bowl twice)
Add:
 ½ cup mashed banana
1 cup applesauce
2 Tbsp room temp butter                                                   
2 eggs
½ tsp vanilla
¼ cup oatmeal
3 Tbp sour milk **
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 Dashes salt
1 tsp cinnamon
Mix well.
 Add flour last and mix only until incorporated.
1 cup flour
Stir in ½ cup chopped nuts
**(In a small cup or bowl, 2 ½ Tbsp milk, ½ Tbsp white vinegar, add to cup, stir, set aside for 10-20 min)
Stir in ½ cup of any of the optional ingredients listed below:
OPTIONAL:  I love dates in this recipe. You can also add an assortment of dried cranberries, raisins, chopped fresh cranberries, raisins, chopped apples. Add some chocolate chips if you must, just don’t tell me about it.
Greased pans or cupcake papers,      350*        
 Small muffins as pictured, bake for 16-18 minutes, Yield 20-21 muffins  
Normal sized muffins about 20 min, Yield: 18 muffins
Bread I have to guess, but I’d say 40-50 min.  Toothpick test it to be sure.
Pssssssst.  Don’t tell anyone, but this is actually a pretty healthy snack/treat.  Lots of good oatmeal and fruit.  I tell the little ones that they’re cupcakes.  They’re so moist and delicious, that they don’t miss the icing.  They didn’t even ask where it is.  Not one of them is impressed that I made the recipe up, but they just think the muffins are delicious and sometimes want a second one.  I make them small because sometimes the little ones get bored and can’t eat a whole muffin.  At the moment, David and Steffen almost 5 and 6 1/2, are running through the house with a second muffin that they “stole” from the kitchen.  Steffen is yelling, “These cupcakes are delicious!”
Boy, I love lying to kids for their own good.  Does a grandma’s heart good.                   7-24-2012

Thursday, July 12, 2012

ANOTHER NEW RELEASE!                ISBN 978-0-9853600-0-9
Yes, I have been super busy, working on my children's books.  If Horses Had Feathers and Pigs Could Fly is the latest release.  It certainly sounds like a silly book!  What better for a silly title, then silly rhymes and a silly storyline???  Why, that's what I thought, too.  If Horses Had Feathers and Pigs Could Fly has been the favorite of my grandson Steffen for months now; even before the very talented Me'ven Zabat completed the illustrations.  He's loved to squint his eye, wave at the animals, tell the horse to come back and get him, and of course laugh at the upside down duck ever since this book was just a dim light in my head.  Now that it's complete and ready for purchase, I see that he wasn't the only one that loves this book. 

If you're looking for a quick, fun, and very entertaining  book to make your kids smile, this is the one.  It's available signed on our website www.thistlewoodpublishing.com    It's available unsigned at barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com or any online bookseller of your choice.