It's been quiet here at home while Katie, Bill, and the kiddos are camping north of Indian Lake in the Adirondacks, though I've been busy while they're away. Yesterday, I went to a graduation party for the nephew of two good friends, Cathi Jackson and Barbara Doane (sisters). My contribution to the party was the graduation cake. Delos Jackson is a great kid who graduated in June from Hartford (NY) High School where he was very active in sports, but especially basketball. He's a tall, blond stretch of a kid, with sparkling blue eyes and a shy smile. I've known him since he was a very little boy. His Aunt Cathi was my daughter's Girl Scout leader, and Delos and his family joined us on many of our excursions, but I especially remember the fun we had on our trips to Disney World. My sister-in-law Carolyn and I had rented a sporty convertible on that trip, and Delos, then about 8 or 9, loved riding in that car. He sat in the back, with the top down, on our way back from a day at the beach in Daytona to our hotel, near Orlando. His excitement just made it all the more fun! Delos is going to start at SUNY Adirondack in the fall, and I know he'll have a great first year of college. His mom Vicky and dad Ken (along with the rest of his family) have a lot to be proud of in Delos.
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| Hartford High School Colors - Black and Red! |
My Saturday night was pretty quiet. I thought of taking a walk on Broadway in Saratoga Springs, THE summer place to be this time of year! Instead, I settled in here in Middle Grove and did some laundry, checked Facebook, watched a little TV, and talked to Russ (our pretty-much nightly ritual in this long-distance relationship - 16 years next month!). Of course, I'd much rather have a face-to-face conversation (especially with his handsome face!), but we'll catch up soon. We both have such busy lives it's a wonder we manage at all! But we do, and it works for us. I sometimes joke that we are the only two people who can put up with each others' crazy schedules! Fortunately, we can.
On this Sunday I look forward to doing a little shopping in preparation for my trip to North Carolina in just two weeks (!). When I get home this afternoon, I'll prepare a dinner for Katie, Bill, and my little men. After three days of camp food, and with today's rainy weather, comfort food like lasagna or meatloaf and mashed potatoes will be a welcome change. Later tonight, it's more baking for my favorite Saratoga hotel, to be dropped off in the early morning before I head to the track. Tomorrow there's a special race sponsored by Skidmore College's Tang Museum (home of my day job!) at the historic Saratoga Race Course, and our entire office staff will be there for the festivities. We'll be hosting an information booth near the paddock, from 10 am - 6 pm, for anyone who wants to stop by to say hello and pick up some Tang merch!
Looks like my quiet morning is leading into a busy couple of days! Before the busy-ness kicks in, here's the recipe for Katie's Blueberry Maple Muffins, from Eating Well. Hope you are all enjoying a terrific Sunday!
BLUEBERRY MAPLE MUFFINS
very slightly adapted from Eating Well
Ingredients:
1/3 cup whole flaxseeds (Katie used flax meal that I keep in my freezer - King Arthur)
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs (ours came from our chicken coop!)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup nonfat buttermilk (or sour 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar - let stand 5 minutes)
1/4 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest (Katie used lemon)
1 tablespoon orange juice (Katie used fresh lemon juice)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups blueberries (homegrown!)
1 tablespoon sugar
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.
1. Grind flaxseeds in a spice mill or clean coffee grinder or dry blender (Katie used King Arthur Flaxmeal, already ground). Transfer to a large bowl.Add whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; whisk to blend.
2. Whisk eggs and maple syrup in a medium bowl until smooth. Add buttermilk, oil, orange zest, orange juice and vanilla (Katie used lemon zest and juice). Whisk until blended.
3. Make a well in the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula just until moistened. Fold in blueberries. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops with sugar.
4. Bake the muffins until the tops are golden brown and spring back when touched lightly, 15 to 26 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen edges and turn muffins out onto wire rack to cool slightly.
Nutrition information from Eating Well:
Per muffin: 208 calories; 8 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 36 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrates; 6 g protein; 3 g fiber; 184 mg sodium; 149 mg potassium
Carbohydrate servings: 2
Exhanges: 1 starch, 1/2 other carbohydrate 1 1/2 fat
Link to original recipe: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/blueberry_maple_muffins.html
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