wind blows deeply

The last few times I've made muffins, the bottom quarter sticks or rather welds itself to the paper liner. Cupcake ... no problem. Just muffins. Banana muffins and now my pumpkin muffins. WHY? This never happened before.

Before I go out any by some silicone "tins" or even just the silicone liners, I was hoping to gather some advice on the subject. A quick internet search did not gather much info. Thoughts?

Paper liners are to a certain extent absorbent, so a wetter muffin mix is likely to stick more. If you want to use paper liners, choose the more expensive ones, because they have an almost waxy coating, to minimize absorption.

Try cooking spray on the liners -- the muffins pop right out; only caveat: the liners aren't as pretty for serving.

One of the benefits of working the weekend is having a couple of days off during the week. However, it seems like the last few times this has happened, these days off are not to be truly called my own.
This week is another story. I have slept in. I took care of some mortgage details. I picked up a few groceries (a few more than intended, as I was starting to get hungry). I went to a dessert auction last evening.
Today I made my eleven bean soup. Albeit, there are more than a measly 11 beans in the soup. I through a variety of lentils into the culinary creation (Sally would be proud I think). The soup has been simmering all afternoon, the aroma wafting through the house. So as I took care of a few emails, I realized my "toes were froze" and wandered downstairs and grabbed a bowl of soup. Tastier than Campbell's!
The true cure for cold feet is not a bowl of my delicious soup. I figure I should perhaps put on some socks and curl up under a blanket with my soup and a movie (or a book or some reading for work).

After nearly two months of really not cooking/baking (think salad, sandwiches, soup and going out with friends) ... I made the yummiest thing last night.

Kill Bill Vol 1 and 2 were on TV and I was watching and I thought to myself that I could really use a snack. So I thought and I thought and then I had it. I whipped up a batch of rosemary and herb flatbread (using my new pizza stone) and served it to myself with some tomato mushroom sauce. Of course, I had to snitch some of the dough along the way (before rising, after risen once, during second rise...). Alas, it was too much for one sitting which means -- dinner!

It's impossible to find table cream - the good stuff - 18% MF that is - in this terrible city.
Four stores, two days -- nadda.
Sobeys (aka IGA) and Safeway do not carry it. Superstore was completely out and didn't know when they'd be getting more in. In a desperate attempt I reverted to a local convenience store. Not so convenient. And no table cream either.
Coffee's just not coffee without table cream.

*sigh*
I just finished watching my fav cooking show (Oliver's Twist with Jamie Oliver) and the entire show was all about ...
chocolate.
He even made these chocolate sundays with some sort of alcohol instead of soda. Then he made truffles.
I think I need to head back to my kitchen. I already made a beef/tomato/mushroom dish for lunches this week.
I was going to make a chocolate cake for Bible study tonight, but I just got a call with a change of plans - Missions Fest at church tonight. So, alas, no cake will be made. Although, I am making "danties" for a baby shower on Friday. I think I might break out the ol' Macarons au Chocolat recipe. I also made some pie dough last night, and my mom used to make these things with leftover pie dough. Quite simple really - just sprinkle the rolled out dough with a little cinnamon and sugar, roll them up and bake in the oven. No extra butter or anything is needed. We'll see what I come up with ... if you have any ideas, please pass them on. (It's danties for about 20, by the way.)
Ooo, I (finally) picked up the U2 Best of 1980-1990 CD. Slowly my CD collection is becoming more well rounded. Here's my most recent fav cd's/artists list (in no particular order):

- U2 (Best of 1980-1990 & All that you can't leave behind)
- Just (Imposter)
- Moby (Play)
- Josh Groban (Josh Groban - although I haven't gotten his newest one yet [Closer] but what I've heard is great)
- Norah Jones (Come away with me)
- Evanescence (Fallen)
- I don't have Michael Bubl�'s CD yet, but folks keep mentioning it

I promised some of you this recipe. A tad time intensive, but well worth the effort.

Cookie
1 1/2 c blanched almonds, ground finely
1 1/2 c icing sugar
3 tbsp cocoa (get the kind that says "Dutch processed", or "alkalinized" , or if the ingredients read "Cocoa, sodium carbonate" [e.g. Fry's cocoa]... don't use the kind with ingredients "Cocoa, salt" [i.e. usually the cheaper stuff])
3 large egg whites
1/8 tsp cream of tartar (to stabilize the egg whites)
3/4 c icing sugar

1. Grind almonds to fine powder (a coffee grinder works well). Pulse in icing sugar and 1 1/2 c icing sugar. Set aside.
2. Beat egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar, then beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add 3/4 c icing sugar until stiff, but not dry, peaks form.
3. Fold in nut mixture.
4. Pipe, using 1/2 inch round tip onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper to form 1 inch rounds. Let sit for 10 minutes. If the cookies still have little 'peaks' on top, flatten with a spoon.
5. Bake in preheated oven to 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool. (Unfilled cookies are good for 1 week in covered container.)

Filling
3/4 c heavy cream
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, broken into small chunks

1. Place chocolate into heat resistant bowl.
2. Bring cream to a boil. Pour over chocolate. Stir until chocolate is melted.
3. Cool to spreading consistency over ice bath or leave in fridge for about 1 hour.
4. Spread or pipe onto 1/2 of cookies. Form sandwiches with remainder of cookies. Enjoy. (Makes about 3 dozen.)

I finished my rotation in internal medicine. I said good bye to the med students and residents. I had a good lunch. I did the end of rotation evaluation with my preceptor. He said I was smart. That's probably what I'll remember from that conversation for a long time. I don't know why it mattered so much, but it did.
I went home. I didn't get home though. I got halfway home when I realized I had forgotten to put a dose recommendation in a patient's chart. I'd even told the attending physician I would get back to him on it. So I hopped a few buses (in a rather creative manner) and found my way back to the hospital. I wrote the note. I said goodnight to the nurses. I began home -- again.
I got home and made an amazing beef stirfry. I ate half of it. The recipe will be at the end. I then continued working on an afghan. I'm making afghans for the other two pharmacy residents. I'm about 1/6 done one of them right now.
For supper today I had grilled cheese and Campbell's tomato-vegetable soup. Mmmmm, sodium. Probably some trans fats too. Somehow I'm not dead yet.
Only 41 days and I'm coming home.

---

Sesame Beef
8 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp canola oil (or omit sesame oil and use 3 tbsp canola oil in total)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, chopped (or 'regular' onion, or onion powder/salt)
1 lb beef strips (although you could use chicken or turkey or pork too)
any number of the following vegetables: mushrooms, beans, carrots, celery, broccoli, peppers, cauliflower, etc

1) Mix sauce (up to onions) - add beef - marinate (if you don't have time to marinate - don't worry about it)
2) Cook in wok/frying pan until beef is cooked.
3) Add vegetables. Add cruchier ones (e.g. carrots) first, and softer ones (e.g. mushrooms) last.
4) Eat.

Asian Noodle Salad
2" soba noodles OR 1" spaghettini
1 lemon OR lime
1 tbsp fresh OR 2 tsp bottled ginger
2 garlic cloves
3 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 - 1 long english cucumber
10 oz baby spinach (1 large pre-packed bag)

1. Slice cucumber lengthwise and scrape out seeds. Cut "half moon" slices thinly.
2. Combine zest of lemon (or lime) with ginger (minced finely), garlic (minced finely), vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil.
3. Cook noodles. Before draining add spinach. Drain immediately. Rinse under cold water. Drain well.
4. Toss noodles with dressing. Add 1 tbsp lemon (or lime) juice. Add more to taste.
Voila. (Excellent for leftovers I've been told.)