Kitchen Crafts 'n' More

Friday, January 30, 2009 Sour Cream Coffee Muffins Recipe from a B&B

Sour Cream Coffee Muffins
Yum...some of the most delicious and crave-worthy muffins are the simplest ones that just go hand in hand with a cup of tea or coffee. These simple, yet scrumptious muffins would be good to freeze for quick snacks during the week.
presented by Butterfly Breeze Bed & Breakfast
And thanks to Gracie for sending this one in!

Filling:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Mix together.

Muffins:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Mix butter, sugar and eggs. Add sour cream and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Spoon 1 Tbsp of mix into prepared muffin pan. Top with 1 tsp filling and then 1 Tbsp batter. Sprinkle remaining filling on top of each muffin. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes. Remove from pan and cool.
12 servings

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Posted by HappySlob :: 5:50 PM :: 2 comments

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Remove Sticky Tape or Price Sticker Residue with Peanut Butter

This is one of my favorite tips...an easy way to remove the sticky, pesky residue left behind either tape or a price tag is with - peanut butter! Just a little dab will work wonders. Work it into the gluey residue, and the oil will work the glue down, making it easy to scrape away.

You can also use a little olive oil or any other type of cooking oil to accomplish the same thing.

Do you have a handy hint to share with our readers? Please post a comment or email me!

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Posted by HappySlob :: 5:48 PM :: 0 comments

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Easy Microwave Cleaning with Just Water and a Fresh Lemon

I love cleaning that is this natural, this delicious smelling (Yum...citrus!) and so, so easy! Here is my favorite new way to clean the microwave with just a bit of water and a fresh lemon (and a little dab of salt or baking soda for good measure.) Check it out at Cleaning Microwave with Fresh Lemons. And enjoy!

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Posted by HappySlob :: 5:44 PM :: 0 comments

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Sunday, January 25, 2009 Beyond Bleach to Disinfect...and no, It's Not Vinegar!

Ha, I'll bet you thought I'd suggest vinegar! (I do have a bit of a vinegar dependency issue...but we'll deal with that another day.) Today, the disinfectant of choice is hydrogen peroxide. AKA: My favorite new cleaning necessity.

Maybe you're the sort of person who grew up cleaning with bleach. You might have fond memories of Mom scrubbing the bathtub with scouring pads and bleach, her yellow rubber gloves tightly snapped on. Those bright yellow gloves meant business. And darn it, that cleaning business included heavy doses of chlorine bleach! Those fumes lingered in the air for days...ahhh, the memories.

But...since then a lot of us have decided that we're not so fond of cleaning with bleach. Mom (and Grandma, too) might deny that any other cleaner can clean as effectively, and can kill just as many germs. So, maybe we should keep this news of a 'new' bleach-y type cleaner all to ourselves.

Ta da! It's simply that bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide that you keep stored in the medicine chest for small scratches and assorted boo boos . This stuff is also an amazing, powerful disinfectant agent. And, if you're not so fond of the vinegar (which I've already admitted having a powerful bond with) then you'll like the very UN-vinegar-ish odor of hydrogen peroxide. Basically, peroxide has no odor. I smelled it today to make sure, and I can confirm 100% that it is practically odorless.

So, to whip up a natural cleaning and disinfectant cleaner, take a clean spray bottle (not one that has stored other chemicals - you just never know if there will be weird reactions) and:

  • Fill about one half full with 3% hydrogen peroxide
  • Fill the rest of the way with tap water or distilled water, if you so choose.
  • Give the bottle a wee shake-up for good measure...
  • And then clean to your heart's content! It's especially fantastic in those areas where germs like to gather - like the kitchen and bathroom.

More hydrogen peroxide tips to come...and if you have one to share, just post a comment or email me. Another quick one is to use hydrogen peroxide (just the 3% pharmacy stuff, not the ultra-powerful industrial strength 35% which is actually seriously heavy duty stuff) full strength on stains - really great on grout stains. (Just pour some on an oversized cotton pad or cotton ball and smoosh it right on the stain and let it sit a while. If you're worried about possible bleaching, just do a test spot somewhere inconspicuous first.)

Happy cleaning to you! (Yes, that is possible...You crazy cynics, you.)

Christina

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Posted by HappySlob :: 5:30 PM :: 1 comments

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Wednesday, January 21, 2009 How do YOU Use Hydrogen Peroxide? Cleaning with Peroxide

Along with vinegar, baking soda, salt, lemon juice and other natural house cleaning ingredients, hydrogen peroxide is incredibly useful! I love using it to get rid of stains on grout, for instance, or to brighten up the surfaces of white kitchen appliances.

How do YOU use hydrogen peroxide? Please post a comment! And, it doesn't have to be a cleaning use...it could also be a health and beauty tip.

For now, here are a few handy tips I'd like to share with you for using 3% hydrogen peroxide, the regular kind found at the supermarket in the pharmacy section...

  • Hydrogen peroxide is a far less toxic way to get your clothes bleached and clean! It is a greener option, plus it's frugal! About 1/2 cup or so as a bleach alternative should work well.
  • Dip toothbrushes into a small glass of hydrogen peroxide to disinfect them naturally. After, rinse with very hot water, and then allow to dry.
  • Disinfect with peroxide - half fill a clean spray bottle with 3% hydrogen peroxide and then top up with plain tap water. Swish around a bit to mix and use as a fabulous natural disinfectant cleaner that is a lot less toxic than bleach.
  • Remove stains from tiles with hydrogen peroxide. Soak a cleaning cloth with the peroxide and then scrub, or else use a sponge soaked in the peroxide. It really does bleach out stains very well, so be sure to do a spot check to make sure it doesn't lift any color from the flooring!

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Posted by HappySlob :: 8:16 PM :: 3 comments

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Monday, January 12, 2009 Recipe Card Question from Karin

Karin sent in the following question:

Is there a web site that you can copy a recipe card and be able to type recipes on them and be able to store in a file on our computer? I’m looking for a web site where I can download recipe cards to my computer so I can fit some of your recipes on them to have for later. I find that this would be much easier for me because I want to keep a file with recipes for easy access. Just love reading your web sites. Thank you for any help you can give me.

If any of you know of such a site, please post a comment or email me your reply!

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Posted by HappySlob :: 7:05 PM :: 3 comments

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Recipe Request: Whipped Cream Cake

Lori B. sent in this Whipped Cream Cake recipe...it doesn't have cocoa in it (as our reader requested) but I think a little creativity with the recipe and the addition of some cocoa would make it just right:

Sue's Whipped Cream Cake
(Sue was from Georgia, don't know her last name.)
3 cups of Sugar
3 cups of Plain Flour
6 Eggs
1/2 lb. Butter
2 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 pint Whipping Cream

Blend Sugar, Eggs and Butter together. Add Flour, Whipping Cream and Vanilla.Bake at 300 degrees for appx. 1 1/2 hr. in well greased and floured loaf pans.

Enjoy!Lori

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Posted by HappySlob :: 7:03 PM :: 0 comments

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Question of the Day: What do YOU order at the coffee shop?

So, what kind of beverage do you order at Starbucks? Or, your local coffee shop...are you a latte lover? Do you crave mochas with whipped cream? Please post a comment and share your favorite drink to order at the coffee shop!

P.S. For me...lately I love lattes! I add a little honey and then sprinkle a generous amount of nutmeg on top...yum.

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Posted by HappySlob :: 7:00 PM :: 3 comments

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Make Your Own Pumpkin Pie Spice

Don't want to pay the inflated prices for a jar of pumpkin pie spice mix? Make your own...here's one recipe sent in by KCnM reader Roseanne:


Hi Christina:

I found a few different "recipes" for pumpkin pie spice. My recipe for pumpkin pie uses individual spices; however I had a few recipes for pumpkin bread and muffins that call for it.

I think it's one of those things that varies. I found several versions on-line and in cookbooks. This is the one that I mix up and use.

2 Tablespoons Cinnamom
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice

some of the recipes called for cloves or different proportions.

So, get creative and use this recipe as a starting point to create a yummy spice blend all your own. I would definitely add cloves, because I love that warm flavour it adds. Enjoy!

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Posted by HappySlob :: 6:58 PM :: 0 comments

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Thursday, January 01, 2009 Chai Tea Latte - Make Your Own

Here's an email I received from Sue B. (a regular contributor) on making your own Chai Tea latte...I wanted to share the whole thing with everyone. :) Enjoy! And especially the delicious tea recipe she included...

I had never heard of Chai Tea Latte before and I am a tea todler from my childhood days when my Scottish born Mom would make a cup of tea for me to enjoy and a grownup treat and to this day, that is all I drink for refreshment. After checking many websites for this recipe, I choose the following recipe from a guy, Paul, who lives in Oregon and seems to know the secret in homemade Chai Tea.

INGREDIENTS: 4, 1 1/2in. slices of fresh ginger (use a vegetable peeler), 1, 2 inch cinnamin stick, 4 whole cloves, 1 heaping demitasse spoon powdered cardaom, 1, 6-inch vanilla bean cut up into 1 inch pieces, 1 dash nutmeg, 1 heaping tbsp. sugar, 1/4 cup honey, 3 Bigelow Darjeeling Blend tea bags, 2 cups H2O (water), 2 cups milk.
DIRECTIONS: Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and toss in teabags then all other ingredients in order above. Reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add milk and bring to boil then take off heat Strain through strainer or coffee filters and serve hot or in a tall glass filled with ice. Refrigerate unused portion. To reheat: you may either heat any conventional way or froth with a cappuchino maker.

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Do YOU know the secret to making great homemade Chai Tea lattes? Please post a comment or email me and I'll post it!

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Posted by HappySlob :: 10:54 AM :: 0 comments

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5 of My Favorite Kitchen Gadgets - What is YOUR favorite kitchen gadget?

I love kitchen gadgets - but some of them, while they seem like a good idea at the time of purchase, just don't end up being used all that much. Here are 5 of My Favorite Kitchen Gadgets...But, I want to hear what YOUR favorite kitchen gadgets are! Please post a comment and let us all know your opinion.

  1. Whirley Pop stovetop popcorn popper - While not technically a gadget, this awesome stovetop popcorn maker makes the most delicious theatre-style popcorn you've ever tasted! And with a 25-year warranty, it's still a well made product that the company really stands behind.
  2. Aerolatte Frother - Make your own gourmet lattes and foamy hot chocolates at home for less - with an Aerolatte frother! So easy to use, and incredibly popular with coffee fanatics. Creates mounds of fluffy froth, or adds volume and foaminess to your favorite hot chocolate mix.
  3. Zyliss Ice Cream Scoop - This is the best ice cream scoop I've ever used, bar none. It eases right through even very hard ice cream. The fun colors might deceive you into thinking that you can't take this ice cream scoop seriously - but the moment you hold it and feels it's weight, you'll be convinced!
  4. Silpat Nonstick Cooking Sheet - A Silpat on your cookie sheet or baking tray means that whatever goodies you're baking - whether it's gooey chocolate chip cookies or buttery croissants - will come off without even a hint of sticking. Then you just wipe the Silpat clean and use it over and over. A must have for bakers.
  5. Kuhn Rikon Paring Knife - Super Sharp and Colorful
    - At the kitchen shop where I work, we literally sell boxes upon boxes of these every month. Once a person tries one of these incredibly useful and sharp little knives, they tell their friends...and so on! These colorful knives are easy to find in a drawerful of utensils and gadgets, the protective sheath guards you from cutting yourself and makes it easy to tote in lunch bags...and did I mention how awesomely sharp these are? Love these!! My review of these knives is at...My Favorite Paring Knife

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Posted by HappySlob :: 10:36 AM :: 1 comments

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