I’ll get to Fall in a second, but first …
When Nicholas and The Husband went down the shore this weekend, they spent a LOT of time catching crabs, calling me almost every time they got another one. Luckily they stopped calling after the sixteenth one … literally. Knowing how “Mom” is, of course, all the crabs were released back into the water. Like I tell Nicholas, they have families too, and their Mommies would miss them if we didn’t put them back. Judging from the pictures The Husband took during the Crabbing Adventure, it took Nicholas a little time to warm up to the concept, but he ended up having a blast at his new-found activity.
Not So Sure…
OK, I Can Handle This…
The refrigerator overfloweth. I had plans to go out to dinner with a friend tonight, but she ended up not being able to go, so I took the opportunity to work on emptying the refrigerator just a little bit. I bought a rotisserie chicken the other day, and we ended up making one of our favorite sandwiches for dinner: Roast Chicken with Avocado. Yum. I add melted Cheddar to mine, but The Husband not being as much of a cheese fanatic as I am, is more of a purist. His loss.
Fall is nearly here and I can’t wait. It is, hands down, my favorite season. Nicholas and I decided to kick it off by making some of our favorite muffins: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip. They taste great warm from the oven, or later, toasted with a bit of butter. The recipe is real simple to make and you can’t go wrong with it. I promise.
I also tried a new recipe – Very Blueberry Muffins. Not a wow for me, so it won’t be finding its way into my burgeoning Tried-and-True files, but there’s definitely a burst of blueberry in every bite.
Between a doubled Pumpkin Chocolate Chip batch and a Very Blueberry Muffin batch, we have baskets ready to go to The Neighbor’s office, my office and a few for Nicholas’ teachers. Not too shabby!
My Little Helper
Fox Network’s new show, Kitchen Confidential, premiered last night, and I just finished watching it. Based on Anthony Bourdain’s book of the same name
Tomorrow is The Husband Cooks night, but The Sister-in-Law is going on a vacation soon and wooed The Husband over for one of his favorite meals before she leaves: Oxtail. With the dinner being on The Husband Cooks night, I wonder if a conspiracy is underfoot?
Until tomorrow…
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
1-1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
pinch of nutmeg
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl, mix dry ingredients. Add eggs. Stir in the pumpkin, butter and chocolate chips. Spoon into muffin pans. Bake 20-25 minutes at 350. Makes about 12 muffins.
Cate’s Note: I usually double the recipe so I don’t have half a can of pumpkin leftover.
I go on an annual pumpkin binge around this time each year. This recipe will fit right in. Thanks!
I’m facing a real dilemma: the same night, same timeslot…two actors from one of my favorite shows (BtVS), on two different networks!
Alyson Hannigan (Willow) and Nicholas Brendon (Xander), on How I Met Your Mother (CBS) and Kitchen Confidential (FOX), respectively.
This is tough. This week, I taped Aly and watched Nick.
Haven’t gotten around to watching HIMYM yet, but KC was good. Much better than I’d hoped for. Matt’s already worried it won’t last more than six episodes, because it’s actually a decent show. You know…Arrested Development and Scrubs were left in limbo for quite some time!
Then again, it’s nice to have two shows to pick from.
Hi!
I would like to invite you to participate in “I Like ’em Spicy!”, a fortnightly food event, where all participants have to come up with a spicy recipe using the Star Ingredient (which is different every fortnight)!
The rules are simple:
1. The recipe has to use the Star Ingredient as the base of the dish
2. It has to be SPICY!!
3. Dishes can be of any form you can imagine, appetizers, mains, desserts, drinks…whatever you can come up with!
On the 1st and 15th of every month, I will the post the Star Ingredient and you are expected to email your entries to hookedonheat@gmail.com by the next two weeks.
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– Meena
(www.hookedonheat.blogspot.com)
I love Anthony Bourdain and I loved his book. My boyfriend and I love watching his show “no reservations.” I’ll have to check out this one, even though it did not meet your expectations.
Jennifer — I promise you, you can’t go wrong with these.
Mona – Don’t get me wrong, I DID like the show, it just wasn’t as “gritty” as Bourdain is, you know?
Stepahnie – you gotta get Tivo. With that, you can record 2 shows and watch a 3rd. I don’t know what we ever did without it.
Meena – thanks for the heads up. I just might join you!
I had no idea you could catch crabs with a fishing pole! I need to get out more….great pics :)
I did ask if it would be okay for The Husband to miss his cooking night LOL! Unfortunately no Oxtail, but a promise to make them after Italy. I’ll make something else for you and I (not a big fan of the Oxtail either).
Ciao!
The Sister In-Law
The Pumpkin Chocolate Chip recipe actually sounds delicious, and I’d love to try out something like this tomorrow. Thank you for taking the time to post the recipe!
NJ Girls last blog post..Sea Isle City in the Fall