~chasing my tail and yummy muffins~

Hello friends, how was your week? Aren’t these pretty, they were a gift from my Mamma. So bright and springy and of course they are in my favorite vintage milk carrier! You can read more about that here.

Ever felt like you were “chasing your tail”? Yup, I hear you! That was the kind of week it was for me, throw a couple extra things into the schedule and it was crazy town around here I tell ya! I am so happy I have today to play catch up, AND the sun is coming in and out from the clouds. It always makes me sooooo happy to see the sun!

This week also involved some real hands-on parenting here in the RGV home. Raising kids can be pretty hard at times. I know we set the bar pretty high round here when it comes to our family values and parenting, and sometimes that creates dilemmas. Do you ever feel like you are swimming upstream against all the influences out there?

I had to dig my heels in this week over one such relatively small issue that conflicted with how we have chosen to raise our kids. It was tough. But you know what :  I.am.a.good.Mom. We need to tell ourselves that more often. We “earn our stripes”! If you are in the trenches of parenting right now, stay with it. Stand by your family values. It counts, it really does.

Oh, and I also went on diet this week. It’s my first real diet ever, and it’s tough! But that’s another whole post!!

So with the “d” word still in mind let’s move right on to the yummy muffins shall we? No, I did not eat any of them, but in the interests of not starving my family along with myself I made an extra effort to do a little baking this week.

These Banana Oatmeal Choc-Chip muffins are great if you have bananas that are beginning to look overripe and no one wants to eat them anymore. Did you know that if you can’t bake with bananas right away you can throw them in the freezer? They will look disgusting as the skins go all black, but the banana inside is perfect for baking with. When you are ready to bake let them thaw, split the skin and squeeze out the banana and mush it up a little more, it will already be squishy. Just remember you threw the bananas in the freezer, don’t be like me and discover a dozen bananas staring at you when you open up the freezer one day….

Here you go then, the muffin recipe just in time for the weekend! This recipe comes originally from the Company’s Coming muffin cookbook. We added the choc chips ‘cos in this house we seem to throw choc chips into most baked goods! Thank goodness for Costco’s jumbo bag!

raggygirlvintage Banana Oatmeal Choc Chip Muffins

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1/4 cup cooking oil

1/4 cup milk

1 cup mashed bananas (3)

optional: choc chips, raisins

1. In a large bowl stir first 6 ingredients together. Make a well in the centre.

2. In a small bowl beat eggs until frothy. Mix in cooking oil, milk and bananas. Pour into well. Throw in choc chips/raisins if you like.

3. Stir just to moisten. Batter will be lumpy.

4. Find some cute muffin cases and fill 3/4 full. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 mins or until done. Makes 12-18.

Aren't these the cutest gingham cupcake cases! I am such a sucker for pretty cases, I have these in pink and aqua too! I found them instore but if you're looking for pretty cases check out etsy.

These muffins are good with a slathering of butter or a slice of cheese! They will stick to the cases when warm, let them cool. If you can’t wait go right ahead, they are good warm! {You can bake them directly in the muffin pans, I just don’t like the cleaning involved with that!}

Let me know if they make it onto your weekend breakfast menu

Have a lovely weekend,

Tracey

For more raggygirlvintage recipes check out my pinterest board here.

~autumn flavors - yummy carrot cupcakes~

Don't you just love the unique treasures of autumn?
the colors of the leaves

the crispness in the air

decorating with pumpkins

 steaming hot choc or apple cider after school, and....

~the yummy fall comfort food!!~

Some of my favorite recipes are the ones I pull out in fall. There is nothing better than coming home to the aroma of the slow cooker bubbling away, or the smell of cinnamon and spice in the air.

Today I've just got to share this most awesome recipe for carrot cupcakes. Carrot cake is a big winner in our home, but my regular recipe is pretty labor intensive, so it doesn't get made all that often.

Not so these carrot cupcakes, which are super quick and easy, and really more like a muffin. I love that they are choc~full of carrot and apple and raisins, and not too heavy on the sugar. The icing really makes them fab and they are great for lunchbags. I keep mine in the fridge so the icing stays nice and frosty.

{By the way, does anyone know why the carrot turns green once it is baked? Sunflower seeds do the same thing.}

This recipe comes from Joy of Baking

Yummy carrot cupcakes

2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 cups raw grated carrots
1 cup grated apple
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup pecans of walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon
In another bowl whisk eggs, sugar, oil until slightly thickened ( I did this in my kitchenaid)
Fold in carrot, apple and raisins
Spoon into lined muffin cups and bake for 20 mins until baked through
(use the toothpick test)
Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 cup butter, room temp.
1/2 block cream cheese
1 1/2 icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy
Beat in icing sugar and vanilla
Pipe or spread on top of cupcakes
Cover and refrigerate
(This is half the quantity of the original recipe, but was more than enough to ice the cupcakes)

YUM!!!

Enjoy!!

Tracey