16.04.10 - busy hands and a request

Busy hands

Sunshine and smiles.

All of us,

busy.

Eldest designing a kite for his art homework

Youngest too was painting - slapping it on good and thick (and on himself...)

Himself putting the finishing touches to the recently decorated bathroom

- a masterpiece in the making

(Only had to wait five years for it - but it has definitly been worth the wait!)

And freshly made scones for the workers, so warm that the butter had soaked in

and the jam began to gracefully slide off as Eldest took the photo.

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Orange Muesli Muffins

For Earthenwitch coz she makes me laugh, coz she inspires me to try new and (occasionally kooky) recipes, coz I love how she see the world and she writes about it and coz she asked me so nicely!

4 floz orange juice

2 teaspoons finely grated orange rind

4oz wholemeal flour (or similarly brown and wholesome type flour)

2oz plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder (omit if you have already used self raising flours)

2oz brown sugar (I used soft brown sugar)

6 oz muesli

8 floz milk

2 oz butter

Extra muesli (4oz), brown sugar (2oz) and half a teaspoon of cinnamon to sprinkle on top  (sugar to taste, if the muesli is already sweetened you might not want extra sugar, but if you have a sweet tooth - go for it!)

• Pre heat oven to 210 deg c (190 deg c - gas)
• Grease a muffin tin (the recipe called for a 6 hole large muffin tin, but I found I made 12 - so may be my tin wasn't as deep or big)
• sift the flours and baking powder into a bowl, add sugar and muesli and stir
• make a well in the centre
• gently melt the butter
• add combined milk, melted butter and orange juice all at once
•  mix quickly until ingredients are only just mixed - ideally the batter should be very lumpy
• spoon mix into the muffin tin
• sprinkle muesli and sugar mix on top

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown and smelling heavenly every time you open the oven.

A sure way to draw my men in from where ever they are..... they linger around hopefully, waiting for when I can loosen the muffins and turn them onto the cooling rack.

It is usually at this point I use the back of the spatula to slap the back of their hands as they try to sneak an early taste....