Friday, March 30, 2012

Fresh Baked Muffins

Hi everyone, I hope all you reader are doing well. I know that I am feeling great. Stress free, getting all the projects and errands that I need to get done, well done. And what I great feeling and sense of accomplishment when you actually complete your entire to-do list. So, yesterday I didn't really have much going on, so my sister(age 10) and I decided to make muffins. We were flipping through different cookbooks, and came across Raspberry Corn Muffins, in the Barefoot Contessa cookbook by Ina Garden. I am a huge fan of Ina, and I want to live at her home in East Hampton, Connecticut. But anyways, at first I was little sceptical about the muffins because they have medium grind cornmeal in them, and I really didn't just want to make cornbread, but in muffin form. But we gave them a chance, and they turned out great. They probably one of the best home made muffins I have had. Now the key to these muffins is the the jam(see recipe below), you must use good jam, I recommend any french brand, because they typically make the best of everything.
Here are some pictures of how the muffins turned out.


Once the muffins were cooled I stored mine, on a cake plate with a lid, to keep them fresh. But you could also store them in a cookie tin, or even a Tupperware container. 


The great things about these muffins, is that they are so versatile, you could change up the type of jam, add different things to the mix, or have them with a glass of milk or a cup of tea.

Below is the recipe for Raspberry Corn Muffins
Prep time: 15 mins
Total time: 35 mins

Ingredients:
3 cups of all purpose flour
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of medium grind cornmeal
2 tbs. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups of whole milk
2 stick of butter (melted)
2 large eggs
3/4 cups raspberry preserve

Directions:
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
Line 12 large muffin cups with paper liners
In a bowl combine the flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder and salt
In a separate bowl combine milk, melted butter and eggs
Once mixed, add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir until blended
Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each one to the top
Bake for 20 minutes
Once muffins have cooled, cute a hole in the top with either an apple corer or a melon baler. Scoop the excess out in one piece. Spoon in the raspberry preserve until the top, and replace the cut-out piece or the lid.
Repeat for all the muffins
Store in a dry, air-tight container
Enjoy!

I hope everyone decides to try the muffins, because they are delicious and nutritious(well minus the jam that is).Anyways thats all for now.
ttyl
xoxo
C for P

Sunday, March 25, 2012

7

I am finally finished school. After 18 months, a year and a half I am finally finished. Not finished for good, but for now.For the next five and a half months I am taking it easy, going to my cottage, and getting some much needed sleep. 

I officially finished on Thursday, and so to celebrate with my family (mom, step dad, brother, sister, and grandparents) we went out to dinner. We went to this relatively new restaurant 7, it is located downtown Oakville. It has been open for about 2 months, and I think I have been at least six times, its just that good. The food is rustic italian, so they have amazing pizzas, homemade pastas, some seafood. And they also change their menu about every three days to reflect what is fresh, and in season. Now every other time I have gone to 7, the food was really good, but there was something about this time that make it spectacular. Maybe it was what I had or i'm not sure. Anyways here's what I had: for a primi(appetizer) I had a dandelion salad with blood orange slices, walnuts, pistachio, and radico, now doens't that sound amazing. And for my secondi (entree) I have squab, which if you don't know it a bird, its actually a pigeon. And tastes like a combination of lamb and chicken, its delicious. And it was served with a side of butter gnocchi and swiss chard. I could just go on about how delicious this meal was. But anyways if you are in the surronding Oakville area go to this restaurant, it is located downtown Oakville in the town square, where the ice cream parlor used to be. Anyways that's all for now.
ttyl
xoxo
C for P

Sunday, March 18, 2012

M.I.A.

I has been forever since the last time I blogged. I have been sorta M.I.A.(missing in Armani) for the last week and a half. I just have been really busy with school which I am officially finished this thursday, and I just started a new job, but theres really no excuse. But anyways, what new with me? Like I said I just started a new job at Zara, which I am really excited because it seems like a great company and theres a lot of work to be done.I also only have three actual days of school left and then i'm finished. I will close one chapter of my life, and open another five months later. I have begun to start to think about what i'm packing, what furniture i'm bringing and whats staying at my house here in Oakville. Even though I have over five months to figure all of that out, I am super eager and excited so its hard not to think about it. Which leads me to my next point, when my dad and I leave for our road trip in september there are various stops that we are making along the way, Chicago is one of them. Which means that I am going to take full advantage of the amazing shopping on the Michigan Mile. So I have decided that it has can to a point in my life, where I should invest and buy my first Chanel Handbag. I have wanted to own a Chanel since I was probably three or four, but I have never been able to afford one plus I think that they are something that is so special that a younger person would not appreciate. But my problem now is I have to decide which one I want to get. Right now I am torn between two options the jumbo flap or the tote, but i'm sure I will change my mind fifty times over before september. But anyways now your caught up with everything thats going on with me. Thats all for now.
ttyl
xoxo
C for P

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Back to T.O.

So im finally back from LA. I found a great apartment walking distance to FIDM. My my friend who is living with me and I both really love it. The complex has two pools, tennis courts, amazing gym, tanning salon and really cute courtyards. If you are thinking of moving or just want to look it up, its called the Medici and you should really take a look. Anyways I actually came back late Saturday night, but spent all Sunday and yesterday getting back into the swing of things. I unpacked and got really organized before getting back to school. I only have three weeks left and I am so excited to finally be finished school. Yes, that means that I will have more than five months before I start school in LA. I wasn't planning on getting a job, and for the first time ever my parents are on board with that. I just plan on taking it easy, spending some time at my cottage, getting into shape, and plan my drive across the country with my dad in September. For the first time in probably four years I will actual have a summer to myself. Last summer I have school for the entire summer, the summer before that I worked full-time for my dads infrastructure company, the summer before that I worked full-time for an insurance company, and the summer before that I was a babysitter for my aunt. What i'm getting at is that I am so looking for to not having an real schedule for five months, but I am also fortunate enough for not only my parents allowing me to do this, but that they can afford for me to do this. I am also in the process of finding furniture for my apartment, I want a mix between Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, and Pottery Barn Teen. If anyone has any suggestions for furniture stores either in Toronto, LA or even one that you can purpose online please let me know. I hope everyone had a great weekend.
ttyl
xoxo
C for P