Friday, August 28, 2009
Raindrops and Muffins
It's been raining for two days now, which is fine with me except that's so gray. Just...gray.
And I can't keep up with anything. The cobwebs are taking over the house. Overtaking the house. The tomato plants need to go in the ground as well as the squash seeds, the collards. The okra is being eaten by some small caterpillars. Hundreds of them. They are lacing the leaves of the okra plants with their chewing. In turn, I pluck the leaves and take them to the chickens. The chicken coop needs mucking out. I haven't finished Lily's baby quilt. The book I'm writing goes as untended as my garden. The dogs find it impossible to go out into the wet back yard to pee and poop and so they do it in the house. I never catch them at it, either, which is infuriating.
And it rains.
Speaking of the chickens, Miss Betty continues to lay us perfect tiny eggs. And the rooster (I give up, he is he) whom we shall now call Sam, has been observed by Mr. Moon on top of tiny Miss Betty, and I doubt seriously they are just cuddling which means my eggs are fertilized but destined never to be hatched. We still haven't eaten any of the eggs. Maybe by Sunday there will be enough to make a breakfast. Ms. Petit Fleur brought us a gift of applewood smoked bacon to go with. She's such a love. And her son sings to tigers and brings grapes to my chickens.
Mr. Moon suggested that I make a cake with the first eggs, which I find strange- he has never once asked for a cake. Perhaps I should make him one. I don't know.
It's raining.
I have nothing important to say today. Nothing at all. I feel as if my brain is roosting like the chickens in the darkness. They are able to respond when they are roosting but believe me- nothing of any high intellect is going on there in that hen house at night. Not that I can discern. Same with my brain. It's responding. (More coffee, please, it says), but otherwise, it is twiddling its thumbs, waiting for something to bring it to life.
Even the sound of a giant, juicy, one-bite-taken-out-of-it pecan hitting the tin roof of the well house does not seem to wake it. You can't believe how loud that is.
Mr. Moon came home last night and I was in the garden. I had intended to plant the tomatoes, the squash, the collards. We got into a whisp of a tiff about where the plants should go and I was a bit rude to him. "I'm sorry," I apologized. "I'm about to start my period."
That made him laugh as he walked away from me and I laughed, too. "Okay. It worked for a long time," I said, catching up to him. He looks just like his daddy from the back as he walks, which astounds me and breaks my heart, too. "Really," I said, "I just had a hot flash."
This was true.
The tomatoes, collards and squash are not, as I said, yet planted. I had a beer instead and made supper. It was a good supper and there were muffins and I think made the amends I wanted to make. Especially with those muffins.
I think I'll copy the recipe here because they are so delicious, these muffins. I use the exact one off the back of the oat bran box but I change things around as I feel fit. I will call them Making Amends For Being Bitchy Oat Bran Muffins.
If it's raining where you are, you might want to make them.
Oat Bran Muffins (For making amends after you have been bitchy and as found on the back of the Quaker Oat Bran box)
2 cups Quaker Oat Bran Hot Cereal, uncooked
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 cup skim milk or 2% low-fat milk
2 egg whites, slightly beaten
1/4 cup honey or molasses
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Heat oven to 425. Line 12 medium muffin cups with paper baking cups or spray bottoms only with no-stick cooking spray. Combine dry ingredients; mix well. Add combined milk, egg whites, honey and oil; mix just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fill prepared muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake 15-17 minutes until golden brown.
I generally add about half a cup of flax meal to these. Also, I use an egg instead of two egg whites. And I add whatever fruit and nuts I want. Last night it was a peach, over-ripe and cut up. I also added craisins and grated orange peel. Sometimes I add bananas, mashed, and also pecans. I have used left-over baked sweet potato in them. Blueberries are wonderful in them, as are grated apple and cinnamon. You can use soy milk instead of cow milk. You can just hardly go wrong.
And oh yes- I don't mess with that combine-dry-ingredients-and-then-add-the-liquid-ones stuff. I just put everything in the bowl and mix it up. It works.
Serve these to your sweetie. Give your sweetie a kiss and then pass the butter and honey.
All is forgiven, all is well.
Even when it is raining and you are premenstrual.
Even if you are having hot flashes.
Happy Friday, y'all.
Love....Ms. Moon
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It's been raining here, too, and it makes everything seem so dreary, and just reminds us that winter (dreaded, dreaded winter) is coming soon.
ReplyDeleteThe muffins sound delicious!
Raining here too. The girls had to share an umbrella this morning cause there happened to only be one in the whole entire house. (How is that possibe?) They were pissed.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to take the two little ones on a bike ride today, I hope it stops raining soon.
Jeremiah doesn't like sweets all that much. Every once in a while though I'll make him a cherry pie and he eats 3/4 of it in one sitting.
Those are good muffins, I have to say. And (I would like to point out, if you have any wheat-intolerant readers) they are wheat-free.
ReplyDeleteI'm tired of this rain.
Were you guys "Long on love but short on temper" last night? I think that is just about the best thing I've ever heard daddy say to defuse a quarrel. Except perhaps "You make me laugh, you make me cry, you make me want to date a guy." Funny. That man is funny.
Ginger- Make muffins!
ReplyDeleteErin- Oh. Mr. Moon would love a cherry pie. He really would. As to the umbrellas- I know. We must have four in this house and yet, when I need one, I can never find it. I usually just end up getting wet.
May- Hmmm. Perhaps I have been too bitchy lately. Poor Daddy. Why does he put up with me? Muffins? Venison? My consistent loss at cards when we play? Whatever, I'm glad he sticks around because he is a funny, funny guy. Plus, he notices things like new overalls.
I didn't mean you have been too bitchy lately! Sheesh. What with all the poison ivy going around out there it's a wonder you haven't killed eachother yet. But no, you are noticing overalls and baking muffins. You guys give me hope.
ReplyDeleteMs. Moon,
ReplyDeleteHappy Friday back. You and Mr. Moon are the cutest couple EVER. Like May, you give me hope. Hope for the hopeless. Ah.
Love,
SB
Ms. Moon, Ms. Moon....I could spend the rest of my natural born days baking the most delicious items in the world and STILL not feel like I could make up for my bitchiness. I am so glad that you are so happy...and yes, if Mr. Moon asked for a cake with the eggs, you best make one.
ReplyDeleteI was going to ask you for a recipe for okra because I got a small amount in my vegetable delivery. Do you have one?
ReplyDeleteSorry about the rain -- southern California is burning again, making us all wonder why the hell we live here?
It's funny, I was going to ask you for your recipe for those muffins awhile back when you mentioned that Lily had called you for it. But I didn't because I always harass you for recipes so I gave you a reprieve - but here it is! Yay! =) I might attempt these this weekend.
ReplyDeleteI think cake and bacon sounds like an excellent combination :)
Those muffins sound really good. So does your marriage. :-)
ReplyDeleteSometimes rain is comforting and cozy and sometimes oppressive depending on my mood and how long it goes on.
We're supposed to get a storm this afternoon sometime, and it will rain all weekend. Which means I'll be taking Farty to Target when he gets too antsy being cooped up in the house. Oh, the hardship;)
ReplyDeleteI wish I had muffins! I wish I had a Mr. Moon type of man!
Right now, I have Taco Bell and a raging sinus infection. Not nearly as nice, even with drugs.
May- Well. We do try.
ReplyDeleteMs. Bastard- You are so far from hopeless.
Kori- Well, one bitchiness amended at a time, I suppose. And yes, if he wants a cake, I should make one.
Elizabeth- Hmmm. Basically, here's what I do: Dump a can of stewed tomatoes into a nice thick pot. Cut your okra up (discarding the stem ends) into the tomatoes. Add a sliced onion. Season with soy sauce and a few drops of liquid smoke. And some hot sauce. Let simmer until the okra is very tender and the onions are too. Yummy. You may add a little bit of olive oil to this if you need more fat in your diet. Or, bacon if you need more pork in your diet.
Be wary of those wildfires.
SJ- You will love those muffins.
Joy- Our rain disappeared so suddenly and completely it's like a dream.
Rachel- Glad you got the drugs. Have fun at Target with Farty. Feel better!
I read that with melancholy piano music in the background - which made the rain come to life even more.
ReplyDeleteYou are so nice to your man. And a hot flash is a great excuse for a bit of bitching. Besides, without bitching no delicious making up after, right?
I just want to say that Mama's okra and tomatoes is (are?) divine. I could eat that all day every day.
ReplyDeleteI had Publix okra and tomatoes yesterday, and it wasn't near as good as mama's.
ReplyDeleteMwa- Hot flashes make everything worse. Even making up.
ReplyDeleteMay- You're just prejudiced, girl.
Hank- You too. But I love you both.
Any woman who still gets periods in her 50s has earned the right to be bitchy!
ReplyDeleteMs. Lucy- No! I assure you- I do not get periods any more, which is why that was funny and made Mr. Moon laugh. The hotflash- that was true.
ReplyDeleteI better get on those muffins.
ReplyDeleteWe had a bit of a tiff ourselves. Over who got who sick by having sex with them, if you can believe it.
Love and sex and PMS and viruses are just confounding.
Ms. Trouble- Damn girl. Love and sex and PMS and viruses AND hot flashes are really confounding. You are right.
ReplyDelete