Blueberry Muffins and the Almost Disaster

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IMG_5509-sm 
When I sat down to write up this post I fully expected to have another tale of cooking!fail to tell you about.  I had after all messed up big time.  I expected to have a good laugh, eat some mediocre food and move on with my day.  Boy was I wrong.

It all started as most kitchen adventures do, in the local food co-op.  I had finished up my shopping and had turned down an aisle to make my way to the register when I saw it: the maroon paper bag proclaiming ‘no sugar added’!  I looked at my overflowing cart and thought I don’t really need muffin mix.  Normally I’d have everything I need to make muffins at home in the cupboard, but I’ve been packed for the move that’s never happening for ages and I’d be lucky if I had any baking soda left let alone muffin mix, so I waivered.  I thought it had to have something else in it, something that would make me put the bag back down but it didn’t, so I splurged, and splurged some more on some blueberries.

Today, since it was supposed to be cooler, I pulled the mix out.  I mixed everything together, added some stevia and some blueberries, popped liners into my muffin pan, poured in the batter than looked at the bag.  A quarter cup of oil it said.  A quarter cup.  I stared.  I looked at my muffins and I thought about how hard I would laugh when I pulled them out of the oven in fifteen minutes.  Somehow I had morphed a quarter cup into a cup, a cup of oil.  I had thought that didn’t make any sense but hadn’t checked.

I thought I was going to have to mourn my muffins and move on, but when I pulled them out of the oven something magical happened.  They were perfect.  They in fact are the best gluten free muffins I’ve ever made even if they are a bit greasy.  I’m now planning on buying another bag of mix and trying it out properly.  The only change (other than using the proper amount of oil) I’m planning on making is to sift the mix before adding the wet ingredients to make combining them a bit easier.

Usually I’m a box, or bag in this case, skeptic.  Even wheat-filled mixes tend to be comparatively expensive, they don’t come out as well as something made from scratch, they don’t taste any better than their homemade counterparts, and they take the same amount of work.  With this one though, I think I might be sold.  I don’t bake very often anymore, but this would be something I would pick up to have on hand in case of sudden carb cravings or unexpected house guests.

Namaste Food Muffine Mix

In case anyone’s wondering and for my own purposes: I added ten drops of vanilla stevia and about a cup of blueberries.  I baked the muffins at 400* for ten minutes then dropped the temp to 350* and cooked them for another 15 to compensate for the extra liquid/oil.

 

* I’m not trying to advertise, but if you want to go out and buy a bag by all means go ahead, I’m just excited to have muffins, perfect muffins.   These may not be totally foolproof but they are as far as I’m concerned.  If nothing else they’re more foolproof than the other gluten free recipes I’ve tried.

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Need by Carrie Jones
3 out of 5 stars

Summary: 
Zara White suspects there's a freaky guy semi-stalking her. She's also obsessed with phobias. And it's true, she hasn't exactly been herself since her stepfather died. But exiling her to shivery Maine to live with her grandmother? That seems a bit extreme. The move is supposed to help her stay sane...but Zara's pretty sure her mom just can't deal with her right now.

She couldn't be more wrong. Turns out the semi-stalker is not a figment of Zara's overactive imagination. In fact, he's still following her, leaving behind an eerie trail of gold dust. There's something not right - not human - in this sleepy Maine town, and all signs point to Zara.

In this creepy, compelling breakout novel, Carrie Jones delivers romance, suspense, and a creature you never thought you'd have to fear.

 

Favorite Quotes:
“There is something about libraries, old libraries, that makes them seem almost sacred. There's a smell of paper and must and binding stuff. It's like all the books are fighting against decay, against turning into dust, and at the same time fighting for attention.”

“Okay, little car, you are protesting roads. They are death traps for animals. They are environmentally unsound impervious surfaces that cause runoff. I understand this. But could we protest in the summer?”

 

My Thoughts:
I've read a lot of young adult books this year, most of which were centered around high school to some degree.  Some of them older and some of them new and boy, have young adult books changed since I first started reading them.  They're not as sheltered, they address real issues.  I love that.  There tends to be some element of teenage drama and angst.  I don't love that.  I don't do gooey swooning young love like <em>Twilight</em> or drama and high wire acts like <em>Pretty Little Liars</em>.  There's nothing wrong with that.  It's just not my thing, which is fine except that I keep almost discarding books on the assumption that it's going to be another story of teenage melodrama.  Is it just me or are book summaries sounding more and more alike?  It makes it hard to pick out the good stuff.  If a book's not full of mushy couples in love, prom queens and jocks, please please tell us.  The readers who pick up your book will be happier for it.

And now that I'm off my soap box, on to the actual book at hand.  <em>Need</em> by Carrie Jones.  In full disclosure, the summary on the library website had me at "tall, dark, and creepy" for reasons we won't get into, but it had me concerned I was walking into another <em>Twilight</em> or<em> A Discovery of Witches</em> or even <em>Duff</em> none of which I was in the mood for.  I wanted a quick read, but I wanted something a bit more relevant to my life, which is to say less black and white and less dramatic.  Had I read the summary on GoodReads, I would've been golden, but instead I hit download- you have to love ebooks- and worried and fretted for the thirty seconds it took me to open to the first page and start reading.

It took two paragraphs for me to stop worrying.  I think it was the mention of Charleston- I have a thing for books set in the south- and Maine, particularly the snow, what can I say I'm a New England girl at heart even if I share Zara's disdain for the white fluffy stuff.  And I know that doesn't sound like much of a reason to fall into like with a book, I mean snow and Maine, really? but there's so much more to this book than that.

Jones does a wonderful job of building this world for us.  It's well grounded, focusing just enough on the small details to make it feel believable, believable in a way that when the paranormal stuff starts filtering in no one's left running for the hills.  There's also an element of mystery, particularly in the beginning, that's compelling.  It's not as overt as it would be in a crime novel, but it's there subtly drawing you along.

The world building isn't the only thing that's well done, the characters themselves are equally as wonderful.  They're all real, with their quirks and their flaws but they each have their own inner strength, their own morals and principles which hold fast throughout the entire book.  It's a nice thing to see.  It's not wishy washy.  It's refreshing.  There are subtle messages here, real issues, important issues- human rights, equal rights, environmental issues- that are addressed without being preachy or in your face.  They play to the character's strengths and draw out their inner conflicts.  Everyone has their flaws, but as Zara says there is no damsel in distress, even when she needs help from her friends, it's not about her being weak, it's about them being stronger together.  That being said, Nick's self-professed hero complex is just that,  a hero complex.  It's a bit cliche but it's done carefully and in good taste.  The peril in <em>Need</em> is real, not over the top, and without Nick's care for the others things would've ended very differently.

My only other complaint is the lovey dovey moments between various characters.  I understand that young love is exciting and consuming, but as much as I'm a closet romantic, I could've done with a little less.  Having started the second book in the series now, I have to say that even this isn't much to complain about, while yes it's there (moreso in the second book) it fits within the scope of the story and the characterization.  There's no blind faith here which I think deserves some kudos.

Oh Canada… thank you for your awesomness

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I’ve gone and fallen in love with Flashpoint.  I hadn’t intended to.  It started out a lot like most other things with me watching a couple of episodes with *insert favorite actor here* (Pacale Hutton, in this case, for those of you who are wondering).  The episodes were good, really good, but I chalked it up to the amount of glee I had over cop uniforms and the CN Tower.  I’m really not hard to please when it comes to all things Canadian, but then I watched another episode.  I had an hour before bed, no biggie, but one turned into two, I feel in love with the characters and I was hooked.  And since it’s been awhile since we’ve had some Canada <3 on this blog, here’s a bit of Toronto themed goodness.

PicMonkey Collage

Sources (clockwise from top left): A Wintery Day in Toronto, Toronto Throw Pillow,
The Birds, Transportation Collage of Toronto.

Daniela Andrade: Things We’ve Said EP

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daniela

::Daniela Andrade:: Things We’ve Said EP
Tumblr // YouTube // Website

About the Album:
This is Daniela’s first album and I have to say it’s about time.  I’ve been waiting excitedly and expectantly since I first heard she was in the studio recording.

First Encounter:
I can’t remember how, but I do know the first song I heard of hers was her cover of Somebody Loved.  I’m not a fan of the original song so I was a bit skeptical going in, but that didn’t last long, I was mesmerized.  That afternoon I remember going through her channel listening to her songs wishing she had an album out so I could buy because I was pretty sure YouTube was going to come after me for abusing the replay button. 
 
The EP:
There are seven songs on the EP, all of which I love.  I couldn’t pick a favorite if you asked me to both because they’re all awesome and because it really depends on what kind of mood I’m in.  Daniela’s music is more upbeat than most of the stuff I listen to, another thing I love by the way, but it somehow manages to fit my every mood.  From bits of nostalgia to longing and joy, it’s all there.  It’s a versatile album to say the least; that’s been on repeat since I’ve bought it and I have absolutely no complains.  Alright, I do have one, but that’s because I refuse to take responsibility for Daniela turning me into a bit of a romantic sap.

Favorite Lyrics:
”You left me down on my knees.  Now it’s my time to watch you bleed, so cry me a river of gold.” – River of Gold

“I don’t know much about how to love, but you know the city and got a big yellow truck, so how about we take a ride out to Arizona, Manitoba.” – Manitoba

“There was a night I chose my favorite dress and you were wearing your best suit.  It was about that time when everyone was sound asleep and I was up talking to you.” – Gentlemen

“Cuz you, you’ve got a hold on me. Yeah, you’ve got a hold on me… and that’s ok, cuz I wouldn’t have it any other way.” – Any Other Way

Other Songs:
She’s posted an amazing bunch of songs on her account so I know I’m missing some, but off the top of my head:

Tea: There’s something about this song that makes me smile every time I hear it.  It’s sweet and homey and the video makes me feel a bit nostalgic.

Creep (Radiohead cover):  It’s dreamy and haunting which is about the only thing that makes this usually creepy song creepy.

Youth (Daughter cover): This is the other thing that I love about Daniela.  Not only does she take awesome songs, add her own spin and make them even more awesome, but she picks songs from a lot of bands I haven’t heard.  I’ve found many a great artist because of her.

Like a Star (Corrine Bailey Rae cover): If you’re still not convinced check out this one.  It makes my fingers tingle with its awesome.