Blueberry Muffins

Guess what I made for breakfast this morning! These are the best blueberry muffins EVER! The crumb topping is awesome and this is always a request of mine when I visit the homestead!

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

1 1/2 cups blueberries (I usually use frozen)
3 c flour
2 1/2 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 stick butter or margarine (softened)
2 eggs
1 c milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 T melted butter
1 tsp cinnamon

Combine flour, sugar, & baking powder in a large bowl. Cut in softened butter until mixture is in crumbs. Put 1 1/2 cups of this mixture in a small bowl and add melted butter and cinnamon to make crumbs for topping. Set aside. In the large bowl add milk, eggs & vanilla. Beat until smooth. Fold in blueberries. Fill 24 muffin cups with batter. Sprinkle each one with a generous amount of crumb topping. Bake 20-25 minutes at 350. Please note that the topping does not get brown so check for doneness.

Aunt Min's Carrot Cake

I made this carrot cake for Leah's first birthday and hope to make it again for her 3rd birthday next month! YUM!

AUNT MIN'S CARROT CAKE

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups oil
4 eggs beaten
3 cups grated carrots

Mix together flour, sugar, cinnamon & baking soda. Add oil, eggs, & carrots. Stir throughly with a whisk or wooden spoon. Grease and flour pans. (I usually use 2 round cake pans but you can make this in a 9x13 too) Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or longer for 9x13. Cool on rack. Frost when cool.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1/2 cup butter or margarine
8 oz (1 pkg) cream cheese
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Cream together butter & cream cheese, gradually add powdered sugar & vanilla. Chopped pecans can also be added if desired.

Fried Apples

Most weekends Paul takes Leah out for breakfast at Cracker Barrel Restaurant. It's their "Daddy Date Day". The order the same thing every time. Pancakes, scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, and fried apples. Oh and a chocolate milk for Leah! Well I love the apples too and needed an easy recipe to use up all of the apples we picked at the apple orchard last fall!

2 cups apple juice plus 1/2 cup apple juice
4 large golden delicious apples, with peel, cut into 1/2 inch wedges.
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tsp apple pie spice
4 Tbs sugar

In a medium skillet, combine the 2 cups apple juice and sliced apples. Simmer gently until apples are fork tender but not mushy, turning apples frequently. Remove apples from juice using a slotted spoon and place in an oven safe dish. In a blender, combine the remaining 1/2 cup apple juice, cornstarch, apple pie spice and sugar. Blend a few seconds until smooth. Whisk mixture into hot apple juice in skillet and cook, stirring constantly on medium high heat until it bubbles and becomes thickened and smooth. Pour thickened mixture over apples and serve.

Feel free to use other types of apples or different spices. I don't have apple pie spice so I have substituted plain cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. Enjoy the "nummy apples" as Leah calls them!