MUFFIN QUEEN!

Delicious Blueberry Cheese Muffins

2010-10-09T08:59:00.001-07:00

Hi there....

sorry for the silence! I had been pretty busy dabbling with a few other things in my life hence the lapse. Anyway I hope life has been treating you'll well? If your answer is 'YES', good on you!... and if your answer is otherwise, don't fret! Just keep the faith, think POSITIVE & MOVE ON!

These muffins don't just look amazing but let me tell you that they are worth all the time and effort taken. Once you take a bite and let your teeth sink into it, you would know what I am talking about! So go get your two bowls out and start measuring your ingredients and 'whip' up this DELICIOUS muffin!

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
3/8 cups oil (1/4cup + 2 tablespoons)
1/2 cup cream cheese (cut into cubes or chunks)
1/2 cup blueberry filling (you can substitute with jam if desired)

Method

1.Stir together dry ingredients in a large bowl
2. Add wet ingredients and stir just until moistened
3. Half fill the muffin tins with batter.
4. Add the cream cheese cube and top off with a teaspoon of the blueberry filling.
5. Then cover it with a table spoon of the batter.
6. Bake in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until done.

*To test to see if the muffins are done, use a cake tester and if it comes out clean, then your muffin is done.

Mocha Muffin Mania

2010-09-23T17:50:00.000-07:00

The Lovely Puffed Up Plump Mocha Muffin

Last weekend I felt like having something really nice, chocolatey and also something with some coffee in it. Being a caffeine addict, I stumbled upon this wonderful recipe.

These muffins take it one step further by adding a wonderful mocha flavour. As with all things chocolate, these Mocha Muffins are super delicious, as the mocha flavour comes from strongly brewed coffee. These muffins are the perfect breakfast food although by adding cappuccino chips (or chocolate chips)and nuts you can serve these any time of the day.

I tell you, I was really thrilled to see the outcome of my labour! Totally excited to find the end product - it rose up and never sank! Take a look at the pictures and you will know what I am talking about. Try it and see what I am talking about...

Mocha Muffins:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Position rack in centre of oven. Butter or spray with a non stick cooking spray 12 - 2 3/4 x 1 1/2 inch muffin cups.

Ingredients:

3 large eggs
1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
3/4 cup (180 ml) safflower or canola oil
1/2 cup (120 ml) strong black coffee, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups (165 grams) whole wheat flour
1/3 cup (30 grams) Dutch processed cocoa powder, sifted
1 cup (210 grams) light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (100 grams) pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup (170 grams) cappuccino, semisweet, and/or white chocolate chips

In a large measuring cup or bowl whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, coffee, and vanilla extract.

In another large bowl combine the flours, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Stir in the chopped nuts and chocolate chips. With a rubber spatula fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir only until the ingredients are combined. Do not over mix the batter or tough muffins will result.

Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter, using two spoons or an ice cream scoop. Place in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 - 25 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Makes about 12 regular sized muffins.

All The Facts Of The Carrot Plus A Lovely Recipe

2010-09-06T07:06:00.000-07:00

How many times have your mommy asked us to eat raw carrots or drink carrot juice and you, being naughty as usual, have simply chosen to get out of her line of sight? Let me tell you something. Your mommy was absolutely right in asking you to eat carrot or drink carrot juice. The single vegetable provides your body with a large number of nutrients and each of them is extremely good for your health. In the following lines, we have provided complete information on the nutritional value of carrots and health/nutrition benefits of eating them.

Nutritional Value in Carrots

Carrot comprises of the following nutrients, which are very good for the body.

Beta carotene (converted into Vitamin A by the body).
Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol) and Vitamin B (Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Niacin).
Minerals like Potassium and Manganese
Sodium, Fluoride and Phosphorus
Iron, Zinc and Copper
Selenium and Calcium
Carbohydrates and Protein
Biotin and Thiamine

Health Benefits of Carrots

Carrot provides complete nutrition to the body. 100 grams of carrot comprises of 7.6g carbohydrate, 0.6g protein, 0.3g fat, 30mg calcium and 0.6 mg iron. Apart from that, carrots are also a good source of fiber, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K, biotin, potassium and thiamine.
Carrots have been known to be very good for the health of spleen and stomach.
Carrot is believed to help in treating impotence (lower sexual drive), sexual dysfunction, night blindness, long term cough, gas and cold.
Researches have suggested that carrot might lead to diminished risk of heart disease and many types of cancer.
Potash succinate, a nutrient found in carrot, is said to have anti hypertensive drug properties, making it useful for those suffering from high blood pressure.
Carrot juice provides a lot of energy to the body. In the raw form, the vegetable is believed to have antiseptic properties.
Carrot contains beta-carotene, which has been found to be very beneficial for the eyes.
Carrots are very good for healthy skin, hair and bones. At the same time, they also cleanse the body.
Fresh carrot juice helps an individual gain relief from stress and fatigue and makes him feel energized.
Carrot soup is a very popular home remedy for diarrhea.
Carrots can enhance the quality of breast milk.
Carrot juice is known to prevent numerous infections and is said to be good for the adrenal glands.
Carrot can help increase menstrual flow and is very good for those suffering from diabetes

Carrot Muffins have the look and flavor of a carrot cake only they are in muffin form. The original name for these muffins was 'Morning Muffin Magic' but you may also know them as 'Morning Glory Muffins'. These cinnamon scented muffins are loaded with flavorful ingredients; things like toasted nuts, sweetened coconut, grated apple, and grated carrots. Although these muffins need no adornment, sometimes I can't resist smearing them with a little cream cheese icing.

The pitfall with all muffin batters is in over mixing the batter and ending up with a tough muffin. So make sure you only mix the batter until the ingredients are combined and moistened. A few flecks of flour are fine. To make the job easier, plus to give the baked muffins a nice doomed shape, use an ice cream scoop to fill the muffin cups. Of course, if you do not have one, two spoons will do the job. As always, if you want standard sized muffins, only fill the muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. However, if you like your muffins with a crown fill the cups almost to the top. Just make sure to grease the top of the muffin pan so that as the batter overflows it does not stick to the top of the pan. And don't forget to fill any unfilled muffin cups with a little water to ensure even baking as well as preventing the pan from warping.

Carrot Muffins:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Place paper liners in 18 muffin cups.

Toast the pecans or walnuts for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop coarsely.

Peel and finely grate the carrots and apple. Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Stir in the nuts and coconut. Set aside.

In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, oil, and vanilla extract. Fold the wet ingredients, along with the grated carrot and apple, into the flour mixture, stirring just until moistened. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. After about 10 minutes remove the muffins from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Makes 18 standard-sized muffins.

Frosting:

Beat the butter and cream cheese until very smooth with no lumps. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until fully incorporated and smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Place a dollop of the cream cheese frosting on the top of each muffin.

Carrot Muffins Recipe:

1/2 cup (50 grams) pecans, or walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

2 cups (270 grams) grated raw carrot (about 2-3 peeled carrots)

1 large apple, peeled and grated

2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated white sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon (3.5 grams) salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup coconut (sweetened or unsweetened) (optional)

3 large eggs

3/4 cup (180 ml) sun flower, corn, or canola oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting: (optional)

1/4 cup (56 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

4 ounces (1/2 cup) (110 grams) cream cheese, room temperature

3 tablespoons confectioners' (powdered or icing) suar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Enjoy!...Cheers!

Sherry

Something Unique About Carrots!

2010-09-01T01:20:00.000-07:00

Just as I was about to share with you the Healthy Carrot Muffin facts and recipe, guess what I stumbled upon?...so I decided to go ahead with this video clip instead and look out for the later next week ok?

Cheers!

Sherry

RECIPE FOR PUMPKIN MUFFINS

2010-08-21T03:49:00.000-07:00

Hello there! how have you been? I have been as busy as a bee with the daily routines..being Mom,wife, daughter, teacher, baker, cook, home-maker (maid), ah!.....and not to mention, driver! Well that's me and I am proud to know that I am living my life to the fullest. I simply LOVE my life, just the way it is! How about you?

As you know last week's post was just pictures and no details of the Delicious Pumpkin Muffin. I must say that it was a delightful snack which all members of my family enjoyed. Surprisingly my little son also took a liking to it.

Well, actually I was a little sceptical about how he would precieve it. I thought that he might just eat it to please me however I was so pleased to hear that he truly enjoyed it as he packed some of them for his school break two days in a row!

What makes me so excited is that I am able to pass on this humble yet very nutritious fruit or vegetable to my family in another form... We sometimes have it as a side dish for our meals. So now I have convincingly succeeded introducing the pumpkin muffin. An awesome achievement by my standards!

Just to share with you some of the nutritious facts of the pumpkin; The bright orange colour of pumpkin is a dead give away that pumpkin is loaded with an important antioxidant, beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is one of the plant carotenoids converted to vitamin A in the body. In the conversion to vitamin A, beta carotene performs many important functions in overall health.

Current research indicates that a diet rich in foods containing beta-carotene may reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer and offers protect against heart disease. Beta-carotene offers protection against other diseases as well as some degenerative aspects of ageing.

Anyway without much delay, here is the 'HOW TO MAKE' these delicious VALUE packed delectables...

RECIPE FOR DELICIOUS PUMPKIN MUFFINS

Makes 1 dozen
Active time: 15 min.
Start to finish: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup vegetable oil (conola is my favourite)
2 large eggs
1 tsp pumpkin-pie spice (a combo of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and allspice)
1.25 cups plus 1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup sunflower seeds (optional)

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Equipment: 12 foil or paper muffin liners; a muffin pan with 12 muffin cups.

DIRECTIONS:

Put oven rack in middle positions and preheat oven to 350F. Put liners in muffin cups.

Whisk together flour and baking powder in a small bowl.

Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin-pie spice, 1.25 cups sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined.

Stir together cinnamon and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in another bowl.

Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be about 3/4 full), then sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown and a wooden pick or skewer inserted into centre of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then transfer muffins from pan to rack and cool to warm or room temperature.

Tips:

*When using fresh pumpkin, cut and clean the skin off the pumpkin and then cut into relativity big chunks. Then put in a pot of water covering just the top of the pumpkin. Then boil till tender. Keep a watchful eye on it so as to not over boil it. This will prevent the nutrients from being lost. Drain off the water. Reserve a just enough for blending.

When cooled put into blender and blend it until smooth with a little water saved earlier so as to get a thick consistency of the pumpkin purée.

Till next time....Enjoy baking!

Cheers!

Sherry

Delicious Pumpkin Muffins

2010-08-12T02:23:00.000-07:00

These are some of the ingredients used to make this delicious Pumpkin Muffin.

Apple Pie Day!

2010-08-04T00:59:00.000-07:00

AN APPLE PIE READY, JUST HOT OUT OF THE OVEN!

Apple pies are a lovely treat for any afternoon tea or a desert to be savoured by family and friends, no matter what the occasion. It can be consumed simply on its own, hot or cold or with a dollop or two of vanilla ice-cream......simply yummy!

It all a matter of how you choose to enjoy this lovely pie. It will also taste good if you spread some powdered or icing sugar on the top of the crust. To get the best taste of the apple filling, I make sure I only use Granny Smith green apples. Well I must say that they produce a wonderful sour, sweet and tangy flavour which is simply unbeatable comparing to other brands of apples.

Perhaps you might want to try a hand at making this delicious Apple Pie? Here's the recipe and all the secrets revealed!

To Make Apple Filling

4-6 medium cooking green apples peeled, cored and sliced.
3/4 cup castor sugar plus extra for decoration
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1 piece of cinnamon stick
6 whole cloves
1 tablespoon marmalade
30 g butter

Ingredients for Pastry

2 cups plain flour
1/4 cup icing sugar
185 g cold butter
2 egg yolks
2-3 tablespoons cold water
milk, for glazing

For pastry:

1.Firstly sift the flour and then put the flour, icing sugar, and butter in bowl and mix lightly with finger tips to form bread crumbs like texture.

2. Mix the water together with the egg yolks and beat a little. Then pour it to the mixing bowl
and then very quickly and lightly incorporate the mixture to form a dough. Add a little water to it if it is too dry.

3. Turn the pastry flour on to lightly floured board and knead briefly to form into a smooth dough. Divide it into two - one slightly larger than the other. Cover them with cling wrap and put in refrigerator for a few minutes.

To Make Apple Filling

1. Combine the sliced apples and sugar, water, cinnamon and cloves in a large pan. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until just softened.

2. Remove pan from heat and pour off excess juice. Remove cinnamon and cloves.

3. Add butter and marmalade. Mix gently and set a side to cool.

Preheat the oven to 210 C or 190F

Method:

1.Roll the larger pastry to line the bottom of the pie dish. Then spoon gently the prepared apples evenly into the line-pie dish.

2.Brush the pie rim with milk or water.

3.Lastly place the smaller pastry on top of the apple filling and pressed the edges to deal. Then trim the edges and of the pastry around the rim and press with fork to seal the circumference of the apple pie dish.

4. Slash 2 or 3 marks on the top of the finished pie so as to let steam during the cooking process to avoid it from bubbling the filling over that can be pretty messy.

5. Brush the top of the pastry with milk and sprinkle with the extra castor sugar on the top.

6. Bake for 30 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.

THIS IS HOW THE APPLE PIE LOOKS - AFTER IT'S BEEN 'ATTACKED'

Enjoy Baking & Eating!

Cheers!

Sherry

Mini Cherry and Raisin Muffins

2010-07-26T06:10:00.001-07:00

Hello there! This weekend, I made the most tiniest muffins ever. I found these really cute little paper cups and so decided to make a cherry and raisin variety for tea. It came out really handy as it wasn't as big as the normal size which I normally bake. Well for someone who wants to enjoy eating minus the guilt, it was rather gratifying!

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup raisins, chopped
1/2 cup cherries, chopped

Method:

1. Preheat oven 190C
2. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre.
3. In a small bowl beat the egg with a fork. Stir in milk and butter.
4. Pour all at once into the middle of the flour mixture.
5. Mix quickly and lightly with the fork until moistened, but do not beat.
6. Lastly add in the raisins and cherries (lightly floured) to the batter. Do not worry if the batter is lumpy. DO NOT OVER BEAT.
7. Pour batter into paper lined moulds.
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Have a hand at it and you'll surely agree with me that these sized muffins are good especially for those of you who want to go on a so called diet. But PLEASE don't fall into the trap of eating double servers!

Cheers!

Sherry

Hot Durian Muffins!

2010-07-18T22:41:00.000-07:00

Hot Delicious Durian Muffins straight Out Of the Oven!

The taste of durians is definitely a taste to be acquired.... For those who LOOOVE it, come on and try this adventurous recipe!

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup durian pulp, mashed (flesh from approximately 2 fruits, de-seeded)

Method:

1. Preheat oven 400F or 205C
2. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre.
3. In a small bowl beat the egg with a fork. Stir in milk and oil.
4. Pour all at once into the middle of the flour mixture.
5. Mix quickly and lightly with the fork until moistened, but do not beat.
6. Add the durian to the batter. Do not worry if the batter is lumpy. DO NOT OVER BEAT.
7. Pour batter into paper lined moulds or well greased muffin pans.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

There you have it..It as easy as 1, 2, 3! You Gotta believe me, it is delicious....Crunchy on the outside and soft and yummy on the inside.

Have Fun & Enjoy!

Cheers!

Sherry

King Of The Malaysian Fruit!

2010-07-13T01:21:00.000-07:00

Wow!..the durian which is also noted as The King Of Malaysian fruits is in season now! Guess what, I had tried my hand at making muffins out of these fruit and viola!...it tasted great.

Before I give you the recipe, allow me speak a little about this unique fruit. If you haven't a clue of this fruit, it is usually oval in shape and is covered with thorns around the whole surface area. It is usually green to golden brown in colour depending on the variety of the fruit.

The flesh in the fruit is segmented and comes in various textures and colours. The edible flesh emits a distinctive odour, strong and penetrating even when the husk is intact. Some people regard the durian as fragrant; others find the aroma overpowering and offensive.

The smell evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust. The odour has led to the fruit's banishment from certain hotels and public transportation in Southeast Asia

As for me, I simply love it. Since the start of the season, my family have had the privilege of eating it 3 times - all from our local states in Malaysia, being from Kuantan, Perak and Pahang.

Enjoy this video and look out for the 'How to Make Delicious Durian Muffins' next week!

You either Love it or Hate it!!

P/s. Comments are always welcomed!

Cheers!

Sherry

Jude's Blueberry Cheese Birthday Cake

2010-07-05T11:05:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone!

Here's Jude, my little son who is very excited as he has turned 10 and having his fav cake and eating it really soon! (as in picture)

Ingredients

A. 250 gm Digestive biscuits

125 gm gm unsalted butter

B. 250 gm Cream cheese (whipped)

Cream (whipped) 200 ml

250 gm castor sugar

165 gm lemon juice (optional) 1 teaspoon

C. gelatine water (double boil gelatine & water and cool 5-10mins) D. 1 Tub (500gms) blueberry pie filling.

Method:

1) Blend ingredients A or put biscuits in a plastic bag and beat the biscuits with a rolling pin lightly or till they crumble finely. Then mix the butter and crumbled biscuits until combined. Next press into loose bottom baking tin and level with a spatula. Chill for 30 minutes or until firm.

2) Cream sugar, cream cheese and lemon juice in a cake mixing machine, add gelatine mixture (which has been prepared before hand). Lastly add in the whipped cream and 'pulsate' or mix it on a lower speed till combined.

3) Pour the cream cheese mixture onto the biscuit crust, arrange the blueberry pie filling mixture around the cream cheese layer. Then top off the remaining cream cheese mixture over it.

4) Finally use a spatula to give the topping ingredients a ripple looking effect.

Chill for 3hrs or overnight.

Enjoy the yummy flavours of this Fantastic Blue berry Cheese Cake!...Have fun making it and watch it disappear right before your eyes!...Seriously!

Cheers!

Sherry

Junior's Birthday!

2010-07-05T06:44:00.000-07:00

We celebrated our Junior's birthday on the 26th of June 2010. Can't imagine he's hit the double digit now!.... I always wonder what happened to my baby..... I can vividly remember the day he was born.... Admiring this tiny little bundle of joy and admiring his pure, innocent features, his very fragile little fingers and toes......

Oh how I miss hugging him and smelling the 'baby' smell! Don't get me wrong I do still hug and kiss him now but it won't be long when his going to tell me to stop embarrassing him if I do it publicly! How sad! However we must face the reality of life and go with the motions in life...Ah the motions of life!

Out At Dinner With The Birthday Boy!

At Home For A Birthday Song & Blessings with Blueberry Cheese Cake, Jude's Favourite! Next week I shall share with you the recipe of the Blueberry Cheese Cake. Watch out for it!

Cheers!

Sherry

Rich Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips

2010-06-27T16:54:00.000-07:00

Picture of Banana Muffin with Chocolate Chip BEFORE Dressing

Picture Of Banana Muffin with Chocolate Chips After Dressing With Topping

Hello everyone! How was your weekend? I am always surprised to realise how fast the weeks actually fly by. Do you feel the same or is just me who feels this way?

I had a wonderful week and a fantastic weekend. Well just in case you were wondering, my Dad has recovered from his illness and is back to his usual self again, thank God.

Well I always keep my promise and here's the recipe for the title above.

Ingredients needed:

1 cup wholemeal flour

1 cup all purpose plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 large very ripe bananas, smashed with a fork

1/4 cup milk

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup walnuts or cashew nuts, chopped

Topping Ingredients:

3 oz (90grm) cream cheese

1 cup (150grms) confectioners (icing sugar)

1 tbsp finely grated lime zest

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

Method:

Preheat oven 350 F / 180 C / Gas 4

Butter 3 x 6 cups muffin pans

Sift both flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl.

Beat the butter ans sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating until just blended after each addition.
With mixer on low mix in the bananas followed by the dried ingredients, alternating with the milk.
Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts by hand.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pans.
Bake until well risen and springy to the touch, about 20 mins.

Let cool slightly before turning onto wire rack.

Topping:

Beat the cream cheese and confectioners sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy.

Beat in the lime zest and enough juice to make a thick, spreadable frosting.
Spread the frosting over the cooled muffin.

Have good week ahead!

Cheers!

Sherry

More Picutres From Our Trip To The Park

2010-06-11T23:50:00.000-07:00

Busy weekend!

2010-06-06T23:19:00.001-07:00

My sons and I enjoying the sandwiches - Cheese & Ham done by my little feller!...Yummy!

Hello everyone!

How are you'll? Hope you'll had a great weekend. As for me it was a wonderful weekend - time spent with my family. As the school holidays are here, the two week midterm break is quite a welcome change for us all at home. No hurried breakfasts, lunches and dinners just to make it on time for homework, school and tuition.

Last Saturday my family and I went for a picnic at the Botanic Park which is about 7km from our home. It was a relaxing time lazing around enjoying nature and animals. To our surprise the park was so crowded with fellow picnickers. We were looking forward to hiring bicycles to ride around the park but unfortunately, all the 300 bikes were already fully booked. Yup! they beat us to it!

Anyway that didn't deter us from enjoying ourselves. After finding our way around and enjoying our picnic basket, we had loads of fun watching the a few ponies, an intelligent parrot (which talks), a lonely buffalo and some mischievous monkeys, we had a tremendous enjoyable time at the pool.

An adventurous walk in the jungle plus a canopy walk was really good. The peaceful scenic view of the different fauna and flora was simply amazing of God's creation. We soaked in all these wonders on our trip around the park on a tramp car. Although it was quite a hurried trip, it was nice to pass by the spice and orchid gardens and orchards too. Finally we came to the dead end which was a dam area . It was quite a breath taking experience.

Picnic basket was mainly organised by my youngest son, Jude. He had prepared Ham and Cheese sandwiches, chicken nuggets and some fruits - watermelon, papaya and bananas.

We all had so much fun and hope to do another trip like this again in the near future. This time we must beat the crowd to get our bikes!

Watch out for more pictures on our trip in future!

Happy Holidays!

Cheers!

Sherry

Recipie - Jaffa Muffins

2010-05-25T00:03:00.000-07:00

All the ingredients needed for this deliciously sinful delight. This is just the base. Look below for the topping!

Hi All,

as promised, here is the recipe for the chocolate indulgent loving people!

Ingredients:

5 oz (150g) semisweet (dark) chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup (90g) butter

2 1/1 cups (375g)all purpose flour

4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup (250ml) milk

1 teaspoons finely grated orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla essence (optional)

Frosting:

8 oz (250g) semisweet chocolate (dark)chopped

1/4 cup (60g) butter

1 tablespoon orange liqueur

finely grated orange zest for topping garnish finish

Method:

Preheat oven to 400F (200C/gas 6). Butter 12 cup muffin tin.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a double-boiler over barely simmering water.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt into a large bowl.Stir in the sugar.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, milk and orange zest (if you like some vanilla essence). Then beat in the cocoa and butter mixture until well blended.

Then gently put in the sifted ingredients and mix a few times till combined.

Tips:

Note - do not over beat or you will end up with hard muffins! It's completely ok if there is some flour not thoroughly mixed in the batter. Spoon the batter into the prepare muffin pans. Bake until well risen and springy to the touch, about 20 mins.

Let cool slightly before turning on to the wire-rack. Allow to cool completely.

In the meantime prepare the frosting by using the same double boil method to melt the chocolate and butter. Remove from heat once it has melted and stir the orange liqueur in. Lastly spread the cooled muffins with a layer of the frosting and top off with the grated orange zest. Let stand until topping is set, then go ahead &....... ATTACK!

Cool the baked muffins on a wire rack until completely cooled before splattering the melted chocolate mixture and top it off with the finely grated orange zest. Let it set then viola..Enjoy!

Cheers!

Sherry

Jaffa Muffins & Teacher's Day!

2010-05-20T16:07:00.000-07:00

Working hard on craft to show appreciation to his teachers. He enjoyed every minute of it.

A Gift that will melt a teacher's heart, don't u think? Chocolate topping with orange zest. Mmmmmmmm.......Yummy!!

Last Sunday, my son and I made a chocolate indulgent muffin called Jaffa Muffin. The name sounds weird, I thought. Anyway I went ahead and tried making it.
Guess what? I was delighted to discover the most scrumptious treat ever!

My son Jude (left) & his buddy, Edmund. Sharing a Sunday afternoon tea before a round of badminton.

I promise to share the recipe with you next week. I'm sure once you try it, you will be totally amazed and agree with me!

Cheers!

Sherry

DADDY'S 80th BIRTHDAY!

2010-05-13T03:09:00.000-07:00

April 21st 2010 marked the birthday of my Dad, Mr George Franciscus. He was born in 1930. Wow! indeed an awesome milestone. My dad is of mixed parentage. His father was either of Dutch or English heritage whilst his mother was a Sri Lankan, from Candy, Celyon. He is a survivor of the 2nd world war. He always has lots of adventurous stories of the days of the old. Yup!..The Japanese and their invasion into the then Malaya, is our all time favourite.

He worked all his life in the Malaysian Railways. Starting from the south to the north of Malaysia. It is amazing how hard work used to be back then was as he had to literally shovel coal to run the steam engines. My dad was a natural sportsman. He was an all rounder in field and track events. I remember how Mum had packed boxes of trophies mostly in shapes of cups various sizes (being the trend then). They were stored in the attic in our house. Come to think of it, it's a shame to think if we should have treasured it, he could tell more stories to his grandchildren about his life back then.

Oh yes, I will always treasure the time when he trained me when I was about to take part in my school sports during my primary school days. Being attached to the Railways meant that we kids had to understand of the odd timing of Dad's duty. He always took his work seriously. We kid had to abide to the house rule - silence during the day when Dad was in & about to go off to his duty call.

Although he is 80 years old, he still enjoys sports and an ardent sports fan. He looks fit and sturdy for his age and can be passed off as a 60+. Usually people are taken aback when they come to know of his age. Well recently to mark this auspicious day in his life, George Franciscus had 3 different celebrations. One was with my sis in Bukit Mertajam. The second was at my home and last one was a double celebration which was organised by my cousin whose birthday is 3 days after dad's - 24th April.

Here are some photos taken at my cousin's (in green T-shirt). Hope you will enjoy getting a glimpse of my wonderful Dad! (in maroon striped T-shirt)

Cheers!

Sherry

tell me what you think & comment ok?

Of Lunches & Health!

2010-05-03T03:06:00.000-07:00

Healthy Chocolate Chip & Almonds Muffin

Lunch breaks can be a hassle - where to go and what to eat??…Healthy eating at work can be an expensive issue as well as in nutritious. So it be wise to stash a nutritious lunch in your bag, don’t you think?

Just a suggestion, why not bake some tasty wholesome muffins which you can throw in your lunch bag with a few fresh fruits to compliment as dessert and drink lots of plain water. You will be surprised how balanced your diet as well as your check book will be!

Oh yes, I guess taking a walk off your desk for your break. Perhaps you can go to the park, mall, or garden nearby and enjoy the different scenery while you enjoy your meal.

You can make the delectable muffins on weekends and freeze them for later use during the week. To warm them just before you eat, wrap them in aluminium tin foil and bake them for about 5-10mins and they are good to go. If you are thinking of using the microwave, wrap them in cake paper and do the same for 1min and that's it!

CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar, divided use
2/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups unsweetened apple sauce
1 cup milk - can be substituted with 1 cup chocolate milk
5 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided use
1 (12-ounce) package Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
3/4 cup chopped nuts – hazel, pine nuts, almonds, sunflower seeds
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

Method
1. Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Grease (2) 12-cup muffin tins.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, 2/3 cup sugar, dark brown sugar, baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
3. Lightly beat egg whites in a medium bowl. Stir in apple sauce, milk, 4 tablespoons oil and vanilla; mix until well blended.
4. Fold egg mixture into flour. Stir just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Spoon into prepared muffin tins and set aside while making topping.
5. Combine remaining sugar and cinnamon with oats. Stir in remaining oil until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle evenly over muffins. Decorate top with toasted almonds (optional).
6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until centre is set. Cool in tins for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 2 dozen

Tell me what you think and comment ok? C ya!

Cheers!

Sherry

Oh! to satisfy one's family..

2010-04-27T23:45:00.000-07:00

Hi All!

please enjoy this delicious tropical muffins which I tried last weekend. My family really enjoyed it. Hope yours will too!

Coconut Banana Muffins (makes 6-8 muffins)

3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 very ripe bananas, mashed (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/ cup creamed coconut

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup Hawaiian grated coconut.

Mash the banana with the sugar until smooth. Add the egg, the creamed coconut and the vanilla and mix well. Sift together the remaining dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just mixed.

Pour into lined or greased cupcake molds, two-thirds of the way, and bake in a medium oven (350f/180c) until brown and firm (about 25 minutes). Serve warm with a nice cup of tea!

Rest and relax with your Green Tea, English Tea or Ceylon Tea and enjoy!

I know my mum did!

Cheers!

Sherry

Ask & You Shall Receive!

2010-04-18T00:19:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

It's Sunday and I feel really good today, how about you? I am excited to share this special Black Forest Cherry Cheese Cake recipe with Ice John and the rest of you as well! Everyone in my family really enjoyed this Easter treat.

Just wanted to tell you that it's amazing how much $ you will be saving making this fabulously delicious cake on your own rather than buying it! Most importantly it so easy to make......& that's what I like, SS (sweet & simple). Anyway, I'm absolutely sure you won't regret trying it!

Black Forest Cherry Cheese Cake

Ingredients:

A. Digestive biscuits 250 gm
unsalted butter 125 gm

B. Cream (whipped) 200 ml
cream cheese 250 gm
castor sugar 165 gm
lemon juice 1 tbsp

C. gelatine
water
(double boil gelatine & water and cool 5-10mins)

D. 1 can pitted black cherries juice

Topping

cherry juice 150 ml (separate juice and fruits by straining)

corn flour 1 tbsp

Method:

1) Blend ingredients A or put biscuits in a plastic bag and beat the biscuits with a rolling pin lightly or till they crumble finely. Then mix the butter and crumbled biscuits until combined.

Next press into loose bottom baking tin and level with a spatula. Chill for 30 mins or until firm.

2) Cream sugar, cream cheese and lemon juice in a cake mixing machine, add gelatine mixture (which has been prepared before hand). Lastly add in the whipped cream and 'pulsate' or mix it on a lower speed till combined.

3) Pour 1/2 of the cream cheese mixture onto the biscuit crust, arrange the drained cherries around the cream cheese layer. Then top off the remaining cream cheese mixture over it.

4) Finally mix and boil topping ingredients and spread over the chilled cheese cake.

Chill for 3hrs or overnight.

p.s. drop me line at: sherryharding245@gmail.com or simply comment!

one slice will NOT be enough!

A Brand New Week!

2010-04-12T01:15:00.000-07:00

Healthy Orange Raisin Peanut Butter & Jelly Muffin

Yup! It's a new week indeed!

Life - Is not just being around because of mere existence but should be looked at as a gift of life from the Almighty. Therefore one should always be appreciative and look forward to give their very best in whatever they are responsible for. It is immaterial if one is a father, a mother, a husband, a wife, a son, a daughter, a student, a teacher, an employer, an employee, a doctor, a nurse, ect, etc. It's our duty to revolve around doing good to get by each day.

Duty - If your thought is what it should be, you will have little trouble with your action. Remember that to be useful to others, thought must result in action. There must be no laziness, only constant activity in good work.

Today, since the orange fruit brings such a fresh tangy flavour to muffins, it seems to be the family's favourite, I have decided to make this special one which has a slight twist to it. Enjoy!

Healthy Orange Raisin Peanut Butter & Jelly Muffins

You'll need:

1 1/3 plus two tbsp self-rising flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup milk
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp poppy seeds
1/2 an orange juice
orange rind
peanut butter

Method:

Heat oven to 190 C. Grease muffin tins - makes 12 pcs

1. In a large bowl sift flours, salt.
2. In another bowl, stir together eggs, milk, sugar, orange juice and sugar together until smooth.
3. Form a well in the dry ingredients and pour the liquid mixture. Stir just to combine. Fold the raisins and poppy seeds.
4. Spoon the batter half way through each muffin tin and then add a teaspoon each of the peanut butter.
5. Lastly top the tins off with about another tablespoon of the batter and the bake them for about 15-20 mins or until golden brown and done when you run a cake tester through.

Hope you'll like this recipe and have it with a nice cup of tea or coffee or a snack any time of the day or night!

Look forward to your comments.

After it's cracked opened to expose the delicious filling

*Food for thought:

When an athlete decides to win in his mind, it is then that he wins. He decides first, then he wins......have a good week ahead!

Cheers!

Sherry

Holy Week

2010-03-28T23:51:00.001-07:00

Hello there!

after celebrating Palm Sunday yesterday, we go into Holy Week today. It a reminder as how more than 2,000 years ago Jesus Christ, our Redeemer was welcomed into Jerusalem and how the same people led him to His crucifixion and death! -the irony of it all.

Many events took place for me this week. Firstly, my son took part in a Choral Speaking competition and his team come out champions. It was quite a feeling for all of us. It was sheer hard work and reward was indeed sweet. Now his teacher is preparing them for the state level competition which takes place in a fortnight.

We are truly facing Holy week in silence as our Astro (cable t.v.) has some problems and it's been 48hrs since we made a report for the technicians to have rectify, it but until now there's no signs of them!

Meditation is good as it helps us reflect our individual selves. Besides that we are spending time doing some long forgotten practice, which is reading. We all realise that we send quite a lot of time in front of the idiot box and before you know it, each of us are too busy with our very own thing. We hardly have time to talk or share our thoughts with one another as we are usually wrapped up in our own world and not too long the day is almost over and we all say goodnite and hit the sack (go off to bed).

Anyway Easter is a time when we take the opportunity to get in touch with each other as family.
I made a Cherry Cheese cake, Ayam Pericik and Upside Down Pineapple Ham loaf for our Easter feast. It's something totally out of the norm as we usually have the traditional Sugee cake and Chicken roast but not this year, I opted for something new! Well I certainly hope the family enjoyed my menu this year!

By the way these are some photo-shots of the mentioned. Enjoy!

2010-03-25T00:58:00.000-07:00

Hi there! as promised I'm back! Yesterday I baked 'Orange Treasure' muffins for tea. I would consider it being a very healthy snack as it is made of a portion of whole wheat flour not only white. What excites me is knowing that I can contribute in these little ways to bring awareness to my family in choosing the right kind of food.

Surprisingly the youngest member of the family appreciated it! I had my qualms about him liking it as he can be quite choosy about certain textures and tastes. For example all of us enjoy everything that's prepared but Jude doesn't take to green peas and fat (found in meats and also chicken skin included). Wholemeal bread is something he eats if there's absolutely no choice otherwise the white loaf finishes fast. That includes all members of the family. Well it's a slow by sure process in switching to browns for the sake of health.

It great to know that Jude had one for breakfast this morning and also opted to take it for his school break - definitely a good feeling for me! I guess it just a matter of time in educating the family to take small steps to change their mindset in making good food choices for the sake of health.

Oh yes I had packed a muffin for my husband who was on a biz trip. He decided to eat it on his way home for supper. He confessed that he enjoyed the wholesome snack and relished the bits and pieces of the hidden treasure inside!

Without further ado, here's the recipe for the the above mentioned:

ORANGE TREASURE MUFFIN

1 1/3 cups plus two tbsp all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

3 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup orange peel
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup crystal ginger (optional)
juice and rind of an orange
1 tsp vanilla essence

Method: preheat oven and grease a regular sized 12 muffin pan (makes 12 muffins).

1. In a large bowl stir together sifted flours, salt, baking powder and baking soda
2. In another bowl, stir together the eggs, oil, milk, sugar, oil, orange juice and vanilla.
3. Form a well in the dry ingredients and pour liquid mixture. Stir to combine.
4. Fold in the raisins,orange peel and rind.
5. Spoon batter into muffin pans and bake for 15-20 minutes until tops curve and are lightly browned. Insert toothpick or pick to test if cooked through.

Cheers!

Sherry

p.s. drop me line at sherryharding245@gmail.com or comment, at the bottom of this page..thks!

Lazy me!

2010-03-17T03:00:00.000-07:00

Hello there!

how are you out there? How has life been treating all of you? Hope great! Well as for me I must admit that I have been busy as a bee living life to the fullest! And as for the muffin passion and obsessions, all I can say is that I have developed a "muffin top" literally...and have been trying very hard to keep the weight off and therefore had been controlling the calories....and muffins too!

Seems that I had laid off for almost 8 months and it is unbelievable how fast time really flies. To tell you the truth all the chowing down of the Christmas delights - right up to all the birthdays in between I would get the 'GUILTY' sentence and hence the silence......

I had been totally consumed by all the happenings in life plus feeling awfully depressed as well. (Don't get me wrong, not all of which were negative).

All the articles and talk on weight loss and of course the infamous first 'Biggest Asia Looser' had taken up all my time and passion. Besides that looking at numeral websites on healthy living as well as 'Body mind and Soul gurus got me on the move again to loose those extra pounds.

So folks, forgive me for bearing my soul and all my iniquities to boot. Now that I feel that I am a whole lot better and more confident - perfect body mass index and all, I am confident to pursue my goals. Basically it boils down that I am not a perfect a person as I wish I could be but then again it proves that I am only human!

Anyway, I have make a comeback and that's what that matters. With more delicious muffin top tips and delectable desserts rolling your way soon.

Suggestions anyone?

Cheers to life!

Sherry

p/s hope you love our new family member, my son's pet hamster 'Juarez'

COCONUT BANANA MUFFIN

2009-07-06T02:50:00.000-07:00

Hello there!

I have been rather busy lately that explains the absence...yeah, i simply love to be busy (some may say that i'm a workaholic especailly my spouse). Anyway would't life be boring otherwise? well for me it definately WILL!

Just to keep you busy why not try this YUMMY muffin for a treat? It's simply DELICIOUS! Go on make someone happy....here goes...

Coconut Banana Muffins (makes 6-8 muffins)
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 very ripe bananas, mashed (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/ cup creamed coconut

Method
Mash the banana with the sugar until smooth. Add the egg, the creamed coconut and the vanilla and mix well. Sift together the remaining dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just mixed. Pour into lined or greased cupcake molds, two-thirds of the way, and bake in a medium oven (350f/180c) until brown and firm (about 25 minutes). Serve warm with a nice cup of tea!

Enjoy!

Love

Sherry

All About Muffins!

2009-06-22T23:33:00.000-07:00

CHOCOLATE COATED MUFFIN TOPPED OFF WITH DESSICATED COCONUT

VANILLA MUFFIN COATED WITH MULTI COLOURED RICE

Muffins come in many shapes and guises but one thing they have in common is that they are small, individually sized and baked in a muffin tin or cup shaped moulds which are lined with pleated foil or paper baking cases.

Like cupcakes muffins too can go by many different names. Some describe specific types of cakes while others are more generic. Muffins, a huge category of cupcakes are leavened by baking powder and are often baked without paper baking cases.

Sweet or savoury, they can be eaten as a breakfast treat or with afternoon tea, or an accompaniment to lunch or dinner. Muffins are not usually iced although I have experimented and have become accustomed to it.

I enjoy creating the toppings and have a lot of fun decorating them with whatever I have sitting in my refrigerator. Simply love the flexibility of it all!

Queen cakes are a traditional British cupcake made with a creamed butter mixture combined with currants, lemon zest and sometimes chopped almonds. Traditionally, they were backed in small fluted moulds, but today they are more usually baked in pleated paper baking cases or muffin tins.

Even in South East Asia you’ll find some little authentic cupcakes or muffins. In the Philippines, moon cakes or rice cakes are steamed in banana leaf moulds. They are very much like the muffins as they are small and spongy. In Japan, a small similar muffin like cake known as the ‘katsutera is a hit!

As I had mentioned earlier, most muffins are eaten plain but just to spice things up, I simply love dressing them!...... Yup! You should try it… and I’ll take a bet that you’ll get hooked with this new found hobby too!

So I shall leave you with a a couple of my creations to feast your eyes and hope you will enjoy what you see.

You are most welcome to drop me line or comment. I would love to hear from you! If you want to know more, do not hesitate do either comment or get in touch with me via my e-mail:

sherryharding245@gmail.com

Bye for now….

Cheers!

Sherry

Missing in ACTION!

2009-06-19T20:10:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone

I have been very busy...with 101 things and that's the reason why i haven't posted. It's amazing how time flies...I can't believe that it's been almost a month since!

Anyway i just wanted to share with you that today I'm in a seminar. The most exciting thing I wanted to share is that my muffins were served for the coffee break, thanks to Siew Fong....Isn't that nice? I'm so very happy with my life at this stage as I am finally doing what I love most (comparing it to my previous job)...a case of living my life to the fullest!

The type of muffins which I prepared for this function are Orange Poppy Seed & Savoury Chicken Mushroom Muffins. They were well received, and that spurs me to continue with this passion of mine.

I hope to someday live my dreams of having my own cafe and to be able serve all my favourite baked creations in it's cosy ambience (oh! did I tell you that I enjoy interior designing too?). It will be a great way to spend my time doing what I love most in my life!

Cheers!

Sherry

p.s. once again thanks heaps Siew Fong!

VEGGIE QUICHE

2009-05-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

This is a mini quiche

Hello there! yesterday I tried another one of my favourite recipes, THE QUICHE!

what i like about the quiche is that there is no hard and fast rule about it other than the pastry of course!
What i mean is that i can simply throw in what ever i have in hand or in the fridge and viola!...one unique creation is invented! I can use tuna, chicken, anchovies, sausages, or simply vegetables and i mean any kind of veggies.

Anyway today I shall share with you a very healthy as well as reliable recipe. Hope you will enjoy making it for your family to relish it's goodness! See pictures...enjoy!

VEGGIE QUICHE

pastry
225g plain flour, sifted with a pinch of salt.
(if u like u can substitute with wholewheat flour, 125g + 100g plain flour)
100g cold butter - diced
2-3tbs cold water

filling
2 tbsp sunflower or canola oil
1 medium onion - diced
bell peppers or capsicum green, yellow and red (medium sized or 1/2 if they are big) -diced
1 big tomato - diced spring onions small bunch - diced
250ml evaporated milk
125 ml whipped cream (optional)
3 eggs
1/2 cup Cheddar
cheese - grated (optional) 1 tsp chicken seasoning or chicken cube (sm piece) salt and pepper to taste

Method
Put flour into a large mixing bowl.
Rub in butter to resemble breadcrumbs. Add cold water and mix to form a firm dough.

Place dough in a plastic bag and chill for 20-30mins
Roll out pastry and line
greased tin or container. Trim off excess pastry and gently fork the base. Line the base with tin foil and put in beans or rice to blind bake for 15 mins at 190 C. Remove tinfoil and beans. stirring. Add in chicken seasoning, salt and pepper.

Lastly add the tomato and spring onions, just a very quick stir fry
will do as we don't want to overcook these veggies as it will be baked later.

In another bowl break eggs and whisk. Then dd milk to it and season with salt and pepper taking care not over season as we don't want it to be too salty. When the filling is done spoon them on to the partially baked pastry shell. Then gently spoon the milk mixture over the shell.

Lastly sprinkle the grated cheese over it and bake in preheated oven for 30 mins or when you notice the top is firm or a little brown.

So there you have it!

Cheers!

Sherry

p.s. DClewis this one is especially for you.

p.p.s. You can make a larger quiche and have it sliced in wedges to serve as shown.

MUFFIN JEWELLERY!

2009-05-16T21:06:00.000-07:00

Marvellous Muffins

I'm mad about muffins! They were certainly not as popular when I was growing up as they are now - now of course there are muffins shops, muffin mixes on grocery store shelves, donut shops now sell muffins too.

But nothing can compare to a homemade muffins, fresh out of the oven! They are so easy to make, you can whip up a batch of muffins and be eating them in less than an hour.

And the homemade varieties can be pretty nutritious - usually not containing too much fat or sugar (unlike the commercial varieties) and full of good ingredients like grains and fruits. Rest assured all the ingredients I use are fresh and of good quality.

I like eating muffins for breakfast and tea although I also like snacking on them whenever I need to. I am happiest whenever I have some ready in the pantry to be packed for my kids when they go to school. I make them often on weekends. Leftover muffins can be frozen and then just popped in the microwave to heat up when you want one.

These shown here are my Royal Collections. They are covered with the loveliest toppings as you can see. Besides these I also make equally tasty and nutritious ones – minus the toppings. I like to throw in carrots, bananas, apples, oranges and even the pumpkin variety can be so delicious. Honestly one wouldn’t know that you have all these ‘secret’ ingredients as they are cleverly camouflaged with all the goodies like chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, raisins, sultans, cherries and nuts. My kids simply love these treats!

Enjoy!...Cheers!

Sherry
P.S. Please browse thru my blog below to view some of my earlier creations!

Muffins to Die For!

2009-05-05T19:36:00.001-07:00

CHECK OUT THE CHOC CHIPS! YUMMM THEY PRACTICALLY MELT IN YOUR MOUTH AS YOU BITE!

Guess what? by now you would probably know how CRAZY I am about MUFFINS ! But you know what - i just can't help but share with you what i made last weekend.

Well you see my parents had come back from a short break from my sister's in Penang and they had packed some snacks for their train journey - some ham sandwiches and some bananas.

They had 2 bananas tucked away in the fridge. I only discovered them after a few days (still fresh by the way). So as not to waste them, i decided to whip up a banana plus whatever i had available in my fridge. Viola the most delicious 'Banana, Blackcurrant and Chocolate Chip' version was created! Hope you will try it and ENJOY them...... ours disappeared very quickly!
heres' the ingredients and method:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons backing powder
1 cup sugar (3/4 if you want it less sweet)
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup melted butter or conola oil
2 very ripe bananas
1/2 cup or more blackcurrants
1/2 cup or more chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla essence

Sift flour and backing powder and mix the sugar in a bowl. In a separate bowl beat eggs, add vanilla and milk. Make a well in the bowl with dry ingredients and pour the wet mixture in and very gently stir.

Lastly add in the oil or butter. Fold very gently together with the blackcurrants. Finally with the use of a spoon or an ice-cream scoop fill the greased muffin pan or paper cups 2/3 full. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on the top of the muffins and bake in an oven at 190-200 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown and the skewer come out clean.

Lots of love

Sherry

DELICIOUS BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

2009-05-04T23:23:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

Guess what i stumbled upon today - a lovely easy blueberry muffin recipe! It will surely appeal to you, guaranteed.

You can substitute with fresh strawberries if blueberry is difficult to find. Any other types of fresh fruits also be used.

It will be a joy to try plus have an interesting snack for your breakfast, tea or supper. It will be a nice treat for you kids to pack and take to school for their break (one headache solved for Mom!)

Enjoy!

Sherry

All U need to know about the Swine Flu

2009-04-27T17:40:00.000-07:00

Take Good Care!

Lots of Love

Sherry

Savoury Weekend Pictures

2009-04-24T07:20:00.000-07:00

Apologies to you!....due to some technical error, this couldn't go through earlier nevertheless I hope you will enjoy the pictures as well as the recipe!

Hi all

here's a step by step process of the Herb Cheese Chick Sausage; really simple as ABC....here goes...

Ingredients

Prepare all the ingredients as mentioned

2 cups multi-purpose flour
1 cup Cheddar cheese
1 tsp baking soda
6 sticks chicken sausage etc
(To be precise please refer to the recipe below)

Method:

2 bowls needed for wet & dry ingredients

dried ingredients being flour, baking powder, cheese, dried garlic,
dried herbs, salt

wet ingredients being milk, egg and oil

cut 4 sausages into small cubes and reserve the other two and cut rounds for garnishing

Final Product

bake in oven at 180-200 degrees C for 20 mins

enjoy with a cuppa for a quick snack, breakfast or brunch!

Will be posting some more interesting Eurasian recipes soon so watch out for more ya?!!!!? Till then have a great week ahead!

Lots of love,

Sherry

WELCOME BACK!!

2009-04-21T20:13:00.000-07:00

HELLO! I'M BACK - WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU THIS HEALTHY RECIPE
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Muffin Recipe Breakfast Recipes Healthy Meal Recipes

This makes a big batch of spiced pumpkin muffins. Feel free to use raisins or dried cranberries in these muffins instead of the mini chocolate chips.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons canola oil or corn oil
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (from approx ½ a pumpkin - cleaned, boiled and processed in blender)
• 4 large eggs
• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (whatever is available)

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour 24 muffin cups or mini fluted cupcake cups. Beat sugars with oil, pumpkin puree, and eggs until well blended.
Combine flour, soda, salt, and spices in a bowl; stir into the first mixture until well blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.
Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full

makes 24 muffins.

ENJOY YOUR B'FAST / TEA.....HAVE FUN....
CHEERS!
SHERRY

A Garden Of Eden

2009-02-25T01:21:00.000-08:00

How does your garden grow? Being a garden enthusiast, I can go on and on about this topic! I hope you share the same interest with me...

flowering plants not only add colour but also accentuate the garden porch. Some plants are more sensitive than others, thus you will have to take extra care. That's why i love orchids. They are really hardy and not fussy.

Tender Loving Care (TLC) is what make plants trive well. Besides watering them, you should replenish the soil at least once a month, add fertiliser every fortnight and spray pesticide at least once a month. These should guarantee you a successful priced beauty.

If you love gardening, but don't have the space to create your Garden of Paradise, container gardening is an ideal choice. Container gardening is essentially placing different plants (at least three) in containers made of plastic, clay, wood or ceramic.

There are many ways in which you can design your house garden, no matter how small, into a space in which you can derive all the simple pleasures of nature. Bonsai or Japanese Garden is also a very nice concept if there is space constraint.

Happy Pottering!

Sherry

P/s more pics for my garden of EDEN

MY BEAUTIFUL GARDEN

2009-02-24T01:01:00.000-08:00

Hi All

I have always loved plants. I like flowering and non-flowering plants. Fruit trees and herbs are also my favourite but due to space constraints, I have only managed to plant a mango and a custard apple tree in my garden. It placed in the tiny spot at my front yard. As for herbs, I have a curry leave plant, spinach and some basil for the plucking when necessary - very convenient indeed!

I simply enjoy the sounds and sights of all the happenings in my lovely small garden especially the visiting birds chirping and enjoying what the flowers have to offer every morning and evening. It's an amazing experience with nature and the wonders of our Lord!

Cheers!

Sherry

Mum's 72nd Birthday

2009-02-16T18:43:00.000-08:00

Hello!

We celebrated my mum's birthday last Sunday, Joanna Gaspar. She was born in 1937 in Kuala Lumpur. A survivor of the second world war. A survivor of great hardship during her growing up years. She became 'mom' to her younger siblings after she lost her mother and father who expired exactly a year apart of each other. Her mother died with womb cancer after giving birth to 16 children while her father suffered a heart attack.

My mum is a jewel of a woman. She is a role model for all of us, her children and grandchildren. She is a very loving, patient, caring and understanding person.

She's also a very simple lady. She's very unassuming and generous too. She is one woman whom I can vouch is comfortable in her own skin! I say this especially because she never vain.

She's always doing stuff for us. She is a very, very good cook. The whole family enjoy her speciality to bits! Besides that she used to sew our dresses and headgear when my sister and I were little. She would be a barber, baker, tailor and carpenter!.... A perfect DIY icon of those days!

She has taught me the importance of faith - Family rosary prayers every evening before our dinner. She used to drag us to church every Sunday. As we lived on the mainland in Prai (north of Malaysia), back then when buses were not yet introduced. As a kid, I used to look forward to the sampan ride across the river to go to the Nativity Church in Butterworth. It was fun being able to touch the clear water and see the fish swimming by.

Besides that I remember very clearly how much she sacrificed for us kids. Mum was quite strict when it came to housework. She never spoilt us. I appreciate the basic living skills she passed on to me. She sent me off to the market and pay the bills at the age of 6-7 years.

She made sure we knew our responsibilities. School work, chores and other duties were always in check. I used to get upset at times back then but it's only when I grew up, I realised what it was all about.

My greatest wish for my beloved mum is that she enjoys a good life today and always. I just can't imagine if anything were to happen to her. Most of all I pray for God's blessings to shower upon her always because she deserves it!

I pray she enjoys good health in her twilight years. I wish her HAPPINESS, PEACE JOY and LOVE form all her loved ones and friends.

So my dears out there, I do hope you will appreciate, treasure, love and take care of your 'moms', whom ever they might be - how ever they have treated you. As the Lord says, honor and respect your parents, that means your grandparents too as without your grandparents, you wouldn't have your parents and without your parents, you wouldn't exist!

Last but not least always remember what goes around comes around!

Cheers!

Sherry p/s

I made an orange almond cake. Baked special chicken roast, noodles of course (for long life), chili beef and salad. We also had yellow ghee rice and oven baked wheat bread....Menu for the day had to be Mom's special request. We had a gathering of my Dad's sisters, A. Lifo & A. Helen and my cousin Elwyn & family (view pic)...Enjoy! Recipe for Orange Cake.

Orange Cake Recipe

250 grams butter softened
1-3/4 cup caster sugar
2 cups self-rising flour
4 large eggs 1 or 2 oranges - extract juice & orange rind
Almonds for decoration

method:

cream butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs one at a time. Beating well between each addition until thoroughly incorporated. Add orange rind. Sift flour and add in batter gradually and alternate with orange juice. Bake in moderate heat 180C for about 45 mins.

Gearing Up For Valentine's Day?

2009-02-11T17:24:00.001-08:00

Good morning...

How are you feeling today? Hope that you're in the pink of health! The vibes of Valentine's Day has been brewing in the air for the past week.

Just look around on the TV, in the media and shopping malls - It's amazing to see how this day has caught on to people all over the world.

Advertisement has it as 'Say it with Roses', 'Spice up your Valentine's Day with Scent' and others 'Spoil Him/Her with Chocolate!' Of course I'm sure some of you would proof to your loved one by booking in an exclusive holiday on an
island in Malaysia or the Alps perhaps?..a cruise? or even a luxurious stay at a prominent hotel inclusive of a spa treatment to boot??'

Well I would be thrilled to enjoy such pampering but lets get real OK! I for one wouldn't like to stand in queue just to have a SPECIAL dinner at famous place. I wouldn't want my spouse to pay a hefty RM10 just for 1 stalk of rose (although he wouldn't do it anyway). I'd be touched if he gets me some other variety (but not form my garden mind you!)....I wouldn't mind the Bunga Raya even, as long as it's not a stolen one!

It's not about being a cheapskate but it's simply the practicality of the whole matter. I feel everyday should be Valentine's Day.

Yup! We should demonstrate our love for each other EVERY single day. Yes we all have our differences - be it in our opinions, our likes and dislikes, hobbies, beliefs etc, etc. But only if we love, respect and except one another be it our lover, husband, wife, father, mother, children, relatives, friends and everyone in the world, it would amount to something great, right?

But the whole truth is I am a freak for Valentine's. I usually do something extra special for my loved ones. My own special way - so today I have baked some special Valentine's Muffin with topping (pls view pic). Hope they will enjoy them and and feel SPECIAL!

Here's wishing you a wonderful 'Valentine's Day' this Sunday. Just remember that YOU ARE SPECIAL! Introducing my funny Valentine, Edgar and sons, Leslie & Jude.

Cheers!

Sherry

p/s tq u L/ann & Les.

Another Holiday & Another Chance!

2009-02-09T06:54:00.000-08:00

Hi there....

today we enjoy yet another holiday here, in the state of Selangor and a few other states in Malaysia in conjunction of Thaipusiam - a day where Hindus carry out their vows to the Lord Muruga at Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur.

Devotees fulfill their vows by carrying the kavadi (a small decorated chariot), some of them pierce themselves while others carry milk pots as an offering for favours granted or thanksgiving.

This event usually attracts many tourists who watch in awe as the devotees perform these religious acts. Throngs of onlookers as well as devotees usually cause traffic congestion which begins very early in the morning.

Tonight is also Chap Goh Meh. It's the 15 day or the last day of the Chinese New Year. Lots of crackers being fired around the area where I live. Hopefully this will not hamper yet another good night's sleep!

Happy to have completed making 3 sets of muffins today (tiga sekawan) - Orange Poppy Seed, Chocolate and the Chicken Mushroom & Cheese variation. My niece, Llew-Ann will help me promote them to her colleagues in her office.

I have been looking around town and I think I've found a base where I can advertise my creations. Who knows something great will materialise eventually!

I know that I should be cautious and not rush into anything...I shall have to give it a good thought. On the other hand, me being a Money Mastery graduate, have learnt that acting fast is the essence in making money machines a success.

The biggest hurdle of course will have to be... getting approval and blessings from my hubby and the rest of the family before launching my project.

So do continue to wish me luck...Gotta say goodnite! Enjoy the new articles!

Cheers!

Sherry

p/s: TQ very much, Llew-Ann!

MY VERY FIRST BREAK!

2009-02-05T16:15:00.000-08:00

Hello there!

Today I'm feeling AWESOME! I got my first break at marketing my muffins at a local restaurant. Yup! I feel it's the stepping stone or the beginning of my dream.

Although it's only at it's infant stages or well, should I say it's only at it's embryotic stages, I feel very very elated and excited!

My ultimate dream is having a cosy place where I can bake my favourite things (by now I'm sure you know muffins and pies) and providing a nice ambience where people can relax and meet up for a cuppa or a snack.

So for the moment I shall focus on the NOW and TODAY therefore I shall continue to go knocking on doors. Hopefully by the grace of God He will connect me to some more good people who will give me a chance to proof myself.

Gotta run now...lots of nitty-gritty things to think about and iron out. Shall keep you posted. In the meantime do wish me well in my endeavour, will be needing them heaps!! Thank you!

Take care & Cheers!

Sherry

There are Good People Out There!

2009-02-02T20:39:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

I just got back from my dental appointment today. These days going to dentist is something pleasant, unlike before - an absolute torture! All this sudden change is due to a wonderful specialist, a Dr Sorayah who is from the Gonverment dental hospital in our city, Klang, Selangor.

I was referred to her when the general dentist couldn't help me with my gum (it being something extraordinary). Since I visited her from day one, I realised how wrong I had been in being so judgemental about all dentist and branding them as ruthless, impersonal and just treating their patients just to make their $ for the day.

Dr Soraya is such a beautiful lady. She is a professional who is so humble, gentle, caring and patient. She has always treated me with respect. She never fails to explain what the problem articulately, what she plans to do to help overcome it and always asks me how I FEEL in the process of the procedure. This is something I have never ever experienced in my entire life!

I still remember the ordeal as a little girl in Primary school, how our names (students) were called up when the school organised random dental check-ups.... My friends and I would be shivering, hoping and praying that it won't be our turn! Then we will be taken off in a van to nearest gorvenment clinic.

Oh, how I used to dread those awful times. The doctors and nurses wouldn't talk, let alone smile at us! They were just as sterile as the apparatus and atmosphere there. Yet, I used to diligently go anyway....thanks to that, I still have all my teeth intact...considering what a sweet, chocolate and cake junkie I was and still am till today!

Anyway coming back to the lovely Dr Soraya, she has become a beloved friend to my whole family. During one of my visits, I mentioned to her about my mum's gum problem (she used to get gum-boils very often) I was only looking forward for an explanation but instead she booked my mum to visit her.

Subsequently, my dad who had a very, very bad experience with the last dentist who extracted his molar many years ago, didn't want to go to any dentist although he was silently suffering with some serious underlying dental problems . I spoke to Dr Soraya and she was willing to see him and treat him.

That's not all, once my little son accompanied me for my appointments. He was awfully curious and asked her a hundred and one questions and yet I was amazed at how patiently she had explained everything he wanted to know! In fact she was actually enjoying his company! That's not all, she also took the opportunity to give him a check up and polish his teeth with him getting to choose what flavour polish he wanted! Lucky fellow!

So by now you would understand why we completely adore this specialist who incidentally heads the department at this dental clinic. Well you might think that I have taken advantage of the kindness of this special lady but let me tell you that she is one genuine human being who obviously is passionate about her job just as well passionate about people in general.

I notice that she treats her staff the same way as her patients, with respect and kindness. I'm glad to mention that her staff seems to be influnced by their leader! This is a fact!

Well will you believe me that my Dad has no sweat going to the dentists? Guess what today she asked me how my Mum was. That's how genuine she is. Well honestly speaking another person wouldn't even bother... Indeed I feel that this world would be a better place if it had more Dr. Sorayas and the likes. There would be less selfishness, ruthlessness and less inflated egos.

On a possitive note, there are pepole out there who are kind, loving and caring. You just gotta be lucky to bump into them by chance. Better still it would be nice if you can be one of them...yup... YOU can make a difference!

Cheers! Keep smiling!
Sherry

p/s meet my little son JUDE (pic)

Here's to LONG Life!

2009-02-01T17:25:00.000-08:00

Hello there!

Can't imagine 10 days has gone by since my last posting..it's simply because I have been busy living my life!

Yup, the Chinese New Year Hols was here and my little son had 1 week off. My sister who teaches was also on a week's break. She and her family were down from Penang too. We were pretty busy doing things that made us happy.

Since my mum is half Chinese we had a steamboat dinner on the eve and it was fun. It was quite an evening for us as it ended with a colourful display of fireworks plus fire crackers, compliments from our Chinese neighbours - awesome!

All these happiness and celebrating, again has caused me to be back at square one where my workout regime is concerned. Nevertheless, isn't all these little things that makes life so worthwhile....so I'm not complaining!

Research has found that besides exercise, there are other things that one can do to add years to our life.

BEING HAPPY tops the list as it adds 9 years! Optimistic people tend to act in healthier ways that those who are negative - getting more exercise and taking part in more life-affirming social activities.

A positive outlook also means quicker recovery from illness and injury to fight viruses and bacteria.

Did you know that FEMALES outlive men by 10 years? Having FAITH + 7 YEARS?
MARRIAGE + 7 YEARS too? Caring for PETS + 2 YEARS? Last but not least, A ROOM WITH A VIEW + 2 YEARS? - Living, working or recuperating from a room with a view can lift our mood, ease stress and provide a deep sense of optimism.

There you have it! Go on live your life to the fullest doing all that's good for you. Get out of your bed...stop resting on your laurels... go get yourself a pet, a husband or a wife. Practise your faith, know your GOD as He loves you unconditionally!

Last but not least, please don't go change your SEX if your a man OK! We females are simply gifted! Hee! Hee! Hee!

I baked 2 types of muffins for tea last weekend for my family. Orange Poppy and 3C's (Coconut, Cappuicino & Cocolate) Muffin. I enjoyed playing with the all ingredients I had in the pantry and it was so rewarding to see them go like hot cakes! Will share the recipie with you soon.

Included photos of my room with a view of my garden. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! Cheers!

Till then, take care and God bless,

Sherry

'It's a New Day'.....'Muffin Top' & All!

2009-01-22T19:55:00.000-08:00

“It’s a new day” the song composed and sung by Will.iam for the inauguration of Obama the 44^th President of America. It struck a chord – A New Year, A New Day - everyday IS a new day and yet don’t most of us take our life for granted?

Incidentally it reminds me of an elderly aunt whom I spoke to recently. I wised her A Happy New Year & A Happy Birthday (her birthday falls on the 1^st of Jan too). She retorted that everyday is a New Year and everyday is Happy BIRTHday in all it’s sense! She continued to say what would A New Year, A Birthday or every single day be if one was ill or bedridden on these occasions! What a wise outlook – I appreciated her sharing as it came as an eye-opener.

My mind is racing with lots to talk about as there’s so much for me to thank God for…but health must top the list. For it’s only when we are healthy can we look forward to living life to the fullest. Don't you agree?

The good news is that my hubby and I have begun our morning walks after a year’s layoff! …..Yup! A year’s layoff! Well I must be honest and say that I was not discipline enough. I shall not blame, make excuses or justify! I’m enjoying the fresh air now and knowing that I am doing something positive about my overindulgence over the Christmas season. Opps! Did I tell you that I have developed a “Muffin Top” (literally)? He! He! View picture.

I was truly motivated by an article of a prominent figure, Datuk Anna Lim (twice crowned beauty queen) here in Malaysia. She has the passion to take good care of herself both physically and mentally. She believes that effort and love of oneself produces positive results. Besides being fit and fabulous it also boosts ones self confidence.

New Years Resolutions are made each year. Some may have achieved theirs while others may have forgotten what resolutions they made. There are some who don’t bother making any. If you are guilty (like me) just forgive yourself and move on! Make a CHANGE! Out with the negative and in with the positive!

Well I have decided to take the advice of the experts on achieving resolutions - will update you with the 10 steps recommended in my next post. In the meantime enjoy your life and have a lovely weekend with your loved ones and frineds. Happy Chinese New Year to all of you out there!

Cheers !!

Sherry

Muffin Top (or Muffin Top Girl) is a slang term for someone who wears both tight fitting low-rise jeans (or pants) and midriff-baring tops.

For people not sufficiently slim, the resulting spillage of flesh at the midriff is often said to resemble a muffin top.

Welcome to Muffin Huntin' dot com. The world's only museum dedicated to the Muffin Top, and the never-ending Muffin Hunting season.

Cos I'm Worth it!

2009-01-17T04:49:00.000-08:00

Hello it's me again..I'm overjoyed today as I have finally pampered myself to a long over due facial! Well, i was offered a 50% off birthday gift from a Spa, Body, Mind & Soul outlet which I used to frequent during my working heydays, so I grabbed it!

History has it that during my previous luxury working days when I could afford to enjoy occasional facials plus yoga classes. Oh yes, did I mention to you that I had quit my very lucrative job just to be a stay at home mom to tutor my younger son who was starting Primary school in 2005? Well let me confess that it was all worth it!

Anyway back to my experience at the spa today - First of all the specialist (Jennice) cleaned my face to determine the condition of my skin. Then she said that I needed to have double face masks as I had too many white and black heads...guess what the first mask that was applied was of a pineapple fragrance while the second was of a mint fragrance. Hum...Yummy, it reminded me of the pineapple coconut and choc mint muffins that I made not too long ago!

So as a bonus i want to share with you one of my favourites; Choc Mint Muffin recipe. Hope you'll enjoy it and also have a glimpse of the heavenly peaceful Spa.

Enjoy!

Sherry

Choc Mint Muffin
225 g self-rising flour 115 g unsalted butter
4 tbsp coco powder 225 g icing sugar
1 tbsp baking powder 1 tsp mint essence
225 g caster sugar Green food colouring
225 g unsalted butter; softened 100 g choc chips
4 eggs
1 tbsp mint essence
100 gm choc chips (optional)

For Icing
115 g unsalted butter, softened
225g icing sugar
1 tsp mint essence
green edible colouring & 100 g chocolate chips

Sieve flour, baking powder and coco powder. Set a side. Beat sugar and butter in a bowl until creamy. Add eggs one at a time. Add flour mixture gradually. Stir in mint essence and choc chips.

Spoon mixture using an ice-cream scoop to get even sized muffins and then bake in greased muffin pans for 20 mins. Test for readiness -(when cake prick or toothpick comes out clean from the cooked muffin, then its done.

For icing: Beat the butter and icing sugar in a clean bowl until smooth and creamy. Add just enough green colouring and mint essence. Top it over the cooled muffins. Sprinkle some choco chips...there you have it! The most refreshing and sinful creation for tea or a birthday celebration!

Oh yes my boys lovingly (occational raised voices and all) made this for my birthday on the 10th of Jan! I was honestly touched and it made my day!

Take care