Blackberry Puddle Muffins

My favourite type of mornings, are the ones spent baking in the kitchen..


Sunlight streaming in, coffee in my favourite mug.. Sigh. It makes me so happy.

 Perfect Mornings..

I do love breakfast.. And a good breakfast muffin does not go un-noticed! It can be the perfect little meal in a pretty wrapper, that saves you a plate on a rushed morning, or a warm snack on a chilly Saturday morn..

But, I find most of my muffins come out a bit... well.. tough...

Which I ab-so-lute-ly hate! I figured it must of been the recipe I was using.. So this morning I poured over every cookbook in the house, and scoured the internet - in search of the perfect 'fluffy' muffin recipe.. 

Blackberry Puddle Muffins

And what did I come up with? One simple rule written everywhere...

Don't over stir.

Really?? I wasn't overly convinced. It's just mixing right?

WRONG!

So I went along with my good old tough muffin recipe, and produced these amazing light, fluffy muffins - with a puddle of jam in the middle.

Ah - ma - zing...

Too good not to share... Right?

 

Puddle Jam Muffins

• 2 cups Self Raising Flour
• 1/2 cup of Caster Sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
• 1 cup of milk
• Your favourite Jam (I used blackberry)
• Sprinklings of coconut if you like..

Preheat the oven to 180degrees and line your muffin tins.
Softly place the Self Rasing Flour and Caster Sugar in the bowl, mix through gently and make a well in the centre.
Beat egg, place in seperate bowl.
Add oil and milk to the same bowl as the egg, then pour into the dry ingredients.
Mix together three of four times, untill mixture is moist. There will be clumps and this is OK!!
Spoon 1 tablespoon into your muffin tin, then add 1 teaspoon of Jam. (I added the coconut in here) Covering the Jam up now with an extra tablespoon of muffin mix. Add a little coconut ontop if you wish!
Bake for just under 20minutes at 180degrees.




Makes 12 muffins.


This recipe is a very simple base. You can add any flavour at the end stage to make them your own.  Add banana and chocolate chips! Or cinnamon and apple.. The choice is yours!


Xx

And Breathe...

Sometimes I just need to stop. 

Stop and take a breath. Breathe deeply and calmly. 

And remember that it's ok to be selfish.

I just need time to myself.. Do you ever feel like that? 

Sometimes the world is so busy and pulsing. You do your best to keep up and present a happy face every day. You rush to work and smile all day, even though you feel as flat as can be.  Then you rush home to get away from the weekday life, to buy grocerys and cook and clean then only to collapse on the couch with a wine glass thats way to over sized for a week night?


I've had a week like that.

It doesn't feel right when Life is like that.

So today - instead of waking before the sun does, drinking more coffee than is humanly possible and trying to beat this cold that's been chasing me all week.

I decided to stop. 

Stop and rest. 


To take time for me, and try to shake the week off.

 

Thanks Flo, I listened to this all week...

Xx

Happy First Birthday..

One week ago, was the mini celebration (in the form of a phone reminder!) for one year of The Chronicles of May.. 

 Happy Birthday Chronicles of May!

Even though I don't write as often as I used to, or take the time to sit down and think about writing.. This little place is still in my mind. Every now and again I pass something, or see something that sparks an idea in my mind. Something I could write about or photograph..

But seemingly these idea's slip my mind before I can record them.  Before I can make them a written reality.

Coming back to this little space tonight always makes me feel more inspired to do something. I sat back and thought about all of the photographs I've taken recently, in the hope of sending them out into the cosmos and allowing you to see a tiny piece of my imagination.. 

Instead of finding a reason to write about them, or taking days to write something awe inspiring. I decided tonight to collate a few of these images I've seen, or thought about in the past few months.. 

 Peeking Flowers..

   Spying Beautiful Literature..

Delicious Treats..

Perfect Days by the Sea...

Sparkling Trees..

 Celebration Champagnes for Newly Engaged Girlfriends...

Snapshots of life. Pictures of moments. Images that seem so tiny, but sum up your whole world....

Xx

The C Word.

Recently a very dear friend of mine was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma.
A type of cancer that begins in your blood cells and collects in your bone marrow, where in my friends case, it multiplies, becomes tumour after tumour and starts to cause you pain..


It's not a nice cancer.  Actually, there is really nothing nice about it.


Except when it shows just how strong a person can be.  How brave they are.  And in turn, how brave it can make you.


When I found out, my initial reaction was devastation.  But seeing as I was on my way to visit my Grandmother in hospital, who was recovering from open heart surgery not just one week before - I had to be brave. I had to keep a blank face.


I kept that blank face until I got home, until I laid down and cried for my friend. Cried for the unfairness of cancer, of who it can 'strike', for my beautiful friend who doesn't deserve this crappiness to be inside her.


Until I pulled myself up, wiped away my tears and decided tears were no way to support her. She needs friends who are just as strong and happy as she is. 


She needs friends who will support her.   


This is no ordinary person.  Let me tell you! She treats this as just another journey in life. Just another path that she's following and discovering.


She is strong. She is brave.  She is positive.


And personally I can't think of a better combination.


She is so inspiring, that she has decided to put pen to paper... So to speak..
Her journey is being documented, in a very therapeutic way. 


Take some time to read her story. 


Love you Vix.


Xx


Vicky's Blog.

Bread Pudding with Chocolate Chips.

Let's face it.

Everything is better with chocolate.

After Christmas and New Years, which I always over cater for, I have unbelievable amounts food left over.  Especially bread. I have loaves in the freezer, loaves in the bread box, bread flour in the cupboard.. 

So what to do with such an excess of bread...?

I decided it was best to bake with it.. And add a bit of chocolate.

This recipe was my favourite by far. I've always wanted to make Bread and Butter Pudding, but this one won outright - because it has chocolate in it too.

I don't get why it has butter in the name, so I'm omitting that, adding some more chocolate - and running with Bread Pudding with Chocolate Chips.

If I was more fancy I'd rename it something like brudding or chocreaddding.

But I'm no Nigella Lawson.

I just love bread. And chocolate.

Bread Pudding with Chocolate Chips.

• 250grams stale(ish) bread cut down to thumb size
• 100grams chocolate chips - or more if you like, which I do, I used about 1 cup. But after tasting would use a little bit more.
• 3 eggs
• 40grams Soft Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons of Water - Nigella uses dark rum.. Water is a perfectly fine substitute.
• 125ml Double Cream
• 500ml Full Cream Milk
• Sprinkling of Raw Sugar
• Butter for greasing the tin

Preheat oven to 170degrees.

After greasing pan, tip in chopped bread and chocolate chips - making sure it's evenly spread.

Whisk together eggs, sugar, rum (or water), cream and milk. 

Pour the whisked mixture over the bread, softly pushing the bread down to soak up more of the mixture, and leave for 20mins to soak the mixture up. 

Then sprinkle with sugar. Pop it straight into the oven for 40-50mins turning to make sure its browning evenly if necessary.

A fluffy, custard, chocolate hinted dessert.. YUM!

Xx

Resolutions.

Seeing as my resolution to write more frequently in the latter half of last year fell by the way side. I've decided to make 'simpler' resolutions for 2012.


Resolution; a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something.

Do things that make me happy. 

That's my big resolution for 2012.  To choose happiness.


Happiness can come in any form.  Be it a kind word from a friend. A picture that makes you smile. A scent that brings back a memory. Visiting friends you barely see. Exercising more.


Or actively gritting your teeth when you're frustrated and reminding yourself.


I. Choose. Happiness.


I choose happiness daily.


Generally I am a fairly happy person anyway.  I like to look on the bright side and see things in a positive light.  My motto when presented with challenges has always been ''We'll find a way." 


And I always do.


I do believe every person can improve though.  So from here on out, I am actively seeking happiness. Becoming more aware of the beautiful things, people and life surrounding me.  


Starting ......... Nnnnnnnnnow!

Finding joy in drying herbs and planting flowers.

Seeing that your cat loves your garden too.

Pretty flowers that make me smile.

Xx