I get so very thinky in the wintertime.
The world slows as the snow falls and suddenly, my mind has the time and space to race wildly. My brain doesn’t shut off and my thoughts… Well, they’re just there, swirling around in every direction. They are never content with quiet… They prefer creating noise rather than sitting in silence.
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I have been reading and reading and reading this week. If there’s one thing that spikes my creative flow, it’s other people’s creative flows. I’m learning about adventure and exploration and community and hope and simplicity and consumerism, and they’re all overpowering my senses like a really strong mixed drink. But that’s nothing new.
Despite my uncanny ability to give off a flare of sass here and there on this blog, I am a rather private person. I wouldn’t necessarily define myself as an introvert, but I don’t often share my hard stuff here. No arguments with friends, no major life setbacks, no loss, no pain… Just thoughts. Usually over-analyzed ones at that.
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Life is hard. You don’t always get do the things you want to do when you want to do them, experience the things you want to experience, or take the chances you’re ready to take. But in the midst of wintertime, when all these thoughts are swirling around in this itty bitty head of mine, it’s nice to pause. To hear the crunch the fresh snow beneath your boots, to read a great article, light a candle, slowly sip a cup of coffee, talk to a stranger, say “I love you” to someone.
I am a daughter and a sister, a go-getter and an over-analyzer. A gym-skipper, a finger nail-biter, an instagrammer, and a Step Brothers-quoter. And I’m always experiencing growth and change beyond my control.
But in the midst of winter, during the time when my thoughts are swirling all around in every which way, I catch myself itching for silence. For peace. For a good book or satisfying conversation with a close friend. Preferably with muffins.
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Warning: You will become addicted to this recipe. They taste like a devious combination of cornbread and raspberry lime. Because that’s what they are. It’s not my fault, it’s probably all the sugar and butter that goes into it. Oh, and the eggs. Like what? Since when does a recipe call for so many eggs?
Let’s get one thing straight… You cannot point fingers at me when your grocery bill is huge because of all these dang eggs. And you may not yell at me for creating a recipe that uses butter in a good-for-you kind of way.
Raspberry Lime Polenta Muffins
adapted from Boston Uncommon
(yields 24 cupcakes)
Ingredients:
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted buter, softened
1/3 cup raspberry preserves
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
zest of 1 lime
raspberry preserves, for topping
confectioner’s sugar, for dusting
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line two standard-size cupcake pans with liners.
In a small bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter, raspberry preserves, and sugar together until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the egg yolks and lime zest, and mix well.
On low speed, add the flour mixture and mix just until blended.
Fill the lined cupcake pans with 1/2-3/4 cup full of the batter. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in pans. When cool, sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and top with a teaspoon or two of raspberry preserves.
Enjoy!
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Tagged: baking, berries, blogging, breakfast, comfort food, food, muffins, sweet Image may be NSFW.
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