Adventures in Baking: Snickerdoodle Muffins

One of my all-time favorite cookies is the Snickerdoodle. Mmm... they are so yummy. I think I like them because they are so light - the texture is delightful and the taste is so subtle. I can eat a dozen before I realize it! Another reason I love snickerdoodles is because they are so fun to make. Rolling dough in cinnamon sugar is just a good excuse to lick my fingers, then the spoon, then heck... why not? The entire bowl. The third reason I like making snickerdoodles is because it is the only cookie that I always have all the ingredients in my pantry at any given time. I can't keep chocolate chips in the house... they get eaten by the handful!

So anyways, last night as I was perusing Pinterest, I came across a recipe for a snickerdoodle muffin. Even though it was 8 o'clock at night, I began to think about breakfast. How yummy did these sound? So yummy.  However, I didn't like the recipe. I searched the internet until I found one that I did like - simple and quick and with all the ingredients already in my pantry. I was set.

About 2 hours later, I was still thinking about the snickerdoodle muffin. The recipe I had found was still not quite right. One recipe had required rolling the muffin dough in cinnamon sugar. Huh? The second required baking the muffins, then dipping them in melted butter then cinnamon sugar. I'm not sure why, but somehow that just sounded like muffin blasphemy! That's just plain ol' awkward. So, I thought... streusel! Of course! The go-to topping of choice and SO much easier than rolling individual muffins. So, I found the easiest recipe for streusel possible and combined 2 recipes, and even added an additional ingredient.

Here's the experiment.

You'll need:

Dry ingredients:
1/2 C sugar
1 & 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 & 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. cinnamon (my addition)

Wet ingredients:
1/3 C butter, melted
1 egg (room temperature)
1/2 C milk

Streusel topping:
1/4 C brown sugar
1 T soft butter (room temperature)
1/2 t. cinnamon
*You could also add a couple of tablespoons of flour if you like, but I thought, why take away from the creamy goodness of brown sugar?

Heat your oven to 350 degrees.

First, mix all dry ingredients together in a medium-large bowl.

Sift dry ingredients.

Combine with wet ingredients and mix just until the dry ingredients are wet. The batter will be lumpy.

Place in your muffin tins. I got a full dozen with this recipe.

Next, make your streusel by combing the brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon in another small bowl. Stir with a fork until it is moist but crumbly (see above).

Gently sprinkle the streusel on each muffin. You don't have to press it in!

Bake for 20-25 minutes. My gas oven cooks way too hot and fast, so I only baked these for about 17 minutes.

Snickerdoodle goodness for breakfast!!!

Happy baking!

Culture Shock?

One of my many visitors the past two weeks asked me a GREAT question:

"Are you in culture shock?"

I immediately answered with a "Umm... a little. I think so. No. Maybe? Hmm... probably."

For the millions of military wives out there, they know exactly what I am talking about, this culture shock. Even when my Coastie and I were dating, I didn't fully comprehend this thing calling military life. I naively thought it was just a job. Sure, a job that took him away a lot, but still, it was just a job.

Right?

Wrong. This life has its own culture, language, implicit rules, and fierce love and protectiveness that "civilians" can't understand. My own family struggled with my decision to marry a military career man. Politics come in to play all too easily. How could I give up a comfortable life near family to go wherever the CG sent us?  

Here's the thing: the military life isn't just a job... it is a total and complete way of life. I had to learn (actually, I'm still learning) a whole new language. It is full of acronyms and phrases that are pretty much foreign to me. For example, I had to call someone to ask about our BAH and they said to call the MAC. Every time I have to ask a question, I had better know my Coastie's SSN, unit, and rank, or no one will help me. The social hierarchy is also different. As a social worker, I strive to create a world where all people are equally respected and treated fairly. That's impossible in this life... friendships, social activities, even conversations are based on rank. Higher ups don't socialize with the Enlisted and vice versa. Even among the Enlisted, there are rank separations about who you can befriend! We are even separated into different neighborhoods on base!! I am not criticizing this lifestyle; it has always worked this way and it always will. I cannot change it. I can accept it and not take it personal. I say these things to educate you "civilians." And yes, we do call you that. It is not derogatory; it is simply a fact. It acknowledges that we have a different culture, language, and mission and purpose on this earth. We aren't better than anyone... we chose this life. But please forgive us when we are exclusive and speak in our own language. Forgive us when we smile with sad eyes because you can't understand how we "do it" when our husbands are away. Forgive us when our priorities don't align with the rest of the American culture.

So, yes, I am in culture shock. I am completely out of my comfort zone. But I am loving every minute. It challenges my brain, what I thought I knew, what I thought was important, and who I thought was important. Here, politics are just an afterthought. Here, religion is still going strong. Here, entire conversations happen with just a bunch of letters strung together. Here, homecomings are the highlight of your year. Here, every face belongs to someone who is or has been in the same spot as you. There is commonality among strangers that is no longer achievable in the civilian world. Here, no matter what branch or rank, you can empathize with another spouse or parent over the worries, fears, and proud moments that make every part of this life worth living.

Friday's Favorites

This week's favorite product is one I include in most of the green cleaning projects. Can you guess? Oh yes... baking soda!

This week during my grocery store visit, I stopped on the baking aisle and began price comparing the brands of baking soda. I mean, it's all the same stuff, but I like to ask to research how can I get it for the least amount of money. I didn't earn the name "Penny Pincher" for nothing!

Okay, so back to the baking soda. I noticed this ad on the corner of the Arm & Hammer box. I usually ignore ads or "buy 2 get 1 free" gimmicks (after doing the math plus figuring in "Will I actually use all of this?" it usually isn't worth it). However, this particular box struck my fancy, made my skirt fly up, put the syrup on my pancakes, and caused my frugal radar to beep.

Arm & Hammer paired up with Better Homes and Garden magazine to offer a one year subscription to the magazine if you purchase two boxes of baking soda. I immediately picked up two boxes!

By quickly doing the math ($1.34 for 2 boxes at $.67/box) and prioritizing my love of cooking and making a home, I knew I had struck home-making-on-a-budget gold.

I filled out the mail-in form and included the receipt. It was that simple! I've already used some of the baking soda, so the deal is already working to my advantage.

I'm so excited to be getting my $1.34/year magazine. If you have this deal in your area, take advantage of it!

Thankful Thursday

Since I haven't blogged in a week, it is perfect that it is Thankful Thursday!! I've had quite a busy week - full of starting a new job, lots of company, and new adventures in my new local town. This post helps me focus and shift my attention back to what is truly important. I find it is so easy to become mired down in the day-to-day worries and concerns. Thursday is my day to acknowledge all the blessings I have.

So, this week, I am incredibly thankful for:

A visit with my mom.

A week of incredible sunsets.

Exploring the local area and seeing incredible art.

Meeting other military wives.

Hearing my husband's voice.

Sweet friends.

Chicken and veggie stir fry.

The hilarious and sweet residents at my new job.

Naps.

Decisions that bring me peace.

Quality conversations.

Afternoons at the beach.

Be thankful today and every day!

Friday's Favorites

Yes, I like lame catchy titles. Forgive me.

Actually, I wanted to spotlight products, people, or ideas that inspire me. Since I didn't make any of these products, people, or ideas, I couldn't really blog about how to make them, could I? So, in effect, welcome to Friday's Favorites! Each Friday (that I remember), I write a quick blurb about why I like the product. I do NOT get paid for this (I wish I did!). Seriously, I just love a good deal and love to share it with people.

Funny story: I went to visit my mom in Orlando last week. A friend of hers at the conference complimented me on my necklace. I said "Thanks" and told her it had been $2 at Forever 21. She looked at me like I was an alien freak (you know... with her head cocked at a 30 degree angle to the right, eyes full of pity, and pursed lips) and said, "You didn't need to tell me that." Like, somehow I offended her with my thrifty-ness! Calm down, lady! I just wanted to share the money-saving tip about cheap jewelry at Forever 21. It wasn't meant to offend. But hey, if you're offended by a good deal... maybe you should find another blog right now about all the expensive stuff at Tiffany's.

If you can't afford Tiffany's, and you're still reading my ramblings, thank you!

Let's get on with it... here's the first product featured on Friday's Favorites:

I love this soap! I use it in the shower, for laundry detergent, and in liquid form to make other green cleaning solutions. My husband even uses this now. At first, it was weird that it had no smell. How did you know you were clean??? Do you feel clean? Did all the dirt get washed off? Do you stink like an old gym sock? No? Then I guess the Castile soap worked. Seriously, I'm now addicted to this stuff. Plus, it suds up on a loofah just like a body wash full of chemicals. It's smooth and creamy, and it keeps my skin from drying out in the Florida air. One bar has lasted me almost 5 months. Can you say that about your expensive body wash? This is only about $1.00 each (usually sold in packs of 3). Try it and fall in love!

Thankful Thursday

I have SO many things to be thankful this week. The first and most important - I am officially employed!!! Not only am I employed, but I have a great title, my own office, and it's with a Christian company so I can share my faith. Plus, I've only been here 3 weeks! God is so good! We feel so blessed for this calling. I am completely at peace and so eager to start to work.

I'm also thankful for:

Chicken tetrazinni.

My cute pink glue gun.

My mom's upcoming visit.

Phone calls from back home.

Skype dates with my best friend.

New recipes.

A wonderful friend in another Coastie wife.

A free gym membership (that I actually taken advantage of!).

The friendly people at the Family Readiness Center who are so helpful.

The very cool Florida weather.

Encouraging words about this blog from others.

Sweet cards in the mail.

Be thankful today... and every day. Happy Thursday!

Going Green: Cute Odor Eliminator

As a proud owner of a cat, I struggle with the odors of the litter box. I think I'm going to attempt homemade kitty litter at some point. But for now, I'm going to tackle the issue of litter box odors. I got this cute idea from Pinterest.

Here's what you'll need:

Baking soda

Essential oil

Glass mason jar

Fabric

Cotton kitchen twine

I used orange essential oil because it is light and fresh. It has a tough job ahead of it, so I wanted something sweet but strong.

Simply fill your mason jar about half or 2/3 full:

Add in 25-30 drops of essential oil. Don't be shy!!

Next, cover the opening of the mason jar with fabric. Eyeball it, and cut slits in the fabric to create holes for the air to pass through.

Next, secure the fabric with the kitchen twine (or whatever you have on hand). Trim up the extra fabric and tie a sweet bow.

And voila! You have a cute, eco-friendly, odor eliminator to sit next to the litter box. This would also be cute in other areas of the house... perhaps near my husband's work boots. If the baking soda gets stiff, just give the jar a good shake. That will release the scents of the essential oil and keep the baking soda effective.

If Mr. McGee could, he would say "Thank you!"

But he doesn't speak to us lowlife humans.