Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping

This is the 2nd delicious recipe I have made this week, see the previous post for the first one. This one takes a little more time and effort, but is as equally delicious. Over the past 6 years,I have been on the hunt for a really good blueberry muffin. I have been trying to find something similar to what I used to be able to get at my on-campus coffee shop while I was in college. I am excited to say, I have finally found it. I originally found the recipe from Little Sweet Baker. I changed my recipe by using 2 cups of blueberries instead of 1 1/2 cups (I like a blueberry thick muffin) and I struggled with the streusel so I found a different recipe for it. The topping still did not turn out like a crumbly cake so I am going to work on perfecting it for future recipes.





Blueberry Streusel Muffins
Prep- 15 minutes
Cook- 20 minutes
Total Time- 35 minutes
Yields 12 muffins

Ingredients:
Muffins:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup milk (I used 2% but any will do)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups fresh blueberries

Streusel Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup cold butter

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425F and spray or line a 12 cup muffin pan.
2. Prepare the streusel topping by mixing the sugar, flour, and cinnamon together. Then cut in the butter until crumbly. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together using a whisk. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter with the sugar, add the eggs, mix, add the milk and vanilla, and mix again.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently combine using a spatula until all mixed well. Fold in the blueberries.
5. Divide the batter into the 12 muffin cups, top with the streusel and bake for 5 minutes at 425F. Then keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the heat to 375F and bake for another 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

*When I divided the batter, I completely filled the cups, this provides a nice muffin top, but remember to place a pan under the muffin pan to catch any overflow.

Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Almond Clusters

Yes, I put sea salt, chocolate, and almonds in the title of this post. Yes, this is a recipe I tried this week and let me tell you....it is amazingly delicious and very easy to make with only 3 ingredients!

Ingredients:
2 cups of whole almonds
1 cup of semi-sweet chocolates
sea salt

Directions:
1. Place almonds in a single layer on a baking pan covered with parchment paper and place in oven for 10 minutes, stirring one time, at 300 degrees.
2. Melt the chocolate either using a double broiler on the stove top or in the microwave. If using the microwave, use a medium size safe microwavable bowl. Melt the chocolate in 30 seconds increments, stirring between each time. It took about 3 minutes for the chocolate to melt.
3. Stir the almonds into the chocolate, making sure to coat almonds completely. Scoop a spoonful of almonds out and onto wax paper. If wanting large clusters using a larger spoon and scoop 10-12 almonds at a time, if wanting smaller clusters use a small spoon and scoop 6-8 almonds. Continue till all almonds are used.
4. Sprinkle sea salt on top of the clusters and allow to set. For mine to set quickly, I placed in the fridge.
5. Enjoy! You can s
tore clusters in fridge for up to four weeks.
 

Bubbly & Brunch Bridal Shower

This past weekend, I, along with the four other bridesmaids, hosted a bridal shower in honor of my sister and her upcoming nuptials. The theme was Bubbly & Brunch and I chose to carry her wedding colors into the bridal shower. We used navy and white as the main colors with pops of red here and there. 

The invitation was inspired by a design on Pinterest and I re-created it using PicMonkey.

To add some color to the walls and additional decor, I made these paper flowers using a tutorial I found on Pinterest.

The mimosa bar was a huge success. We provided blue champagne flutes to match the colors of the shower and it was also used as the party favor. There was champagne with three different juice options and four different garnish choices. We also provided some sparkling juice for some of our younger guests and our guests who are expecting.

To determine who's glass was who's I used my Cricut to cut paper rings and then had guests write their name.

The food choices included mini quiches (some with meat and some vegetarian), french toast & smoked sausage kabobs, waffle bitty bites, mini hash brown casseroles, fruit pizzas, fruit kabobs, veggie pizza, and sliced honey ham. For dessert we offered two different donut cakes, a powdered donut cake and a variety of homemade donuts from a local donut shop.

We played Guess the Bride's Age. Guests had to look at the pictures and guess what age the bride was according to the photo. It was a ton of fun to find the pictures and play the game.

My sister, the bride (3rd in from left), and her bridesmaids. 

Flag Banner DIY

I love signs and banners at parties, they are very easy to make and add a pop to anything. When hosting my sister's bridal shower this past weekend, I created a simple "Miss to Mrs" flag banner to decorate one of the corners. To make my life simpler and to make the banner even in size, I used the We R Memory Keepers Banner Punch Board. I absolutely love this tool and wonder what I did prior to having it. It is so easy to use, with printed guides on the board itself. It comes with an easy to hold blade and it's own hole punch. The board also allows for you to create pennant, flag, or crest style. Below is how I created this awesome banner with links to the materials I used.

Materials needed:
Card stock (any size and color)
Paper Trimmer
Cricut (for letters)
We R Memory Keepers Banner Punch Board
Scissors
String
Adhesive

Directions:

First, Gather materials needed to begin and decide what size you would like your banner to be as well as how many you need. 

I chose to make my flags 7 inches long and 5 inches wide. 

Next I placed the paper one sheet at a time inside the punch board. I made a flag so I didn't need to use the printed guides on the board, but if making a pennant, you can follow the guides to help give you the exact size you want. Using the cutting tool provided with the board, slide the blade following the guides across the paper. Repeat on the other side. 

To punch a hole in the flag, I placed it in the nifty hole punch slot on the board and pushed down, repeating on the other side. Then, I used my Cricut to cut the letters I needed, adhered them to the flags. Last, I used red/white striped baker's twine to hang the sign.

Bucket List

A bucket list is a number of experiences or achievements a person hopes to have or accomplish during their lifetime. It came from the term "kicked the bucket" referring to when someone has passed away. There are thousands of things that could be on one's bucket list and many times I do not realize when an experience is on mine until I am in the process of experiencing it or I plan to experience it. I have a pretty lengthy bucket list. I think my list is realistic and definitely achievable by the end of my lifetime (if I live for another 50 years give or take), I think that is a perk of being an occupational therapist. When writing goals for clients we make sure they are measurable and achievable. Why create a goal someone cannot reach? Instead create goals one can reach and then create new goals to push them further. I feel this way about my bucket list. As I accomplish tasks on my list, I add new ones. Below s my current list of things I wish to accomplish (in no particular order and I am sure as I get older or get to experience new things, I will realize it should have been added to this list a while ago) in the next 50 or so years.

• Visit all 50 states (over 1/2 way there)
• Travel Europe
• Go on a road trip with my best friend Courtney to Sheboygan, WI in a red convertible and a package of Depends
• Volunteer in a 3rd world country
• Adopt a child
• See the Northern Lights
• Visit Manitoba with dad and watch the polar bear migration
• Take my Grandma on a Caribbean cruise and see her swim with a dolphin
• Go on a Disney Cruise
• Throw a dart at a map and travel to wherever it lands or go on a road trip with no planned destination
• Put a lock on a love bridge
• Pay a stranger's tab at a restaurant
• Ride a gondola and eat gelato in Italy
• Go to the Olympics as a spectator
• Spend NYE in NYC
• Collect shot glasses from every continent (All I need is one more from Antarctica; if anyone knows anyone going!)
• Read every James Patterson book written (besides his Juvenile series)
• Attend the Kentucky Derby
• Go skydiving
• See a volcano 
• Go horseback riding
• Go to the World's Fair
• Stand in the 4 corners
• Go on a hot air balloon ride
• Go whale watching
• Visit an elephant sanctuary
• Visit with family in Luca, Italy
• Visit Ghiloni Cafe in Kirkintilloch Glasgow
• Attend Cherry Blossom Festival in DC
• Visit John Denver's Memorial in Aspen, CO
• See the Waterfire in Providence, RI
• Stay at Riverside Inn B&B in Warsaw, KY
• Visit Puget Sound in Washington
• Purchase every item on my Amazon wish list
• Attend a Seattle Seahawks game in Seattle
• Attend a New Orleans Saints game in NOLA
• Be debt free
• Watch the sunrise in one place and set in another
• Visit the Equator
• Stay at a resort in the Maldives
• Experience Christmas in NYC (done 2x!)
• Snorkel in the Caribbean ocean (found out it's one of my favorite things to do)
• Meet a dolphin
• Go on a cruise
• Be a Maid of Honor (2x completed)
• Graduate college
• Go to Disney World and visit all 4 kingdoms
• Go to NYC for World Autism Awareness Day and see the ESB lit blue
• Get a tattoo