Which-Crafts?

Two of my unpublished (because they are always unpublished - all the easier to cheat) resolutions for this year are to eat better, and to be a bit more fiscally responsible. One little step of this is to change the way we are eating breakfast. Evan and I both tend to purchase a muffin in the morning at the train station. I am not good at doing money breakouts, but I suspect that making them at home is cheaper per piece, and I can guarantee healthier.

Like usual I browse the Internet looking for recipes that appeal to me and then doctor them to suit my own purposes.

Today’s doctored winner is:

Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffin with Cranberries and Pecans

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes Ready In: 30 Minutes
Yields: 12 large servings

INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1-3/4 cups buttermilk
1 t Vanilla
1/2 C Dried Cranberries
1/2 Chopped Pecans
1/4 t Nutmeg
1 t Cinnamon
2 egg, beaten
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup and 2 melted butter or oil
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a bowl, soak oats and cranberries in buttermilk for 15 minutes.
2. Mix the egg, sugar and oil together in a separate bowl. Add it to the oat and buttermilk mixture.
3. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; together before you stir them into oat mixture. Mix until just moistened.
4. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full.
5. Bake at 400 degrees F for 16-18 minutes or until muffins test done.
6. Cool in pan 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

I haven’t been posting much, because I have been largely spinning my wheels (and not the kind that make yarn). And when I am not getting anything crafty done, I am working on Capricon. For those of you who don’t know, Capricon is a science fiction convention. This year I am the guest liaison, responsible for being the main contact for the all of the convention guests, this is mostly a correspondence job. I am also running the green room, which is a hospitality suite for all of the guests, convention committee, and program presenters. Basically providing breakfast, lunch, interstitial snacks and a good meeting place for everyone busy running the convention for 2.5-3 days (depending on how you count).

I had resisted posting about this here, because I have been keeping it all fiber related, but then DUH! the point of the title of this blog as that I do all kinds of crafts and cooking is one of them. And right now I am prepping and planning to do one of the most intense bouts of food planning I’ve ever done.

I know I need to plan for a variety of dietary needs, and I need to provide more than basic quality foods. I want a breakfast that people think is pretty spiff, and a really satisfying lunch. I know I can have a microwave, but not a toaster oven (quote unquote -”Nothing that glows”) I am really missing my micro/convection oven right now, it didn’t glow.

I am planning some hot crock-pot like stuff like minestrone soup, potato leek soup, Ham and Bean soup, Chilli, Zuppa Toscana, some sort of veggie chowder. I actually plan one meatatarian and one vegetarian hot crock of yum for lunches both Friday and Saturday (4 actual different flavors, 2 a day). I am planning some pick up and go food, cheese, crackers, sandwiches etc. and some sweets, some home made and some from various other places.

My friend Greg suggested a Chocolate fountain, and being that I ran past one the next day at the store, I decided that his suggestion was part of fate. So I will have a chocolate fountain.

Also in the vein of crafts, is the theme decorating I plan on doing for the Green Room.  But more on that later.

I also have at least 2 fiber posts in the queue.  I hope that I get to them soon.