Seedlings Corner..Cooking with Madison

Note: Before watching this video, please scroll down to the bottom of the page and "pause" the music player so you can hear our adorable chef tell you about this recipe.

Hello and welcome to the first post in our "Seedlings Corner" section. This will be the spot in our "blooming garden" dedicated to children.

Cooking with your children creates special memories and also provides them with an invaluable life skill. I have abundant memories of my mother's kitchen filled with delectable smells and it just made our house more of a "home". (Not to mention, future generations that would not starve!)

This week's seedling's corner is a delicious recipe for carrot muffins with a cream cheese filling. Four year old Madison will narrate the process from start to finish beautifully! (The videographer needs a bit of practice!) This recipe is nutritious as well as delicious. (You can use organic ingredients or subsitute whole wheat flour)

Carrot Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling - Makes 12 Muffins

Batter:
1/3 cup softened butter
1/2 cup brown sugar (compressed down into the cup)
2 eggs
1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 1/2 tablespoons orange juice
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (you can subsitute, whole wheat or organic)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

Filling:
4 ounces softened cream cheese
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel

Directions:

Mix together filling ingredients (cream cheese, sugar and orange peel) until well blended, set aside

In a different bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy with mixer. Add milk, orange juice and eggs until well mixed. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnomen and stir into creamed mixture until moist. Stir in carrots, dried cranberries and walnuts (if including)

Using paper lined cupcake pan, fill each liner 1/3 full of carrot batter mixture, then add about 2 tablespoons of cream cheese filling and then another 1/3 of carrot batter mixture. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Test with a wooden toothpick to ensure they are done. (the toothpick should come out with tiny crumbs or no uncooked batter) Cool for 5 minutes then remove from pan to wire rack to continue cooling. Store these in the fridge!























Carrot Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling


Foodie Friday! Thank you to http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/ for hosting this delicious event!!

Tablescape Thursday - Welcome Spring!

Hello! This is my first “Tablescape” post! I have always loved to decorate my tables for every season. My family has told me for years that there “has to be therapy for someone like me”! I love dishes and the pure art of tablescaping! I am overjoyed to find a “support group” (all of you talented bloggers) to appreciate and share in my addiction!

I love these dishes and it is always such a “lift” to pull them out and dress up my dining room table each spring. This set so colorful, full of whimsy and just so much fun!



This picture is from last year but I wanted to participate this week and will post my tables as they are “this year” in the next two weeks. I can’t wait to share them with you!

Thank you to Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for providing a forum to enable a dish-a-holic!
Http://www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/


Blessings to you & yours.

Karyn

I'm a Bloom Girl too....

Hello!

It's my turn to introduce myself (thank you Karyn for going first and breaking the ice!). My name is Nola and I live in Nashville, Tennessee. I am a self-described ‘late-bloomer’ with a passion for travel and interior design and I am definitely not a writer!

My shopping style......
For me, it’s the thrill of the hunt and all about the ‘deal’. My shopping creed is ‘You won’t know until you ask and never pay retail!’ I must admit, I occasionally succumb to impulse and will pay retail, but I have to have that…I can’t live without it...it’s a one-of-a-kind…justification conversation with myself before caving. There is one weakness for a certain something that I have that never goes on sale, but I'll write more on that 'issue' later....

Sink addiction????
Environment and surroundings impact my decision making. This explains the five hand-painted Talavera sinks purchased while on a trip to San Miguel de Allende that are now stored in the garage. At the time, they were perfect for a guest bath and I was able to negotiate the price down to $20 per sink. On the same trip I scored a beautiful copper sink for $40 and didn’t waste any time using it in a powder room after seeing it at an Expo Design Center for $420. Admittedly though, there are four other copper sinks sitting next to the Talavera sinks. Sadly, all of the sinks have plenty of company in the form of other impulsive purchases. I guess it's time for a yard sale.

Whew! The first post is not easy. My admiration has grown for the folks out in the blogosphere that have been blogging for months and in some cases years. My inclination was to go on and on, but no, I'm going to end for now, but I'll be back....

Nola

Picture at top: Karyn, a Bloom Girl (far left), Julie, a very dear friend (middle), and me (far right). We took a fabulous trip to Europe (Ireland, London, France, Belgium) last fall. The picture above was taken at the Brussels (Bruxelles) airport.

Inspiration for The Bloom Girls

Hello! I thought I would take a minute and introduce myself. My name is Karyn and I am one of the “Bloom Girls”. I live in the beautiful state of Georgia just outside of the Atlanta area. I have a husband, children, stepchildren, foster children & fur children! My family puts the “fun” in dysfunctional! As you probably already read in the intro, there are two Bloom Girls and we are teaming up on this blog!

Why the “Bloom Girls?” (What the name means to me)

Bloom where you are planted! I can not tell you how many times my dear mother said this to me. She was referring to being content where I was and doing the best with what I had at that point in time. You have heard the old saying “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade”. Same principle!

Have you ever been walking along a concrete sidewalk and noticed a stem or tiny delicate flowers squeezing their way through a crack? I always wonder how in the world it could have taken root there or how it could survive but, there it is, growing in the most unlikely place!

Sometimes, I feel like that tiny flower, all alone and growing through a crack in the sidewalk. I wonder why I am in a certain situation or what I am supposed to do but I believe God wants me to trust in Him every day and to know that He has my best interest at heart. When I trust God, it frees me up to have peace and joy despite my circumstances. (And believe me, I have had circumstances!) I can make the best of where I am and use my abilities to the fullest.

That tiny flower, growing through that crack does not have a gorgeous flower bed to sit in, or a human gardener that is tending to its needs. But there it is, blooming and thriving with God given sunlight and rain to nurture it. That flower did not decide to hold back its beauty because it was not where it wanted to be. But instead becomes something of unusual beauty because of its harsh surroundings.

Each day I have the choice to think positively and make the most of it, or I can be bitter or angry and actually be paralyzed by negativity. Focusing on some of my favorite things helps me a great deal in my quest to be positive. I am reminded of a verse in Philippians “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” 4.8

We would love for you to become a Bloom Girl too! Flourish and grow right where you are today and your beauty will be noticed and will make a difference to everyone around you! Blessings to you and yours!

Karyn