This and That

Just a mixed bag of things I'd like to share today. It's a chilly overcast day and the perfect time to share a new recipe. I've been craving something cranberry the last few weeks so I bought some dried cranberries at the farmer's market and looked for a cranberry orange muffin recipe online. What I found was a cooking light recipe and they came out more like little bitty cranberry scones rather than muffins, but I think they taste great that way, too.

The tops are sugared and glisten like they are covered in frost - perfect for these chilly fall days. ;)

Here's the recipe for these Cranberry Orange muffin/scones:

Heat oven 400 degrees.

Combine in large bowl:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar (all, but about a tablespoon - save to sprinkle on top of muffins before baking)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

In small bowl mix:

2 tsp + orange rind

3/4 cup orange juice (or more if needed to moisten dough) about one large orange or two medium oranges.

1/4 veg. or canola oil

1 large egg

Beat wet ingredients together then add to larger bowl and mix well. I found the dough very dry and had to add more orange juice until just moist. Dough will be very thick. Fold in 2 cups cranberries (I used dried), and 1/3 cup walnuts or pecans.

Grease muffin tin and fill 3/4 full, sprinkle with sugar and pop them in the oven. Makes about 16 muffins.

Last weekend we drove past a little antique store having a 1/2 off sale and bought a few tiny little treasures:

My favorites are the wheel of cheese, red pitcher and donkey. My mom's are the deer and little scotty dog as well as the tiny doll. Each one was only 50 cents - can you believe it?

And now - the absolute last post related to Halloween - I swear - at the end of the night my feet were getting tired of running to the door to feed the trick or treaters so I put on my little booties I got at Target just for the occassion:

Isn't it cute? The little kitty face just makes me smile and I like that they are mary jane style - the bottoms say 'meow'. lol

And the real kitties of the house are getting all snugly in their beds now that the weather has turned.

This is the cutest little bed I've ever bought for them - got it at World Market over the summer and they are just now starting to use it. Cute!

And finally, it's pomegranate season now so that means my mom eats at least one a day. We both love them, but I think she's addicted to them just as she is to cherries.

Check out the stash - this is after she'd eaten several already...

That was about two days ago and there are like three left - she'll be buying more this weekend, I'm sure. :)