The Best Blueberry Muffins {& Ballard Farmer's Market}

Sunday morning after the concert, I took mom down to Ballard for coffee and to stroll through the Farmer's Market since she's never been.  The day was so beautiful as we walked around in the warm sunshine, picking out flowers and fresh produce, that I forgot it was already October.  When I spied a flat of fresh blueberries at one of the stands, I instantly bought them, knowing it had been way too long since I made my absolute favorite blueberry muffins from the Alice Bay Cookbook.  Though this version from earlier in the year was good, the Alice Bay recipe really takes the cake.  The secret ingredient?  Sour cream :)  They're always a huge hit whether mom or I make them (especially with Holden) and with the huge box of blueberries I froze, I'll be able to make them well into the winter.

Sour Cream Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/4 cup plus 2 tblsp flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup sour cream

1 cup blueberries

1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line muffin pan with liners.

2. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well.

3. Sift flour, soda, and salt together, and add to butter mixture.  Mix in sour cream.

4. Gently fold in berries and vanilla.

5. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.

Makes 12 muffins

adapted from Alice Bay Cookbook

doesn't it look like summertime??

 

 

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Carrie Underwood

Saturday night, I took mom to the Carrie Underwood concert as a late birthday present. Our seats were amazing - perfect for looking at Carrie's gorgeous outfits and fabulous shoes.  Wow, that girl is pretty!  She sang all of our favorite songs, and we kept finding ourselves standing up to dance and sing along with the rest of the crowd.  From the costume changes to the stage that raised up and flew across the arena, it was an awesome night spent with my mom and one of my favorite singers :)

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Happy Birthday Erika!

Happy Birthday, Erika!  Thanks for always being there for long talks, lots of laughs, and many random adventures.  I honestly don't know what I'd do without my bestie by my side :)  Can't wait to celebrate the last year of your 20's - I have a feeling it's going to be a fabulous one, my dear!

I love you!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Reunioning

Last night, Merith, Erika, and I finally got together for a loooong overdue happy hour.  We met up on the deck at Maximilien (outdoor dining in Seattle in October?  Awesome!!) and shared wine and appetizers while catching up on, well, pretty much everything.  Though it had been almost 2 years since just the 3 of us got together, it felt exactly like old times - reminiscing, sharing inside jokes, and laughing the entire time :)  Hopefully, we can make this happen a lot more often.

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Nana's Chocolate Cake

Nana's chocolate cake is the absolute best.  I had been bragging about it to David for months, so a few days before I headed up to the valley last weekend, I called Nana and told her that if she happened to bake a cake and didn't want all of it, I'd be happy to take it off her hands :)  Well, ask and you shall receive.  When I stopped by Nana's house, she had an entire cake waiting for me to take to Seattle and share with my friends.  After a slightly nerve-racking drive back to the city where I was sure the cake was going to smash with every turn of the wheel, I arrived home with the cake in tact and ready to share. Everyone agreed that it's the best chocolate cake, and while someday I want to learn how to make it, I think for now I'll continue being spoiled by my Nana :)

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Egg-in-a-Hole Grilled Cheese

Last week while browsing some of my favorite food blogs, I stumbled across a recipe that I can't believe I haven't thought of before.  An Egg-in-a-Hole Grilled Cheese?  Of course!  Taking one of my favorite quick breakfast meals and easily making it into a yummy and filling dinner is a simple yet genius idea.  You can customize it how you want, but here's how I made mine with what I had in my kitchen:

Cut holes in two pieces of bread (I used the top of a small drinking glass)

melt butter in a frying pan, toast bread for a few minutes, then crack eggs into the holes of the bread slices.  cover and let cook for a few minutes before flipping slices.

when eggs are almost done on both sides, sprinkle some shredded cheese on one slice of bread (I used a sharp white cheddar)

when cheese is almost all melted, add some arugula and tomatoes and cook for about 30 more seconds until arugula just begins to wilt

You can add pretty much whatever you want to this - prosciutto?  bacon?  grainy mustard?  different cheeses?  All would be delicious!  Go make this now - I guarantee you'll be happy you did :)

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Showering Baby Welty

Saturday morning I headed up north to celebrate the highly anticipated arrival of Baby Welty. Jessie and Jenn threw a gorgeous shower for Kami and Baby, including french toast bites, quiches, tasteful games (guess the baby's sex, size, and birthday), and great company.  While I caught up with people I hadn't seen in years, Kami and Baby were spoiled with yummy treats and gifts galore.  It was such a fun day, and I can't wait to meet the little one in just a few short weeks!

xoxo,

stephanie marie