Saturday, October 15, 2011

Worth Sharing

Some things in life are worth sharing. Time. Sunshine. Laughter. Love. Friends. Family. And, sometimes sharing means that you share your time and love with your family and also your friends.

My immediate family consists of my darling hubby and our four kiddos. Then we have my parents, his parents, his sister and her kiddos, my sisters, my brother . . . and the list goes on and on.

I'm not that close or friendly with my siblings - partly because there is a bit of an age difference. My brother graduated from high school the year I was adopted . . . and the sister that is older than him I hardly knew growing up. My brother and my oldest sister married and had kids before I graduated from high school. I always felt like I had to catch up - to find something in common . . . but it is hard. And as the years have gone by it has gotten harder as their children have had children - and as I became a mother. Sometimes it feels like it is hard to share our lives.

To get back to the sharing topic - I enjoyed a wonderful day last Friday with two women who I adore and respect. We cooked and laughed and began numerous conversations - we left laughing with two completed meals and a number of unfinished conversations that we hope to take up again next week. The sharing of recipes and cooking stories reminded me that one of my kiddos fave breakfast recipes was passed down to me from my oldest sister. And, I'm sure she doesn't even realize that I have the recipe - or that my kiddos have loved it for years. But, everytime I make these muffines I think of her .

I have a picture of her in my mind. She is sitting in the home ec room at high school - probably bored out of her mind - learning how to cook breakfast muffins. I have seen pictures of her high school years - she wore here hair in the style that was popular - and I always seem to picture her wearing green - not sure why.

Anyway - when I was in high school and looking for something to make for breakfast my mom gave me a recipe for "French Breakfast Puffs". I made them and loved them, and I asked my mom where she found the recipe. She told me my sister had made them at school and had shared the recipe. My mom gave me the recipe and I've made these muffins a couple of times a month for the past 15 years. Truthfully - I've made these muffins more times than I've talked to my sister. But, I still think of her when I bake them - and when my kids ask where I got the recipe, I proudly tell them my sister gave it to me.

French Breakfast Puffs (with some modifications of the original recipe, which called for Bisquick)

Puffs (preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease 12 muffin cups)

3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2/3 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 cup milk

Cream the sugar and shortening, then add the eggs. Add the flour, baking powder, nutmeg and milk and mix well. Spoon into muffin tins - about 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes until tops are golden.

To make the topping melt 2 sticks of butter. Put the melted butter into a bowl that is deep enough to dunk the muffins into. Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar with 3 teaspoons cinnamon into another bowl that is deep enough to dunk the muffins into. When the muffins have cooled a bit, dip each one into the butter then into the cinnamon - sugary mix. Eat while still warm and enjoy.

Thanks sister.

No comments:

Post a Comment