Sunday Dinner And A Movie

It was another rainy day at our house yesterday. We managed to keep busy inside for the most part, and were rewarded with wonderful aromas emanating from our kitchen, filling the house. For me, it was a preview of what is to come at the end of this month, and continuing through December. I'm really going to have to watch myself this next two months, or I'll find myself wearing last Decembers clothing once again!

As it turned out, I was not able to coordinate baking times and temps to accommodate baking any of my initial bread choices to go with Pa's creation for dinner last night. I did manage to come up with another option though, which turned out to be an excellent choice. I searched many of my recipe files, and I searched online for ideas. After my search, and some thought, I came up with a savory muffin recipe which required minimal alterations in baking temps for those items already taking up space in the oven. I simply turned the heat up by 50º for the last 5 minutes the ham was in the oven, pulled it out, and popped the muffins in while the ham rested for 15 minutes. The acorn squash was perfectly happy for that last 15 minutes at a higher temperature. The whole meal was a complete success, and we were left with plenty of leftover ham for lunches and meals to come, including the bone, which I'm eagerly anticipating utilizing in a bean dish this coming weekend.

With a yield of 12 individual, beautifully browned, fragrant muffins for the four of us, the kids were delighted to realize they would have leftover muffins for quick and easy breakfast treats for a couple days as well! Once I managed to tear myself away from the comfort of my bed this morning, I was greeted by the welcome sight of two spent muffin liners, neatly folded at their places on the table. Hey Mikey! They liked them! :) Following is the recipe I came up with...


BC Muffins

2 cups baking mix (such as Bisquick)
8 slices bacon, fried crisp, reserving grease
1 to 1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup (more or less) powdered milk
2/3 cup water

Preheat oven to 375º
First off, fry your bacon up, nice and crisp. Set aside to drain, and remove the pan from the heat so the oil can cool down. Then go ahead and grate your cheese, setting it aside.

Now, spoon your baking mix into a bowl. Add the powdered milk, and mix it together. Add the egg, 2/3 cup water, and measure 1/4 cup of the now cooled bacon grease in. Mix until everything is moist. Now crumble your crisped bacon in, and add your grated cheese, mixing to combine well. The mixture will be thick.

Spoon mixture evenly into 12 prepared muffin tins. I lined the tins with paper liners. Alternately you could lightly grease and flour the tins. The mixture should fill the tins at least 3/4 full. Pop the pan in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes. or til the tops are a light golden brown, and they test done.

Pop the muffins from the tin and allow to cool a few minutes for easier slicing (and fewer burned fingers!)

The young'uns enjoyed these muffins as they were, while Pa and I enjoyed the addition of a pat of real butter. Our young'uns have also informed me these are great consumed at room temperature for a breakfast treat the next morning

Last night, Pa and I enjoyed our weekend movie. Baby Boom, starring Diane Keaton was a delightful, humorous adventure about a childless by choice, single career woman who finds herself in a different role than she ever imagined, that of a single mother. This role is thrust upon her unexpectedly by the passing of a long lost relative, and results in some highly entertaining predicaments, and of course some alterations, both in her personal, and her career life. This was not what I would describe as an incredibly moving film, but a great, fun movie, which I would recommend for older teens through adults.


Happy Monday! I hope this is the beginning of a fantastic week for you all!