GHOSTLY FORESHADOWING

All of these glorious moonlit nights have reminded me of a story my mom once told of an incident forever a mystery to her.

Back in the early homesteading days in Meeker county, Mom’s grandparents, Nils and Ellen Martinson, Swedish immigrants, farmers in Swede Grove and sturdy, level headed, practical people were leaving a neighbor’s home, where they had shared a meal, a few miles from their farm. The October night was luminescent, with dry leaves swirling in the air and the only sound that of the horses’ hooves as they trotted back home to a warm barn filled with oats and hay. It was mid-October and there was a definite chill setting in as they traveled the lonely dirt road.

Suddenly the team stopped dead in their tracks and Nels was unable to get them to move. Out of nowhere, and I share this tale with a great portion of skepticism, two apparitions appeared in the middle of the narrow road. My great-grandparents, staunch Bible-banging Baptists, hearty, no-nonsense pioneers, knew them to be spirits. They were stunned speechless and later would liken the experience to that of Balaam’s donkey in the Old Testament book of Numbers.

Though it seemed an eternity, in a matter of seconds what they both saw was gone as mysteriously as it had appeared. And the horses proceeded as though nothing had happened. The couple was shaken by the experience, however, and wondered if God had sent the sign as a forewarning that night.

Within just a matter of days, my great-grandfather developed a blood clot in his leg and died shortly thereafter, on October 21, 1891. He was 49 years old and left behind 6 children between the ages of 12 and 2. My great-grandmother, no stranger to hardship, had lost her first three children in one month, a dozen years earlier, to the diptheria epidemic that swept the County in 1879. She held fast to her faith, never wavered in her resolve to live out her days a woman of God and a solid gold example of how to exemplify beauty from ashes. She had 50 more years to bless all the lives of those who knew her. Including my Mom. With whom I pondered this story from time to time. Who’s to say what really appeared on the road that dark fall night? It remains just one more unanswered question in our family’s legend book.

GREAT GRANDMA’S HARVEST MOON ORANGE CAKE

3/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Juice of one orange and zest

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together. Stir in buttermilk. Beat in egg. Add flour, soda, spices and orange juice and zest. Stir well. Fold in raisins and nuts. Pour batter into a greased and floured 8 or 9 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle powdered sugar over top before serving. 

HOMESTEADER’S SWEDISH APPLE CAKE

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1-1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

3 cups raw apples, chopped

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs. Stir in dry ingredients. Add apples and nuts. Pour batter into a greased and floured 8 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

GHOSTLY WHITE COOKIES

2 cups flour

1 cup butter

1/3 cup whipping cream

Sugar for dipping

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, butter and cream. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll 1/3 of the dough at a time on a flour-covered board. Cut into small circles with a cookie cutter. Dip each circle into sugar and place on a cookie sheet. Pierce each cookie with a fork a few times. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes, until set but not brown. Remove from oven and cool. Combine frosting ingredients together and, when cooled, frost between two rounds and layer to make sandwich cookies.

FROSTING

1/4 cup butter

3/4 cup powdered sugar

Harvest Orange food coloring and flavoring (if desired)

AUTUMNAL THERAPY

Today is a perfect day to do some fall cleanup projects around Cricket Meadow. The sun is shining brightly in a beautiful blue sky, the maple is turning red and everywhere I look I see work. But I love being outside in the glorious weather, pulling stakes away from the hollyhocks and delphiniums, filling the bird feeders, cleaning debris out of the flower beds, properly disposing of a dead snake in the perennial bed, and finally, harvesting produce from a slightly overgrown and a bit neglected garden.

First the tomatoes and peppers. Hopefully, there will be enough for one last batch of salsa. Then I survey the herbs. Mountainous lemon balm plants. Spiky fragrant rosemary. Thick hedges of thyme, borders of basil and shrub- sized sage. I grab my largest basket from the shelf in the kitchen and head out with a shears to begin snipping. When my dehydrator is full, I place the rest on a screen in the garage, topped with another screen, allowing air to move freely around the herbs for proper drying. After a week or so, I begin crumbling the dried plants into canning jars and, covered and labeled, they rest in my pantry or on my kitchen shelves until I need them for cooking.

When winter has its grip on my soul, I reach for a jar of summer elixir, drop some lemon balm leaves in a china cup, pour boiling water over, steep and breathe deeply before sipping a bit of joy. And I can face the worst winter has to offer.

HERB GARDEN PESTO

4 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

8 cloves fresh garlic, minced

2 cups extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup pine nuts

Place all ingredients in a food processor to make a smooth paste. Add salt to taste, desired. Place in jars. Cover and freeze.

HERBED BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

4 cups flour

1 tablespoon chives

1 tablespoon dill

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup cold butter

2 cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons butter, melted

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, chives, dill, baking powder, sugar, soda and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in buttermilk. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto greased baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Brush lightly with melted butter. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Yield: 24 biscuits.

SAVORY HERBED TOAST SQUARES

4 tablespoons dried thyme

2 tablespoons dried savory

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

4 tablespoon dried marjoram

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Stir together all ingredients and mix well. Cut the crusts from a loaf of your favorite bread, butter each slice well, sprinkle with herb mixture and cut into 4 squares. Place on cookie sheets, bake at 250 degrees until slightly brown, about 1 hour.

LEMON BALM COOKIES

1 cup butter

2/3 cup sugar

2 egg yolks, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups white flour

1 tablespoon minced fresh lemon balm or lemon thyme

In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together. When fluffy, add egg yolks, vanilla and herbs. Stir in flour. Use a cookie press to make desired shapes on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes.

FISHIN' FOR MORE SUMMER...

I’m sitting on the dock as I write this, marveling at how fast the summer went. Flocks of seagulls are holding their late summer rendezvous, acorns are dropping on the wood steps, tree frogs buzz, campsites empty and cabins are vacated. The same as every year, but it always catches me by surprise and makes me a bit melancholy. Life without children in it is something one should adjust to, and I have, (time for grandchildren?) but I still miss my kids a lot when I am at the lake, remembering the fun years of endless water sports, biking and playing with friends. And fishing with Grandpa.

I am reminded of just that this morning. A few yards from shore, anchored in a prime fishing hole, is a pontoon filled with six kids of all ages with their grandpa. He has set them up with drop lines, poles and nets and they are pulling in sunnies as fast as he gets them off their hooks and into the basket. 

They are all chattering with excitement and buzzing with competitiveness. Grandpa patiently answers all their questions, assists them in their every need, and exclaims with enthusiasm over each of their observations and successes with the fishing experience. They exclaim over the tin of cookies Grandma packed as well as the jug of lemonade and cooler of sandwiches and fruit.

And I can still see, and hear, my own kids with my Dad in his fishing boat, just off the dock in the same spot, helping them bait their hooks and remove the fish which swam in thick schools in the fishing weeds just on the edge of the drop-off. No one in our family ever goes far without packing a lunch either, and my Dad patiently handed out sandwiches, cookies and beverages to his fishing buddies.

Maybe before TOO long, we can pass the tradition of fishing with grandkids to some of our own. Hurry back, Lucia!

SUMMERTIME STRAWBERRY LEMONADE

1 cup fresh strawberries

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 cup simple syrup (2 parts sugar, 1 part water boiled and cooled)

7 to 8 cups water

Combine first 3 ingredients in a blender. Puree. Stir in water. Serve iced with fresh strawberries and mint.

CHOCOLATE- CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 cup butter

1-1/2 sugar

1/3 cup cocoa

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Stir in cocoa. Beat in eggs. Add vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie  sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

TACKLE BOX BARS

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

3/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2-1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

1 package chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter

1-1/2 cups Rice Krispies

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs. Stir in flour, baking powder, and vanilla. Bake at 350 degrees in a 9 by 13 inch pan for 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with marshmallows. Return to oven to melt. Cool. Melt together chocolate chips, peanut butter. Stir in cereal. Spread over cooled bars.

FISHING HOLE SNACK CAKE

1/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups raw apples, peeled and coarsely grated

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup raisins

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg. Add vanilla. Stir in flour, soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix well. Stir in apples, nuts and raisins. Spread into a greased 8 by 8 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Sprinkle powdered 

HOW DO YOU SPELL RELIEF?

I love summer, I love hot weather. I can even love humidity as long as the air conditioning works.

I stopped by my cousin’s rustic cabin (which is adorable and loaded with charm) to visit one day recently and was reminded of growing up without air conditioning. And I was reminded of how life used to be when we tried to cool the house with shades and fans. And lots of big trees near the house. I remember how sticky everything felt and how hard it was to cool off. How miserable it was to sleep, how you’d keep flipping your pillow in the quest for relief in your sweat-soaked pajamas.

Back then, Mom would always make sure the freezer was stocked with popsicles and ice cream.  We ate cold cereal, egg salad, tuna salad, potato salad. Did I mention watermelon? Cold food was requested at every meal. We even enjoyed the forays into our farmhouse basement, damp and unfinished, just because it was about 10 degrees cooler. On the very hottest days, when evening chores were finished, we piled in the car (another miserable experience with hot, sweaty, kid bodies packed in on top of each other) rolled down all the windows (manually, of course) and, with wind whipping through our hair, headed to the lake for a swim. Nothing spelled relief more to us than G-R-E-E-N L-A-K-E. Nothing does still.

So, while we continue eating egg salad and root beer floats so, too, we continue to drop our flip-flops and sunglasses on the dock and jump into the crystal clear water to cool off. And we are pleased beyond belief that the air conditioner is alive and well, forever keeping us cool through the long, hot summer nights.

HOT SUMMER NIGHT SHRIMP SALAD

1 large box macaroni shells, cooked and cooled

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/2 cup green pepper, chopped

1/2 cup carrots, diced

1/4 cup green onions, chopped

1/4 cup radishes, sliced

1 large bag cooked, frozen shrimp

3/4 quart mayonnaise or salad dressing

Fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh parsley sprigs

Paprika

Blend shells with vegetables and shrimp. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over all. Stir in mayonnaise. Toss. Season with salt and pepper and top with parsley and paprika. Chill.

MOM’S POTATO SALAD

8 large potatoes, cooked, peeled, diced

6 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and sliced or wedged

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/4 cup onions, chopped

1/4 cup radishes, sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh parsley sprigs

3 raw eggs, beaten

4 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1 cup mayonnaise or unsweetened cream, whipped

Combine vegetables and cooked eggs. Season with  salt and pepper. In a medium saucepan, cook raw eggs with sugar, vinegar and dry mustard. Stir in salt, pepper and celery seed. When cool, whisk in mayonnaise or whipped cream. Fold into potatoes and vegetables. Garnish with fresh parsley, paprika and more hard-boiled eggs. Keep refrigerated.

50’S TUNA SALAD MOLD

1 small package lemon jello

1/2 cup boiling water

1 can tuna, drained

1 can chicken gumbo soup

2 tablespoons each: green pepper, green onions, celery, chopped

1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing

1/2 cup cream, whipped but unsweetened

Fresh squeezed lemon juice

In a medium bowl, dissolve jello in boiling water. Stir in all other ingredients, except cream. Chill until partially set. Then whip cream and fold into jello mixture. Chill in a mold overnight or for several hours. Serve unmolded on lettuce leaves.

ANOTHER TREK, ANOTHER SUNDAY (WITH THANKS TO THE DOOBIE BROTHERS)

Somewhere, somehow, my Dad, who was always scoping out new ideas, found out that there was a pastor at a small country church near Upsala, Minnesota named Leonard Bergstrom. He was sure that we were shirttail relatives and, that was all it took, we were northbound that next Sunday and on a quest for a new church destination.

The rest of the family wasn’t quite as enthusiastic. We kids hated veering outside of our comfort zones. Mom hated missing a Sunday in her home church in Grove City with family and friends. But we acquiesced. And off we went. Aside from the fact that we weren’t excited about worshipping in an unfamiliar setting, we equally loathed the idea of cramming into a car, charting new territory, scoping out farm fields for crop comparison, bouncing in the un-air conditioned vehicle on dusty back roads. Never mind the inevitable polka music and cigar or pipe smoke on the trip back. We’d almost choose the dentist, if given the option.

To add insult to injury, Dad was always shocked and somewhat hurt when we griped about meeting the kids in the family. Whatever was he thinking?? Most pre-adolescents aren’t particularly taken with the prospect of developing relationships in an afternoon. Trying to fit in with new pals. Enduring being snubbed. “Can’t we just go to the service and leave?” We begged. But no. We knew full well (from copious experience) we’d be there the better part of the day, dining with the pastor’s family, playing (or not) with the new kids, wishing to go home.

As it turned out, I loved the day. Lynn Bergstrom, a willowy blonde my age, with ice blue Nordic eyes and funky black glasses, turned out to be my sister in Christ! We hit it off right away, on the steps of that little white country church. My brothers found her brothers to be equally interesting. I loved her dad, Reverend Bergstrom…his preaching was engaging, even to an 11-year old. Mrs. Bergstrom whipped up a delicious Sunday dinner and she and Mom traded tales of tomatoes ripening, Ladies Aid, school bus drivers and the county fair.

Lucky Dad, not a one of us chomped our bits to leave or belly-ached on the way home. As I recall, we even looked forward to our next visit, which we knew was forthcoming. Even Mom. As it turned out, Dad and Leonard were NOT related. But, no matter. They were brothers in Christ, just the same. Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!

And I mean that.

SUNDAY DINNER LIME JELLO SALAD

3 ounce box lime Jell-O

3/4 cup hot water

1 cup whipped cream

1 cup cottage cheese

1 cup crushed pineapple, with juice

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

In a medium bowl, mix gelatin and water together, stirring until dissolved. Stir in remaining ingredients and pour into a greased mold. Chill until set. Serve on an iceberg lettuce leaf, for a trip down memory lane. 

SUMMERTIME BARBEQUED MEATBALLS

2 pounds ground beef

1 pound ground pork

12 ounces evaporated milk

1 cup oatmeal

1 cup cracker crumbs

2 eggs

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons chili powder

SAUCE

2 cups ketchup

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup chopped onion

In a large bowl, combine all meatball ingredients. Mixture will be soft. Shape into balls. Place in a single layer on waxed paper-lined cookie sheets. Freeze until solid. Store in freezer until ready to cook. To make sauce, combine all sauce ingredients and stir until sugar is dissolved. When ready to bake meatballs, place them in a 9 by 13 inch pan. Pour sauce over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

SUNDAY COMPANY RASPBERRY DESSERT

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

10 ounces raspberries, frozen and thawed

1/4 cup cold water

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup cream, whipped

Fresh raspberries for garnish

Combine crumbs, sugar and butter. Press into an 8 or 9 inch springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool. For filling, drain raspberries and reserve juice. Set berries aside. In a small saucepan, combine juice, water and gelatin. Let stand for 5 minutes. Cook and stir over low heat until gelatin dissolves. Remove from heat; cool for 10 minutes. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until blended. Add berries and gelatin mixture; beat on low until thoroughly blended. Chill until partially set. Gently fold in whipped cream. Spoon into crust. Chill for several hours. Top with whipped cream and fresh raspberries.

MY AFFAIR WITH TRIXIE BELDEN

I put sentiment on the shelf recently and actually emptied my bookshelf of all my old Trixie Belden books. When I was in 4^th grade, I began reading the series with gusto and through the years, amassed over 30 of the Trixie books, only missing a couple. I realized that I would never likely reread them and most were paperbacks anyway, dog-eared and yellowed. So they were perfect to add to the library sale.

Back in those days, my book collection was scant. We mostly checked books out of the library or bookmobile and swapped amongst friends. My mom loved books and was a voracious reader so one summer she signed me up for the Book of the Month Club and I received The Happy Hollisters series. I also loved the Hardy Boys mysteries and shared those books with my older brother. But Trixie was my favorite. She and her best friend Honey, blaze through one adventure after another and were friends I wished I knew in my hay bale childhood. They were obedient, kind, fair and loving. Great fiction.

Often Mom would have to track me down in the treehouse in the big elm, my “playhouse” (which doubled as the old corncrib) or the backyard tire swing to iron a basket of clothes, make beds or bake a pan of bars. She’d find me on a dude ranch in Arizona or camping in a red trailer or solving a mystery in a haunted mansion. Trixie, Honey and I were at it again. Mom was never angry with me for temporarily dodging my tasks. She’d chuckle and retell the story of how HER mother would find her curled up in the big chair by the fireplace when she was supposed to be dusting, or propped in the crotch of an apple tree in the orchard when she needed to feed the hens savoring “The Girl of the Limberlost.” She was a diehard book nut.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I guess that explains why I just received the first six Trixie Belden books (that’s it though, NO more!!) from Amazon and am rereading the delightful stories I enjoyed in my youth. I can hear the creak of the rope as the swing glides gently in the June sunshine and the screen door squeak as Mom calls my name.

TRIXIE’S CHOCOLATE CHERRY BARS

1box chocolate cake mix (use white cake mix for a variation)

1 can cherry pie filling

2 eggs

1/3 cup milk

6 tablespoons butter

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 cup chocolate chips

In a mixing bowl, combine cake mix with pie filling and eggs. Beat well. Pour into a greased 15 by 10 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. In a saucepan, combine milk, butter and sugar. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips and beat until smooth. Cool slightly and spread on cooled bars.

EASY SUMMER DAY OATMEAL COOKIES

1-1/2 cups raisins

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

5 tablespoons raisin juice (reserved from cooking raisins)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2-1/2 cups flour

2 cups oatmeal

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

In a saucepan, cook raisins in enough water to cover them for 10 minutes. Drain and reserve liquid. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs. Stir in soda, raisin juice, salt, cloves and cinnamon.  Add flour and oatmeal, stirring well. Add nuts, if desired. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

SUNSHINE SPONGE CAKE

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup cold water

1-1/2 cups flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs until light. Add sugar gradually. Continue beating until mixture is creamy. Add water. Add flour which has been sifter with baking powder and salt. Mix well. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 by 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  

A BUMP IN THE NIGHT

There are few things more disturbing than an invasion by an unwelcome guest. A tiresome visitor, carpenter ants, head lice. Or bats.

Last weekend I was roused from a deep slumber by a noise in the attic at the cabin. It seemed to be a branch on the roof or maybe a squirrel or chipmunk trapped in the rain gutter. No, that wasn’t really it. I knew it, but was in denial. I have lived with an occasional bat getting into the house but never dealt with residency. I panicked. Then, realizing I wouldn’t want to know until morning light, fell back to sleep.

The cabin has an unfinished attic, with no floor, only insulation on studs. There are no lights or windows. It’s accessible only through a small opening in the ceiling in our bedroom above the bed. And directly above the side on which I sleep.

The next morning, I informed my husband of my suspicions. He took a ladder and a flashlight to the attic. And spotted at least 25 bats hanging on the walls in a deep slumber.

I promptly placed a call to the “bat man,” a professional bat re-locater to snag a date with him and his services. He travels the upper Midwest with his wife, ridding homes of the persistent attic dweller. From what they have told me, bats live about 30 years and hate to be ousted from the spot they choose to reside in. Homes are warm, unlike caves and bat houses and, according to the DNR website, bats will opt for heated digs any day of the week.

Well, I haven’t had an appetite since they arrived. Or at least since I learned that we share the same home. But I’m sure I can rifle through my collection of recipes to include some here, even though I may not have tried them lately. If my recipes were in the attic, the column would end right here.

BUMP IN THE NIGHT IRISH COFFEE

Fresh lime wedge

Sugar

3/4 cup hot, strong black coffee

1 ounce Irish whiskey

2 tablespoons lightly whipped cream

Rub the lime wedge around the rim of a glass coffee mug. Dip the rim in sugar to coat. Pour coffee into mug. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar and whiskey. Stir. Slide the whipped cream off a spoon to float it on top of the coffee. Drinking a cup of this will ensure the courage to investigate any bump in the night.

DARK AS A CAVE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

1-1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 egg

Maraschino cherries

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, soda and salt. Mix well. Add buttermilk, butter and egg and blend until dry ingredients are moistened. Fill paper lined muffin tins 1/3 full. Place a cherry in the center of dough. Top with more batter to 2/3 full. Bake at 375 degrees for 17 to 22 minutes. Cool and frost.

VANILLA FROSTING

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

2 to 3 tablespoons milk or half and half

Combine frosting ingredients in a medium bowl with a hand held mixer, adding enough milk or cream to desired spreading consistency. Frost cooled cupcakes and top with chocolate sprinkles.

EVERYTHING LOOKS BETTER IN THE MORNING BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1-1/2 cups blueberries

1 tablespoon flour

1/3 cup butter

8 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup 2% milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-1/2 tablespoons coarse ground sugar

In a mixing bowl, combine 2 cups flour with next 6 ingredients. Stir with a whisk. Toss blueberries in 1 tablespoon flour to coat. Place butter and cream cheese in a medium bowl, beat with a mixer at high speed 1 minute. Add milk, eggs and vanilla to butter mixture. Beat to combine. Add butter mixture to flour mixture; stir until just moist. Gently fold in blueberry mixture. Spoon batter into 14 muffin cups. Sprinkle coarse ground sugar over top. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.