COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL MARCH 1, 2017 7A All about muffi ns I like muffi ns for breakfast. Scrambling up a couple of eggs to So I determined to get back on track and start making my own be eaten with a freshly baked muffi n is a great way to begin my muffi ns again. I went through my recipes and picked out some morning. The problem is that I am often lazy and don’t want to of my favorites to start re-stocking and share with you. The fi rst take the time to stop and make muffi ns from scratch. The oth- recipe is an effort to cut down on the fat in each muffi n. It uses er problem is that although we have a lot of company, there are applesauce in place of butter or margarine but has a fair amount usually just two of us to eat those 12 of sugar in it. muffi ns in each batch. I still have leftover rhubarb in the The solution is relatively simple. freezer from last year’s garden, so I Presented by Betty Kaiser Every so often I make up a batch of can also make the Buttermilk Rhu- muffi ns for our breakfast and freeze barb muffi ns. FYI: If possible I pre- the leftovers for another meal. I even fer to use buttermilk in quick breads bought a set of the larger muffi n tins because it results in a moist and ten- (6 to a pan) to accommodate our der product. sometimes larger appetites and cut down on freezer space. My favorite muffi n of all time is the Morning Glory muffi n. To- Now, a true confession. I will also admit that I’m a muffi n day’s recipe is a simplifi ed version that uses dates in place of the back-slider. I often walk by the market baking aisle and notice that usual raisins. Finally, if you need help in getting things going in a tray of 9 muffi ns is only $6. Six dollars? Wow! What a bargain. the morning, try the Refrigerator Bran Muffi ns. You can make as So I buy them and they’re good. But I have to tell you…they’re few as you like or a whole bunch and they’re good for you. Enjoy not that good (they taste commercial) and their selection is limited. your breakfast! Cook's Corner Apple Walnut Muffi ns 1 1/2 cups fl our 1/3 cup brown sugar, fi rmly packed 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 egg 1 cup fat-free milk 1/3 cup applesauce (unsweetened) 1 tablespoon oil 1 1/2 cups raisin bran cereal 1 medium apple, peeled, fi nely chopped 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped and divided Preheat oven to 425° F. Mix fl our, sugar, baking power and cinna- mon in large bowl and set aside. Using a wire whisk, beat egg, milk, applesauce and oil in small bowl until well blended. Stir in cereal; let stand 5 min. Add to fl our mixture; stir just until moistened (batter will be lumpy). Stir in apples and 1/2 cup walnuts. Spoon batter evenly into 12 greased or paper lined muffi n cups. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup wal- nuts. Bake 20 min or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Buttermilk Rhubarb Muffi ns Muffi ns: 1 1/2 cups brown sugar 1/4 cup salad oil 1 egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup buttermilk 1 1/2 cups fi nely diced rhubarb 1/2 cups pecan pieces 2 1/2 cups all-purpose fl our 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt Topping: 1/3 cup sugar 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon melted margarine Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare top- ping and set aside. Grease 12 large or 24 me- dium-sized muffi n cups. Combine brown sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat until well mixed. Add but- termilk, rhubarb, and pecans to mixture. In another bowl, sift together fl our, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add this mix- ture all at once to rhubarb mixture and stir until all ingredients are moistened. Do not overmix. Fill prepared muffi n pan cups 3/4 full with batter. Sprinkle topping on batter in each muffi n cup. Bake in preheated oven on center shelf 15 to 20 minutes. Morning Glorious Muffi ns 2 beaten eggs 1 cup oil 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1-1/2 cups carrot, shredded 1-1/2 cups apple, shredded 3/4 cup coconut 1/2 cup dates, snipped 1/2 cup pecans, chopped 2 cups fl our 1-1/4 cups sugar 2 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons cinnamon Preheat oven to 375° F. Spray 12 large (3-inch) muffi n tins with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine fruits and nuts (carrot, apple, coconut, dates and pecan). Set aside. In another bowl, combine dry ingredi- ents (fl our, sugar, baking soda and cinnamon). In mixer bowl, combine beaten eggs, oil and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix until moist. Lightly stir in fruit and nut mixture. Bake 18-20 min. Note: These are good topped with an orange marmalade glaze: Mix a teaspoon of powder sugar with 2 tablespoons of orange marma- lade; heat and drizzle over warm muffi ns. Refrigerator Bran Muffi ns (As written by my friend Linda L in Colorado) Put 3 cups whole bran cereal in large bowl Pour 1 cup boiling water over cereal. Stir and set aside to cool. Add: 2 eggs, beaten 2 cups buttermilk 1/2 cup salad oil 1 cup currants (or golden raisins) Combine ingredients below and then add to above: 1 cup sugar 2 1/2 cups fl our 2 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt Stir all ingredients well, cover and refriger- ate in large container. When ready to use preheat oven to 400° F. Put amount desired in greased regular sized muffi n cups. Bake about 20 min. Note: Pour water in any empty cups! Keep it simple and keep it seasonal! Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare. Contact her at 942-1317 or email bchatty@bettykaiser.com ATTENTION SERVICE CLUBS The Cottage Grove Sentinel is opening its pages for you to submit your events, fundraisers and other happenings. All information submitted will be part of the new "Service Clubs Briefs," a section that will mirror the current "Community Briefs" section that is included in the paper. And just like "Community Briefs," the service club announcements will run as often as we receive them. Sub- missions can be sent to cgnews@cgsentinel.com, cmay@cgsentinel.com or brought into the offi ce. Pet Cremation Dignifi ed Options for Our Faithful Friends At Smith Lund Mills we believe that pets are an important member of any family. When a pet dies it can be very diffi cult time for everybody involved. We understand the feelings of losing a pet and our professional, caring staff will be ready to assist you during this time of loss. After dropping their four- year-old daughter, Nevaeh Grace, off at school, Sheila and her husband, Mike, were return- ing home when she saw a little black dog on a busy street. Shei- la yelled “Stop!” She walked over to the col- larless cutie, but the dog ran and their “game of chase” be- gan. Finally, Sheila took a deep breath, and prayed to the An- gels, "Please send me help!" Then she recalled that some- times the best action is no ac- tion, so she sat on the sidewalk, and commanded “STOP!” Unbelievably, the dog stopped, trotted towards her, and climbed into her lap! Mike handed Sheila the dog collar and leash that they carry in the car for just such emer- gencies. The little dog stood still while Sheila put the collar on it, and then placidly walked “home” as pretty as you please. Their veterinarian said the four pound PomChi, Pomera- nian/Chihuahua, was a year old and not micro-chipped. They put signs up all over their neighborhood looking for its owner. No one called, so they named their now third dog, Luna, Goddess of the Moon, to honor her black coat. Nevaeh, just like her par- ents, was not expecting to come home from school to a “sur- prise” dog, but no worries, the little girl and dog fell instantly in love. They are best buddies and every night, just before bed, Nevaeh and her mother sit in their favorite chair and watch their TV with Luna snuggled on their laps. But what about their other dogs? The family already had two Boxers, Guinness and Jack. “Guinness and Jack are so attached to Luna,” said Sheila, “that they consider themselves her ‘older brothers’ forming a happy canine family." Luna loves her brothers and the way they play together makes us laugh. Luna’s small size allows her to run around the Boxers and through their legs. The larger dogs have trouble following her, moving as fast as her, turning as quickly, and then fi nding her as she zooms under their legs. When the three dogs are playing in the house, chas- ing Luna in fun, she runs under any available bed because she knows it is a ‘safe’ zone. It is very funny to watch our joyful K9 family’s interactions. I wish all people, big or small, no mat- ter their religion or country of origin, could be like our dogs. These dogs simply love each other and revel in that love.” But! Jack puts his paw down at one thing! He insists that Luna gets more toys, because she “steals” his toys and bones. He responds with his best Boxer “stink eye” look, but he still lets her play with them. Then a few months later, the family had a scare! “While walking Luna,” ex- plains Sheila, “one of our neigh- bors approached and exclaimed, ‘Good! You have that dog!’ Her comment made me ner- vous. I was afraid that the dog, who had stolen our hearts, was her dog. But, the woman add- ed, ‘I saw that little dog thrown out of a car! The dog was so fast that I could not catch it. And I did not take a photo of the car’s license plate.’ That is ‘OK’, I said. ‘This lovable little dog is a gift. She’s a wonderful addition to our fam- ily, we are lucky to have her in our lives, and we love her lots. By having pets, our daugh- ter has learned to respect and honor animals. She knows that they too have feelings, and that kindness is key where they are concerned. I've also taught Nevaeh that her named spelled backwards is ‘Heaven’ and that ‘dog’ spelled backwards is God. How Luna came into our lives is an inspiration. We be- lieve that the Angels whispered at her to ‘STOP’ when she was running.” TIPS Contact Humane Society for neuter/spay assistance. (541) 942-2789 "Follow" Pet Tips ‘n' Tales on Facebook. https://www.face- book.com/PetTipsandTales Feature your pet: an- gelscribe@msn.com Nicholas Ritch, LTC www.dorenataxservice.com nick@dorenataxservice.com 541-870-2371 $50 OFF Your 2016 Tax Return (minimum $150 Return) Mobile Licensed Tax Consultant that will come to you! Includes Cottage Grove, Creswell and surrounding areas. (541) 942-0185 123 S. 7th St., Cottage Grove Visit smithlundmills.com for more information. Specializing in individual income taxes with small businesses, rentals, and farms. Business License # B16090 • Designated Consultant N.Ritch # 35406-C Nevaeh with her dignifi ed boxers, Jack and Guinness, and her “surprise” little black multi-mystery mix rescue, Luna. The Humane Society of Cottage Grove PO Box 61, Cottage Grove • 541-942-3130 • www.humanesocietycg.org Upcoming Events: Name your price sale at American Legion Hall • March 17-18 Jamboree at Creswell Community Center • March 25th 6pm Plant Sale at American Legion Hall • May 12-13, 26-27 What HSCG has accomplished in 2016: Low Income Spay/Neuter Assistance Programs: 592 animals altered Animals turned over to Appropriate Shelters including Greenhill Humane Society: 210 - Animals • 15,968 - Miles on van YOUR DONATIONS HELP LOCAL ANIMALS! For your shopping pleasure remember This ‘n’ That Corner 33 N 8th Street CG Proceeds benefit the HSCG programs Hours 10 4 Monday Saturday