I made a flower!

Yeah, right, I know I didn’t “make” a flower. Still I was pretty excited when I noticed an orchid,  that I stuck outside months ago, had buds on it. I had received this flower either for my birthday or for Christmas. I am not sure which, since there is a second one out there. Gabi told me, when they quit flowering to keep on caring for them and they would put out a “pup” and flower again. I didn’t really do much with them other than stick them beside the cactus and water them occasionally. When I arrived from vacation, there were the buds. Last week, they started to open up, one flower about every other day. Right now there are four gorgeous orchids. I am so excited. I love flowers and somehow I feel so good seeing them growing naturally on my balcony. Just thought I’d share that little tidbit!

Maybe because of the flowers or other reasons, who knows, I felt like Suzy Homemaker today and so I busied myself washing, cooking and cleaning. It is amazingly hard work and I was even too tired to hit the gym. I tend to clean drawers and organize closets on a VERY irregular basis. Basically when I can’t get the doors or drawers closed anymore. Ok, maybe not that bad, but close.

When I finally got around to trying to do something fun and creative, like baking muffins, an almost tragedy struck. My oven door didn’t want to open. I shook and rattled the door, with my usual “patient” persistence (in other words I yanked as hard as I could) and things started falling. The door came open alright… the glass fell off the door, all the insulation came out and the baking racks collapsed in a heap around my feet. I stood there stunned trying to figure what happened. I can only figure that the cleaning lady cleaned the oven and put the racks in wrong. This crazy awful oven that I HATE passionately, has this nutty system where the racks pull out together with lowering the door. That often means my casseroles tip out and have sometimes even fallen out onto the oven door. Other times, it means I have burned my arms as I have to reach in to pull out something on the lower rack (there is no way to pull out the lower rack separately). I did the only thing I knew to do and yelled for João to come and help me. Together we actually managed to put the whole thing back together again. I was hot and sweaty and aggravated and not exactly remembering “Count it all joy” that I admonished by Bible study class to do this week. I wish I could say that I did. I didn’t, but I’ll keep trying to do that.

Despite the trials and tribulations of a very old decrepit oven, I was able to make some delicious quinoa muffins. My next trial was not to gobble the whole dozen all at once. They are so good. They have to be somewhat healthy with all the quinoa. Just don’t ask about the molasses, raisins and flour! Enjoy your own. Here’s the recipe:

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil  (I used olive oil)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar  (I substituted molasses and used less oil)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 3/4 cup whole milk (I used 0%)
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1. 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and 1 cup water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cover, and cook until water has been absorbed and quinoa is tender, 11 to 13 minutes.
2. 2. Meanwhile, brush a standard 12-cup muffin pan with oil; dust with flour, tapping out excess. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, raisins, and 2 cups cooked quinoa.
3. 3. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, milk, egg, and vanilla. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, and stir just until combined; divide batter among prepared muffin cups.
4. 4. Bake until toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool muffins in pans.