Cheesecake, Muffins, and Seeing Stars

Oh, I made a new yarn last night called Chocolate Covered Strawberries. It is a Vegan blend (Ramie and acrylic) done in chocolate brown and deep, hot pink. Lovely! Not to be outdone, today I finished spindling Raspberry Caramel Cheesecake. This one is so lusciously soft! It is hand dyed superwash merino top that I bought from knitspaz on etsy. I ended up with 140 yards of a little heavier than worsted, and it is gorgeous.. and available in my shop.


Yesterday's block was 4 Ts, and I did a terrible job. Now that I have all the blocks I needed for Sally Sweet, I am going on to Joe Morelli. In the Stephanie Plum books, he is one bad-ass vice cop but otherwise just your oversexed average Italian guy.

LoL. For some reason I see him in black and white and this grayish blue. So here ya go. Today's block was another Ohio Star, which I did without a contrast center square. Amazing how different it looks than Diantha's that she did today also! Mine is on the left and hers is on the right.

I wanted to give you another free delicious recipe!

We call these Blue Chocolate Cherry Muffins and they are the most delicious science experiment you will ever eat!

The dark cherries in the mix act as a litmus indicator. The juice turns the batter pink as long as it is acidic (from the fruit and the fatty acids in the eggs and butter)... but once you add the baking soda and baking powder, the mix changes to alkaline. The batter will turn gray, and as they bake they will turn the most wonderful (or horrible) greenish blue!

Despite the blue color, they are heavenly to eat!

A little note: you may notice that I bake with real butter. No substitute! Butter moistens baked goods as they age, oil or margarine or shortening dry baked goods as they age. Day-old cake or muffins made with butter will be moister, day-old cake or muffins with margarine will be DRY. You choose!

This recipe makes about 24 average size muffins. Take them to the office or freeze them for a quick in-hand breakfast anytime! They freeze great! But alas, at my house they don't last through lunch time.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease and flour or line 24 muffin cups.

1 14-16 oz. can dark sweet cherries, drained (reserve liquid) and chopped

2 eggs

1/3 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 bag dark chocolate chips

Drain cherry juice into large mixing bowl. Chop cherries and put in the bowl. Whisk in butter, eggs, and sugar. Add 1 1/2 cups flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in. Toss chocolate chips with last 1/2 cup flour and stir into the batter, stirring as little as possible to combine.


Spoon batter into muffin cups to 2/3 full. Bake for 12-15 minutes (check them at 12 minutes, they should be blue, tan around the edges and not look wet in the middle). Let cool on cooling racks (or eat them as soon as you don't scorch your tongue, LoL)


Oh and I have one more pic to show you. My 17 yos Artemas took this today, of himself and his baby sister Betsy. I added the caption and thought it was funny. Isn't he cute? And isn't she?