Friday, May 23, 2008

Too much rain can make a girl crazy!

So we are now beginning our fourth day of rain. With predictions of rain until Monday night. Can I just say: "Okay Mr. Rainman, I have had enough now, before it starts coming into the basement, m'kay? I forever appreciate your cooperation, 'cause like, I really do have other things to do than be running like a maniac trying to find every spare towel in the house to lay down in the storage room when the water starts coming in and changing it out every 20 - 30 minutes and running them through the spin cycle on the wash machine. Oh, things like running like a maniac after 6 rugrats who have cabin fever, thankyouverymuch! Oh Mr. Sun, sun, Mr. Golden Sun, please shine down on me!"

Now that I've got that off my chest, with all this dreary weather the baking bug hit me. You know it's bad when I've baked twice this week. Have I ever mentioned I don't like to bake, that I struggle with baking? That baking is not my friend? Ya, well, twice now I've subjected myself to this phenomenan that I just don't do well, much to my frustration and much to my family's delight. Days of rain will make a person do crazy things.

My first attempt was chocolate chip banana muffins. Now I've made these a bazillion times but Tuesday I tried out these new fancy schmancy silicone muffin pans that called my name one day at the store just after I had broke my hand. Why I would want fancy schmancy muffin pans when my hand was broken and I hate baking is beyond me. The only excuse I have is it must've been the pain meds they had me on. So just for the sake of opennes and sharing on the blog, here are some things I learned about silicone "pans":

-they are too cute to resist, even if you don't like to bake
-they are wonderfully non-stick
-they are easy to clean
-the pans are floppy. Sheesh, especially once the batter is in them. I had to put them empty on a flat baking sheet and then fill them & sort of double pan bake them
-the batter that is inside the pan does not brown well
-the muffins stayed fresh for days


Look at these pale looking things. And this is after I took them out of the rose pans, put them on a flat baking sheet, and threw them back in the oven for two more minutes. This gravely disappointed me. I like my muffins a little tanned, not pale.

However, that said, my peanut butter cookies, were looking like they just came home from Mexico and forgot to use sunscreen. Aaargh. Barb, I followed the recipe exactly. They were not lovely like yours.

I hope this rain quites soon before I really lose my mind and attempt to give this a try. I couldn't stand the pressure!

18 comments:

Donnetta said...

Yep, I'm pretty sure you must live in the house just down the street. Again we are having the same weather. Ours are just showers but enough water we are having flooding.

*sigh*... Since you obviously live just down the street, I would be happy to come relieve you of a pale muffin and tanned cookie. :-)

Bringing an umbrella of course...

Anonymous said...

Oh, those are so cute! But thanks for the tips about the floppiness and lack of browning. I haven't baked anything in ages.

ellen b. said...

Whoa! I love those pale looking rose muffins!

Anonymous said...

A cake that should sit in the fridge for 2-3 days before icing?? It would never last round here.

ah...yes...rain...

I am looking out at the same drip drip dripping.

But it is green here - very very green - that's one good thing about the rain.

Hope the sun comes out soon - for us both!

gail@more than a song said...

Oh I don't do good with so much rain either! I hope it quits soon for you...we've had our share and I'm a little tired of it.
Those pans are too cute! But I've resisted buying the silicone kind..I love the way they look but just can't give up the old ones yet!

Barb said...

I have no idea why your peanut butter cookies got too brown. That's just strange. I hope they at least tasted good, even if they were a little sunburned.

And I think those muffins look fine. You're ahead of me in the baking department. I didn't bake a single thing this week. Cookie jar is almost empty again so guess what I'll be doing tomorrow. In the rain. Well, not IN the rain, but it's raining here too. Yuck.

Anonymous said...

I ♥ those muffins! So cute!

Anonymous said...

Im actually weird and like them white and barely cooked hehe I might need to go grab some!

Laura said...

Well they look cute, that should definitely count for something! I'm right there with ya on the whole baking thing but slowly I'm learning to enjoy it.

Can you believe we are going to have an amazing weekend here weather wise...in the 20's!! I'm so excited :)

Susie said...

Why or why did I have to click the "here" hyperlink. I was doing just fine with looking at your muffins, and hearing you talk about peanut butter cookies, but then I had to click on "here" and now all I can think about is the coconut cake. Doing low-carb for 2 weeks now, and missing my desserts. However, I'm not giving up until the goal is reached. I guess I better not read any of your posts until it stops raining at your place. Hee Hee.

Tammy said...

First of all, I am lovin' your new fancy smancy muffin pans! Your muffins turned out gorgeous!

Well, unlike the first replier, I know you don't just live down the street since we live in separate countries, and all...;) BUT...we do seem to have some very similar weather patterns going on, Susanne!
It's also rained the past three days and I must say, coming off of the heat wave we just had, it's made me feel downright blue to look up and see the dark skies. We're suppose to have a drizzly Memorial Day weekend, too...sigh. But surely the sunshine is just around the corner for both us soon, right!?
Hugs,
~Tammy
P.S...I keep forgetting to tell you that I received the book I won from you...it didn't come until a few days ago but it's here! Thanks again! :)

2nd Cup of Coffee said...

You are so funny because you're always talking about not liking to bake, and then there you go again! You are a closet baker. You love it. You just don't know it.

FlipFlop Mom said...

Our rain.. comes.. then it goes.. then it rains with the sun... I run to look for a rainbow.. but nothing... then it gets warm.. then it sprinkles again... then the sun comes... YIKES!! our weather is CRAZY here!!!!

Now.. I'm a baker.. and I have been nervous about using those kinds of "pans"... hmmmm I might have to try one!! I LOVE banan muffins too.. and I made them this week!! YUM!!

Hen Jen said...

ohh, what pretty pans...the lack of browning does sound like a drawback. Keep us updated on how you are liking them...

Michelle said...

Hi Susanne I love love your fancy smancy muffin pan.adorable.I have no ideas on the cookies ..thanks for the blog visit..:)

GiBee said...

Your muffins look adorable, but I know what you mean about tanned tops. Maybe you could use the pans to make chocolate cakes or vanilla cakes and serve them with a scoop of ice cream and strawberries on the side? That way it wouldn't matter if they were tanned.

Mmmm -- OR, you could make blueberry-lemon muffins and drizzle a lemony glaze on top so no one would notice the pale tops?

About the cookies -- Barb's altitude may be higher than yours, which would mean they have to bake longer in her oven than in yours ... just a thought.

Off to nurse a child with hand-foot-mouth... fun times, I tell you!!!

Shalee said...

Bummer about the silicone pans. I've toyed with getting some, but I think I'll pass.

We're finally having some gorgeous weather here. Though it will be cloudy, it will be in the 80's and that's perfect for me!

Beck said...

I've always wondered about those silicone pans - but those were LOVELY muffins, really.