Saturday, October 5, 2013

On the Home-front....


We have been silly-busy this fall.  I keep thinking things are going to slow down, only to be proven wrong time after time.

Sir Knight has been off work.  He has been battling a knee injury for the better part of a year and finally stopped long enough to have surgery.  Wow - what a difference the surgery has already made!  Although he won't be back to a hundred percent for a month or more, the improvement over the last few days is amazing.  He can hardly wait to be running through the woods with a pack on his back, building up his lost muscle base.

Maid Elizabeth has been in training for a new job.  She has been putting in long hours, with no rest in sight.  Hopefully, she has only another week of intensive training before settling into her new schedule and getting back to a modicum of normalcy.

While keeping up with her rigorous training period, she has been preparing herself and her siblings for participation in a renaissance faire.  They have attending meetings all summer in anticipation of the big event, which happens to be this weekend.  Maid Elizabeth is the town midwife/healer (I know, typecasting!), Master Hand Grenade is a Knight (he is helping with parking and is an extra due to the fact that he spent his summer away - working and was unable to attend the meetings), Miss Serenity is the "Evil Squire" and has many parts to play and Princess Dragon Snack is part of the "Fairy Guild".  They will spend their weekend living the life of medieval characters - complete with swords, chain mail and magic potions.

Our Fairy Princess

Fierce Knight

Comic-relief squire


The whole crew

The end of the gardening season brings zucchini squash in abundance.  We aren't big zucchini fans, however, we do love zucchini cupcakes with caramel frosting.  We like these little treats so much that I can zucchini just so that we can make them year-round.  Yesterday, I made by first batch of the season.  Feeling the need for a little romance in my life, I made our cupcakes into "Butterfly" or "Fairy" cakes instead of plain old cupcakes. They are really simple, and can be made with any cupcake.  Rather than frosting the top of the cake, you just slice the top off the muffin, slice the part you cut off in two equal pieces, frost the top of the cupcake and set the cut parts into the frosting to form wings.  The children love them and they look lovely on the tea table.  From plain and simple to delectable in minutes!

Zucchini Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting

Zucchini Cupcakes
3 eggs
1 1/3 C sugar
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/2 C milk (or orange juice)
1 tsp. almond extract
2 1/2 C flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 1/2 C shredded zucchini (or carrots)

Preheat oven to 350°

In mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, oil, milk and almond extract.  Combine dry ingredients; add to the egg mixture and mix well.  add zucchini and mix well.  Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.  Bake for 20 - 25 minuets or until pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing to wire rack.

Caramel Frosting
1 C packed brown sugar
1/2 C butter
1/4 C milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 to 2 C confectioner's sugar

Combine brown sugar, butter and milk in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla.  Cool to lukewarm.  Gradually beat in confectioner's sugar until frosting reaches spreading consistency.

Cupcakes ready to put into the oven - next to that really handy cookbook!

Cooling and awaiting frosting

Butterfly Cakes
_____________________________________

That is all that has been happening on our home-front.  I hope everything is well on your's.

5 comments:

  1. Enola,

    Sir Knight has to be feeling so much better having the surgery done on his knee. Make sure he doesn't over work that knee while in the healing process. My husband needs to have knee surgery again, and he's been waiting and putting it off because of work too.

    The kids looking really good in there outfits, I hope everyone enjoys the renaissance faire.

    Your recipe for cupcakes are making me very hungry, I will try this recipe later but need to get of this computer and make some dinner. Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  2. My daughter does not care for zucchini either. We have a mandolin slicer that can julienne. She runs the zucchini through the slicer and then sautes it with a little olive oil. We then put spaghetti sauce on it and our daughter loves it. Goes back for seconds!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Saving the coin of your realm to afford that wonderous book of receipts. But thanks for the butterfly idea on the cupcakes - would work very well for chocolate ones to make Halloween bats.

    Great to hear that Sir Knight's surgery has been a success. Hope the kids have a terrific time at the Faire. Hazzah to them all for getting involved in their own right.

    Lake Lili

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wonderful to hear the surgery went well. I love the kids outfits quite stunning. Each character fits their personalities perfectly. Wish we could be there to go to the fair. Maybe next year. Lots of love

    ReplyDelete
  5. The kids look awesome!

    The chainmail is badarse looking.

    -Brian

    ReplyDelete