I hate stupid. I especially hate stupid when it’s me!
I’ve been on a cooking spree lately. (Yes, that’s unusual for me, especially in the summer when I make reservations!) Yesterday I yearned for something blueberry. Anything blueberry. I thought about pancakes but made muffins instead.
I have a recipe I like. It’s not real sweet and has lots of blueberries. (Don’t you hate when you buy a muffin and they have two dried little things in a huge muffin?) It was going well. Or so I thought.
Muffins aren’t complicated. You don’t need a mixer. After I put the pan in the oven I realized that the measuring spoon I used was ½ tablespoon instead of a teaspoon. There are three teaspoons in a tablespoon. My recipe called for 2 teaspoons of baking powder and I put in three. Instead of rushing to the internet to see what would happen, I decided to see if I could taste a difference. I couldn’t. I thought it needed salt which isn’t called for at all.
What I did next was very ‘merican! I blamed the manufacturer of the stupid measuring spoons (using some bad words). Who makes a half tablespoon as part of a group of spoons? I don’t have a recipe that calls for a half tablespoon!
It definitely couldn’t be my fault for not checking! Or could it?
The recipe satisfied my craving. I’m happy so I’m not going to torture myself. I also made creamed cucumbers and they are the best ever! That evens it all out (in my head).
I love summer when the fruits and vegetables are fresh. I especially love when I have the ambition to do something creative. All good. Carry on!
Well, personally, I don’t think this was a stupid mistake…just a little careless. At least you didn’t leave out a main ingredient or something like that. Homemade blueberry muffins sound heavenly to me. And good for you for baking in summer heat. We still have to eat! 🙂
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I need to pay attention! They were good!
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I had an urge to bake cupcakes also. Think it’s a virus? I saw some watermelon cupcakes and thought they were so cute. I had to use strawberry as there was no watermelon mix, I used tiny chocolate chips for seeds, and green decorator frosting as I could not find green food coloring. They were cute, but so sweet they hurt my mouth. I ended up taking them to church for coffee break. They will eat anything.
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That’s one thing I miss about work. They ate anything there!
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I bake all the time, but watch out when I do something in the evening! Something bad is bound to happen, and the worst part is, there is no one else to blame. I begin to go stupid every evening beginning at 6 pm. Yep, like clockwork.
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Not good at night either. Must be first thing in the morning or I risk missed ingredients.
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Blueberry muffins….drool – perfect for summer – or anytime. Right now fresh blueberries are perfect: plump and sweet
I have 1/2 and even 1/4 tsp. For back when I actually cooked stuff. (I say it’s too hot now, but that excuse is wearing thin as we’ve had winters over the past years HAHA)
At least you were paying attention and used baking powder instead of baking soda as I did the first time I ever made blueberry muffins for a Brownie bade., Dad was a champ – ate them anyway.
(Trade negotiations are slowing exporting of food and there are stockpiles of food waiting? But – why? with as many people that are going hungry every day in this country, why doesn’t our gov. buy the farm produced foods and hand the food all over to food banks, meals on wheels, and places like schools (who are serving 1-2 meals a day free for kids here in summer as they always do – $1.00 for any adult who shows up this year – that was free last year, too.
Stupid just seems to be getting stupider.
Oh, ok, so yesterday there’s an trade agreement for exporting soy beans and some stuff… the hunger here remains.)
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Locally our food bank puts out notices that folks with gardens should drop off fresh produce. That’s a great idea. I remember when I worked, gardeners hauled in cucumbers and tomatoes beyond what was taken by coworkers. Lots of kids go hungry and my heart goes out to them. We weren’t very well off but I never went hungry. Mom had a humongous garden and lots of fruit trees. They don’t make people like my mom anymore though.
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Dad always had a huge garden after he retired. Loved to watch stuff grow – and a bunch of that ended up in one of 2 food banks in their small town – even small towns have people in need.
I never had pizza until college: it was expensive and mom wouldn’t spend the money on “junk food” and we didn’t grow it. (I used to think I was skinny because we had to eat what we grew…and I didn’t always like it HAHA)
(Oh EU is buying the soy beans – I was wrong about that. Word is from the ranch area that people are keeping an eye on the trade deals, wild fires, and mainly drought trying to decide how much of the herds to sell off…meat prices for the rest of us in the balance…and vegetarians are probably thrilled – hey once in a while I want a steak!)
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If it wasn’t for a good steak and occasional burger (and maybe bacon) I’d be a vegetarian.
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They certainly name them right when you buy them. Blueberry Muffins, generally means I get ONE blueberry in the muffin.
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True, never in the plural!
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I love blueberries, and, like you, I want lots of them in a blueberry muffin. Yours look delicious! I’m enjoying the cherries this year, although I eat them with a little bit of sadness. We have lots of cherry farmers in Eastern Washington where my daughter lives, and they’re in trouble this year because of the Trump tariffs. They export a lot of cherries to China.
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I heard he was giving special payments to farmers affected by the tariffs. Hope the cherry guys get some. None of this makes sense. I love cherries too.
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I heard a complaint that the special payment would only go to cereal growers. Nothing for fruit, fish, lobsters, etc. The problem there is that fruit and fish are very labor heavy, meaning lots of low-wage people will be out of work.
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I’m not sure what he was thinking. More people are hurt than helped.
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LOL! Sounds like it all worked out OK anyway, so call it a win!
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I thought they were good and that’s all the counts!
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I have to admit that I burnt slice-and-bake cookies once, and I still will never win any baking prizes. You did not even have to slice those refrigerated cookies, just peel them apart as they were scored. I was ashamed.
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Don’t feel bad. I consider myself a good baker (when I remember to put all the ingredients in). My granddaughters visited a couple of years back. I thought instead of making cookies from scratch, I’d get pre-made ones just like the ones you had. Burned them. Just the bottom. The top never browned. No shortcuts in life and cookies!
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Ha ha – I don’t feel so badly now. I saw those Pillsbury holiday cookies for Valentine’s Day … I remember thinking “well, that can’t be too difficult!”
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How long have you had the spoons? Just wondering how often you may have used the 1/2 tbsp thinking it was a teaspoon?
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I’ve had them a long time. Maybe 20 years. They are black with white lettering and some of them are pretty worn. This one had good lettering so I didn’t use it too often but every failure I had I can blame on it! 🙂
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Sounds right to me. 🙂
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I have never heard of a 1/2 tablespoon! How weird!
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I’m going to throw it out. I don’t ever use it and it can certainly slip me up. Looks very similar to the 1 tsp spoon.
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I’ve never seen a 1/2 tablespoon measure… wouldn’t the recipe just call for 1 1/2 teaspoons? We have some frozen blueberries from last year’s harvest in the bottom of our freezer. When it cools down a bit, I think I’ll encourage my hubby to make some muffins. We missed this year’s first harvest since we were away but our three bushes are working on another batch right now. If the birds don’t get them first, we’ll be in blueberry heaven!
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I tried growing them for a few years. I always lost out to something. One day they were there. The next I came with a pail and they were gone. I even tried netting but they got under it.
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We finally built a cage around our bushes… unfortunately, some varmint chewed a hole in the wire. I don’t mind sharing a bit, but they don’t understand the concept, apparently.
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chewed a hole in the wire? Yikes!
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I have one set of measuring spoons that have a half tablespoon and I have NEVER seen a recipe calling for that measure. You’re right – it is stupid. I am going to remove it from my set right now!
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My job is done! 🙂
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I had a taste for blueberries this morning too – and made pancakes. They were just ‘meh’. I don’t know what I did differently … but I like your line of thinking. It couldn’t possibly be my fault. I blame the blueberries.
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🙂 It’s the ‘merican way!
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I have all kinds of different-sized measuring spoons and cups. My cups have the unusual 1/3 and 2/3 included. The numbers on all of them have worn out, so it’s easy to grab the wrong one. And, don’t think I haven’t done it. Glad your muffins turned out good anyway. Wish I was nearby to grab one for myself. 😉
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I will eat one for you! 🙂 I have a few that have the measurement worn off. I should throw out. This one was clearly marked.
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This has been a particularly stupid month for me. I’m hoping it gets better in August.
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I have those months too.
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A half tablespoon? Never seen such a thing. It’s wrong on so many levels. It’s just that sort of stupid thing that causes sane people to be irrational.
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And it can wreck a batch of something!
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It’s a good thing you weren’t measuring SALT with that 1.5 TBSP measure. 😯
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You got that right! If there is one thing I hate it’s too much salt!
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We’ve stopped eating at restaurants where the kitchen is too heavy handed with the salt. I love “salty” but too salty is inedible.
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I like salt too but there is such a thing as too much.
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I used to have a baking session once a month to make nothing but pies (I baked cakes every week). Fruit pies that is, and would freeze them down. I don’t bake much these days, and cooking this week has been microwave as it’s quick and not draining!
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This is unusual for me in the middle of one of the hottest summers ever!
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Ah………….. !
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I’ve never seen a half tbsp measure! Glad the muffins turned out anyways:)
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Me too! Hate to waste blueberries!
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Creamed cucumbers? I love cucumbers, especially covered with ranch dressing. My Mom made the good old cucumbers with onions, salt, pepper, sugar and vinegar. I loved them but haven’t been able to make them as good as she did. I don’t know why, but blueberries don’t make me smile. Love peaches when they are so sweet and juicy that they drip down your arm when you bite into them!
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There aren’t many fruits I don’t like. Blueberries can be tart if they are not good. If you throw in sour cream and cut back on the sugar and vinegar you have creamed cukes.
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Ok…I too had a ridiculous blueberry craving! Mine was actually for blueberry anything, with lemon icing! It happened because I have been reading a series books by Joanne Fluke. Her main character is a baker…each book has recipes… But, I, unlike you went to the store to buy something blueberry with lemon. The only thing I could come up with was a blueberry bread (just like raisin bread, but with blueberries) and Pepperidge Farm lemon cookies! Pathetic!!!!
However, I ate them!
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OMG! I’m reading Joanne Fluke too and I blame her for my recent rash of baking! None were her recipes but it gets you in the mood. I can’t believe how many cookies her characters eat. I’d weigh 800 pounds!
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I have no idea why they make 1/2 tablespoons, either. Yes, we have one. No, I never use it.
I find recipes that ask for 3 tsps funny, too.
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That’s weird. They could just say 1 tablespoon. Then again, what’s the fun in that.
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LOL! I may not have had my bowl of “stupid” yet this mornimg, but trust me it won’t take long! 🙂
Glad the muffins still turned out. Blueberries are so good!
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They were great. Still are…I have several left.
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🙂 A great breakfast treat!
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I just had one! Yum!
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Hey, accidents happen. That’s when I as a sous chef come in handy in the kitchen. I can make those ‘accidents’ disappear – snorts and oinks sweet friend ❤ XOXO – Bacon
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You should advertise for that. None of my cats are interested unless it involves tuna.
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Hey, you got a point. Maybe I can make some side money to keep me in the life that I’ve grown accustomed too? Snorts and rolls with piggy laughter. XOXO – Bacon
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I’m with you, I hate it when I have to look with a magnifier for the blueberries or a another filling. maybe this store-bakers can need this half tablespoon for the blueberries ( a half tablesoon for a dozen muffins of course). Mr. stupid celebrated a party in my kitchen as I made jelly donuts once with a (huge) lot of jam-filling… that hellions broke apart in the hot oil and the jam with the seeding oil caused a lot of mess… maybe I can sell the recipe to our war ministry, it makes a mighty fine bomb….
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🙂 I love your cooking experiences! I thought you put the jelly in after you cook them but then again, I never made them. Jelly bombs! What would be an awesome war.
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I know… but mr. stupid said I can fill them before too… aaaargh…
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🙂
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I enjoy baking during the winter months. Over the summer, about as creative I get in the kitchen is cutting a cantaloupe. I did recently purchase some blueberries from a local farm. They were huge and the sweetest I’ve ever tasted.
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The fruit I’ve had (maybe with the exception of strawberries) are very sweet this year. Our peaches are good. Cherries wonderful. Blueberries yum! Even the later watermelons are good. I think the earlier ones came from Hades. Bleah!
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