Lemon Blueberry Muffins Recipe

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Easy Blueberry Muffins Ingredients

• ⅛ tsp of fine salt
• ½ tsp of pure vanilla extract
• ¾ cup of sugar (and a little extra for sprinkling on top)
• 1 cup of unsalted butter (1 stick)
• 1 tbsp of lemon zest (finely grated)
• 1 cup of whole milk
• 1 tbsp of baking powder
• 1½ cups of fresh blueberries (rinse and dry them)
• 2 large eggs
• 2½ cups of all-purpose flour
• Freshly-grated nutmeg

Blueberry Muffins Directions:

1. Heat your oven to 425⁰ Place 12 cupcake liners in a muffin tin.
2. Mix the baking powder, sugar, salt, nutmeg, and flour in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Melt the butter in a microwave. It should melt in about 30 seconds.
4. Mix the butter, eggs, milk, vanilla, and lemon zest in a bowl.
5. Make a small hole in the middle of the dry mixture and pour the wet ingredients inside.
6. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon till it is moist but still lumpy. Avoid over-mixing because your muffins will be dense if you do.
7. Add the blueberries. Pour the mixture into the muffin tin and divide evenly. Sprinkle sugar on top generously.
8. Put the muffin tin in the oven and decrease the temperature to 375⁰
9. Bake till the muffins turn golden brown (for about 25 minutes). Rotate the tin halfway through baking. Test one of the muffins with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, they’re done.
10. Remove the tin from the oven and place it on a rack to cool.
11. Remove muffins and serve.

Looking for a memorable and tasty Mother’s Day Gift?

Try making her a cupcake bouquet for Mother’s Day!

You can make these for your wife and ask your children to help you. You’ll have a wonderful time together as you equip them with vital life skills. Young kids love to help around the kitchen and this could be the perfect moment to teach them all they need to know about creaming butter and sugar and measuring flour.

Would you make some changes to this Mother’s Day brunch recipe?

Mothers Day Brunch: Crab Cake Benedict 

Image via: Olivia Rae via Everyday Musings – Flickr

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Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

For Crab Cakes:

1 pound crab meat

1 egg

½ small onion

3 stalks celery

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon seafood seasoning

2 dashes Worcestershire sauce

10-15 saltine crackers

For Hollandaise Sauce:

4 egg yolks

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 stick butter, melted

Cayenne pepper, to taste

Image via: Sea Pak seafood

For Benedict:

4 English muffins, halved

8 eggs

2 tablespoons white vinegar

Fresh parsley, for garnish

Preparation:

1. Start by preparing the ingredients for the crab cakes. Pick through the crab to ensure the meat is free of cartilage and shells. Finely dice the celery and onion. Crush the saltine crackers into crumbs and set them aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the crab, egg, celery, onion, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and seafood seasoning until cohesive.
3. Shape the crab mixture into 8 equal-sized crab cakes. Then, roll the crab mixture in the cracker crumbs until the outside is completely covered. (Note: You can do this the night before, cover, and refrigerate to make things move more quickly in the morning.)
4. When you’re ready to cook the Benedict’s, start by making the hollandaise. Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl and until the mixture is thickened and doubled in volume.
5. Place the bowl over a double-boiler, or saucepan containing barely simmering water, and continuing to whisk rapidly. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume.
6. Remove the sauce from the heat, whisk in cayenne and salt. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use for the eggs Benedict.
7. Bring the water up to a slow boil and add in the white vinegar. Keep this going while you cook the crab cakes.
8. Heat a few tablespoons of oil over medium in a skillet. Cook the crab cakes until they are lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side. When done, allow them to drain on a paper towel and use the skillet to lightly toast the English muffin halves.
9. Meanwhile gently crack 1 of the eggs into the water taking care not to break it. Repeat with remaining eggs.
10. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook 3 1/2 minutes until the egg white is set and yolk remains soft. Remove with a slotted spoon, allowing the egg to drain.
11. Assemble the Benedict’s by putting a crab cake on each English half. Then, top them all with a poached egg and a generous portion of hollandaise sauce.
12. Serve warm, garnished with chopped parsley.

While this dish does have a few steps, with the proper time management it’s actually surprisingly simple. Make sure Mom knows how thankful you for all she does by preparing this show-stopping dish for mothers day brunch. In fact, don’t hesitate to revisit the recipe any time you need to impress someone special.

For more brunch ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Today we continue Stagetecture’s feature ‘Olioboard Inspiration‘. Last week you enjoyed Michelle Clark’s– ‘Creative Space Saving Kitchen Ideas ‘ and this week I bring you Annette Dunlap  a member of the Facebook Olioboard Fan Room. I asked her to inspire us with a Mother’s Day theme and she did a gorgeous garden-inspired brunch! Look at her Mother’s Day brunch, tablescape and decoration ideas to celebrate Mom in the beautiful outdoors.

If you’re interested in being featured see details here: How to be featured on Stagetecture’s Olioboard Inspiration‘ series.

A Mother’s Day Brunch Menu

How will you celebrate your Mom on May 12^th?  A restaurant can get expensive and if you don’t have reservations getting a table can be tricky.  An outdoor Mother’s Day Brunch is a simple and informal way to make your mom feel special.

• The menu for this brunch features ham strata, which is prepared the night before, refrigerated and then baked in the morning (for those who are vegetarians just substitute the ham with mushrooms and spinach or another vegetable of your choice).  It’s simple but oh so delicious and with the prep work done the night before it eliminates a lot of time spent in the kitchen on Mother’s Day.  
• Monkey Bread adds a delicious sweet element to the meal and is incredibly easy to make when you use Rhodes frozen dinner rolls.
• Finish it off with a refreshing watermelon fruit salad “cake” and hot coffee or tea and you have the perfect Mother’s Day brunch menu that’s certain to make your Mom smile!

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Tablescape Design & Decorations

Since the brunch will be held outdoors, nature will provide the perfect backdrop for your party.  Try to find a special place in your yard where the flowers are blooming or there’s a pretty shade tree and begin setting your table using natural elements such as the ones I’ve shown in my design board.  I started with burlap table runners and then added classic blue mason jars which go beautifully with the fragrant lilacs as a centerpiece.

You can use any fresh flowers such as roses, peonies or even a mix of wildflowers but keep the vessel that contains them simple and let the flowers be the focal point…Moms love fresh flowers!

A trick I’ve learned from hosting many holiday dinners is using colorful paper plates (don’t forget to recycle!) and placing them on inexpensive gold chargers.  This really cuts down on time spent washing dishes but still adds a touch of elegance and it’s perfect for an outdoor party.  To add a special touch to the silverware, wrap them in a small piece of burlap or simply tie a piece of jute around them in a simple bow.

Add garden lights, some colorful tissue paper balls hanging from a tree branch and the burlap “Family” flag banner is a sentimental touch that will be a special gift for Mom to hang in her home.  Don’t forget to mix and match chairs, cups, silverware, etc. as this keeps the tablescape interesting and not too formal.

Wishing everyone a very Happy Mother’s Day!!

Annette Dunlap is a decorating consultant in northeast Ohio.  She is employed part-time as a design assistant at Posh Places as well as working with her own clients and also recently opened a small thrift/antique shop with her sister called The Thrifty Beach Bums.  She is an avid Olioboard member .  You can visit Annette’s website , contact her on Twitter @akddesigns or follow her on Pinterest.

Creative Brunch Table Setting Ideas for Mother’s Day

Image via: Home Tips & Ideas

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Add Fruits & Flowers

Spring is a season of fruits and flowers. So, adding them on the brunch table is a nice way to bring colors, freshness, and taste. For bringing a lovely appearance, a colorful look, and fresh natural smell, use your favorite type and color of flowers on the table. Give it a lovely fruity touch by adding some fresh oranges and lemons among the flowers. Some of the fruits can also be thrown around the pot of the flowers. In this way, the brunch table will get a simple yet colorful and decorated look.

Image via: Divine Taste

Keep the Menu Healthy

You can include anything in the menu – from quiches and casseroles to sweet rolls and muffins. However, be sure that the foods are healthy and are suitable for a summer breakfast. For example, including parfait will just be perfect for a summer brunch. You can make the item healthy by adding slices of strawberries or bananas and yogurt besides the regular ingredients. However, the brunch can be started with a lovely champagne cocktail because moms worth it!

Image via: Heart Handmade

Decorate the Table

A nice meal looks good on a nicely decorated table. Besides preparing special foods, use decorated plates, cups, teapots, and glasses to serve them. Try to give the table setting a special touch by adding a decorated menu, a card on a plate with ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ written on it, colorful napkins tied with lovely ribbons, and a card holder with a card having your mom’s name on it. Arrange spoons, forks, and knives properly around the plates. You can use linens with delicate springtime hues on the table for adding a visual and textural contrast.

Add Colors to the Table

A colorful table setting can lift the mood in a jiffy. Apart from using fruits and flowers, a nice way to bring colors on the table is to add drinks or fresh fruit juices of various colors. It is also not a bad idea to have plates full of bright colored vegetable leaves or slices of various fruits. It will not only add charming colors but also show a kind of warm love. You can also use a number of colorful candles for creating a festive mood.

Image via: Indulgy

Your mother will surely be impressed with a home-cooked meal served on a table that includes her favorite flowers, foods, colors, and china. She will also be delighted to have a chance to meet and spend time with the whole family together.

For more Mother’s Day ideas on Stagetecture, click here.