So I had good intentions today - attempting to be Supermum amidst the chaos.  With 3 children to play sport and 1 child to perform in the Mothers Day piano concert and Ian’s busy day at work, it was always going to be chaotic, however I planned to arise to the occassion by playing Supermum! 

THE PLAN

• Ian takes L2 to basketball (he gets the 8.30am early game)

• Family friend takes B1 to netball (he opted for netball, rather than basketball this week)

• C3 & BP (family friends son) was my responsiblity - basketball at 12.40pm. 

• Myself & Ian to take all kids to B1’s Mothers Day piano concert at 3.30pm (with a ‘platter of food to share’)

Bearing all this in mind I decided to be organised and prepare the ‘platter of food’ for the piano concert early.  I decide on Cheese, Corn & Bacon Muffins - but we don’t have any bacon on hand, so I decide to get creative and replace the bacon with tuna, and I also make the decision to do ‘double mixture’ so we can double up as lunch.  In hindsight - perhaps a bad decision - just ask the family!

My two culinary helpers today were C3 & B4.  They were both very eager and at no time did they question the ingredients we were putting into my muffins.  30 minutes before we were to leave for our 12.40pm basketball game - voila!  Cheese, Corn & Tuna Muffins cooked to perfection.  Perfect as a substitute for lunch!   Hmmmmm….. C3 proud of his culinary achievement enthusiastically bit into the muffin and promptly spat it out.  B4 ate hers but didn’t go back for another.  K5 promptly spat his back out.  Okay, message received, so we scurrily prepared the trustworthy cheese and vegemite sandwiches and ate in the car on the way to basketball.  I quite liked my creation so packed a few in a container to take along for the ride.  Then, L2 decided he would like to try our muffins.  That promptly ended when he took one bite, spat out what he had in his mouth, announced that he didn’t want it anymore and what does he do with the bit he just spat out.  I replied with “just eat it”.  He couldn’t stomach this thought so we concluded the best idea was to probably throw it out the car window.  Our visitor, BP,  whom we were also taking to basketball was curious about the muffins but when offered one decided he wouldn’t like to try one.  He politely declined. 

With little time between returning from basketball and leaving the piano concert, and NO home-cooked muffins to take to the concert I decided I would attempt the Supermum thing and bake some ‘yummy muffins’.   So, yummy muffin mixture I made, however, no time to bake them - time to go!  We’ll have to buy something on the way or subject our fellow piano friends to Cheese, Corn & Tuna muffins.

On the way to piano it’s Ian’s turn to try ‘the muffins’.  I ask Ian if he’d like to try one of my muffins.  I remind him that the kids don’t seem to like them but I reassure (or hope) it’s probably because they are expecting muffins to be sweet, not savoury.  So with the realisation that they are savoury muffins and Ian feeling peckish, Ian decides to ‘have a muffin’.  Ian  is ‘difficult to read’ at the best of times, so as he devours into his first muffin I eagerly try and read his reaction.  So far, so good.  Hubby is carefully  chewing the muffin.  I think ‘great he likes it!’ - then the reality sets in!  Ian comes out with a very profound comment - “I reckon these muffins are the worst I’ve ever tasted, they actually taste like dishwashing detergent”.  Great!  So even Ian doesn’t like them - they must be pretty bad.  Not to be left behind, B1 decides that she wants to try the muffins and after her first ‘nibble’ announces that she likes them, then she takes a BIG BITE and promptly announces that she’s changed her mind - they taste yukky.

Okay.   Now I concede defeat, probably not my best creation.  So, Tim Tams & Chocolate Royals from the local milk bar it is for the piano concert!   A successful piano concert was had with B1 playing Trumpet Tune composed by William Duncombe beautifully.  And, when we returned home I finished cooking the yummy muffins (Caramel & Choc Chip Muffins), and the family was content - the first batch devoured in one sitting.

So, if you want this combo of recipes - one for your friends, one for your enemies….. here they are.

Culinary Disaster - Cheese, Corn & Tuna Muffins

• 3 cups plain flour
• 1 1/2 cups creamed corn
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 2 cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp salt
• 120g Tuna
• 160g tasty cheese
• 2 tsp mixed herbs

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius, combine ingredients, spoon mixture into cases or muffin tray and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked.

NB:  This is double mixture adapted from my favourite healthy cookbook by Glowing Results.  I MUST STRESS that the culinary disaster is my own adapted recipe.  I’m sure if I had have followed the original recipe it would have indeed been a culinary achievement.

Culinary Achievement - Caramel & Choc Chip Muffins

• 250g unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp instant coffee granules
• 2 tbsp boiling water
• 2 1/2 cups SR Flour
• 1 cup milk
• 200g caramels (melted)
• 1 cup choc chips

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius, combine ingredients, spoon mixture into cases or muffin tray and bake for 20 minutes. 

NB:  This is double mixture and adapted from my favourite little muffin cookbook 500 cupcakes by Fergal Connolly

1. I’d love to hear of anyone else’s culinary achievements and disasters - am I alone in my experience?
2. Experienced chefs, where did I go wrong with my culinary disaster?
3. Anyone want to try one of my muffins?

This entry was posted on Saturday, May 9th, 2009 at 9:08 pm and is filed under Recipes, The Family. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.