The Best! Chocolate Chip Muffins

We bake and cook a lot in our home, and try new recipes often. When trying new recipes, you take a chance, which means that some are only ever tried once! So, when I find a perfect recipe, I like to keep it and then develop new flavours out of the original.

This Chocolate Chip muffin recipe is perfection. I followed the ingredients to a T, and honestly, the consistency, the balance of salt and sweet, made these muffins delicious. I'll be trying this recipe with fruits and other fillings to see if it's texture holds up  with a more moist filling.

Ingredients:

• 2 & ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup milk (whole or buttermilk is preferred)*
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1 & ½ cups chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F and spray a 12 cup muffin tray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and chocolate chips. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla. Slowly add to the dry ingredients. Gently fold together until JUST combined.
4. Divide the batter into the 12** muffin cups and bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then turn the oven heat down to 375°F and bake for another 13-15 minutes. Let cool for about 5-10 minutes and enjoy warm.

*I used Buttermilk, which I believe was key in the consistency turning out so well, a slightly crunchy outside with a moist soft centre. 

**Also, I made smaller muffins and was able to get 24 out of this recipe. Just depends how full you fill each muffin compartment. 

Silicone Muffin Liners are great!

  

Mice? Nope, just my Sammy boy!

Original Recipe found at:

littlesweetbaker.com

Gung Hei Fat Choi!

This month, the theme for home-ec was Chinese New Year. We had fun learning about the traditions, making crafts and trying new recipes to commemorate the occasion. Check it all out below!

Crafts

We made the flag of China, easy and beautiful!

 Sahira, my 8 tear old made this by herself, with the exception of some help with the glue gun. She used a piece of felt and glued it to a cardboard backing for the flag, and then used foam star stickers for the design. She then wrapped some gold ribbon around a dowel and hot-glued it to the top of the flag, added some ribbons for hanging, and it was done!

Canvas

I found this cute little canvas and easel set at the dollar store! This is meant to be a gift for my sister, who is half Cantonese. The children have inherited my pride in that and always tell their friends that their Khala (Aunt) is half Asian! We chose the calligraphy to say year of the Ox, and year of the Horse, as my sister is an ox and her husband a horse. Lets hope the internet gave us an accurate translation! But if not, it looks pretty anyway.

Food

One of my favourite soups ever is, and always has been, Wonton soup; so of course that was what we made! I found the recipe on Pinterest, and it is a keeper. It tasted exactly like the soup I remember having as a child in one of the many Chinese restaurants my Mom took us to. 

Check out the recipe here: Chicken Wonton Soup

The kids were all excellent little wonton makers as well.

Here's how to wrap a wonton, demonstrated by Sultana.

We had Traditional Chinese Music playing while we prepared food. It was very relaxing! We were feeling very Zen, and there's a possibility that it made the food better too.

Listen Here: 2 hours of Traditional Chinese Tunes

Our Beautiful Wonton Soup

YUM YUM!

We also made Kung Pao Chicken, in the crockpot! It turned out delicious, but I forgot to take a picture before the family devoured it all! The recipe is in the pics below. ** Dont forget to use chopsticks for your Chinese meal!

  

Sayda, having a mini mandarin orange Jello Cup snack, while her sisters prepare the food.

Activites

Nanna and the kids spent time looking up everyone's Chinese animal sign. The kids enjoyed finding out what their sign was,their lucky number and colours were, and either agreeing or disagreeing with the description of their personalities.

Chinese Zodiac: Find your animal sign

You cant have Chinese New Year without little red envelopes! I put a toonie in each one.

My mom bought the kids a little Chinese New Year instrument set from our local Asian market. Samir loved the drum...

Shy Saydee Lady was on the Marakas....wait, Chinese Marakas...

and Sahira seemed pretty excited about her horn...

Gung Hei Fat Choi!