Here is my $1.50 Japanese bread basket that ended up costing $89.48 after all the paint I needed to make it white. See? Looks cute with the basket liners which are the easiest thing in the world to make.
I think it would make a cute house warming gift – bake a batch of muffins and present them in a little basket with a pretty liner.
I am experimenting with Ina Garten’s tri-berry muffins from her Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook. Only I made mine bi-berry since I didn’t feel like adding strawberries (blueberries and raspberries made the cut).
Ina, and this book, is my go to inspiration. Everything I have made from this book makes me look like an accomplished chef. This is my first foray in to the baking section though. I am going to make the cable TV guy test them out as soon as he gets here.
I used blueberries that I bought fresh during the summer and froze. And frozen raspberries from the store. I would recommend letting them thaw on a cookie sheet and then gently incorporate them into the batter. I just plunked them in frozen and they took way longer to bake then the recipe indicated.
Where is that cable guy, anyway?
Andrea – I’m a big fan of Ina Garten and I’ve found that almost every recipe of hers I’ve tried has taken much longer than the recipe says. Not sure if she has a convection oven or what – but the roasted chicken recipe takes almost twice as long as she says. Same with the ultimate brownies – takes much longer.
Glad it’s not just me or my oven! Regardless – they look delicious.
OM Gosh – those look amazing. I love love love blueberries too!
I have that cookbook and I drool over it from time to time, but I don’t think I’ve ever cooked anything out of it! The muffins look lovely…I’ll have to give them a try.
I had to laugh at your $89 Japanese basket! So, how did the cable guy like the muffins? When summer comes, you must try Ina’s recipe for upside down plum cake. It is fantastic. I forget which of her cookbooks it is in, but you must try out that easy and delicious cake.
whoooa love the basket, it turned out great!
Barefoot Contessa Rocks the house. I love her peas pesto and pasta salad…
Those muffins look really yummy and would look great in your 89.00 dollar basket, LOL. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been done that road of things turning out a bit more work and money than was in the original plan. But the end results is almost always worth it, like your basket.
Love Ina – just got done watching her on the food network.
Have a great Sunday – Karen
Great muffins and they look great in the Big$$$ basket. hehehe Got to love when crafts have their own mine set. I once had to use three gallons of white paint to cover a ugly blue dresser. Next time I went darker.. less paint…Katie