Hot on the heels of Independence Day ponderings and a previous post about families that aren’t as close as cozy as they could be, we have an entry about my mother-in-law’s visit this past Saturday.
Several days in advance, Khun Sudha (Tawn’s father) told Khun Nui (Tawn’s mother – “Khun” being a prefix of respect) that he was joining his friends for some social event all day Saturday. She called Tawn to announce that she would come over and visit us on Saturday. Shortly thereafter, she called me to say that she wanted me to cook for her.
Considering my options, I selected a recipe for blueberry muffins from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook, a.k.a. Baking on the Cellblock. Muffins are a fun breakfast food and, despite the expense of the imported from Australia berries, a worthwhile treat for my mother-in-law.
The recipe is basically a white cake dough: eggs creamed with sugar, add vanilla, then spoon in a mixture of flour, baking powder (of which I need to buy some more – note to self), and salt.
Mix just until moistened, taking care not to over mix. Fold in the blueberries – coat them lightly with the flour mixture beforehand so they don’t sink to the bottom of the muffin – and then scoop into a buttered and floured muffin tin.
After filling the tins, bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.
While the muffins bake, clean out every last bit of goodness from the bowl and eat it with complete disregard for the raw eggs in the batter!
Below: Before and after.
Tawn went to pick up his mother while the muffins were baking. His parents live only about 10 minutes away (when there isn’t any traffic) so by the time the muffins were ready to come out of the oven, Tawn and his mother had returned.
I was fearful that the muffins would stick to the pan, but a little gentle loosening with a table knife was enough to overcome their shyness and they popper right out as if to say, “Hello, world! Eat me!”
Also on the list was a roasted bell pepper fritata.
So easy to roast bell peppers at home using your broiler. Burn them and then thrown them in a plastic container to steam for a few minutes. Peel the charred skins off and then slice and use to add a bit of smoky goodness to your food.
To add some moisture to the eggs, I used cottage cheese. It produces a nice creamy texture and, by adding some additional lumps on top of the fritata, I get a nice browning effect.
Finish with some sliced fresh avocado and you have a good California breakfast on your hands.
Below: Before and after.
Finally, after a flurry of picture taking that caused Khun Nui to arch her eyebrows in a unspoken question, we sat down and ate breakfast.
Above: An artistically-composed show by Tawn and me, Mom and the muffins. Notice that he focused on the muffins.
christao408 
The muffins look gorgeous, the fritatta too. I would love to meet Tawn’s mom one of these days, she sounds (and looks) like a really lovely lady. I agree that licking the spoon and bowl is a very important step in the baking process… it should never be skipped.
Awww…. nice pics. Oh, in the last picture, the muffins are just slightly blurry – both you and Tawn’s mom are in perfect focus.
I am glad you have a good rapport with Tawn’s mom. The pictures are great.
Your muffin is so yummy, and your Tawn’s mom seemed to like you a lot. That is so nice!
so that’s how muffins look before baked…I am going to start baking once I have a kitchen
It’s nice to have a good rapport with your mom-in-law!! haha~~You cooked up such a wonderful brunch with all my favourite ingredients….better than most of the brunch places in LA!! *drool*
@alextebow – When you and Bill make it over here, I’ll be sure to introduce you to Tawn’s mom. Hopefully his father, too.
@ElusiveWords – Tawn was experimenting with a tight focal range, I think.
@ZSA_MD – @stevew918 – Once you have the mother on your side, all the rest will fall into place, right?
@gyjcwang – You’ve never seen muffin (or cake) batter? Yes, you do need to start baking! =)
@curry69curry – Better than most brunch place in LA? Don’t say that, Curry. Otherwise, where are we going to have brunch next month?
It sounds like you had a nice visit with Tawn’s mom. It’s nice that his family lives close enough to be able to visit.Btw, the muffins look delicious!
@TheCheshireGrins – Thanks, it is nice to have Tawn’s mom come over. Hopefully, one day his father will, too.
What a lovely breakfast you prepared for your mother in law! Great pics, and she looks like a sweet lady. Thanks for sharing this!
Tawn looks exactly like his mom! And the food looks delicious!
I want your frittata! At first glance at the pic, I was like: oh how cute…he made a granny-smith apple pie. Then I read about the roasted peppers, cottage cheese, avocado, and my head exploded. I also wouldn’t mind living inside that blueberry muffin mountain.
The muffins look wonderful.
@jasonbasin – You thought that was an apple pie? =)
@zacksamurai – Next time you’re back in town, Nicky, we’ll have you over for breakfast.
@Dezinerdreams – Isn’t the similarity between them amazing? Actually, Tawn’s mouth sometimes looks like his father’s but the forehead definitely comes form mom.
@allthingsbarbara – Thanks for your comment. Khun Nui is indeed a sweet lady.
I like before and after pics…so creative. Everything looked so great as well.
@blue_beau – Thank you; I didn’t plan the shots quite like that but they worked out nicely.
Mmmm…muffins. I like to sprinkle sugar in the raw on top before baking. Yum. The California frittata looked great too. I think I’ll go to the farmers market tomorrow and pick up the ingredients. The picture of Tawn and his mom would be a great picture in a frame for Mother’s Day or Christmas.
@socaltransplant – Actually, the recipe said to sprinkle the sugar on top and I forgot!
Everything looks wonderful, especially the people. Hugs and kisses to you and Tawn!
@albertmoore – Thanks. Looking forward to seeing you soon.
@christao408 – Although I do not communicate with you directly very often, you are never far from thought. Brian had an incredible first year at Kutztown U. He was awarded several scholarships and awards. Brooke is in PT, again. I swear she will have worn out her body before she gets to university. Happy and healthy they all are, though. M, D, and Brooke here 8/7-19.
@albertmoore – Thank you for the thoughts. I certainly wish we were more frequently in contact but of course you are always in our hearts and minds, too. I wish I were staying just a few more days in California so I could see your parents! Tell Brooke that her body needs to last several more decades!