Post by Alison Hein.

There are lots of wonderful things about living in New Jersey. No, I am not talking about the unemployment rate, chemical smells or traffic on the turnpike. Rather, I am referring to the abundance of spectacular seasonal produce for which our Garden State is named. Summer yields tomatoes, blueberries and sweet corn. Autumn brings its own pleasure – the small but mighty cranberry.

One of the true indigenous North American fruits, cranberries were used extensively by Native Americans. It is rumored (although not proven) that Native Americans introduced the tiny red gems to starving English settlers at the first Thanksgiving feast. To this day, cranberries, and cranberry sauce, are served at traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.

Here is where these muffins finally enter the picture – as a nutritious and delicious way to use remaining cranberry sauce after the holidays. They are a little different from standard cranberry muffins, where whole berries are added to the batter before baking. The sauce infuses a cranberry flavor throughout each muffin, providing a lovely tartness with each bite. Ginger keeps the muffins on the tart side, and whole wheat flour adds hearty depth – a nice choice with morning coffee.

I like to make my own whole berry cranberry sauce. The recipe is simple, and can be found on most fresh cranberry packages: 3 parts cranberries, 1 part sugar, 1 part water. Bring the water and sugar to a boil, add the berries, and cook at a bubbling simmer for about 10 minutes until the berries pop and the sauce begins to thicken.

No need to wait for the holidays to enjoy these muffins, though. Fresh cranberries keep easily in the freezer for nine months. Be sure to stock up so you can luxuriate in many a berry-infused breakfast in bed – before the next fall harvest.

Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
½ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups whole berry cranberry sauce (or one 16-ounce can)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated (or ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground ginger)
¾ cup white flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Stir in cranberry sauce and ginger.
2. In separate bowl, mix remaining dry ingredients. Combine dry ingredients with cranberry mixture. Spoon into lined muffin tin and bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool slightly on rack before removing muffins from tin.

Makes 10 to 12 muffins.

Tags: Breakfast in Bed, Children, Cranberry Sauce Ginger Muffins, family, Recipes

Post by Mark T. Locker.

10 Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle.
Well, much as I hate to admit it, the spooky season is over. It’s time to embrace lovey-dovey cute and cuddlies. Tonight, tuck in your babe and share a couple stories by classic children’s book author Eric Carle. 10 Little Rubber Ducks is a simple counting book based on the true story of a crate of little rubber animals that washed overboard and turned up on beaches all over the world. Each duck in the story drifts a different direction, encountering different sea creatures. Not only does this book have the classic brightly-colored paintings for which Eric Carle is known, but the final page features an electronic squeaking duck button which kids will undoubtedly press a thousand times.

Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle.
I happen to like the moon quite a bit. Which is, ironically, why I don’t care much for this book. But it’s a good bedtime story and the little ones like it. A little girl loves the moon and asks her father to get it for him. So he gets a long ladder, climbs a tall mountain, and goes up to the moon. The moon tells him to come back when he (the moon) is smaller. He goes back when it is a crescent, takes it home for his daughter who plays with it until it disappears. The final page folds out into a giant picture of the moon, which reappears a few days later in the sky. A sweet little story about the phases of the moon.

Post by Alison Hein.

Yeah, yeah I know. Granola is passé. Very seventies. So health foodish. And everyone and their brother has their own special recipe. The difference is, I really do have a special recipe.

Most purchased granola is too sugary for my taste, and the giant clumps of hardened oats tend to hurt my teeth. Over the years, I’ve experimented with different ingredients, measurements, and techniques to come up with the perfect blend. There is just enough oil to be crunchy (never use butter!), and just enough honey to be lightly sweet. Chewy dried fruit, such as dates and raisins, can always be added later to suit individual tastes.

Granola is a staple in my kitchen. It’s very easy to bake a large batch to have on hand for all kinds of treats. Try it in pancakes or muffins, or even make your own granola bars. It’s also delicious as a light, nutty crunch topping for ice cream or baked fruit crumbles.

While cooking, be sure to flip and stir your oat and nut mixture frequently for even toasting. The final product will be a lovely golden brown, and your kitchen will be scented with wafts of warm vanilla. Get a large glass jar with a good seal to store and admire your granola. Then, for a luscious breakfast in bed, add about a half a cup of granola to a pretty bowl. Top with a couple of tablespoons of vanilla yogurt and
a handful of fresh berries. Now dig in and enjoy.

Tags: Breakfast, Breakfast in Bed, Breakfast Recipe, Charles P. Rogers Beds, family, Granola

Post by Mark T. Locker.

Here in Portland it is raining a little and fall is just a few days away. It is at this time of year that I love to nestle under the blankets with my first warm drink of the season and put on Clue. This silly 1985 movie is based on the board game of the same name. Its cast boasts such stars as Tim Curry, Christopher Lloyd and, in my favorite role, Madeleine Kahn as the tragic Mrs. White. Part mystery, part semi-raunchy comedy, this is one of the few movies I have never grown tired of.
The basic premise is that six guests are invited under mysterious circumstances to a creepy old mansion on a rainy night. Tim Curry (the butler) informs them that they are being blackmailed and the blackmailer is among them. One by one people wind up dead and it us up to you to decide who is the killer. In the theaters, there were three different endings at three different cinemas. On DVD, the three possible solutions are all neatly laid out. I love this movie. Love it with me.

Tags: bed, Charles P. Rogers, Clue, family, Movies, review

Cucumber Watermelon Salad

Post by Alison Hein.

We’ve heard a lot about power breakfasts the last few years, but not so much about power-less breakfasts. This all changed last week when Hurricane Irene blew through, leaving major damage and lingering power outages in her wake.

Thankfully, many of us were spared. We put away our hanging plants and patio furniture, stocked up on water and dry goods, and hunkered down to wait out the storm. When Irene left, some of us had lights, and some didn’t. A minimal inconvenience compared to what might have been, and was for many. Our hearts go out to friends and neighbors all along the Eastern seaboard who have suffered greatly.

Practical beings that we are, after safety is confirmed, our minds (and bellies) turn to other things – like hunger. Everyone I know who lost power tried to eat up the contents of their refrigerators. A little creativity, a little luck… you never know what you may turn up.

In our case, it turned out to be a refreshing, watermelon and cucumber salad, with a tangy vinaigrette. I can’t say it was a relaxing breakfast in bed, but the cool fruit was soothing and thirst-quenching. Next time I’d prefer to try this at a family picnic.

Ingredients
¼ seedless watermelon
1 cucumber
1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced
¼ cup champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions
1. Remove rind from watermelon, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 2 cups), and place in large bowl. Pare cucumber, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 2 cups) and add to watermelon. Add fresh dill, and stir in gently.
2. In separate small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, sugar and salt to make vinaigrette. Pour over watermelon and cucumber mixture and gently stir. Chill in refrigerator for at least one hour. To serve, spoon salad into dishes with slotted spoon, and pour a small amount of vinaigrette over salad. Garnish with fresh dill if you like.

Makes approximately 4 ½-cup servings.