Capers and Olives

Happy New Year!

We started the new year off with walks amid orange trees, gingerbread muffins(recipe below) then

some Tom Waits as the rains then fell. I made some long overdue clothing for the smalls' smalls; that being a coat and wool trousers for Foxy (debatable if it is a grey fox or a rat), little felt coat for little D's frog and a new dress and little coat for Magpie's sock monkey. 

Now time for some tea and that Songlines magazine I found in my stocking! 

(ahh yes made some new stockings this year!) 

see below

Gingerbread Muffins

2 1/2 cups flour

 1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1tsp ginger

1/2 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup margarine

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 cup molasses (mixed with 1 cup boiling water- let sit for half an hour)

Directions: Cream the vegetable shortening with the sugar then add the egg, separately mix all the dry ingredients and add alternatively with the molasses and water mixture.

Makes 18 (very moist) dark muffins, bake at180/350 for 15-18 min