Toaster Oven Muffins, Microwave Noodles
published by Daisy Peasblossom on Sep 28, 2009
Like two old ladies at a book club, my house and I are getting used to each other.
After two years in my new-to-me house, I’ve almost got all the wrinkles worked out of how to deal with the aging wiring, the odd, sprawling room arrangement, and my life-in-the-fast-lane employment. One thing for sure, cooking has to be done on-the-fly, and while I’m doing something else. Since the kitchen wiring is scary at best, I’ve moved most of the kitchen appliances to other parts of the house where the electricity is a little more reliable.
This has resulted in a snack corner by the TV and a Breakfast Nook in the study. Since I spend about 80% of my at-home time in the study, a lot of the cooking is done in the breakfast nook.
The breakfast nook includes a dorm-sized refrigerator (purchased long ago), a small microwave, a toaster oven, a set of shelves for tea and other fast nibbles, a wall-sorter made from a 2-liter bottle for silverware, and a wall rack for cups. Currently, there are no cups on the wall rack because of the pair of new kitten foundlings.
Today’s cooking projects included corn muffins, banana nut bread muffins, and Chicken Alfredo.
Toaster Oven Muffins:
Ingredients
- One box Jiffy corn muffin mix
- 2 eggs
- one tablespoon butter
Equipment
- Toaster oven
- Two disposable muffin tins (with holes for 6 muffins each) and paper muffin liners.
Method
Ignore the box instructions. Add two eggs to the Jiffy mix, stir till it looks crumbly. Forget that the butter should go in the muffins, until after you have spooned the batter into the cups. Decide that everything goes better with a little bit of butter, and dab about 1/4 teaspoon on the top of each. Cook for approximately 25 minutes at 350F. They turned out a little odd, but quite edible. I’ll try to remember to stir the butter in next time.
Microwave Chicken Alfredo
Ingredients
- 2 frozen chicken breasts
- About 2 cups dried egg noodles (I used the store kind; if you are ambitious and have a lot of time, you can make your own.)
- 2 quarts water, or enough to cover the noodles
- about 1/4 cup of frozen chopped broccoli
- 1 jar Ragu Alfredo sauce
Equipment
- Microwave oven
- 2 quart casserole, or the biggest one that will fit in your microwave
Method
Put the chicken breasts in the casserole, and put in microwave to thaw. This cannot be done till the toaster oven is through with the muffins, however, because Microwave + Toaster Oven = Blown Fuse. (Yuck!) When thawed, cook for 5 minutes on high, turn chicken over, and cook another 5 minutes. Cut chicken into small bites, add dry noodles and water to cover. Cook in microwave on medium heat for about ten minutes. Stir. Continue cooking on medium heat for 20 minutes or until the noodles are tender and all the water absorbed. Add the frozen broccoli (the cheap bits are just fine–in fact, they work best for this), add the Ragu Alfredo sauce, and nuke it again on high for three and a half minutes. Let stand while you finish your Triond article or game segment.
Results: Fairly edible; supper is cooked, so is breakfast, and there will be left-overs to take for lunch. Meanwhile, I have finished my lesson plans and written anothe article for Triond!
Since everything–including the coffee pot–has a timer, I cannot scorch anything. As a final bit of planning, I put the cooled muffins in zip-lock baggies, and pin them to the window curtain. That way, I won’t forget in the morning what is on the menu for breakfast!
# 1 by ken bultman
September 28th, 2009 at 6:44 am #
Loved it. Not just because corn muffins are my favorite and I can make them myself and the chicken sounds delicious but it was a funny read. You really should hire an electrician.
# 2 by Christine Ramsay
September 28th, 2009 at 7:40 am #
I don’t know how you find the time to write never mind cook. You are an amazing lady. I must give you three housepoints for these recipes.
Christine
# 3 by Tlchimes
September 28th, 2009 at 9:55 am #
I laughed not only at your wonderful way of telling but also because we have very simular things going on in our home.
# 4 by Mark Gordon Brown
September 28th, 2009 at 9:55 am #
If I left muffins hanging like that the cats would have tore them down and played with them, your kittens must be well trained.
good food ideas..
# 5 by Ramalingam
September 28th, 2009 at 12:21 pm #
Though I am not familiar with your dish, I admire your versatality as a librarian, as a teacher, as a writer and then as an expert cook too.Thanks for sharing.
# 6 by Annie Hintsala
September 28th, 2009 at 2:17 pm #
That sounds easy and yummy! Always looking for something new with the family.
# 7 by Karen Gross
September 28th, 2009 at 3:41 pm #
You forgot to stir in the butter, I forgot to add it to my last batch of muffins. I saw the melted butter in the microwave just as the last batch was coming out of the oven. I slathered each hot muffin with the melted butter – they were a little sticky on the outside, but almost edible. I’ve made lots of big mistakes in the kitchen, but almost everything has been salvageable.
I am typing this with 3 kittens crawling all over me and the computer – gotta stop and boot them all out of the room.
# 8 by Karen Gross
September 28th, 2009 at 3:43 pm #
You forgot to stir in the butter, I forgot to add it to my last batch of muffins. I saw the melted butter in the microwave just as the last batch was coming out of the oven. I slathered each hot muffin with the melted butter – they were a little sticky on the outside, but almost edible. I\’ve made lots of big mistakes in the kitchen, but almost everything has been salvageable.
I am typing this with 3 kittens crawling all over me and the computer – gotta stop and boot them all out of the room.
# 9 by QuinMonty86
September 28th, 2009 at 3:58 pm #
funny Daisy. Love the pics of the kittens!!
I find myself hungry all of a sudden. I think I have a box of corn muffin mix…..
# 10 by PR Mace
September 28th, 2009 at 4:46 pm #
Your should write a cookbook, ” Cooking on the Fly with Daisy”. I loved the muffins pinned on the curtains. How do you keep the cats out of them? So, you have more new kittens, cute little babies.
# 11 by Daisy Peasblossom
September 28th, 2009 at 8:26 pm #
My friends, you warm my heart. I’ve missed your comments. The only reason the muffins can survive hanging from the curtain is because cats are not allowed in the study without a human.
# 12 by Ruby Hawk
September 28th, 2009 at 10:28 pm #
I love my corn bread, I mostly make mine in a skillet but I also thaw out a hand full of spinach, chop up an onion in it, add an egg and a few spoonfull of meal and fry patties. They are not as healthy as yours due to frying but I only add a little oil to the pan. Love the way you hang yours.
# 13 by Louie Jerome
September 29th, 2009 at 2:57 am #
That reminds me…I haven’t had any breakfast yet! Congrats on getting onto Hot Content!!
# 14 by Eunice Tan
September 29th, 2009 at 3:59 am #
You are a good cook. Great food.
# 15 by Atanacio
September 29th, 2009 at 6:28 am #
Always enjoy these types of entries been so busy I think I missed a few gotta check your page
# 16 by Trailing Spouse
September 29th, 2009 at 7:42 am #
Yum! Love it!
# 17 by Dee Gold
September 29th, 2009 at 9:34 am #
I think i will love this.
# 18 by Doaa Abdelfattah
September 29th, 2009 at 12:11 pm #
Hahaha, very funny ,I like the cats.
# 19 by Uma Shankari
September 29th, 2009 at 2:03 pm #
Reads like a story, so enjoyable and thoroughly relatable. This shows you can show creativity even while writing a recipe.
# 20 by Black Decker Toaster Oven
October 12th, 2009 at 3:07 am #
Thank you. I will try to do that.