Stir... Illustration Friday

It's hard work making food for all of the forest spirits.

Here's my submission for Illustration Friday for the week.  Since the topic is stir, I thought I'd include my favorite cookie recipe as well.  Here ya go: 

Butter Cookies

Ingredients


2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1.In large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine flour and salt, then mix into the creamed mixture. Shape dough into logs about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate until firm.

2.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Unwrap the rolls and roll them in sprinkles, decorating sugar, or nuts, whichever you like best. Try to slice them as uniformly as possible, so they cook evenly. Place slices 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

3.Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Do not brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Blueberry Muffins!

I took my daughter out myself the other day to go to a beach by a river.  On the way there, I decided to stop by a farm where we do our blueberry picking.  I LOVE this farm, and their blueberries.  It is so charming and I wish that it was more than just blueberries, but that is all they have, and they seem to make a killing.  Maybe I need to start my own blueberry farm. 

The "store" part of the farm is a little shed with a window.  From 7-2 pm (or something like that) there is someone inside the store.  After that, they operate on an honor system where you pick your amount and pay by putting the cash in a wooden locked box.  They have ice pops in the freezer inside to take also on the honor system.  I just love things like this, as we are all so untrusting and suspicious of one another. 

Fresh picked NJ Blueberries!

Blueberry Muffins!  Here's my recipe:

1 1/2 Cups Wheat Flour

1 Tsp. Baking Soda

1 Tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 Tsp. Salt

3/4 Cup Sugar

1 Egg, Beaten

1/3 Cup Butter Melted

1/2 Cup Milk

1 Cup Fresh Blueberries

Topping:

1/3 Cup Packed Brown Sugar

2 Tbsp. All Purpose Flour

1/8 Tsp. Ground Cinnamon

1 Tbsp. Butter

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.  Line muffin pans.

2.  In large bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  In another bowl, beat sugar, egg, melted butter and milk.  Stir dry mixture into wet mixture and fold in blueberries.  Spoon batter into muffin cups.

3.  For Topping:  In bowl, mix sugar, flour, and cinnamon.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.  Sprinkle over muffins.

4.  Bake in oven for 18-20 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

And here is my newest sketch that I'm working on: