Free Range Friday...plus

Because Lucy and Lola leave soon, I asked them if they had one last Treat of the Day request. After some debate Lola came up with a Lemon Glazed Oatmeal Muffin suggestion that sounded workable to me. So early this morning, all ingredients ready for the leap from bed to baking, I got started. And everything went fine. Until I remembered I forgot (hush, Aaron!) to take photos of the process. So...what you get is the recipe and a photo of the finished muffins...and maybe some L & L enjoyment tomorrow. Oops!

One step in this recipe is to soak the oatmeal in the buttermilk for an hour - by the time you’ve gathered and mixed everything else, had a cup of tea or coffee, it will be about the right amount of time, so don’t be put off by that part!. Using rolled oats, that’s valid. Quick oats, 20 minutes or so is fine.
This recipe is adapted from about 5 that I found, and it worked, so I’m calling it mine! Or Lola’s...

Lemon Glazed Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients
(Have all ingredients at room temperature)

1 cup rolled or quick-cooking oats (if you use quick cooking oats, less soaking time is needed)
1 cup buttermilk - no buttermilk? add 1 tbsp of      white vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. allspice (can use cinammon, nutmeg, etc instead)         
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted (do not use oil)
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Glaze -
1/2 cup sugar (confectioners sugar is best, if you can get it)
4 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh if you have it* is best, of course)
zest from the lemon (see above)


*some might question why I always add the line ‘if you have it’ or ‘if you can get it’ - that is because we often don’t have ‘it’, like lemons...there were no lemons around when I went shopping for this,two days after there were lemons at all the markets. Now you know!
 
Directions

Soak oatmeal in buttermilk 1 hour
add egg and beat well.
Add sugar and mix.
Add cooled shortening.
Add flour sifted with salt, baking powder and soda.
Spoon (this is a thick mix) into greased or paper lined muffin pan.

Bake at 400 degrees 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Glaze
Mix sugar and juice in a pan, until the sugar is no longer grainy,take off heat. Pour or spoon over muffins while they are still warm. Eat. Enjoy! Buen provecho!


Yesterday my day went to the dogs, in the very best way. One dog went to the States, two went to the vet.  I went to the stores. Oars are big, they stayed in the store for another day I wasn't steering giant dog carts around. But I was steering them wearing new shoes, hooray!  There is a lot of stuff out there and I managed to bring some of it home with me, but nothing fascinating enough to relate. Except that at Office Max, I saved about 10 bucks buying their brand of printer ink instead of Hewlitt Packard's brand. So check it out if you are in Office Max, maybe they have your brand too.

Since I couldn't get a signed release from the dogs, I didn't take their photos. But I didn't have to ask the sea or the sky or the mountains (or the whales I didn't see either. Rats!).

Maybe the most clear sky over El Yunque I've ever seen

I sort of fell into a doze or was on the phone coordinating with Terry and Teresa for meeting and picking up dogs and cages for the rest of the trip.

Just a note here. Again. I know they were both very thankful I made the trip. But that was a drop in the bucket of what the Animal Welfare of Culebra do, every single day. For instance, yesterday a dog that someone has been looking after got hit by a car. The person called Terry, who picked up the dog, took care of it (in between taking care of a bunch of the rest of her life things) and got it on the ferry to go to the vet in Fajardo this morning; another 5 a.m. start. 

So if you have some adaptability in your life and would like to be on call for the Animal Welfare folks, please give them a call and let them put your name on their roster of helpers. It wasn't a big deal; I got some shopping done, the ferry guys and fellow passengers were more than willing to help with moving the crates, and you'll be taking a tiny bit of the load off the shoulders of those who do so very much that no one ever sees. Here is all the information you need to help out!

Have a fabulous Friday! Do something friendly.