Yep...I'm a foodie! Cherry-chocolate-walnut muffins!

It's been a while since I've put together a post and I thought I'd rectify that by sharing a recipe I recently made for cherry, chocolate, walnut muffins.

Did I mention I not only write humorous romance and women's fiction, but I'm also a foodie who likes to experiment with recipes? (The characters in my stories sometimes share my passion for food as well. Danna in my Coffee & Dessert in Key West Series is a foodie and the man she falls for loves to cook. It's a win-win for them). 

I'm not even close to being classified as a good cook, but I give it my best effort. And the things I make seldom turn out the same way twice because I'm a recipe modifier. I use what I have on hand at the time, that's how the cherry-chocolate-walnuts came to be. Sometimes the food turns out fantastic, sometimes not. On the more-than-rare occasion where the concoction didn't turn out the way I thought it would, we eat it anyway. At the end of the meal, my husband and I almost simultaneously say, "Yeah, that's not happening again." 😂 This recipe, however, wasn't a flub. 

I modified the recipe I use for banana nut muffins (which I believe I originally got from Pinterest, although not for certain since it's been a few years). 

1 10 ounce bag of frozen dark sweet cherries, thawed. (I put them in my Magic Bullet to chop them up, but not liquify them)

1/3 cup melted butter 

3/4 cup white sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup of chopped walnuts 

1 cup of chocolate chips 

Mix all ingredients together and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 22 minutes. *Every oven seems to be different. Keep an eye on them. At the 20-minute mark, they may be perfect for you or they may need a few more minutes. Adjust accordingly.* 

The mixture resembles mud! 😆 

And the finished product.... Voila! 

If you prefer to make banana-walnut muffins instead of these, in place of the cherries use 3 to 4 ripe mashed bananas.

Until next time, fellow foodies, take good care! Happy creating!

~ Jan

Side note -- if you'd like to check out my Coffee & Dessert in Key West Series, you can find it on Amazon. (Books 1 & 2 are available. Book 3 should be finished in June)

 

Craving absolute silence...

This is my first blog post of 2023. I've missed compiling posts, yet I didn't have anything specific to say. Today, I thought about the hiatus I'm currently taking (and not doing so great at staying away) from social media and decided to write a few thoughts on the subject.

Recently, I found myself craving absolute silence - no news programs, internet usage, cell phones, computer screens, ear buds, headphones, nothing technology related. I decided a break from all of it was in order. I envisioned a lot of amazing quiet. 

Ha! That lasted about three hours and I found myself scrolling through my Twitter timeline and then popped into Facebook to see if anyone had left me any private messages. I also have an Instagram account and one for LinkedIn, so I checked out both of them.

I thought working on my current book (ERIN, book 3 in my Coffee & Dessert in Key West Series) would be enough of a distraction to help me disconnect from the outside world, at least for a few days. Again...ha! What is it about the social media climate that is so powerfully addictive? I've tried to understand the effect it has on me. Is it the political viewpoints from all over the world that keeps me coming back for more? Or is it the multitude of witty personalities that draw me in? I'd say it all plays a part, as well as my interaction with other writers, entertainers, photographers, painters, jewelry makers, foodies, chefs, and so many other talented people that I enjoy following. Honestly, social media has opened my world and changed my perspectives on some things. There are days it drives me absolutely crazy, and I want to back away. Other days I'm inspired by it and want to chat everybody up.  

How does social media affect you? Are you also overwhelmed some days and all-in other days? Tell me it's not just me. 

Thanks for stopping by to read my ramblings!

All the best to you and yours,

Jan

www.authorjanromes.com

P.S. Now that I've broken through the drought of no ideas to post, I'll bug you with a lot more.