Ham and Greens Corn Muffins

When Liz announced that our Progressive Eats theme for this month would be "Things Made in a Muffin Tin", I had my mind set on making something unexpected. I wasn't going to make muffins or cupcakes, I would make delicate little meat pies, beautiful apple roses, or maybe even tiny little shepherd's pies. But as you can see, that didn't happen. I made muffins.

Not that there's anything wrong with muffins. I mean, I'm always saying that I wish I had more muffin recipes here on the blog, so really this was a great opportunity for me to add another one to the recipe index. I checked the fridge for things that I already had in the house that would make a tasty muffin, and when I spied a container of leftover ham from the crockpot and remembered that I'd frozen some collard greens a few weeks back, I could just taste them inside a hearty corn muffin.

Strawberry "Brown Bread" Scones | Jane Slayre meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Welcome to the May edition of the All Vampire Book and a Movie Club! Our host Kimberly from Coffee and Casseroles chose two great offerings this month that differ from previous months in that the movie is not an adaptation of, or based on, the book. Instead, there's a common theme that ties them together—both have a female fulfilling her destiny of being a slayer as the main character. The chosen book being Jane Slayre, a reimagining of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Ayre by Sherri Browning Erwin. The chosen movie was the flick that led to the popular tv series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

The movie (1992): Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Set in modern-day (modern for 1992) Southern California, Buffy (Kristy Swanson) is a seemingly shallow teenage cheerleader whose biggest worry is whether an outfit is currently in style. But at night, she dreams of past lives in which she hunts and kills vampires. As her peers begin to go missing and show up later, changed into vampires, her small world is opened up when she meets a strange man named Merrick (Donald Sutherland) who informs her of her birthright...her destiny.

Blushing Apricot Pie | #FridayPieDay

Friday. Friday. Pie Day.

Well, the inevitable has happened. It's been in the 80's and muggy all week long. And, of course, that means it's time to start complaining about the weather. But the arrival of heat also means to arrival of fresh local fruit and berries. When I saw a bin stacked full of beautiful little orange-colored orbs at the market the other day, I immediately scooped some up with pie in mind!

Bandersnatch Drool inspired by Alice in Wonderland

I'm about to say something that will make you question the fact that I was ever a child. I've never read Alice in Wonderland. I don't know why. I grew up with the animated Disney version. I love the latest Tim Burton-directed one. And I'm excited for it's follow-up, Alice Through the Looking Glass, that hits theaters tomorrow. I think I even own the book...though I couldn't tell you where it is (why no, I do not own too many books).

But when my friend Kimberly over at Coffee and Casseroles asked me if I wanted to do a Mad Hatter-style post in honor of the new movie release, I decided to grab the book from the library and at least do some skimming first. I actually picked up a few versions: the regular old book, a beautifully illustrated color book, and The Annotated Alice, which was my favorite with its introduction, drawings and many notes. So, I guess I should say that I've read bits and pieces of it...now.

Creamed Chicken in a Mashed Potato Nest inspired by June

Today I'm happy to be hosting a TLC book tour stop for the new Miranda Beverly-Whittemore novel, June. This is my first encounter with Beverly-Whittemore, but it left me with the desire to read her previous novels. June is the story of 25-year old Cassie, a photographer living in New York City who just found out that her beloved grandmother, the woman who raised her, has passed away...from cancer that Cassie never knew she was battling.

Grandma June left her a modest inheritance as well as her home in the small town of St. Jude, Ohio. The home is actually a huge old mansion called Two Oaks that has fallen into disrepair over the years, and since Cassie's life seems to have fallen into that same state, she envelops herself into the sadness of the old place.

Herbes de Provence Roasted Chicken and Potatoes + an Amélie Inspired Menu

Although I can't recall the exact date (or even year) that I first watched Amélie, it seems like it's been one of my favorites for years. Originally released in 2001, this French film is about a young girl raised and schooled at home by parents who were trying to protect her since they mistakenly thought she had a heart defect. Since Amélie is without playmates, she develops a world of magic and mischief inside her head.

She loses her mother young and watches her father become more reclusive as the years go by. When she is old enough to venture out on her own, she moves to an apartment in Montmartre and works as a waitress at the Café des 2 Moulins (Two Windmills Cafe). Her wonderfully quirky apartment shows the imagination that she had a child still lives openly within her as a young adult.

Creamed Pearl Onions w/ Bacon & Brandy | The Witches of Eastwick #FoodnFlix

We are heading back to the 80's and into the kitchen with The Witches of Eastwick for this month's edition of Food 'n Flix! Based on the John Updike novel of the same name (which I have not read), the movie is about three friends living in the town of Eastwick, Rhode Island who are dissatisfied with the state of their lives.

Alex (Cher) is a widowed artist and mother of one (at least I think she had 1 child). Sukie (Michelle Pfeiffer) is a divorced mother of 6 little girls who works as a reporter for the local newspaper and still manages to garden. Jane (Susan Sarandon) is a recently divorced cellist and music teacher who is unable to have children. They get together on Thursday nights to drink martinis and discuss life.

Food & Drink Quiz Friday #15

This dessert classically consists of ice cream enclosed in a layer of sponge cake and an outer layer of meringue that are then frozen until ready to serve, at which time it is placed into a very hot oven to brown the meringue. Both the meringue and the sponge cake act as insulators (keeping the ice cream from melted) due to the trapped air in their cellular structures.

Although present before 1876, that is when the dessert was served at Delmonico's Restaurant in NYC with the name, in honor of the USA's newly acclaimed territory.

If you have a fun or interesting food or drink related trivia question that you'd like me to feature, send me an email with the words "Food and Drink Quiz Friday" in the subject line to girlichef@yahoo.com!

(Captain) Quark Waffles inspired by Ratchet & Clank

For the past month or so, my daughter has been telling me that she wants to go see the Ratchet & Clank movie. Daily. Sometimes more than once. Well, it was finally released this past weekend. Guess what we did? Oh yeah, went to the movie theater.

So, here's the thing—I wasn't really familiar with Ratchet & Clank. I knew it was a video game, but I'm not a gamer. It's basically for the same reason that I can't read e-books...a bit of photosensitivity. If I decide to throw caution to the wind (like I did when my sister first bought Guitar Hero so many years ago), I'm dizzy and unbalanced for at least 2 days. It's not fun and I can't get anything accomplished or even focus on anything, so I just don't do it.