Citrus, Cranberry, yogurt muffins

A couple of weeks ago I made this super yummy yogurt cake from Pioneer woman.  You have to make it, it was so yummy.  It was very moist because of the yogurt.  So I tried using yogurt in some of my recipes.  I was going to make banana muffins, but my bananas were a little too over ripened.  Here's the recipe I ended up with.  Please make these muffins, they are so yummy.

Ingredients:

1 Cup of plain yogurt

1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon orange zest

1/4 cup of vegetable oil

1 large egg

2 cups of flour

1/2 cup of sugar

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 cup of halved cranberries or craisins (I highly recommend the fresh cranberries)

Ingredients for the icing:

1/2 cup powered sugar

4 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Spray 12 cup muffin pan.

2. Mix yogurt, orange zest, and lemon juice.  

3. Beat yogurt mix, oil and egg with a wire whisk.

4. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. (I don't have a sifter, so I just mix those ingredients with a wire whisk.)

5. Mix the flour mixture into the yogurt mixture.  Just stir until the flour is moistened. 

6. Divide batter among muffin cups.  (I use a ice cream scoop for even muffins.)  Bake for 20-22 minutes.

7. While the muffins are cooling.  Add the lemon juice to the powdered sugar.  This makes a thin icing to drizzle over the top of the muffins.  So if yours turns out too thin, add more sugar.  And if it's too thick, add more lemon juice.  (This icing is very lemony. so if you don't like a lot of lemon, add two tablespoons of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of water or milk.)

8. While the muffins are still warm, drizzle icing over the top and serve warm or let them cool.

Now, I used orange zest from a cutie orange and I highly suggest using a fresh regular orange.  That was all I had on hand that day.  Make sure you mix the yogurt, orange zest and lemon juice together, before you add the oil and eggs.

This is what the yogurt mixture looks like after you add the oil and egg.

 

This is what the flour mixture looks like after being whisked with the wire whisk!

Mix the flour mixture into the yogurt mixture.

These cranberries were frozen and I took them out to thaw, while I was mixing the other ingredients.  I got a big bag of cranberries at Costco around Thanksgiving and put them in the freezer.  You can buy frozen cranberries at the store and let them thaw.

If you don't like big chunks you could cut these into fourths.

This is how you make the icing.

The finished product.  

You would think it's summer around here!

The ice cream truck stopped by, and I couldn't say no.

Strawberry

Chocolate

Chocolate

Strawberry

Her Daddy,...

told her, she...

runs like a girl!

Can you believe we already turned on the sprinklers in March?

All of these next pictures, Josh took!  Maybe we will be starting a family photography business.

Is it summer or spring?

Mini photo shoot

I got some backgrounds at a fabric store and was testing them on the willing children in my house.  Olivia wasn't willing so she isn't in any of these.  I was trying to get a good one of the brunettes, because I have a cute one of the red heads.  Don't Addy Mae's eyes just melt your heart?  They do mine.  I can't get enough of those big brown eyes.  She gets away with a lot.  I'm so blessed to have two blue eyed girls and two brown eyed girls.  Savanna is always, always messy.   

My husband keeping the kids busy

I love it when my husband decides to build something.  He wanted to make a fountain.  And it's really cool.  I love to watch him build stuff, because he's always thinking really hard, and he has to redo stuff the kids undid.  The beauty of having four small kids.  The girls love doing projects with him, and left me alone long enough to take a long shower and paint my toenails!

He built it out of two cheap planter containers and a water pump.  He put it right outside our bedroom window, and the water sound is very relaxing.  I'm listening to it right now.  But the sound of my girls fighting over their imaginary friend Luke Skywalker trumps the relaxing fountain.

The girls put some dirt in the fountain, so he had to start over again and pour out the dirty water.  And yes, Savanna is drinking that dirty water.  

Taping the holes on the bottom so the water doesn't leak out.

Making a hole for the water pump to come through.

  

This is what I was doing.  Aren't my toenails pretty.  I think every momma that sometimes doesn't leave the house for days, needs to paint their toenails.  Don't make fun of my freakishly long toes, my husband does that all the time.  I can pick things up with them.   God knew I would have lots of crazy kids, and thought I could use some extra help.  Thank you God for my freakishly long toes, sometimes they come in handy.

He's thinking real hard.  And he's so cute while doing it.

I love that my man knows how to use a drill.  See how the planter is already chipped on the side?  That would be the handy work of my crazy kids.

He put some rocks from our backyard in it, and it really makes it soooo much better.

The girls dropping coins and making wishes in their new fountain.

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

No we are not Irish!  I answered that question several times today, out and about with the kids.  But HELLO, I have two red headed children and all of them were wearing green.  I have a bad memory of being pinched when I was in kindergarten for not wearing green.  I decided to try and not let that happen to my kids.  They went to MOPS today and were gonna be around other children.  Plus, this green dress is the red heads Easter dress.  I thought I would get more use out of their dresses and put them in them today.  I didn't dye any food green, however, I did make corned beef.  No cabbage, I didn't think my family would eat it, so I made Caesar salad instead!  Hey, it's green too!

Our attempt at a picture with the timer on my camera.  We tried several times and this was the best one.

Olivia eating her corned beef and salad.

Savanna is a eater and loved her corned beef.

LB (Laney Bugs)