Craft Supply Caddy

Here’s a genius idea… you saw the Condiment Caddy right? (If not, read back a few posts, lol!) Well meet the Craft Supply Caddy…… Tada!!

Pretty smart huh? Well it gets even better! The folks at Disney’s Family Fun Magazine call this a Magnetic Tote for a reason…

Notice the bottom of the cup… it a magnet!! They keep the cups from tipping over! Like I said GENIUS Here’s how to do it…

Materials:

• 1 jumbo-size muffin pan
• Self-adhesive magnetic sheeting (sold at craft stores)
• 6 (16-ounce) plastic cups

Instructions:

1. Simply cut out circles of self-adhesive magnetic sheeting and stick them to the bottoms of the plastic cups. This will make them tip-resistant once you set them in the pan.

That’s it, one step! This will take you less than 30 minutes from start to finish… unless you have little helpers, like I do at my house, then it may take a little longer

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Now at this point in my blog series you may be asking does she really do all this stuff ? How many muffin tins does this woman have? Well the answer is YES and I am ALWAYS on the hunt for muffin tins, lol! I pick them up whenever and wherever I can. I even have loving friends who pick them up for me when they see them at their local thrift stores because mine had none! (Thank you Melissa <3) My husband is even getting in on the action… he bought me 2 new ones when he went to PA  on business this week! I can’t wait to put them to good use!! So don’t let the fact that you only have one or two keep you from getting creative with your muffin tins! Go out and explore your local thrift stores, yard sales, dollar stores, antique shops even regular retail stores have them pretty cheap. I bet there are all kinds of little nooks in your own communities to explore, with muffin tins just waiting for you to find them and put them to good use. I’ve got lots more great stuff to post, so go out and hunt up some muffin tins and get busy!!

Clean up those Muffin Tins!

Okay so today’s post is driven by necessity, lol. Last night I made awesome Muffin Tin Tacos, yay me! But as I was posting pics on my facebook page to show off the yummy goodness of those perfectly browned little darlings I was horrified at the state of my muffin tin! The poor thing… lately I have kept it busier than a one eyed cat watchin 9 mouse holes! It was lookin pretty rough folks, so today I give you a couple different ways to clean up your muffin tins and bring them back to life just in case yours are as bad off as mine. The first one is kind of like a recipe you’ll even get to bake! Choose this one if you like instant gratification. Now the second option is a more laid back approach and requires and overnight soak, so if you want it done but it can wait till morning you’ll want to go with option number two, lol

#1)How to Clean Baked on Grease on Muffin Tins

Instructions

Things You’ll Need

• 2 tbsp. baking soda
• Pitcher
• Dish soap
• Sponge
• Nylon bristle brush

1.Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

2.Mix 2 tbsp. of baking soda with 1 qt. of warm water. Stir or shake (if pitcher is watertight) until baking soda is dissolved.

3.Pour baking soda mixture into muffin pan. Do not worry if grease is all over the pan and not just in the muffin cups themselves.

4.Bake muffin pan with baking soda mixture for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

5.Scrub muffin pan in your sink with warm, soapy water and a dish sponge. Use a nylon bristle brush for any particularly stubborn grime. If necessary, apply a little undiluted dish soap to the affected area and allow to sit undisturbed for five to 10 minutes, and then scrub again.

6.Rinse muffin pan thoroughly, dry, and put away.

Tips & Warnings

• A nylon bristle brush has scrubbing power, but will not scratch your muffin pan. Avoid using other types of bristle brushes, as they may damage the finish of your muffin pan. Be particularly careful with other types of scrub brushes if your muffin pan is non-stick.
• Baking soda can also remove baked-on food that is stuck to your muffin tin, not just grease. This solution also works for other oven-safe pans in addition to muffin tins.

#2) Clean Baked-On Gunk from Pans with Dryer Sheets

Simply put a couple of used dryer sheets or an unused dryer sheet into a sink full of warm water with your muffin tin. (lay dryer sheets flat on the water) You can wash the pan if you want or just let it soak overnight. By morning all the baked on gunk should have come off or be pretty easily removed.

     

I found both of these on Pinterest and followed the link maze to these sites… after all we must give credit where credit is due Thanks for saving our Muffin Tins!!

eHow.com for How to Clean Baked on Grease on Muffin Tins

apartment therapy.com for Clean Baked-On Gunk from Pans with Dryer Sheets

Photos courtesy of  The Autocrat via Pinterest

Muffin Tin Tacos

Tonight we are having tacos at our house! Now of course not just any tacos! Not when you live with the MuffinTinMommy, lol! Muffin Tin Tacos!!!!! Sounds like fun right?! I came across this recipe at Hispanic Kitchen and adapted it slightly to fit my cooking style and my family’s tastes I will post my version here but feel free to visit the link above for the uncensored one, lol… we don’t do spicy so I cut out the  large jalapeno and I don’t do a lot of “from scratch” so I substituted a premade taco seasoning Here it is…

Muffin Tin Tacos
(12 individual tacos)

Ingredients:
-1 pound lean ground beef or turkey

-1/2 onion, diced

-3/4 cup water

-seasoning mix (I use McCormic Mild Taco Seasoning)

-12 flour tortillas

-2 cups shredded cheese

-Shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes for topping.

Directions:

-Cook your hamburger thoroughly and drain.

–While meat is draining in the colander, sauté the diced onion in the same skillet and then add the hamburger back in and mix well.

–Stir in seasoning mix and and water.

–Bring to boil; reduce heat and let simmer on med/low for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. (I cut the simmer time in half from website per McCormic cooking instructions)

–Cut 4-inch diameter circles out of the flour tortillas. A standard margarita glass is about the right size for measuring and a pizza cutter gets the job done quickly. (Bake the leftovers for extra chips.) or snack on them or feed them to the dog, like I do, lol!

–Place tortilla circles – 6 at a time – between 2 damp paper towels and microwave for 30-45 seconds to soften.

–Mold the circles into a lightly greased muffin tin.

–Add a layer of shredded cheese in the bottom, add about 2 tablespoons of meat mixture, then top with cheese.

–Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. (or less depending on your oven! Keep en eye on them, they don’t take long. When your cheese is meltey and bubbly or however you like it, pull them out, everything is already cooked so there’s no harm in taking them out early!) I think the ones in the pic look a little too done …Shhhh, don’t tell anyone I said that!

When they’re all done, add your favorite toppings, this is where the lettuce and tomato from above come in. You can add a dollop of salsa, sour cream, or  whatever, it’s up to you!  ENJOY!!

Mini Macaroni and Cheese

Today I thought it was time for just a simple recipe! How about the yummy goodness of macaroni and cheese to get you using that muffin tin tonight? And how about that portion control huh? Always an added benefit of using the muffin tin when cooking meals This is a healthy recipe from LilSugar.com in a segment called DO YOU KNOW THE MUFFIN MAN? 5 MEALS TO MAKE IN A MUFFIN TIN. Go to the link above to see the other 4, I just don’t have the time/space to post them all here for you. Not that I wouldn’t if I could but my kids would appreciate their lunch in a timely manor and I’m running behind  schedule posting my blog already, lol! So enjoy this tasty treat and as always go grab those muffin tins and get busy!!

Serves four.

(Recipe is vegetarian and can be frozen for later use)

8 ounces whole-grain macaroni (elbow) pasta
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces), divided
2 large eggs
3/4 cup low-fat milk
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt, preferably Greek-style
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon grainy or Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup panko (Japanese-style) bread crumbs

Cook the macaroni according to the package instructions until al dente. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and stir in the cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs and stir in the milk and yogurt. Add the egg mixture to the pasta mixture along with the sun-dried tomatoes, chives, cayenne (if using), nutmeg, mustard, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Divide the mixture among 12 medium muffin cups. Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in the bread crumbs and cook until browned, stirring regularly. Stir the remaining two tablespoons parmesan cheese into the toasted bread crumbs, sprinkle over the pasta mixture, and bake until set, about 15 minutes. Let cool for five minutes before unmolding.

Muffin Tins & Hardware!

Here’s one for the handymen and women out there These two very cool uses for your muffin tins come from one of my most favorite magazines in the whole world The Family Handyman. We get this at our house and LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Best diy ideas & tips ever! When I saw these I just had to pass them along! I am still amazed that they even have them in here, lol Can you tell I’m excited?! I will put it all here but make sure to visit the link above if your interested in finding tons of other great diy storage ideas!

Muffin tins are perfect for small parts
Put those neglected muffin tins to work holding small fasteners, electrical parts and more. Screw together a tote from three pieces of 1/2-in.-thick plywood cut to fit the width and height of your trays. Screw plywood strips on the inside to act as drawer runners for the tins and glue or screw on a thin plywood back. The tote shown here holds four tins, but you can build it higher for even more storage capacity. Cut the plywood sides long enough so there’s room to add a 3/4-in. – diameter dowel handle.

Super cool right??!! I think it’s kind of cute but don’t mention that to the guys Wait till you get a load of this next one!!!!

Install muffin tins under shelves
Work surface cluttered with miscellaneous nails, screws, hardware, whatever? Clean it up and still keep that stuff at your fingertips. Attach a muffin tin under a shelf with a single 1/4-in. x 1-1/2-in. flat head machine screw. The tin pivots out from beneath work surfaces to organize and serve up any little doodad you frequently use. And you store all that little stuff without using up a single square inch of workspace.

Hahaha, they said doodad!

Tins slide out but remain attached to shelves

For best results when installing your muffin bins:

• Use muffin tins made from heavier gauge metal.
• Drill and countersink a 1/4-in. hole in the shelf top, so the top of the screw is flush with the shelf.
• Place 1/4-in. fender washers above and below the rim of the muffin tin.
• Tighten two nuts against each other on the underside so the threads won’t loosen

I love the way they make muffin tins sound so manly, lol! What’s so funny about this is that I am the resident MuffinTinMommy and FamilyHandyMan at my house, now don’t get me wrong, my husband is capable but I’m an Army Wife which means he’s gone a lot so I am left to do things quite often which means I wear all hats So to all of my fellow multihat wearing moms out there go build something with your muffin tins! And for all of you guys what do you think? Go get some muffin tins and start building one of these babies you know you want to!

Sidewalk Chalk Paint

We’ve been spending a lot of time outdoors lately with our sidewalk chalk and thought with the weekend coming up you might enjoy this fun activity! Making sidewalk chalk paint… you guessed it… in a muffin tin! Well actually you mix it up in another container and then pour it into the muffin tin but that’s where it it ends up It is probably on a lot of different blogs out there but it’s a very easy recipe. Simply mix 1 cup of water with 1 cup of cornstarch and pour it into muffin tins. You can then add what ever food coloring you like. A few drops will do ya, but add as much as you like, lol, I know you will any way!

Some tips I’ve picked up…

1. If you mix your chalk in a container with a pour spout it will make it easier to pour into your muffin tin! Personal experience folks
2. Wilton food coloring gel makes the brightest most vibrant colors (but regular food coloring works fine) I just happened to have some on hand so I used it, very pretty!
3. Add a bit more water, closer to a 2:1 ratio for longer brushstrokes & to keep from needing to reload the paintbrush as often. (This is from Mom’s Crafty Space)

I don’t have any pics from mine since I made it before I started my blog, but I found some on Pinterest (of course, where else!)

This photo came from Mom’s Crafty Space a fun blog

This photo came from Domestic Charm‘s how to for Liquid Sidewalk Chalk, she also uses the Wilton colors, see how pretty!

I hope you all have a great weekend, get out there and enjoy this weather and your muffin tins!!!!

OMG Tiny Pies!

Everybody loves cute food and who doesn’t love dessert? Put the two together and you’ve got a winning combination, not to mention portion control… well maybe, that is if you have self control So today I give you tiny pies!  Peach pie, Pumpkin Pie, Apple Pie, Blueberry, Cherry, even a Cranberry Meringue Pie, I found all sorts of recipes for you to try in your muffin tins! And as always get creative and do your own thing but here are a few to get you started…

First up from not Martha, (her name is actually Megan), we will visit the real Martha later Megan gives a  tutorial on how to make these tiny pies using your standard Pillsbury pie crusts & a biscuit cutter or cups from the kitchen. It works for me because she keeps it simple by using premade pie fillings, using any flavor you like or just cutting up little apple pieces and then adding a little sprinkle of sugar and cinnamon and that’s how I cook in my kitchen a pinch of this a dash of that… lol, I don’t get any complaints so it can’t be too bad right? The pictures make them look like a lot of work but they are really pretty simple. Your friends and family will think you slaved away on their behalf and you will definitely get rave reviews! Check out the specific how to’s  on her page but here’s a sneak peek at some of the pics

The pies were baked in a 375 degree oven for ten minutes and then checked. If the tops were getting very brown she covered them lightly with foil (like a crust shield but for the whole pie) and baked for 3 to 5 minutes more until bubbly. Everything is quicker when you bake it in a muffin tin

Now for those of you who prefer a little less “winging it” lol here’s an actual Martha Stewart recipe for Peach Cutie Pies, I’ll even  type it out for you so you can have a printer friendly version I LOVE peach pie! And don’t forget… serve any of these little babies up warm with a scoop of ice cream and you might just earn hero status in your house, at least for the day! She also has a Mini Cranberry Meringue Pie recipe that looks yummy too.

Martha Stewart’s Peach Cutie Pies

Ingredients

For the Crust

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled

3/4 cup ice water

Nonstick cooking spray

For the Filling

6 to 8 peaches, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Topping

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled

1/4 cup rolled oats

Directions

1. Make the crust: In a large bowl, whisk to combine the flour, salt, and sugar, mixing well. Add butter and mix gently using a pastry blender, a fork, or your hands, until butter pieces are well coated. Gradually add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue mixing until pea-size crumbs have formed; dough should not be smooth and beaten together like cookie dough.
2. Gather dough together and divide in half. Flatten each into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Transfer dough to refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before using.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees with a rack in center of oven. Spray every other cup of a standard-size muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. You will need enough muffin tins to spray 16 alternating cups. Alternatively, you can work in batches. Set aside muffin tins aside.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each disk of dough to a 1/4-inch thickness, lightly dusting with flour, as necessary, to prevent sticking. Cut out sixteen 5 1/2-inch-round circles, gently rerolling scraps as necessary. Gently but firmly press each dough circle into a prepared muffin cup; crimp edges as desired.
5. Make the filling: Place all filling ingredients in a medium bowl and toss to combine; spoon filling evenly into muffin cups and set aside.
6. Make the crumb topping: In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, and cinnamon; mix well. Add butter and mix thoroughly using a pastry blender, fork, or your fingers until small pea-size crumbs form. Add oats and mix until topping has a crumbly consistency.
7. Sprinkle crumb topping evenly over cutie pies and transfer to oven; bake until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before removing from tins, using a butter knife to loosen sides, if necessary. Cutie pies are best served at room temperature.

Now this looks like a lot of work but some people prefer to make their pies from scratch so that’s why I’ve included it! Me I’m more of a premade pie crust kind of girl like Megan above and Marie below but look at the finished product how cute are these? I’m sure they are worth it!

Now lets get back to simple And another classic, Pumpkin pie, yummy! I know it’s not the season but since we’re talkin pies I figure I should cover it now and you can refer to it later. I found this one on makeandtakes.com a recipe by Marie LeBaron a woman after my own heart, she also loves to bake in  her muffin tins! Her recipe is pretty simple and my kind of recipe! Here it is but make sure you check out the site too for more…

Muffin Tin Pumpkin Pies:

pumpkin pie filling for one 9-inch pie (from a can or your own)

2 9-inch pie crust doughs – premade from a box or I love this recipe from Martha Stewart

bowl or round cookie cutter 4 inches in diameter

muffin tin

whipped cream

Makes 12 mini pumpkin pies

1. Prep your dough. Using a bowl or 4 inch round cookie cutter, cut out 12 circles from your 2 9-inch pie crust doughs.
2. Place each circle into a pre-greased muffin tin. Press them in, letting the sides come up for a fun look. Score the bottom of your dough with a fork to keep the crust from bubbling up as it cooks.
3. Pour your filling into each muffin tin cup. Fill them to the very top. (you will have a little bit left over)
4. Bake your muffin tin pumpkin pies at 425* for 15 minutes. Then turn your heat down to 350* and bake them for 25-30 minutes. (This is 15-20 minutes less than a regular pie)
5. Let these cool on a wire rack for a couple of hours to let the pumpkin filling set.
6. Add a dollop of whipped cream to each individual muffin tin pie.

And one last thing since we are on the topic of pies and muffin tins! I know you have all fallen in love with these tiny little pies but there will still be times when you will  need to bake up full size pies. So here is a way to still use your muffin tin while doing that! Flip your muffin tin over and use it as a cooling rack, especially if you are out of space! It’s a life saver around holiday time Enjoy your pie!!

   Photo courtesy of realsimple.com

Recycled Crayons

Got old broken crayons? Here’s an idea, why not recycle them? We all have that seemingly endless supply of stubby crayons that pop up EVERYWHERE and just when you think you’ve rustled them all up you always find more… or at least that’s how it happens in my house Well break out an old muffin tin and make some cool recycled crayons out of those old broken scraps! Why would I want to make crayons in a muffin tin when I could just go out and buy some new ones, you ask? Well, for one it’s recession time and you may want to save money while trying to be “green” or you may like the idea of your kids making some homemade gifts! Did I mention these make great gifts They also make excellent party favors for a kids party, oh yeah folks, I’m just full of good ideas today, lol! Here’s another tip, if you have different shapes of muffin tins use those as well, get creative! I’ve seen hearts, stars, flowers there are muffin tins of all shapes and sizes but so I don’t overwhelm you with pictures, (well I still might), we’ll stick to regular shaped muffin tins. Now if you are doing a themed party and you want to make these as favors you might want to go buy or borrow one specifically for that event. Okay, here we go… As always I like to provide you with options so here are two of my top picks!

Not without Salt‘s key points to making recycled crayons… remove paper, sort by favorite color combinations & chop up crayons, divide among muffin cups, place in 150 degree oven for 45 minutes and wait for them to completely cool. She even get’s impatient and puts them in the freezer, lol! Check out her blog for the full story and all the great pics

Next up is Whimsy Love’s Cool Chunky Crayon Tutorial. I like that she uses regular and mini muffin tins for this one! And she mentions heading out to yard sales or thrift stores to pick some up, lol, I actually do this! Don’t laugh but I had a dream last night about going to the local thrift store and hitting the mother load of muffin tins! Every shape and size I was tossing them in my cart like they were going out of style! Yes, I know, I have a problem But one can never have too many muffin tins especially when there are so many wonderful things you can do with them! Ok, back to the crayons, now this gal has different oven temps so read carefully she does different size pans too and keeps a close eye! But the basics are the same peel the crayons, break them up into smaller pieces, sort out your colors the way you like and divide into muffin cups. Her oven temp is 350 because she wants them melted fast, lol but you can do 225. Just keep an eye on things and you’ll be fine Now for the pictures! She has the best pictures and it was hard to choose so there are several here and even more on her site so go look there too! But here are a few of my favorites…

I know that’s a lot of pictures and I left out several more cool ones! She puts GLITTER in some of them too but I had to stop somewhere In all of my research I have come across several good tips to pass along as well… 1.After they are cooled put them in the freezer to harden, they pop right out!

2. Don’t refire the oven if you are too impatient. Just wait and get over it. It’ll be a character-modeling lesson for the kids. Right, the kids

3. 2-3 highly contrasting colors gave the best scribble. The all-shades-of-blue crayon looked great, but was a little underwhelming when it came to performance testing.

4. Don’t fill your cups all the way to the top unless you want really chunky crayons, they are too much for tiny hands but if you have bigger kids then no worries.

5. 3 full crayons are about all that you’ll want in a mini-muffin tin. It looks like it will hold more, but you don’t want them coming over the edge and spilling in your oven.

6. Use a pan underneath while the crayons are in the oven… just in case

Now this last one I read and was like uh oh! I would say try your own batch with the crayon scraps you have around the house but if you are going to make them as gifts, splurge and buy them when they go on sale   7. Use only one brand/kind of crayon. The batch we made of only regular Crayolas melted more evenly. When you throw in the washable ones (very hard to melt) and all the freebies from dining establishments, differential melting becomes a problem as some melt to water-like consistency while other are rock hard. Also, some are more brittle (the washable ones?) and didn’t make very strong crayons for the over-active scribbler. So there you have it all you need to know about making recycled crayons! Are you feeling inspired yet?

Muffin Tin Pizzas!

Today I have for you something fun for all ages PIZZA! At some point in your life pizza was your favorite food right?! Whether as a child or in high school, college or maybe it still is And even if you are not a fan chances are you know someone you can make the adorable little nuggets of yummy for! So here are 3 great recipes to set you on your way to making pizza in a muffin tin! The first one is from Rachel Ray’s Pepperoni Pizza Puffs that I have adapted slightly to my taste and you can do the same with any or all of these recipes leave out what you don’t like add things you do… get creative and have with it!!

Ingredients

3/4 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup whole milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 cup pepperoni, cut into small cubes

1/2 cup store-bought pizza sauce

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil (optional) Sometimes I do it, sometimes I don’t, depends on if I remember to grab it at the store

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees . Grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder; whisk in the milk and egg. Stir in the mozzarella and pepperoni; let stand for 10 minutes.
Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through, then stir in 1 tablespoon basil. Sprinkle the puffs with the remaining 1 tablespoon basil. Serve the puffs and red pepper slices with the pizza sauce for dipping. She also gives this tip…  Freeze the baked puffs in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. To reheat, bake the frozen puffs on a baking sheet in a 350 degrees oven for 8 to 10 minutes. How AWESOME is that? You can bake them up for future use!

This next one is from Family Fun, Pepperoni Muffin Bites. Here’s a twist on the classic, these are corn muffins! A Pinterest tipper suggests not using the paper liners and just spraying your tin with cooking spray because the liners didn’t come off easily. Either way they make a perfect poppable snack! For the recipe just click the link above.

Now last but certainly not least is Martha Stewart’s Mini Deep-Dish Pizza’s and these are on my list of to do’s as I have not tried them yet but they look amazing don’t they?!!

Ingredients

Olive oil, for muffin pan

All-purpose flour, for rolling

1/2 pound homemade or store-bought pizza dough, in 6 pieces

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella (4 ounces)

1 large tomato, coarsely chopped

Desired toppings, such as cooked vegetables, pineapple and ham, or pepperoni

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly brush 6 standard muffin cups with oil. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each dough piece to a 6-inch round. Fill each cup with 1 round, gently pressing dough into bottom and sides of cup. Season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle each dough cup with 1 tablespoon each cheese and tomato. Add desired toppings and another tablespoon each cheese and tomato. Bake until dough is golden brown and crisp, 12 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes before removing from cups.

Don’t they look great? I’m so making these!

And there you have it now grab your muffin tin and go make some pizzas!

Gardening with Muffin Tins!

Spring is almost here and with it comes planting and working in the garden or if you have no garden just a yard will do or if you have no yard then perhaps a window box What ever or where ever your garden grows here is a handy way to use your muffin tin!

Use my muffin tin in the garden? Why of course! Use your muffin tin to plant flowers or herbs in, it’s especially good for starting seedlings! Now I must post a disclaimer, PLEASE do not pull your tin out of the kitchen and sprint to the garden… unless you have no intentions of ever returning it to the kitchen This is a use for old tins, those poor lonely ones just sitting in a kitchen or thrift shop never to be used again because  they’ve seen better days   Well grab them up and show’em some love folks!

All you need is a good potting mix (news paper, optional) some old muffin tins and seeds of your choosing! Here is a quick recipe for starting seedlings in a muffin tin. This would be a fun activity to do with the kiddos too if you have them!

This first part is optional and I haven’t tried it but I’m gonna give it a whirl. It was adapted from an ice cube tray idea…before starting seedlings, line the tin with newspaper first. This will help get the tender plants out of the cups once they have established a root system. Good idea right?!!

To line the tin simply wet down the newspaper and lay it over the tin. Poke the newspaper down into each cup with your fingers, and let it dry completely before putting in your dirt and seed. If you decide to do this you will obviously need to do this hours/days ahead of time depending on how many you are prepping for.

When you are ready you simply fill your muffin cups almost to the top with potting soil mix (your mix should be moist, if it’s not moisten it) place 2-4 seeds on top, in the middle but a little apart from one another (that makes it easier to separate them later). Next you sprinkle a layer of soil over top to cover them. Mist them lightly to settle them in if you like but  if your potting mix was adequately moist to begin with you shouldn’t need to “water” them. If they are larger seeds plant them a little further down, you can generally follow planting instructions on packaging for this if you have planted more than 1 type of seed you may want to label, masking tape works great! Cover your muffin tins with plastic wrap to create a high humidity environment. Set them in a sunny window or other warm indoor sunny spot. As soon as you see a few seedlings poking up through the soil, remove the plastic. Give your seedlings a few weeks to grow, monitoring their soil moisture, ONLY use a spray bottle to water your seeds as needed! They can’t handle a lot of heavy moisture at once, and any dribble of water will disturb the dirt and harm the little plants. Now I’m not really a gardener so you’ll have to google what to do after that, lol but now your well on you way! I hope your garden grows beautifully

They also make for lovely container gardens and floral arrangements, get creative in the garden with your repurposed muffin tins and when you do please post your pics! We would LOVE to see them Here are a couple to give you some inspiration

My photo source for Baby Tears in Muffin Tins (left) is countryliving.com, if you like this they had a bunch of other great ideas for unique floral arrangements too!

Now the photo on the right is a display of succulent cuttings in a moss filled muffin tin and this comes to us from EDEN MAKERS blog a lot of very pretty container garden ideas there!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Today we celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day a cultural and religious holiday. Did you know:  It commemorates Saint Patrick (c. AD 387–461), the most commonly recognized of the patron saints of Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. (Thank you Wikipedia) The day is generally characterized by the attendance of church services, wearing of green attire and the lifting of Lenten restrictions on eating, and drinking alcohol…. Ah ha! So that’s why everybody drinks themselves silly Well what ever you do to celebrate the day whether it be traditional or unconventional here are a variety of different ways to use your muffin tin today

First up is the Green Muffin Tin lunch from Muffin Tin Mom who does really cool Muffin Tin Meals (the American version of the Japanese bento box meal) – a meal served in a muffin tin (or cupcake pan) for kids. < that’s from her website she does other things too but you know I’m all about the Muffin Tin

Next up we have a little Rainbow Shaving Cream Bath Fun for the kiddos! Do your kids know all about leprechauns and rainbows and how they hide their gold at the end of the rainbow? If they do great if they don’t fill them in and then whip up this fun bath time treat from Meaningful Mama. They are sure to have fun with this foamy bath paint!

Now for us grown ups how about a tasty treat… Jello Key Lime Tarts anyone? These just looked so darling and they were green so how could I not include them in today’s post This recipe comes from a blog called Joy of Jello The Color Green. Who doesn’t love Jello? YUM! I just love these

And last but not least Irish Car Bomb Brownie Bites NOT FOR KIDS or under 21 for that matter… I’m not even sure I ‘d be up for them, lol, but there’s no accounting for taste right? So if your in to it check out love and butter‘s blog for the recipe. Looks like she makes a lot of other yummy stuff too And I must admit they do look good! If you try them you must let me know what you think!

I leave you with this one last thing

A Wish for a Friend

Wishing you a rainbow
For sunlight after showers—
Miles and miles of Irish smiles
For golden happy hours—
Shamrocks at your doorway
For luck and laughter too,
And a host of friends that never ends
Each day your whole life through!

Have a safe and Happy St. Paddy’s Day Friends!

Mini Meatloaves

This is my tribute to meatloaf! One of America’s classic comfort foods and one of my all time favorites How awesome that we’re servin it up in a muffin tin!! As an extra special treat I am giving  you several different recipes to choose from today. For the kid in all of us I present for your viewing pleasure…  meatloaf cupcake style with mashed potato frosting and corn sprinkles This one is from my very own kitchen and here’s what ya do…Take 1 lb. extra-lean ground beef, 1 cup of plain or seasoned bread crumbs (it’s up to you), 1 tsp. garlic powder, salt & pepper to taste, 1 Tbs. brown sugar, 1/4 of a medium onion diced, 1 egg, 1/2 cup ketchup.  Really the recipe is up to you just stick with around a pound of meat. Use your favorite or your old standby mix it up a bit I eyeball it a lot so hopefully the measurements above are close, lol! Preheat oven to 375 degrees and then mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Once mixed divide into 12 muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray. *I find that dividing the meat in half and working it into a long log and then squeezing off 6 small balls and repeating the process works well for dividing the meat into the muffin tin.* Bake for 20 minutes and then check with a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temp. reaches 160 degrees, bake longer if needed but keep an eye on them and remember dark pans cook faster! That’s the meatloaf recipe, you’re on your own for the mashed potatoes and corn folks but you can serve what ever side dish you like or frost with potatoes and sprinkle with corn as pictured. If you do that I suggest you start peeling your potatoes ahead of time and get them going because the meatloaves don’t take long to cook once they’re in It’s all about time management, lol! Oh and FYI I used a cookie press to Ice the “cupcakes” because the potatoes will be hot so take that into account when frosting you may want to just dollop if you don’t have a press handy.

Alright now onto some other recipes for you all to enjoy. One thing I want to point out about the muffin tin first though is the delightful size of each little cup. If you were around for my very first  post in this blog… all of 3 days ago I mentioned the size of each cup being 3 and 1/2 ounces which happens to also be the perfect serving size and great for portion control! So for all of us out there trying to keep our girlish figure this ones for you! This recipe comes to us from EatingWell via Pinterest, of course, where else? So most of us know that traditional meatloaf is made with ground beef, pork and veal in this version they replace the veal with ground turkey for a leaner version of the classic. Here’s a picture. Click the link above for the recipe.

And for and even leaner mini meatloaf try this one from keyingredient they are called Mini “Martha Stewart” Meatloaf’s and are super lean they have only 86 calories per meatloaf and are only 2 points per meatloaf if you do Weight Watchers

Aren’t they adorable?!!! I just love mini meat loaves <3 Alright you get 2 more recipes and then I’ll turn you loose to explore the wonderful word of  meatloaves and muffin tins This next one is a fun mix and match to fit your own style from Kraft. Here is the link, Marvelous Mini Meatloaves by Kraft. This site is a GREAT resource for mini meatloaf recipes and I love all the options, just make sure you note that the “add in” choices & cheese possibilities ( the ones that seem to have no measurements) are 3/4 cup measurements… it took me a minute to figure that out, lol! Maybe I was just having one of those days, but I thought I’d put it out there in case you do to The last recipe is from Rachael Ray, I love her she has tons of great ideas so why wouldn’t she be cookin up meatloaf in muffin tins? Yum-o! Now this one is for a 6 cup tin so be prepared for that and she puts her onions and bell pepper into a food processor but don’t let that scare ya off you can always do it the old fashioned way and just dice it up with a knife, lol. Here’s her link for Meatloaf Muffins with Barbeque Sauce and here is a picture of what they looked like (a double recipe) from a pinner on Pinterest who posted a picture before she baked them up…

So there ya go 5+ different mini meatloaf recipes for you to try out and enjoy!  This post could have gone on and on because EVERYONE has their own version of meatloaf but hopefully this will point you in the right direction with how to cook it in a muffin tin! Now go get cookin!

Condiment Caddy

So in light of the beautiful weather we’ve been having lately I thought I’d start you all thinking about  those picnics, barbecues and summer parties that will be here before you know it. In fact I bought hot dogs to throw on the grill while I was at the store yesterday and my husband’s super cool new handy dandy burger press from Williams- Sonoma (that he just had to have, lol) arrived in the mail yesterday as well so guess what we will be doing one day this week! And guess what we will be using… A Muffin Tin Condiment Caddy! Yep you heard me right. I found this on Pinterest a few weeks ago, when it was snowing outside and here we are March 15th and it’s in the 80′s who knew? Anyway lets get back on topic, so a muffin tin as a condiment caddy… instead of using several different dishes (like I ALWAYS do, now you only have one to clean!) for your onions and tomatoes, pickles or relish, lettuce, whatever you put on your burgers and dogs put them in your muffin tin! If it’s a 6 cup tin and you only have 3 toppings lets say… tomato, onion, pickles fill the other 3 with some ketchup, mayo and mustard! Stick a plastic spoon in them for spreading and voila! Cool huh? You can mix and match. Or if you like EVERYTHING or have guests and are not sure what they like break out the 12 cup tin and put it all in there. If you still have cups to fill add fancy toppings like Gulden’s Spicy brown mustard, ( just make sure to label) you can add chilli for hot dogs or those cute little midget pickles the options are endless Hold on let me make a list… it’s one of my other favorite things to do If you know me you are grinning right now! Ok so we have…

1. Lettuce
2. Tomatoes
3. Pickles (slices)
4. Onions (slices for burgers or diced for dogs)
5. Relish (for hot dogs or burgers)
6. Chilli (for hot dogs)
7. Shredded Cheese (for hot dog or burgers) if you need to fill holes add more than 1 type
8. Midget Pickles (dill, sweet, bread & butter)
9. Ketchup
10. Mustard (plain and or flavored)
11. Mayo
12. BBQ sauce (for burgers, some people like it!)
13. Salsa (same as the BBQ sauce depending on the burgers you are serving it fits!)

There ya go! Lots of options get creative with it and let me know how it turns out. Here’s a picture of the one I saw on Pinterest to give you some more inspiration

Advent Calendars

Okay… so this one is REALLY cool!! I spotted it while looking for an interesting photo of a muffin tin to put up today… what a find! I also learned that Advent Calendars aren’t just for counting down to Christmas! After seeing a MUFFIN TIN  Advent Calendar for Valentines Day I looked up  the definition of advent: the arrival of something important or awaited… okay that makes sense, I guess I had only ever thought of Advent in the liturgical sense.  So if you didn’t already know that, today you have learned something new Now back to business, so as am following this maze of link after link from site to site I finally settle on one that gives some good DIY instructions for you all to follow if you’d like to give it a try (debbie does creations, see her link below). Its funny how one thing leads to another, while reading Debbie’s blog she mentions Pinterest so then I go there and search “Muffin Tin Advent Calendars” and get a few more pics for you guys! So I posted them all below as well. And here’s another thought, you could put a sweet treat inside the cups as a little added bonus for when the kiddos open the “doors”! You could make these for your own families or give them as gifts. I’m quite impressed with this one!! I already have a really nice (wooden) Christmas Advent Calendar  but with my new found knowledge I am thinking I may make one for Easter or Halloween or both!!

     

Here are all the links have fun with this one!!

Tic Tac Togs is where I found the Valentines Day Advent (though no longer available)

The 1st Christmas Advent Muffin Tin comes to us from fellow blogger the queen says:  I believe she sells them on etsy.

The 2nd Christmas Advent Muffin Tin is from debbie does creations and this is the gal with the DIY instructions!

The double Halloween Advent is by JADA ROO CAN DOand this is her blog. I found hers on Pinterest

The last Halloween Advent Calendar is  by SomethingFromCassie and this is her website. Also found on Pinterest, love that site!

Teaser

Since it is my first day and I don’t want to spill all my secrets at once… but I’m busting at the seams to share them with you! I thought I’d give you a little teaser of some things to come. Uses for your Muffin Tins will fall into some of the following categories…

• Arts and Crafts
• Education
• Recipes (of course)
• Organization/Storage
• In the Garden
• In the Kitchen
• Around the House

and possibly more! Only time will tell