MUFFINS

From oceans to muffins. What a trip. I usually take a whole grain muffin (a cupcake sized muffin, not one of those behemoths they sell in the vending machines) in my lunch. This little experiment worked out pretty well today.

APPLE BRAN NUT MUFFINS

Combine in a large mixing bowl:

2 Cups all purpose flour

1/2 Cup bran

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped nuts-walnuts, hazelnuts, or pecans. You can chop them as finely or coarsely as you like. If you like a little spice in your life you can add

1 teaspoon cinnamin, nutmeg or allspice

Combine the dry ingrediants thoroughly

Core and thinly slice two apples. Leave the peels on, puree in a food processor and add;

2 eggs

1/4 cup melted butter or vegetable oil. (I prefer butter, the taste and texture are better)

2 tablespoons brown sugar (yep, just two tablespoons) if you like it a little sweeter add

1 teaspoon vanilla

Blend in the food processor (we're talking a  four cup or so size processor bowl) and add to the dry ingrediants. Stir until just blended and spoon in to twelve cupcake size muffin cups. Bake in a 350 degree oven for twenty to twenty five minutes.

The puree takes the place of any other liquid in the recipe. They turned out pretty well for a first time experiment. Barely sweet and more like a bread than those glorified cupcakes they sell in the stores. (personal opinion guys)

 

CALYPSO

I don't think it's a secret that I admire the work of Jacques Cousteau and his son Jean-Michel. And I've loved John Denver's song since I heard it the first time.

BEAUTIFUL STAR FIELD

The star clouds of Rho Ophiuchi. This is beautiful but it's almost a Rorshach ink blot. I look at this and see several different pictures. It's almost as if my mind is filling in the blanks. It's about five hundred light years away.

HOW I CREATED THE LAST ENTRY 2

For the second layer, there are two ways to go. The easiest is to open the background layer, set the color you wish for the second layer and draw the shape you want on the first layer using the rectangle or oval tool. The shape will fill with the color you've chosen. The second layer will look something like this.

I like a little extra interest. Go to the Filter>Texture>Grain on the main toolbar. And you get something that looks like this.

Add a bevel effect, in this case the Inner Ridge again, and you get something like this.I do like that effect. When it's finally done, it looks kind of like a picture frame that's been built from several smaller frames.

Or like this.

This one is kind of pretty, I think.

 

HOW I CREATED THE LAST ENTRY 1

Just for the heck of it I thought I would do some entries on how I created the last couple of entries. I don't claim to have a lot of experience with Photoshops Elements, but I sure am having fun learning.

For the first layer, open a new file, set the size you need and choose a white background. For this one choose Layer Styles>Patterns>Angled Spectrum. And this is what you get.

And then you can go to Layer Styles>Photographic Effects>and choose the tint you like. In my case because I wanted use blue for the text, I chose blue.

Sepia is nice too. It's a nice brown and while it isn't a wood grain it makes a nice frame. The purple is nice too. It ranges from a nice pale purple to dark blue violet. For the final step, to give the picture a little depth, go to the bevel section of Layer Styles. The one I chose for this one is the Inner Ridge.

I think is kind of nice. For a bit of a thrill, go straight to bevels after you fill with the angled specturm and choose wacky metal. Very different, yes?

 

GENTLENESS

From Jamie Sams Earth Medicine. Gentleness is a gift we can give each other....and ourselves.

COMPASSION

The poem is by Jamie Sams in Earth Medicine.  With a lot of help from Photoshop Elements.