Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Muffin in common


I'm a huge fan of muffins. But do you remember your first time?

I don't recall ever having had or seen one in this country until the late Eighties. The first time I had such a thing as a blueberry muffin was in New York in 1982. I'd never been aware such a thing existed, and it's not like I'd led a sheltered life. We just didn't get them over here. And as for blueberries - they were totally not available anywhere, were they? I certainly don't recall seeing them in supermarkets until about 15 years ago or less.

Let's move on to the 'English' muffins - what we would just call muffins. I'd also never tasted them until my first time Stateside.

Now of course, they're ubiquitous. I'm not complaining. I like all types of muffin, except chocolate chip big doughy ones you get in service stations. There's nothing like a blueberry muffin straight from the oven: soft, vanilla-y, warm, oozing with sweet fruit. Or the lightly toasted plain muffin smothered in butter and peanut butter, or with slightly melting swiss cheese and a dash of marmite. Let me leave you with that thought.

On another note, traffic's definitely down. Ever since The Urban Woo shut up shop visits have taken a tumble. I kind of feel she was the glue that held this end of the blogging community together, and without her we're drifting apart. Do you agree? I can't - or rather don't know how to - put one of those feed things down the side of my blog that shows you who's updated recently. I used to like that on hers and on Matt Rudd's. Can anyone help with that?

Blogwise, The Urban Woo was my first port of call each day and it's such a shame she's gone. I'm having lunch with her next week so perhaps I can talk her back into it. However, it won't be as easy as it sounds. I suppose there comes a time in one's life where the moment simply passes. I've felt it vaguely before, but pulled back at the last minute. But she's really been and gone and done it.

This is my 600th post by the way. I'm still here.

12 comments:

office pest said...

Hello F-C.
To get a blog list, you select 'add a gadget' and then choose 'blog list' or a variant thereof. You can configure it to show the blog, the latest post, a snippet of the latest post and so on. You'll need to copy in the URL of the blogs you want to list. It's not that hard, just a mite tedious to set up.

Muffins - a 90s thing I think, though I may have been a late adopter.

I miss the Urban Woo - definitely a node for our part of the blogworld and much missed. Please say hi from me. Or hello if you prefer.

600 not out? Congratulations!

Matthew Rudd said...

The Urban Woo is still on my Blog List. I can't bring myself to remove it, really. I keep hoping she'll come back, even though if she did she's disallowed from being The Urban Woo again. You're right about her being the glue, I think.

Muffins are delicious, though I am not a fan of blueberries in anything. I also like the other type of muffin - the type you slice in half, throw into a toaster and then allow excess butter to melt upon before scoffing.

Congrats on the 600 F-C. I wouldn't be here without you...!

Cocktails said...

A blueberry muffin with coffee is a fine start to the day.

It goes perfectly with an F-C update.

So don't even think about going away.

Simon said...

Your post on Magazines as well as various Wooisms were what made me resurrect my witterings after four+ years off. Not that I can claim to be much of an added attraction to the blogs I do read every day. Just a glorified hanger on!

Muffins - not sure I can recall them before I left college in 1992. Before then my cake of choice was either a swiss or chelsea bun.

Dan W said...

great post. I love a good muffin. IN fact home is a muffin and a cup of tea. God I want a muffin now.

Yes keep the blogging going. I'll stop writing about running now I promise.

Kolley Kibber said...

Muffins...hmm. I always think I want one and then when I have one, I'm inevitably disappointed. They always seem too sugary and sickly. I've gone back to the Old Fashioned, split-and-butter variety, me. Perhaps my palate has matured. If it has, it'd be the only thing about me.

I miss the Urban Woo, too, but maybe it was time for her to put her formidable energy elsewhere. You're still doing a fine job.

Mondo said...

Never rated Muffins (always found them a bit cloggy and cloying) - on the same subject I don't get flapjacks at all (the UK seed/oat/Gloy things rather than the US mini-pancake ones)

Well done on hitting the 600 mark FC - and I'd be surprised if we didn't see the return of Woodledoodledoo at some point in the future..

A Kitten in a Brandy Glass said...

Ooh, I see you've mastered the blog list thingy.

Muffins are so five years ago. It's all about cupcakes now, isn't it. Overpriced and overiced, hideously sweet and impossible to eat without getting the "frosting" all over yourself, all style (in an annoying squealy girlie fashion editor "We're loving these!!!" way) and no sodding substance.

I'm all about dense almondy cakes at the moment. Let's embrace the Sachertorte, and proper Bakewell tarts with white icing with a brown spider's web pattern on top.

Jon Peake said...

Yes, cupcakes. They are all the rage Kitten, you're right of course. Every wedding I go to now is cupcakes. They're very sickly indeed, but they always look interesting. More interesting than they actually are.

And yes, thanks to OP, I've mastered the blog list thing!

TimT said...

Mmm, muffins... When I was at City University (1989-90) there was a branch of the Original Canadian Muffin Company opposite Angel tube station. They made the most amazing muffins - banana and raspberry was my favourite - and also sold delicious frozen yoghurt (another novelty). I occasionally treated myself to a visit there for lunch, and also popped into the Covent Garden branch whenever I could.

Sadly, the OCMC disappeared some time in the late 90s. I haven't mourned a food franchise so much since Wendy's bit the dust.

Sky Clearbrook said...

I like muffins, but not mad on them.

I'm partial to a flap jack, but they do give me outrageous wind. Sometimes - if they're reduced at the end of the day - I'll buy a box of parkins (yeah, really!) from Asda. They're even more wind-inducing. I never learn.

Paaaaarrrrrrppppppppp!

Jon Peake said...

Tim T, I love stories like that of old food outlets. Who remembers the Great American Disaster hamburger chain of the 1970s? You know what, I might blog separately about this.

And Sky Clearbrook go to your room. But leave the parkins down here before you do.

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