Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Happy Eleventh Birthday to I’m Turning 60…!! by Margaret Ullrich



Happy 11th Birthday to I’m Turning 60… and its readers!!
I want to thank each of you for visiting, whether it's been on a daily, weekly or occasional basis!
Also, a big 'Thank you!' to those who've invited their friends to visit!

I especially want to thank those who have commented. 
I really appreciate it when you tell me that your family enjoyed a recipe, or when you ask if I have a recipe for a particular dish.


I’m Turning 60… continues to be more popular than its older ’sibling’ blog
Really!!
I’m Turning 60… - with 1,098 posts - has had over 955,000 visitors since July, 2010, when Blogger started keeping track of both blogs.
That's more visitors than its ‘elder sibling’ blog, Winnipeg is Better Than Chocolate, which has 2,787 posts, and has received a little over 475,000 visitors.
That's less than half the number of posts with over twice as many visitors!


Okay… enough with tallying the reader numbers.
Let’s get back to the recipes which deserve the credit for all these visits!

I recently took a look at how this blog’s posts have been doing.   
The current all-time top ten posts are pretty much the same as last year's favourites:
               Italian Easter Pie with Ricotta and Meat
Carmela Soprano's Scungilli in Hot Tomato Sauce                           

The monthly top ten choices have frequent changes, especially during holiday seasons. 
During the past month many posts were the same as those in the all-time posts.
Please, if you haven’t already, do try a few of the recipes on these lists.
Anna Sultana's Imqarrun il-forn (Baked Macaroni, Maltese Style) has been viewed - and, hopefully, enjoyed - 19,343 times as of today.

A few months ago, when the virus first came to Canada, i gathered recipes for two as well as recipes according to type of ingredients, and shared the posts on Facebook.
Here are the posts:

Bread Recipes made with Yeast, Baking Soda, Baking Powder or Sourdough Starter

Anna Sultana's Roasted Cornish Game Hens 

Anna Sultana's Lemon Cranberry Muffins / Baking Powder Substitutes 

Anna Sultana's Pull-Apart Pizza 

Anna Sultana's Pork Chops in Lemon Caper Sauce / Wine Substitutes for Cooking

Anna Sultana’s Milkless, Eggless, Butterless Cakes (Chocolate or Raisin) 
       and Two-Egg Sponge Cake

       and Quick Fudge

Hope you find them useful, too.


I also get a kick out of seeing how you search for my blog, such as: 
folklorama filipino pavilion food
a christmas story red cabbage recipe
hoito pancakes
red cabbage a christmas story
the hoito thunder bay pancake recipe
how to fix ross il-forn maltese receipy 
cheesecake co-pckers new jersey
eat your manicotti
pudina tal hobz ricetta bil malti
depression fruit cake recipe
how to cook petite scungilli with tomato sauce
maltese macaroni
cake with coconut

And my personal favourite:
nearer and dearer anna
Ma would've loved that!

I'm always amazed at learning where you live.
I expected visitors from the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom since many Maltese immigrated to these countries, especially after World War II.
I’m surprised to see that Russia is one of the top five countries, while the United Kingdom is a little lower on the list.

Now the top ten countries and their visitors are:   
United States………….. 480,119
Canada………….……….…. 82,337
Australia………….………… 56,161
Malta……………...…………  54,783
Russia…………………….…. 33,453
United Kingdom…….….  33,223
Turkey……….………………. 29,364
France………….………..…. 18,191
Germany……….…..…….  16,649
Ukraine.…….…….….……. 11,760

During the years there have also been visitors from Italy, Finland, Poland, Spain,
the Netherlands, Macedonia, Mexico, Afghanistan, Thailand, Slovakia, Ireland, 
Denmark, Bangladesh, Sweden, Israel, Moldova, Malaysia, Singapore, Kuwait, 
Greece, Kenya, Vietnam, Czech Republic, Brazil, Bermuda, Namibia, Cyprus, India, 
Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Norway, New Zealand, Madagascar, Armenia, 
South Africa, Romania, Iceland, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Tanzania, Argentina, 
United Arab Emirates, Belgium, Tunisia, Taiwan, Paraguay, Columbia, China, Jamaica, 
Portugal, Bahamas, Kazakhstan, French Guiana, Côte d’Ivoire, Bangladesh, Egypt, 
Kenya, Oman, Hungary, Belarus, Switzerland and Romania.

Since last October 20 there have also been visitors from Czechia, Lebanon, Austria, 
Venezuela, Hong Kong, Bulgaria, Dominican Republic, Lebanon, U.S. Virgin Islands, 
Gibraltar, Jersey, Nigeria, Serbia, Equador, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Estonia and Albania.
It is a small world after all!!

Recently there has also been a visitor which Blogger is calling ‘Unknown Region’.
I don't know where these unknown visitors live.
Oh, well, I wish a hello to you, wherever you call home.
Hope you found a recipe or two that you enjoyed.


I don't post very regularly and I don’t post on Facebook.
Please become a subscriber to the blog I’m Turning 60…
It’s easy and FREE - just click on the ‘FOLLOW’ link under the pictures of followers and post your email address. 
You can also follow I’m Turning 60… by email. 
Free, easy, and, I promise, your address will never be shared with anyone.
You’ll get an email when there is a new post, so you'll never miss a post.

I do post a link on Twitter whenever there is a new post. 
If you feel more comfortable using Twitter, just click on the Twitter link '@ImTurning60' and we’ll keep in touch that way.

I'd also like more comments.  Really.  
It's easy to do - just click on 'Comments' and write. 
Tell me what you want to know about. 
Would you like more holiday recipes, or more easy, cheap, quick meals or…?

Thanks again for visiting!
Hope to see you again real soon!

Thursday, October 1, 2020

Anna Sultana’s Lemon Blueberry Muffins and Fried Green Tomatoes

Happy October first!
COVID-19 has been with us for over six months.
It’s been a half year like no other.

But some things have stayed the same, such as tonight’s Full Harvest Moon.
It got its name because the Autumn Equinox happened on September 22nd.
The full Moon that comes nearest to the equinox is the one called the Harvest Moon, and it can occur in either September or October.
The full moon rises above the horizon around sunset, about 30 minutes later each night.
This extra light gave farmers extra time for harvesting, giving it the name Harvest Moon.

Here in Manitoba we’re also at risk of getting more frosty nights.
I harvested the tomatoes that were still on the vine.
Some were ripe, but most weren’t.
No problem - I’ll just make some Fried Green Tomatoes.


Last April I posted the recipe for Anna Sultana's Lemon Cranberry Muffins.
They’re delicious, but since we’ll be having cranberries as a side dish with a holiday meal - or two - it’s time to make muffins with blueberries.

Stay safe and well!

Hints:

You don’t have baking powder? Save yourself a trip and make your own.
Cream of tartar combined with baking soda is an excellent baking powder substitute.
For 4 teaspoons baking powder:
Combine 1 teaspoon baking soda with 2 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar.
To make it shelf-stable add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch to the mixture.

These muffins, unglazed, also freeze well.


                        Lemon Cranberry Muffins

Line 24 muffin cups with paper muffin liners, or grease them

Melt
1/2 Cup butter
Set aside and allow to cool slightly.

Sift together in a medium bowl
3 Cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Place in a medium bowl
1 1/2 Cups frozen blueberries
Coat the berries with
1/4 Cup flour

Place in a larger mixer bowl
1 1/3  Cups sugar
1 1/4 Cups milk
1 Cup sour cream
the melted butter
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon lemon extract
Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until blended.
Fold in the flour mixture until batter is just moistened.
Fold in the coated blueberries
Stir just enough to blend. Do not over mix.

Preheat oven to 350º F
Fill the prepared muffin cups 3/4 full.
Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
A toothpick inserted into a muffin should come out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan to a wire rack.

If you want to dress up your muffins you can makes this lemon glaze:
Combine in a small bowl
1 Cup confectioners’ sugar
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Stir until smooth.
Place the muffins on a plate and drizzle with the glaze.

                                  ~~~
                        Fried Green Tomatoes

Combine in a shallow bowl
1/2 cup flour
salt and pepper to taste

Slice 1/2-inch thick
4 to 6 firm green tomatoes

Place in a skillet
1/2 cup vegetable oil or shortening
Heat over medium high heat.

Dip tomato slices in flour and place in hot skillet.
Brown tomato slices thoroughly on both sides.
When tomatoes are finished, add to the skillet
1/2 cup milk
Stir to make a gravy.

Pour gravy over tomatoes and serve as a side dish.