blue artichoke

As part of my summer reading program, I read all of the Augusten Burroughs books I could get my hands on. His book, Magical Thinking, introduced me to a phenomenon that I had been previously unaware of: the idea that you can influence future events by attributing a causal relationship between two events where no actual relationship exists. I stepped on a crack in the sidewalk; therefore my mother will break her back. I hit all the green lights on the way to work; therefore I’ll get a promotion today.

I don’t know how common this is, but the two people I mentioned it to said, oh, yeah, they do that to some extent. They both declined to offer examples. But both were also surprised that I didn’t think this way (though I’m sure I’m susceptible to other forms of magical thinking), and wasn’t even aware that other people did. That’s the second of the identity traps, the one I most often fall into: the assumption that others will do things or think in the way that I would. (The first identity trap is the belief that you should be someone other than yourself. I don’t have a problem with that one).

Just for fun, last night, I tried out some magical thinking. I knew that I shouldn’t make a chocolate pound cake, but I really wanted to, so I left it up to my performance in a Spider Solitaire computer game. If I won the game, I’d bake the cake. If I didn’t win the game, I wouldn’t make the cake. I know, it’s a loose application, but I’m new at this. I won the game. The cake is delicious. I wish you all could have come over to my house last night, to help me lick the bowl and beaters and hover around the oven like expectant parents, speculating about how big it will be, what it will look like, if it will be attractive…

The muffins I made yesterday for breakfast today were also delicious. Here’s the recipe:

Almond Poppy Seed Muffins
Fence Bed & Breakfast Luxury Suite and Cottages, Stanley, VA
I boosted the almond extract to 1 full teaspoon. Omitted glaze, but topped with extra poppy seeds instead of sliced almonds. Made 12. GC thought they might be a tad dry; I think he’s wrong. Try it to see what you think.

1-3/4 C. Flour
1 Tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/2 C. Butter
1 C. Sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 C. Milk
1 T. poppy seeds
1/2 Tsp. Almond Extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, baking powder, salt and poppy seeds and set aside.

Cream butter, sugar and extract. Add eggs, beating well. Add flour mixture alternately with milk. Pour into greased muffin tins and sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Bake 24 minutes or till top springs back. Makes 10 muffins.

Can glaze with mixture of 1/4 C. Powdered Sugar, 2 T. Cream and 1/2 Tsp. Almond Extract if desired.
These muffins freeze well.