When Experience Isn't the Best Teacher

Generally experience is good.  As we become more experienced at doing something, our skills improve and the task usually becomes easier to complete with better results.  However, experience also can cause us to become complacent and thus not pay close enough attention to our actions.  That's what happened to me this morning.

I had decided to try a new blueberry muffin recipe that Lindsay had sent to me.  We bought all of the ingredients at the store, and, as usual, I assembled everything on the counter top.  By habit, when I bake and I use something, I immediately put that container back where it belongs.  That way I know what I have and have not added to the mix (should I get interrupted), and when I am finished, all of the containers are in their proper places, so clean-up is quick and easy.

OK, so everything was assembled and ready to go.  I preheated the oven, zapped the butter in the microwave for 15 seconds on power 5 to soften it, and I was ready to roll.  I have been around a mixing bowl a time or two in my life, and this is where my experience -- and my complacency -- took over.  I cannot begin to count the times a recipe starts with "cream together the butter and the sugar," so that is what I did.  I added the sugar to the softened margarine and mixed it together.  Then I added the other "wet" ingredients to the bowl.  Hm-m-m.  I still had the eggs on the counter top, and I did not see instructions to add the eggs with the other "wet" ingredients.  Perhaps, I thought, I should read the recipe more carefully...

That is when I discovered that I was supposed to whisk the eggs and the sugar together in the bowl and to save the softened butter for the streusel topping at the end of the recipe.  Oops.  Since I already had so many expensive ingredients in the bowl, I decided to go ahead with the rest of the recipe.  I figured at most I would have to increase the baking time (which I did) and that I would have a greasier muffin at the end.  I used about half of the required butter and half of the other topping ingredients for a lighter streusel topping.

The results?  Well, I have 12 browned muffins that, thanks to the muffin papers, came out of the pan intact.  They actually have a light texture inside, probably more "moist" with the added butter than they should be.  Are they my favorite?  No, but thanks to delicious Schwan's blueberries,  they are edible.

Blueberry muffins, anyone?

So lesson learned.  I need to start to pay closer attention to what I am doing.  Experience is great as long as it does not morph into inattention and errors.

My sister and brother-in-law have been in Florida all week helping my nephew and his wife remodel their newly purchased home.  After a hard week of work, they called and asked if we would like to get together so they could get out of the house.  We drove down to St. Petersburg to pick them up, and then ventured onward to St. Pete's Beach.

Tom and Sue enjoy the sunshine on St. Pete's Beach.

While Rick and I have been to Madeira Beach, we have never stopped to stroll along St. Pete's Beach.   Sadly, our  beach parking permit did not cover parking for that beach, so that was an added expense.  The beach was great.  A slight breeze and the earlier morning hour kept temperatures tolerable, and we had fun walking the not-too-crowded beach.

Dining on the deck allowed us to enjoy good food and
a fantastic view.

Owen wanted some shells, so Rick spent most of his time seeking some colorful varieties of shells to take home for Owen.  We stopped for a delicious lunch at a beach-side cafe, so dining while we could watch the waves was refreshing.

Rick has his hands full of shells to take to Owen.

As the afternoon wore on, the temperatures climbed to the point where the beach became unbearable. Florida is experiencing record-breaking temperatures this week with highs in the upper 80s.  That is 10 degrees above normal for this time of year.

We drove north a bit to John's Pass, a conglomeration of touristy shops and a boardwalk.  Our boardwalk stroll included a view of The Royal Conquest,  a pirate ship that, for a price, one could sail on.  If Owen ever comes down, I am sure that will be a required trip.

For a price, matey, you can sail with the pirates.

We did a little shopping and then ventured home before the traffic became too hectic.  Altogether, we had a relaxing, fun day.  I am glad that we got to spend some time together, and that we all got out into the fresh air and sunshine... even though I did end up with a sunburn despite my use of sunscreen!