Then one of the local talents engineered a solution: the other remote! Worked like a charm. We mashed together on the couch, dog on top.
The upstairs TV, however, refused to go; it was missing its remote. Soon our engineer was back on the job, rigging a pulley from string, duct tape and an empty oatmeal canister.
Works like a charm. Now we ferry the remote upstairs and down without budging from the couch. The system is handy, retro-chic and suspended above paw’s reach. To stock up on parts, we’ve been downing lots of oatmeal.
Recently, the cable company sent a note about remote replacement. We slipped it off the table and tore it to bits.
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RETRO CRUMBLE MUFFINS
Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 25 minutes
Makes: 12 standard-size muffins
1 tablespoon salted butter, melted
1 cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 or 4 chunks
1 tablespoon warm water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup cultured buttermilk
2 eggs
1. Prep: Brush a 12-muffin tin with the melted butter. Heat oven to 350.
2. Pulse: Measure brown sugar, all-purpose flour, oats, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt into the food processor. Pulse several times. Drop in butter chunks and pulse a few times, until crumbs range in size from specks to peas. Dump this crumble into a large mixing bowl. Scoop out 1/2 cup crumble and set it aside.
3. Whisk: In a glass measuring cup, whisk smooth the water, vanilla, baking powder and baking soda (it will foam up). Whisk in buttermilk, then eggs.
4. Check: Did you set aside that 1/2 cup crumble? If not, you’ll be sorry. Pour buttermilk mixture over the big bowl of crumble. Use a soft spatula to fold to a smooth, thick batter.
5. Portion: Scoop batter into prepared muffin tin (an ice-cream scoop makes this easy). Sprinkle top of each muffin with reserved crumble. See?
6. Bake: Slide tin onto the oven’s center rack and bake until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool a few minutes. Enjoy warm.
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