The Lion King

The Lion King has come to town.  The Durham Performing Arts Center, known as the DPAC, has been transformed into Africa and it is a sight to behold.  I am quite familiar with the story having watched the Disney movie countless times when the boys were younger.  My mother-in-law asked me a couple of months ago if I would like to go with her.  I jumped on that chance.  I had only been to DPAC once before, last season, to see Phantom of the Opera.  I love plays.  Make-believe worlds are wonderful for those of us with over active imaginations.

The costumes, the puppetry, the songs, the colors... wow!  I loved every second of it and so did my date.  Scar, played by J. Anthony Crane in this production, was perfectly horrible and very well-acted.  Rafiki was wonderful.  I found myself remembering Timon and Pumbaa's lines and wanting to sing along with Simba when he belted out "I Just Can't Wait To Be King."  (I didn't.  I behaved.)  High school-age son really wants to surprise his girlfriend and take her, but it is sold out.  I wish he'd told me that a couple of months ago.
Having guests gave me an excuse to bake (as if I really need one, it's just nice to have a larger audience).  On the weekend, I like to get up early, before anyone else, and fill the kitchen with good smells.  I made scones, using the lavender scone recipe on the blog, but without the lavender (I am totally out of culinary lavender-- I need to get in touch with my "dealer").  I substitued dried blueberries and lemon zest. 
I also made cinnamon-sugar muffins.

I like to make mini-muffins.  Just the right size to pop in my mouth.

Vraiment délicieux with my café au lait on a chilly winter morning while reading the Sunday paper.

Cinnamon-Sugar Muffins
makes 12 regular size or 24 mini-muffins

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Topping:
1/2 cup sugar (I use turbinado)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

Heat oven to 350˚F. 
Grease bottoms only of muffins cups with butter.
With a fork, in a medium bowl, beat sugar, milk, vegetable oil, and egg.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg in a small bowl.
Add flour mixture to milk mixture and mix just until all the flour is wet (do not stir too much, batter will be lumpy). 
Spoon batter into muffin cups until 2/3 full.  Bake 20-25 minutes for regular size muffins or 12 minutes for mini-muffins.
While muffins are baking, mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Melt the butter.
When muffins are golden brown, remove from the oven and immediately remove them from the pan.  Roll hot muffins in the melted butter, then in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Serve hot.

Bon appétit, le petit déjeuner!