That Time A Muffin Went To A Glass Studio

Good Evening Sleepy Muffin Readers!

Tins of colored glass

So I don't know if you knew this, but aside from Muffin's being sleepy (they are even more sleepy after a long weekend full of tasty leftovers) they are also very curious. My curiosity prompted us to attend the Near Southside Art Goggle a little while back and we happened to stumble upon SiNaCa Studios while listening to the Whiskey Folk Ramblers perform (awesome band might I add). SiNaCa studios we soon discovered, is a school of glass with an adjacent gallery that showcases artist's creations.

Fast forward to this past weekend: the in-laws were in town and I was trying to think of someplace we could check out that was not a mall or something "usual" and would interest everyone. Since we happened to be in the area, I suggested that we go check out SiNaCa- I just wasn't expecting anyone to be working with glass while we were there!

Kevin McGhee working with the beginnings of a blown bowl

As soon as we walked into the gallery, I was already checking out the next room where they had the kilns running (See? Muffin curiosity at its finest right there). We immediately were invited to go over and catch some of the action going on inside as they worked with molten glass.Of course, I didn't need a second invitation and made my way over - woohoo!

In a nutshell, we were absolutely amazed that these guys start off with a small blob of virgin (clear) glass, and after adding in pieces of colored glass it eventually turns into this breathtaking piece of art.Of course, what kind of post would this be if I didnt elaborate on the process?

As we watched the guys form their piece, our visit made me realize that to make a single bowl, it could easily be a two-man process and both people needed a good amount of skill and trust in each other. Especially when one person is blowing the glass through a special pipe and the other person is rolling that same pipe to make sure the glass is distributed evenly.

See that bowl forming?

Once the blob had been blown a small bit, it would be reinserted into the kiln, taken out, have colored glass added, formed, and the process would be repeated until it reached the ideal color content they desired and the appropriate size for them to start forming the bowl. Unfortunately, I was so fascinated by the process and what was going on that the details are starting to become a little fuzzy (sorry).

One thing Kevin or his associate Clifton mentioned, was that when they're forming a piece, they water the tools they use to keep the temperature down which in turn, prevents the glass from sticking to their tools, thus allowing them to form their pieces  however way they want. They also said that there are many things that could be used as a tool to help form the hot glass such as a mold, a wood paddle or even a pad made out of wet newspapers provided they were wet and the temperature was kept down low enough that the glass wouldn't stick to it.
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After a certain point, they opened up the hole that would become the bowl's opening using centrifugal force and gravity to give the bowl its height and shape.Clifton mentioned that this method is ideal for forming the bowl, however if your glass is too thin it can mess up the overall shape of the bowl or it can even cause your project to come off the pipe and end up as a mess on the floor.

As you can see from the pictures, that bowl has already started developing some really beautiful color patterns and it wasnt even completed yet. They showed us that hot colored glass will change in color over the time it cools so that you never know what the end result will look like until the piece has completely cooled. Meaning, that sometimes a piece might not look very nice when they complete it, but after it has cooled it might had developed some amazing unique color patterns that they were not expecting.

Kevin and Clifton (right) working together on the blown bowl

Sadly, our demonstration ended after a while - but we stuck around and chatted with Clifton about SiNaCa itself and discovered that it is a non-profit organization that is available to anyone in the community who wants to hone their skill in glass working from beginners to seasoned experts. As you can guess, the pieces available in their gallery were made by many of the artists who use the facilities at SiNaCa. I also discovered that you can take a number of different classes to try your hand at working with glass to make your own creations.  I truly felt like a small child in a huge toy shop - there was so much to look at and take in.

Overall - visiting SiNaCa Studios was truly an amazing, amazing experience, I really can't say enough good things about this place. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful - if you're ever in the area, stop by say hi and help support this local spot! I cant wait to sign my husband up for one of their classes or even try my hand at glass working myself.

Until next time!


The Little Sleepy Muffin


P.S:  I want to thank Kevin, Clifton, and the staff at SiNaCa for the wonderful time and experience we had at your studio this past weekend. Thank you for answering all our questions and allowing me to take photos. My only regret was that my photos cannot do your work justice.

Going Back in Time...Muffin Style

Good Evening Dear Readers!

Today I'm taking you on a trip down memory lane thanks to a recent Pinterest entry I found for making Marranitos, or Mexican Piggies. These pastries are not quite a cookie and not quite a bread. As with many other pan dulce it is lightly sweetened and goes well with coffee or milk.

Long ago when I was a mini Muffin, my parents would take me to the Pink Elephant Panaderia in San Jose occasionally on Saturday mornings. There I could choose out any pastry I wanted. Usually I chose a cookie covered in crunchy sprinkles because they were so pretty, but as I grew older I developed a taste for Conchas instead. After I chose my pastry my parents would make their pan dulce selections and away we'd go. They always included some piggies for my brother since they were his absolute favorite (and still are I might add). Of course, they always knew that I wasn't completely satisfied by my single cookie so they always threw in a few extra piggies for me as well.

These trips used to be so memorable to me because over the years, we didn't always live close to The Pink Elephant, and the panaderia isn't in the greatest side of town. Either way, we kept coming here year after year since it was known for being one of the best panaderias in the Bay Area and it was always a special treat whenever we went.

Finished piggies...errr I mean Bears

The tradition of going to the Pink Elephant didn't start with my parents though: my grandparents had been going there for years before my parents started dating and eventually got married. I'm not sure how long it has been around but to this day The Pink Elephant is still standing and serving the hispanic community wonderful pastries daily. It is one of my wishes to some day continue that tradition and take my son, the muffin-lette, there and let him choose his own pan dulce.

So, as I mentioned earlier: I found this recipe online for Marranitos via Pinterest and decided to give it a try and share the results with you.

Mmmmm, the molasses smelled so wonderful

Authentic Mexican Marranitos (Molasses Gingerbread Piggies)

I'm sure you noticed by now that the piggy pictures I posted aren't actual piggies. I assure you, I haven't completely lost my muffin sense and do realize that the cookie cutter I am using is bear-shaped and not pig-shaped, I still just call them piggies out of habit. Sadly, when I started this project I didnt have a pig cookie cutter large enough to make a proper Marranito and the only cutter I had available was the bear cutter you see in my photos.

Ginormous Bear cookie cutter!

Since I didnt get permission to re-post this recipe I felt that it was only fair to re-direct my readers to where I originally found the recipe especially since I didnt make any notable adaptions.So, this recipe can be found via my Pinterest board or going directly to this link.


I did however, want to point out a few things about this recipe that will help make your life easier and make a more authentic, tastier pastry:

• Use lard (or Manteca in spanish) if at all possible - This will give you the best possible taste and texture. Just ignore the fact that it wont necessarily be very healthy.
• Use that egg wash! The gloss and texture is very reminiscent of the piggies I used to get when I was a kid - just dont go too crazy with the wash or else you'll end up with scrambled eggs on top of your pan dulce
• Add in the cinnamon but skip the rest of the spices the reviews say to add. The flavor you achieve is the closest to actual panaderia piggies and I always think its nice to try something one way before you decide to try out your own variations of the recipe.
• Section out your dough into large palm sized balls.I found this was easier for me to handle when I rolled out and stamped my dough versus to handling the entire batch of dough at once.
• Dont be afraid of handling the dough too much. It is very forgiving and fairly easy to handle. 
• As always, have fun and add in as much love to your pastries as possible. It definitely affects the flavor :)

After the first batch made it out of the oven I gave the first piggy to Mr. Muffin (ha ha I hope he doesn't mind me calling him that) who declared them a success. That poor piggy didn't stand much of a chance and was devoured well before the next batch could make it out of the oven. Overall, this is a fairly easy and quick recipe to make, even for impatient Muffins such as myself and is simple enough for bakers of any skill to master.

Well Sleepy Muffin Readers - as usual I am starting to get pretty sleepy so I must bid you Adios.

Until next time!

The Little Sleepy Muffin

What are you Thankful for?

Hey there Sleepy Muffin Readers!

Today is Thanksgiving and I have so much to be grateful for:


First and foremost I'm extremely grateful for the most wonderful man in my life. He makes me laugh and sometimes he drives me crazy but overall he has made my life 100x better than I could ever imagine. I could go on and on about how wondering and amazing he is. Believe me, there is never a dull moment in my house with him around.

I'm also grateful for my family. I''m thankful to have my parents nearby and and glad that I am able to have a good relationship with them. My brother is deployed overseas I miss him very much but am grateful for the opportunity to have him in my life as well. In addition to my immediate family, my in-laws are also worth being thankful for. They are some of the sweetest, loudest, loving people I have ever met.

My puppies Max and Peach and also my rabbit Bunn are also on my list of things to be thankful for. Its hard to stay discouraged or grumpy after a rough day at work when you're greeted by a whirlwind of fur at the door when you come home. They definitely make things interesting at home and I wouldn't have it any other way.

In a little over two months we're going to be welcoming our little muffin-let into this world and I'm already so thankful for the miracle he is. Right now he is kicking and moving around like mad (and occasionally driving me crazy) but I already love that little guy dearly and cant wait to have him in my arms.

Finally, I'm thankful for a comfy home, good food to eat, a place to work, and a fairly peaceful and happy life. My life is far from perfect but God has truly blessed me with many wonderful things.

So, dear Reader, what are you thankful for?