Bran Muffins

Today's cooking adventure went just as planned.  Logan surprised us by sleeping until 7:45 and Chloé was still asleep when he got up.  So instead of being greeted by the screams that we are used to, I awoke to hearing Logan chatting away quietly to himself in his crib.  And he pleasantly said 'hi' to me when I opened the door instead of whining for about 30 minutes.  I wish every day could start like this!

Logan and I headed out on a walk to the grocery store as soon as we were up, dressed and fed.  And then after some major temper tantrums to get him back in the house, I whipped up some hot artichoke and spinach dip (that we enjoyed for lunch) and started making the zuppa du jour that we will eat tonight.  After further temper tantrums to get Logan down for a nap - first time even in his big boy bed! - I started my cooking bonanza.   

As I type this, Logan is out with Jerome at the hardware store, Chloé is still sleeping in her sling (going on 3 hours now!) and I've got zuppa du jour and carrot and coriander soup simmering on the stove top, some maple surprise cooking in the crockpot, the muffins below in the oven and some dough for homemade donuts just waiting to be thrown into the deep fat fryer (that recipe to come, if they turn out to be any good).  The kitchen is a crazy mess, the dishwasher is full and running and I'm taking advantage of what will probably be my last few minutes of quiet to get this typed up.

I love, love, love the other bran muffin recipe that I have already posted, but they make about 60 muffins.  So at times when I don't have freezer space (like now), I whip up these ones instead.

I opted to throw some frozen blueberries into these muffins, as Logan is a bit young still to be having raisins.  He's really hit and miss on blueberries.  Sometimes, he picks them out, says 'uh oh' and chucks them right on the floor.  And other times, he picks them out and they're the only things that he will eat.  We'll see what happens with these muffins...

1/4 C margarine
1/2 C brown sugar (firmly packed)
1/4 C molasses
2 eggs 
1 C milk
1 1/2 C natural wheat bran
1 C flour (I used whole-wheat)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 C raisins (optional)

1.  Cream together the margarine and sugar.  Add molasses and eggs and beat together.

2.  Add milk, and then add bran.

3.  Combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt together.  Add to liquid ingredients.  Add raisins, if desired.

4.  Place in muffins pans and bake at 400 degrees Farneheit for 18 to 20 minutes.

Makes 12.