Alternately Titled: Breakfast in the Freezer
I've starting running again in the mornings. My leg injury took about 6 weeks to heal after I finally took a break from running, acknowledging that I was truly hurt and not just being a wimp. Now I get up early about three or four mornings a week to fit in a run before Brian leaves for work. Most of the time the kids don't even know I'm gone. That's really saying something since for years I struggled to get a start on the morning even 15 minutes before my kids, and every.single.time I would creep out of bed and look back to see big baby eyes looking up at me.
But I digress.
By the time I get back from running and clean up, I am hungry. Muffins in the freezer are doing the trick. I have been trying various muffin recipes and popping them in the freezer until we want or need them. Truly, they don't last long, but they last a little longer than if they were sitting out on the counter.
First up was my mom's recipe for Bostonian blueberry muffins. Maddie is not a picky eater. She will eat anything without complaint, but she does not care for fruit that has been cooked. However, she liked these blueberry muffins. I liked that the whole wheat flour makes them heartier and healthier than most muffins.
Owen requested chocolate chip oatmeal muffins next, a family favorite that we got from an online friend (and now real-life friend, too!), Michelle. I agree with Owen. What's not to like about oats and chocolate?! They were a lifesaver on the morning when I went for a scheduled 2 mile run and then needed to clean up and feed everyone breakfast and still be out of the house for the day by 9:15.
I was anxious to try baked oatmeal cups. This recipe was combination muffin/ mini-baked oatmeal. Owen was my kitchen helper and we doubled the recipe. Together, we brainstormed topping ideas with ingredients we had in our kitchen. We tried:
chocolate chip (the #1 favorite of the kids)
cinnamon chip
chocolate chip/raisin
cinnamon chip/raisin
peach/cinnamon chip
chocolate chip/coconut (my favorite)
These were a big hit, but when I make the recipe again, I'll reduce the butter. They were a tad too greasy.
I packed a few of these muffins for our morning of travel on our vacation. I pulled them out of the freezer early on the morning we left and by mid-morning snack time, they were ready to eat.
My most recent venture was pancake and sausage muffins. These muffins are meant to be eaten dipped in maple syrup. How fun! However, a couple of my kids don't like syrup and Brian eats breakfast as he drives to work so dipping wasn't practical. I added about a tablespoon of honey to the batter for sweetness.
Do you have a favorite muffin recipe to share?
We love muffins at our house too. We've missed them a little since cutting out most grains. We have found a good grain free muffin that does the trick, but I still crave an actually muffin every once in a while.
ReplyDeleteMy kids love muffins. The current favorite is pumpkin chocolate chip. Go you running in the morning! Do you do that outside? In the dark?? You're a brave woman. I'm too chicken to run in the dark, so until I get a treadmill my running days are pretty much limited to weekends as it's dark when my hubby leaves for work in the morning and nearly dark when he gets home. I have tried going with the kids in stroller and on bikes/scooters, but keeping everyone corralled and on task doesn't make for a fun run for me!!
ReplyDeleteYes, in the morning, but not totally in the dark. That would creep me out a bit. No, I wait until it is dim and then get out there. Some cars still have their headlights on and I often see glimpses of sunrise, but there is definitely natural sunlight. :-)
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