Fall muffins

Can you feel it? Can you feel that chill in the air in the early mornings and just after the sun goes down? Fall is just at our heals, it will be here before we know it.

I love this time of year.

I love waking up to a house that is 70 degrees instead of 80.

I love seeing all the apple trees so heavy with fruit that the branches are sagging.

I love to look at the mountains near our home and see little specks of orange and yellow and red starting to appear.

I love that the sun takes longer to rise in the morning.

I love watching the pumpkins in the garden patiently waiting for October.

I love all the squashes that are on sale at the farmers markets and in the grocery stores.

I love that I can make soup and not sweat to death while I eat it.

I love the smell of a cinnamon candle burning on my counter top.

I love the warm cozy feel of my home during Autumn.

I have slowly been weaning my family off of cold cereal. That is one of the many things I love about homeschooling my children; I actually have time to make a meal in the morning instead of rushing to beat the school bus. We have been eating oatmeal, pancakes, muffins, eggs and toast, rice cereal (not the baby food), puff pastry, waffles, home made granola, omelets, breakfast burritos, hash browns and smoothies for breakfast. Now just the thought of cold cereal out of a card board box seems bland, to say the least.

I have created the perfect recipe for fall muffins.

They have all the things I love about fall all rolled into a perfectly healthy golden muffin.

They have ripe plump apples, warm cinnamon and juicy raisins.

They make the whole house smell divine.

I made them yesterday and as the kids and I were eating them I just felt Autumn all through my body.

Talk about comfort food.

I know you want to try them too. Just a word of waring before I begin, these are NOT cupcakes. They are very hearty and satisfying, not too sweet, but sweet enough. If you are looking for really cake-y muffins, this recipe is not for you. So here goes...

The Perfect Fall Muffins

Ingredients:

1 3/4 Cups whole wheat flour (I grind it really fine like pasty flour) (yes, I grind my own wheat, WHAT? That's NOT weird, I promise.)

1/3 C brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 egg

3/4 Cup milk ( I use soy milk)

1/8 Cup olive oil

1/2 Cup plain fat free yogurt

1 small apple, cored and chopped into tid bits (I leave the skin on)

1/4 Cup raisins

1 small handful old fashioned oats

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400. Grease your 12 muffin tin.

2. Mix all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

3. Make a well in the middle and add all remaining ingredients. Mix well.

4. Spoon batter evenly into the muffin cups. Put them in the oven. Bake 10-14 minutes.

5. Breathe in the warm spicy aroma and feel the chill that goes down your spine.

6. Take them out of the tins and let them cool on a cooling rack for about 5 minutes or until the children trample you under their feet to get at those fresh baked morsels from heaven.

7. Laugh at the children when they burn their little tongues on the piping hot apple chunks.

8. Try not to say "Told you so!" loud enough for the neighbors to hear.

9. Shove as many in your mouth as you can cuz if you blink they will be all gone!

HAPPY FALL!!!