One is the Easiest Number
Ma chere amie,
Let me start this letter by stating up front that I love my children. More than anything. They mean the world to me. I’d go to the ends of the earth and back for them.
But as you know, two children are a lot of work. It’s not easy to get things done around the house (especially when they tag-team their waking hours, as mine are currently inclined to do: she goes down, she gets up, he goes down, he gets up, she goes down, she gets up….etc.), let alone find a moment to relax.
Anyways, I digress. This weekend, T and Dash went up to the lake for some guy time, so Keillor and I were left with two whole days just to ourselves. Can I just tell you how much I’ve accomplished in the last 48 hours? It’s incredible how much easier things are with only one kid! During one naptime alone, I did the following:
- cleaned out and organized the pantry
- cleaned out the refrigerator and freezer
- read a magazine in the sunshine
- organized my closet
- did three loads of laundry (including the folding and putting away!!)
- prepped and froze food for the week ahead
- made two grocery lists
- posted our double stroller on Craigslist (end of an era…)
- painted my toenails
While many of these sound like mundane chores, let me tell you….I relished simply having the time to do them. And cleaning up does have its advantages. During my freezer-cleaning frenzy, I unearthed a forgotten jar of frozen huckleberries that my mom had given us when we moved in…..gold! A smaller and more tart cousin of the blueberry, huckleberries are probably one of the most “Montana” foods out there. They’re coveted at the late summer farmers markets, and lend such great flavor to smoothies, ice cream, jams, breads, pancakes…you name it.
So this afternoon I wanted to put them to use, and bake something that would make the house smell yummy when the guys returned. I dug out a standby recipe for blueberry oatmeal flaxseed muffins, which I first had at Du Jour, one our favorite neighborhood bakeries back in Brooklyn. I'd been addicted to these for awhile before seeing Merrill Stubbs track down and share the recipe on Food52, and was thrilled to have the chance to recreate them at home. And while the homemade version never tastes quite as good as the bakery’s, these are still pretty darn satisfying. I swapped in the huckleberries for the blueberries, and also snuck in some chopped kale, because hidden vegetables.
Healthy, gluten-free, low-calorie muffins these are NOT. But who cares? The oven is hot, the house smells delicious, I’m writing you a letter, and there’s still a good hour left of naptime. Ahhhh…..
Blueberry, Oatmeal, Flaxseed Muffins
via Merrill Stubbs of Food52, via Du Jour Bakery
Makes 24 muffins
- 280grams (2 cups) whole wheat flour
- 450grams (5 1/2 cups) rolled oats
- 300grams (1 1/2 cups) light brown sugar
- 80grams (2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon) ground flaxseed
- 4teaspoons baking soda
- 1teaspoon baking powder
- 4teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1cup neutral oil (vegetable, olive, and coconut are good choices)
- 2cups buttermilk
- 2cups blueberries (or use other fresh berries, or dried berries)
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 standard-sized muffin pans with paper liners. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, flaxseed, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.
- Add the eggs, oil, buttermilk and 3/4 cup water. Mix until the dry and wet ingredients are just combined, and then fold in the blueberries. Spoon the batter into the muffins cups, filling each cup right up to the top, and bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely before serving
FYI, these freeze really well, too. XO