Do you know the Muffin Man?

I am one tired lady folks!  Kael was up bright and early at 2:15am this morning.  I tried to convince him that he was tired and that it was still time to be in bed, but he wasn’t having it.  So, I won’t be long winded today because I need to catch up on some zzzz’s.

I had to drive to Springfield to our Corporate Office this morning for training.  It was a very long hour in the car on the way there followed by a very long 3 hours in a dimly lit training room, and then a long hour home.  I just wanted to hug a pillow and take a nap!  Several days without sleep will make you loopy.  Sam and I have decided that we are going to do Kael and ourselves a favor and purchase a new crib tent.  The crib tent by Tots in Mind (the Cozy II), is a lifesaver, and we miss it so!

The crib tent, also referred to as the saver of marriages and sanity, fits over the crib and under the crib mattress, much like a tent you would go camping in.  You kiss your little angel good night and then zip them in with the confidence that they won’t decide to evacuate the house in the wee hours of the night, or help them self to the tub of butter in the fridge at 2am.  Yes, there is a story there, but sadly not the time to share...oh no, I have resorted to rhyming...I better make the rest of this quick!

When we had a crib tent before it was the only way we got a full night sleep.  Kael also slept better.  I think he would wake up, realize he wasn’t going anywhere and then go back to sleep.  We would put a book and a few cars in his crib with him and he would be content to play until he dozed back off.  We had one for a year and a half and then Kael “Hulked” out of it one night and ripped the zipper open.  Good bye sleep, hello dark circles and mean mommy.  I am a much better mom when I am not walking around like a zombie.  I think this will be good.  I will let you know how it goes.

I did utilize my time well this morning despite being exhausted.  I baked blueberry muffins, and spent some time with Kael.  These blues, oh man, let me tell you…YUM!!!  I wanted them to be moist and silky smooth, objective accomplished.   Props go to the Barefoot Contessa for this one.  So if you have a hankerin’ for some silky smooth blueberry muffins don’t be afraid to whip these up because they are EASY.  These can be made, cooled, wrapped, and frozen for future cravings too.  Just nuke ‘em for 30 seconds and presto, breakfast made easy!  Here is what you need:



Smoothberry Blue Mini Muffins



Ingredients

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter at room temperature (I nuked mine to get to room temp for 10 seconds, watch carefully)

1 ½ cup sugar

3 extra large eggs at room temperature (let sit in bowl of warm water to bring to room temp quick)

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

1 cup sour cream (I think this tipped the scale on the Moist O’ Meter)

¼ cup milk (Almond Milk can be substituted)

2 ½ cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon kosher salt

2 pints fresh blueberries (I didn’t have fresh blueberries so I used about 2 ½ cups frozen ones)

Directions

Preheat to 350

I was able to line, with paper liners, 1- 12 cup muffin tin, 1- 6 cup muffin tin, and 1- 12 cup mini muffin tin.  In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.  Drop the speed to low and add the eggs one at a time.  Then add the vanilla, sour cream, and milk.  In a medium bowl whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

With the mixer on slow gradually blend the dry ingredients into the creamed butter mixture just until blended. Fold in the blueberries with a spatula. Scoop by the spoonful into your paper lined muffin tins, filling each up just over the top.

Bake 25-30 minutes until the muffins are lightly brown around the edges and a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

So now the question at hand: Do you know the Muffin Man?  I do, his name is Gregory T. Golden.  Greg is a Vice President at the bank I work for and he said these were awesome…so awesome in fact that he enjoyed 3.  The other Muffin Man was Caleb who I learned helped himself to a muffin while riding to Daycare and crumbed the back of Sam’s Pathfinder…oops.

Well folks, I think a bubble bath and then bed are in order for this tired momma.  Oh and I got a nasty little baking burn!  Colby told me to put mustard on it and wrap it with saran wrap…I don’t know if he was joking or what, but I will let you know later if it saves me from a baking battle scar.

xoxo

Ronda