Vanilla-Pear Muffins

It's no secret that my husband is a bit of a picky eater. The list of things he refuses to eat is quite extensive, although it is shrinking these days, thanks to careful disguising of certain ingredients (ahem, like squash) and a general force-feeding of things I think he ought to just get over and eat. This boy will learn to have a well-rounded palate if it's the last thing I do! But despite some of the hiding and even arguing I have to do to get him to eat anything outside his comfort zone, one food I can always count on him eating are pears. Fruits aren't always high on his food-priority list, but rest-assured, if pears are in the house they will get eaten! So imagine my excitement when I stumbled upon this recipe for pear muffins.

Admittedly, pear muffins were not something I had ever heard of. Banana, blueberry, even apple muffins, sure... but pear? I was instantly intrigued. And within one bite, I was also instantly satisfied! These muffins are amazingly moist, and perfectly spiced... almost like a chai latte in muffin form. They're also very hearty, with robust chunks of tender pear and crunchy walnuts. Usually one muffin is just enough to take the edge off of a hungry stomach, but these guys are downright satiating! I can't wait to come home from work to one of these bad boys every day this weekend... you know, provided the picky boy doesn't eat them all first. :)

Cranberry-Almond Muffins

I am fresh off of a four-night, 12-hour shift work binge, and I am ready to share some food! As anyone who's worked nights knows, your eating schedule is anything but normal when you're nocturnal. Do you eat breakfast at 6pm and dinner at 8am, or the other way around? And when do you eat "lunch?" It may seem dumb that something as simple as eating can be so complicated, but sadly, on night shift, it kind of is.

It's taken me some time, but I think I've finally developed an  eating pattern that works best for me. Usually, I eat a normal dinner with Dane before I leave for work, lunch is around 2am, and when I get home at 8, usually hungry but exhausted, I prefer to eat something small. Small... and usually sweet. Like a muffin. Like one of these muffins.

Now, I realize that cranberries are so last month, but seriously... this is a must-try recipe. These muffins made me wonder why I don't bake with cranberries more often, because they are so tasty! I'm a total sucker for the sweet but slightly sour effect that fruits like cranberries and blueberries give, and it lends itself wonderfully to this hearty muffin base and the crunchy almond topping. And don't tell anyone but... these muffins are actually almost good for you. Whole wheat flour, antioxidant-rich berries, healthy almonds, and only 170 calories per muffin. See? Totally resolution-friendly. So no excuse not to make 'em. :)

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Next on the menu for my Thank-You muffin marathon were these amazing blueberry streusel muffins. I felt like I needed a good tried-and-true flavor to go with some of the more adventurous flavors I had going with the other muffins, and these guys totally fit the bill. Even though they weren't the overall favorite everyone said they enjoyed them, and one of my professors (who claims to be a blueberry muffin connoisseur) apparently spent the day trying to talk everyone else into giving him theirs.

But even if you're not a blueberry muffin expert, everyone loves a good blueberry muffin. Soft and subtly sweet with a few sour pops of juicy blueberries... no one can resist a good one. But this is no ordinary blueberry muffin recipe, friends. This is quite possibly the blueberry muffin recipe. This muffin is moist and crumbly and chock full of blueberries, with just a light hint of lemon. I won't lie... it's less like a muffin and more like an individual lemon-blueberry pound cake. And oh boy is it comforting. Enjoy with a cold glass of milk, and you just might forget about that 3 o'clock deadline.

Apple-Pecan Muffins

Alright... recipe time! First on the docket from the Thank-You Muffin marathon: apple-pecan muffins. I'll be honest, guys, this was my least favorite of all the muffins I made for my professors. Don't get me wrong, these guys are still very tasty... they just kind of look like the runt of the litter next to super stars like blueberry streusel and peanut butter chocolate chip. Made with whole-wheat flour and more applesauce than oil, these muffins definitely fit into the better-for-you category too, which is part of why I chose to include them. The little chunks of apple together with the pecan topping add a very nice crunchy-chewy factor, and their dense texture makes these muffins the perfect mate to a small bowl of vanilla yogurt for breakfast. So if you're looking for a muffin that boasts both flavor and health, look no further. Step on up and try these this weekend!

Thank-You Muffins

Well friends, I have officially finished respiratory therapy school. Oh what am I saying... that sentence totally deserves an exclamation point. I've officially finished RT school, whoo hoo!!!

It's been a long hard road to get here. BSU's RT program is one of the toughest in the country, but also with one of the highest passing registry rates. What this really means: these professors put your brain through the ringer, feed you important information until don't think you mentally have room for it anymore, teach you concepts that you never think you'll be able to wrap your head around... but when it's all said and done 95% of BSU's students pass the written registry on their first try, and, more importantly, they graduate some of the most skilled and knowledgeable RT's in the country. I am proud to be among this year's graduates.

But along with mentally torturing their students, the professors of the BSU RT program are also some of the kindest, most generous people I've ever known. Each of them genuinely cares about the success of every student, and they will go to great lengths to ensure that each person understands the material. Their doors are always open, for a question or a conversation. They're fantastic examples of great clinicians and great people. And for that I feel I owe them the world.

So, as puny a gift as it seems in comparison to the tireless hours of work they've put into my success, I made each of them a little gift of muffins in gratitude. Of course, I couldn't make just one kind of muffin... you may remember the episode this last Christmas in which I made two different kinds of cookies and chocolate-covered pretzels, afterall. No, I made four different kinds of muffins. Overkill? Maybe. But the effort of one afternoon of baking and a messy kitchen pales in comparison to the hard work of my lovely professors. Plus, don't tell anyone... but it was kind of fun too. After a long semester of stress and burn out, it was nice to be able to spend a whole day in my kitchen guilt-free.

On the menu...

Apple-Pecan Muffins, from Ellie Krieger. A healthier option for those concerned with that kind of thing. (Expect to see a post with this recipe very soon.)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins, from Annie's Eats. Talk about yum! These lovely little treats taste more like a peanut butter cookie than a muffin! Good thing I've given most of the leftovers away, because I totally eat a whole batch by myself with a gallon of milk.

Blueberry Streusel Muffins, from Joy of Baking. These muffins are moist and crumbly, with a gratuitous amount of blueberries... perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack. (Another post coming soon with this recipe too.)

And finally, Raspberry Muffins, again from Annie's Eats. Even though these guys were probably the least photogenic of the bunch, they were my favorite in terms of flavor. They're moist and subtly sweet, with big raspberry flavor. Annie's recipe features fleur de sel, but I used kosher salt instead since fleur de sel is just ridiculously expensive. I also left out the coarse sugar because I didn't have it, but I didn't feel like they were missing anything at all. This recipe will definitely be going in my back pocket for future muffin-requiring occasions!

I dropped off the muffins yesterday morning, and they got rave reviews! It sounds like favorites were the raspberry and peanut butter chocolate chip, although I have one professor who was apparently trying to steal everyone else's blueberry. I'm just glad everyone enjoyed them! I'm going to miss these people, and I hope they know just how much I appreciate everything they've done for us. 

Now on to graduation tomorrow! Whoo hoo!