How to Have a Glorious Weekend

This muffin is GLORIOUS!

Hope everyone is enjoying the first weekend of March! With spring around the corner and some sunshine popping in, I was inspired to make America's Test Kitchen Morning Glory Muffins {this version is slightly different from the one I have in the ATK Family Cookbook}. I've made them only once before and have kinda been obsessed with them ever since as they're chock full of some of my favorite ingredients: carrots, crushed pineapple, toasted pecans, dried cranberries and coconut. Sounds good, right? 

Wet and dry ingredients about to be combined - yes, there are 3 eggs in these muffins!

The reason why I had only made them one time before was for my moms' church group and because there are so many steps and ingredients I don't have everything on hand and Lil Love Bird tends to be underfoot so I try to make things that are quick and easy to assemble. These muffins take a little extra time . . .

This has to be the most important step; all the juice must be squeezed out of the crushed pineapple or else the muffins will be soggy

Now that Nia's getting older she is very interested in what I do in the kitchen so while making these fabulous muffins, I let her ride on my back in her Boba and she was in heaven. Mr. Love Bird wasn't home otherwise I would've had him take a picture of her cute little face peering over my shoulder as I chopped, stirred and poured.

The best part of squeezing out the pineapple juice was drinking it! (And yes, I cook in my headscarf!)

When I shredded the carrots she asked for her own carrot so I gave her a whole one to nibble on which kept her quite occupied.

I started shredding the carrots by hand then quickly remembered I had a shredder blade! Done in 5 seconds!

The colorful batter before mixing

The batter is super chunky

Ready to go in the oven

The cutest thing  - well there were two actually - was first, when Nia wanted to hold the measuring spoon and helped put ingredients in the bowl (I let her add some flour and her little face beamed with pride!) and second, when the muffins came out she bellowed a hearty, "Yummmm!" It made me laugh. 



I put Nia in her high chair and she held her little muffin as though it were treasure. She's taken to now saying, "Tain-tu Mommy!" when I give her things - food especially, and it warms my heart to hear her say this!



She studied her little muffin then started taking nibbles of it. Over the course of the day she ended up eating it down until only about a 1/2" even layer was left which I happily gobbled up!

Mr. Love Bird came home and tried a muffin and he thought it was so good he got mad! He proclaimed that they needed to be sold in stores and then ate a second one (I ate two as well). 

So there you have it - these Morning Glory Muffins brought happiness to our home this weekend, and I hope you give them a try too! 

P.S. They freeze and defrost nicely!