Nobody's Perfect

It's an Oklahoma! kind of Oh, What A Beautiful Morning: warm, the sun on the hayfield, and so quiet you can almost hear the chokecherries growing in the yard. It's the kind of morning for getting out the muffin tin and that's just what I did. Here's the recipe:

1/2 cup non-fat milk
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup quick oats
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 stick of butter (I use Smart Balance half and half)
2 teaspoons baking powder
About a half cap full of maple extract (I use the house brand from Whole Foods)

Mix it all together and bake for 20-25 minutes and you've got a breakfast treat right out of New England. I've tried it without the extract and honestly, it's a little bland for my taste. I like maple and the syrup isn't quite enough on its own. Besides, the extract results in the whole kitchen smelling like home.

It's the sort of recipe a guy would throw together. No fancy do this first or that last, just dump the ingredients in a pan and get busy with a wooden spoon. I do have to admit to one culinary indulgence, though. Instead of a wooden spoon, I use one of those flexible, heavy plastic spatulas from Williams-Sonoma. I guess nobody's perfect (smile).

(Image by Queen Roly via Flickr)