Is it too early to break out the pumpkin? Nope, didn’t think so. While here in Vegas, the days are still scorchers, I can imagine that elsewhere (as in, not the desert) people are experiencing fall-like temperatures. Am I right? Am I jealous? Yep.

So I will be cranking up the air conditioning so as to simulate crisp, chilly September breezes just so I have an excuse to feel cozy in my favorite made-by-grandma wool sweater. Is that crazy? Yep. But I’m ok with it. Especially since I can just blame my weirdness on the rum in these muffins. Alcohol for breakfast in the form of a baked good? Anyone? Thought so.

For the Recipe, click here:

Rum Pumpkin Muffins

Here is proof that things do grow in the desert. That gargantuan zucchini came from my friends’ garden! Pretty impressive huh? And here is something I am so glad I purchased… a giant muffin pan. Because seriously, the truth is, I make muffins, I consume two or three and then just feel guilty about it. So, I figure one monster one will satisfy my tummy and my mind. Perfect solution to my problem I think. I recommend you get one and make some of these breakfast beauties.

For the Recipe, click here:

Garden Breakfast Muffins

I have been waking up earlier and earlier. This actually happens to me every year around this time when the weather is turning and there seems to be so much to be missed if you’re not up at 8:30am. To some this may seem like sleeping in, but to me, considering my work schedule, believe me, this is a wee early hour.

Inevitably, since Ivan tends to sleep a more reasonable number of hours, I’m sitting around like a child on Christmas morning, anxiously waiting for him to wake up. Also inevitably, since the only thing I can think about in the morning is eating, I end up scouring food blogs, raking through recipes on Epicurious and dreaming up things that will waft to his nose and spring him out of bed!

In fact, most of my cooking happens in the morning. I love getting to the grocery store when everyone has a coffee in hand and the produce has just been stocked the night before. It always seems a little more special. So these muffins were inspired by a box of oat bran found on one of my morning excursions and sure enough, Ivan was a happy camper when he finally got up!

For the Recipe, click here:

Banana Pecan Oat Bran Muffins

Confession: I dressed up as an organic ear of corn for Halloween as a child and wish I still had the homemade costume my mother slaved over. So really, my loyalty to corn is unquestionable. In Boston, every Sunday morning, I looked forward to stopping at Dunkin’ Donuts and getting a coffee and corn muffin… sort of an indulgence that I have been missing since I moved. So, I came up with this recipe to satisfy my need for a crumbly corn muffin and also not pack in more calories than 25 donuts! You can sub in all purpose flour for the whole wheat flour, but personally, I just love all that graininess!

Sadly, I don’t think people share my love of corn and it’s not gonna win the veggie contest, so I had to sneak this in here before I get bombarded with mushrooms or some other less worthy veggie.

Crumbly Corn Muffins

1 cup stone ground cornmeal

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 egg

1/2 cup raw cane sugar (or refined)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 - 3/4 cup unsalted canned corn

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine cornmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer or separate bowl, combine applesauce, buttermilk, egg, sugar and oil. Using the paddle attachment, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. Add the corn and mix just to incorporate.

Line a muffin pan with foil tins. Fill each tin 3/4 of the way with batter. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. (You can also just grease the muffin pan, but I find the tins make it easy to remove them from the pan and it makes cleanup super quick.)