My baking baby!
I love homemade blueberry muffins. My mom is a fantastic baker, and she’s been making them for as long as I can remember.
Store bought muffins just can’t compare. Store bought blueberry muffins often taste more like cake than muffin, and the worst kind use artificial blueberries that bear no resemblance to the real things.
Somewhere along the way — don’t ask me when because I can’t remember — I started making homemade muffins, as well.
My mom and I use different recipes, but she has passed along her joy in making (and sharing) homemade muffins the same way she passed on her brown eyes and her propensity to talk to just about anyone.
My mom and I make blueberry muffins with an abundance of blueberries, all year round; we use fresh blueberries, when they’re easily available, and frozen ones when they’re not. I always have a large bag of blueberries in my freezer. Always.
(A college boyfriend, visiting on break, once told me he didn’t like my mom’s muffins because they contained too many blueberries. A first clue that we weren’t compatible?)
At my house, we add bananas to the muffins, and every batch is split in two because my girls are not all that fond of blueberry-banana muffins. They prefer banana muffins with loads of chocolate chips. (I don’t blame them; they’re delicious!)
I’ve been making muffins with my girls for years. In fact, my oldest daughter, just this week, made them by herself, from memory, the way I do. She has also put her own spin on our recipe. She adds cinnamon to the dry ingredients and often sprinkles the top of each muffin with a cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Here’s one big lesson from three generations of blueberry muffin bakers:
- Everything we do duplicates. My colleague Barb McLin said this to me several months ago, and it has stayed with me. My daughters, who are certainly paying attention to what I do, are picking up my love of baking (and eating) homemade muffins. What else are they learning from me? What can I do to ensure that I am living my life in ways that I want to see duplicated in them?
And here’s my recipe:
Dry ingredients:
1 3/4 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsps baking powder
slightly less than 1/2 tsp salt
about 1/4 tsp of baking soda
Wet ingredients:
Two or three overripe bananas
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
1/2 cup of milk
a generous splash of vanilla
Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the wet ingredients in a smaller bowl. I use a hand blender to completely puree the banana, which gives the muffins a smooth texture, free of banana chunks.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until moistened. Then add lots of blueberries (at least a cup) or lots of chocolate chips. Or, split the batter and make some of each, like we do.
Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown.
Share and enjoy!
Tell me something! What kind of muffins do you love most? Can a muffin have too many blueberries? What habits and values are you hoping to see duplicated in the lives of your children or other people around you?
I am the founder/CEO of the Weaving Influence team, the author of Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and the host of the Book Marketing Action Podcast. I’m a wife and mom of three kids, and I enjoy running, reading, writing, coffee, and dark chocolate.
Like I said, you are making me hungry quite a bit with these cooking pieces. Interestingly enough, Blueberry muffins are my favourite so I will have to taste yours IRL Becks.
I’d love to make some for you, of course. As soon as you come over to visit from South Africa. 🙂
We made some this morning, and I have more overripe bananas so I’ll have to make more.
My daughters really enjoy making muffins to take to their teachers, too. I’m sure we’ll be making some during the back-to-school time.
Duplication is powerful and inevitable. We so often forget that whether we like it or not, we ARE duplicating.
I discovered this in our little church a few months back and made a drastic decision because of it. The old saying “do what I say, not what I do” simply doesn’t work.
All the preaching, and teaching builds head knowledge, but in order to build character and lifestyle changes one has to see it done to duplicate it.
I see this in my children as well. They don’t seem to learn what you tell them, they learn what they want out of the myriad of lessons we teach with our daily life-choices. Often, they pick up the worst in us, and then get in trouble for it. Ironic to say the least 😉
Only a gifted writer like you can cause me to be reflective and hungry at the same time. 🙂 And guilty for the store-bought muffins on my counter.
The first thought that popped in my mind is an extension of your message. Yes, I agree that everything duplicates… what are your thoughts on my hypothesis that everything RECIPROCATES?
As you know, I’m a firm believer in the Law of Reciprocity. We never know how or when the reciprocity will occur, or what it will look like. Reciprocity is not a mindset of “because I did this for you, you should do that for me.” It’s giving selflessly to another without expecting anything in return… yet, inevitably, something seems to always return if we are observant enough.
Of course, I’ll print your recipe and give it a try… maybe for breakfast on the first day of school.
If there were one value that I would want to see duplicated in the lives of others, it would be godliness. Godliness is the quality in our life which makes us a reflection of our Creator. It is a setting of ourself aside so that the Holy Spirit can be seen vividly in who we are and how we live. A glimpse of godliness in another person’s life fills my heart with joy.
Ah, muffins and a life lesson. What a way to start the week.
First I’ll comment. Then I’m off to breakfast.
Everything we do duplicates …
I wanted my kiddos to be readers — and they all are. Of course, it wasn’t just making sure they saw me read. I also taught them to read. And took them to the library. And supplied them with their favorite books.
I wanted my kiddos to be kind — and that meant un-learning some of my “stuff” so that I could teach my children kindness. (Yeah, absolutely everything duplicates.)
I wanted my kiddos to have friends and taught them the “be a friend” rule. Somewhere along the line it became “There’s always room for one more” in Vogt-speak.
Now duplicating faith? I’ve learned that’s not up to me. I can teach the truth … but the transformation is all God’s.
Savoring my blueberry muffins and a huge cup of coffee as I type. Thanks for a lovely recipe
And fine article.
glad you enjoyed it, Elizabeth. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
My children are much older than yours so I have the advantage of looking back on their childhood dreams and experiences and relating them to who they are now in their 20’s. When Steven was very young, my husband and I played Turtles video games with him, finding him the secret codes for long and many lives. My husband and I also exposed him to our cooking and baking as we entertained friends and family. Today Steven is a computer artist/motion graphics editor with a passion for travel and learning about world cultures (he makes the best apple pie!).
Diana started a business when she was 10 years old (perhaps because I was operating my own training business?) Now, Diana has her own consulting business (as does Steven). Also, when Diana was in college, I started a master’s program. When I completed my degree, Diana then changed careers and earned her master’s in 10 months in the same field as my own business (org. mgt.) Today, she is my right hand in operating the firm, advancing it through social media. So I totally see how they have learned and modeled what they grew up with.
BTW, I made your blueberry muffins and loved them!!! Thank you for your insights.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe. And thanks so much, Helen, for sharing a great example of how Everything Duplicates!