We all have to choose our battles as parents – these muffins are worth fighting for.
Jump to RecipeBecoming a mother has made me more determined to make snack and pantry staples from scratch – almost to a fault.
Maybe it’s because I’ve always disliked eating from packages.
Maybe it’s because when children enter your world the presumption becomes that you have little packages of snacks stashed in all of your pockets and bags.
Maybe it’s because when I finally realized that my 16 month old was going to require a snack every two hours and so broke down to read the labels on the packages to see if the ingredients were as unappealing and frankly as appalling as I thought, they were.
And so, I have handcuffed myself to certain weekly and bi-weekly tasks in the kitchen; making granola, jam, nut butter, the biggest batches of animal crackers I can manage, and most recently these amazing, tender little gluten-free, vegan muffins loaded with cherries, almonds and a ridiculous amount of love because when your world is spinning, and you have to bake muffins at 10pm so it gets done, it’s love that makes it happen.
And whether it’s the love, or the effort, or just the muffins – tiny Leo, who is starting to use his words to express his glee (and displeasure both) has made it VERY clear that my efforts are not for not.
For a while there, on account of Leo’s eczema presentation, we thought that our little guy was gluten intolerant. And so I was desperate to find something nourishing that he would love eating that would suit his needs. Being a near collector of flours, I pulled my favorites from the fridge late one night – some that would provide protein, fiber, and flavor – and dumped them into a bowl. I chopped up a fat handful of the cherries from the burgeoning bowl that lives on the countertop this time of year and tossed them in, added a sprinkle of almonds on top and popped them in the oven to see what happened. When they came out, tender and golden, I tore into one immediately. But what would Leo think?
The next morning, I divided half of one into little chunks manageable by his tiny candy-corn shaped fingers, and waited with bated breath. A man of fewer words then, he yelled (crumbs flinging from his little mouth) “MORE!!!” and reached for the plated chunks. He proceeded to devour that half, and the other half right then and there. And he quickly created a word so he could tell us just when he would need “MORE” again. MUFF.
“Muff! Muff!” he repeated again and again, a huge smile crossing his face. My heart soared. And making muffins permanently made it onto my to-do list.
MUFF is what these little treats have come to be known as in our house and they’re Leo’s favorite snack. Instead of having a package of something random hanging out in my bag when we bounce around town, I happily tote half a muffin in a little jar and we contently stop to eat it whenever a little recharge might be necessary. On the rare days when he’s feeling finicky about the foods we’re prepared for his meals (broccoli, seasoned sushi rice, salmon, quinoa, chicken with peanut sauce, and corn tamales are his favorite) I’m so happy to offer him a muffin instead. Loaded with whole-grain, protein rich flours, real fruits, and minimal sweeteners aside from the mineral rich bit of maple, I can’t imagine a better snack for any of us.
We all have to choose our battles as parents. When it comes to his digestive health, his deep nourishment, and developing his love of real food, I don’t think that I could have made a better choice for Leo than finding tiny windows in my schedule to make him these muffins. I make a whole batch and then pop a couple in our fridge in a little bento box – so he always has some on hand – then freeze the rest. I typically have to revisit the task every 3 weeks or so which is well within my grasps. And now that I know he loves these ingredients, I’m excited to make twists on this treat to suit his needs…if we ever need a little change of pace.
But for now, adding “making muffins” is something I’m thrilled to do for all of us. When we need a quick breakfast or snack after a ride or hike, the muffins are there. And when we need a food we can feel amazing about for our tiny son, they’re there for him to.
That's ok, just sign up or log in to see this recipe.