Mother's Day

For A Five-Year-Old

A snail is climbing up the window-sill
into your room, after a night of rain.
You call me in to see, and I explain
that it would be unkind to leave it there:
it might crawl to the floor; we must take care
that no one squashes it.  You understand,
and carry it outside, with careful hand,
to eat a daffodil.

I see, then, that a kind of faith prevails:
your gentleness is moulded still by words
from me, who have trapped mice and shot wild birds,
from me, who drowned your kittens, who betrayed
your closest relatives, and who purveyed
the harshest kind of truth to many another.
But that is how things are: I am your mother,
And we are kind to snails.

- by Fleur Adcock

I love muffins, and I love fruit desserts, so it was inevitable that I'd adore these tri-berry muffins. The original recipe calls for fresh fruit, but I tried them with frozen and the result was great.  Yes, I baked these myself, but one was served to me this morning as part of breakfast in bed!  

"Sam said to me the other day, 'I love you like 20 tyrannosauruses on 20 mountaintops', and this is the exact same way in which I love him."
- Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird

Happy Mother's Day to everyone who is a mother, or has a mother.

Tri-Berry muffins

(adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2/3 cup sugar (first amount)

1/2 Tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 1/3 cup mixed frozen berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries)

1 Tbsp sugar (second amount)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line muffin tins with paper liners.

Sift the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, 2/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in a large bowl and stir.

In another bowl, combine the milk, egg and melted butter.

Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture, pour the wet mixture into the well, and stir until just combined.  Stir in the mixed berries.  Stir gently, just to combine.  Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and sprinkle tops with 1 Tbsp sugar.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean and the tops are nicely browned.

Makes 10 – 12 small muffins, or 8 – 9 large.