Mini Applesauce Muffins

These miniature muffins are quite possibly my favorite autumn treat. My mom made them frequently when I was a kid, and they were always such a delight on a crisp fall day. Pour yourself a cup of coffee or tea, and you have the perfect afternoon snack. The best news? Any of my mom's recipes will be quick, simple, and foolproof - Mom didn't like to mess around in the kitchen with 5 little mouths to feed, so recipes had to be sensible in her book.

Time to pop open a jar of applesauce and get baking!

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Mini Applesauce Muffins

• 1 cup butter (softened)
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups flour
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups warmed applesauce 
• powdered sugar (for dusting)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix everything together. I like to use a stand mixer, but for anyone needing a good arm workout feel free to use a bowl and spoon.

Grease 2 mini muffin pans (you can fit 2 pans in the oven at once, so might as well save some time). Pour a generous heap of muffin mix into each cup (a little over 3/4 full). Check at 10-12 minutes, then bake longer if necessary. Muffins should be somewhat browned on top. Allow muffins to cool slightly, then remove from the pan.

When muffins have completely cooled, dust with powdered sugar.

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Make sure to store these out of reach, because little hands love to steal the muffin morsels when your back is turned. And don't forget to share with your friends/book club.

Staycation 2015

It's my favorite week of the year: Emily's Annual Staycation Week. It has been a tradition of mine to take the week after Mother's Day off to get my life back in order after the crazy spring months at work. I have been keeping myself busy deep cleaning, gardening, and running errands all over town.

Everett was originally supposed to go to our nanny share to give me some extra time for chores, but the other family has a pinkeye/shingles/flu/cold situation happening right now. Since I'm over being sick, I decided to keep the little guy with me at home. And I am so happy to have him here. He has been an absolute joy to have around.

Yesterday, we spent the morning baking a rhubarb pie using fresh rhubarb from the garden. This was an awesome activity for a toddler, and a great way for him to experience firsthand how things go from the ground to his belly.

My pies are never very pretty, but it's the taste that matters.

After the oven was free, I made a delicious chuck roast with root vegetables for the family (this was during nap time - I did not let him handle raw meat). I love family-friendly "set it and forget it" recipes for days I'm at home. While it was cooking, I was able to do some spring cleaning and gardening. And the best part of all? My picky toddler ate every bite of food on his plate, then asked for more salad. The stars must be in alignment.

By the way, the Le Creuset Dutch Oven was one of my better life purchases. They are worth every penny.

Today is a rainy day here in Spokane, so no yard work for me. However, we are going to put on some rain boots and venture into the world anyway. The little guy has been asking for Grandpa for days.