BM, BM? I did not plan for such initials when I wrote the recipe title, but it’s fitting. Filled with fiber and the honest everyday stuff that doesn’t get much fanfare on blogs (the bowels!). Creating this recipe coincides with a topic of “reality” on blogs that resulted in the recent initiative: Things I’m Afraid to Tell You.
Based on this blog, you may think that my life is all shiny nail polish and sugary cupcakes. The fact is that I struggle with a lot of the everyday stuff that many of you do. Heartbreak, disappointment, complacency, uncertainty, insomnia, and migraine headaches, to name a few. In fact, I started this blog at a particularly uncozy time in my life. The point was to focus on the GOOD TIMES. Of course, life is not always cozy, but I wanted to put my good memories together in one spot so as not to dwell on those things that are beyond my control. I wanted to share with people who might care. “Maybe it would help make their life cozy,” I thought.
It warms my heart up that there are people out there that appreciate what I put on this site, because sharing can only add to the joy in life. This blog is personal in the sense that these are honest pictures I take and thoughts I have. The pictures are minimally (if at all) edited, and my copy isn’t edited either (if you studied English, you have gathered that by now).
We all have to go to the bathroom. We all have a heart and a soul and a mind. Timing can seem like our best friend or our worst enemy. Life is not always going to be cozy, but let’s do our best. Let’s celebrate and share the good times, and eat some bran muffins every once in a while for the sake of regularity.
Blackstrap Molasses Bran Muffins
Preheat 375-degree oven.
Prepare muffin tins. Makes ~12. Keep for several days.
Mix:
1 cup skim milk (non-dairy friends, use water, soy, or rice milk)
1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
1 egg, beaten (vegan friends, use egg replacer)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup applesauce
Add:
2 cups bran flakes cereal (gluten-free friends, use your cereal)
Let soak.
In a separate bowl, whisk or sift:
1 cup all-purpose flour (gluten-free friends, use rice flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey (depending on your sweet tooth)
At this point I would like to recommend adding 1/2 cup of dried cherries or dark chocolate chunks to the mix for indulgence. Add-ins are not necessary, as these muffins are particularly moist and flavorful in their own right. This day my muffins were without, but you could certainly add your favorite dried fruits.
Combine everything, fill muffin tins. Bake 20 minutes, until toothpick tester comes out clean.
P.S. I learned about putting peanut butter on bran muffins from Anne Truitt. She is one of my heroes, and in her memoirs she records an evening meal of split pea soup and a toasted bran muffin with peanut butter. (Nut allergies – sunflower butter is just as tasty!)
cozywalls 
I care! I’m proud of you, your photos and your writing!
thanks 🙂 and do you know that I hear your voice in my head saying, “you never know what good may come…”
You’re not alone! I totally get it! Same reasons I started my blog. I needed a space to dwell on happier moments because life isn’t always full of happy things or it’s full of things that we have to do and not what we want to do. So we make the best of it. Thanks for sharing.
thanks for understanding, May! I am glad that you share the pictures of the trips that you get to take – they definitely look like happy moments.
Amy, I’m so glad we’re friends! Great post.
me too! thanks for reading 🙂 and for being my friend even if cake isn’t involved.
Thanks for sharing, love this post, ( and I linked through and read about “things I’m afraid to tell you”), the shoes in the shot made me giggle.. who hasn’t done that! Full disclosure, I find myself hiding my counters because I don’t like them! But maybe I can be an honorary member, I posted my ‘tart wreck’ yesterday, (albeit with a camera filter setting, which made it look better. tee hee. I see I’ve got work to do…)
it is funny, isn’t it? I saw that tart, and I cannot wait to follow those recipes you posted once strawberries are in season here.
Same reasons why I blog!
blog on 🙂
great post, aym!
thanks for reading, thanks for being awesome and inspiring.
This was great! I just started blogging and it really feels like a tight knit community! I am going to try your popcorn surprise balls tonight! Thanks for sharing some great recipes!
I hope the surprise balls were a hit!
Yum! These were wonderful!
Amy, your blog certainly makes me feel cozy on the most un-coziest days! And yes, shouldn’t we all talk about our bowels more often:) Thanks for the beautiful posts that inspire me each and every time!
thank you, Sarah! Happy bowels make for happy people. No wonder “What’s Your Poo Telling You” is on the best-seller list.
[…] reason why I started blogging is not unique. I was touched by Amy’s post on her cozywalls blog last week (take a look, it’s full of treats!) in which she explains: I […]
Hi again Amy, I just wanted to let you know that your post inspired me! I’ve blogged about your post and quoted your moving words. Let me know what you think! 🙂
http://thisislemonade.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/magpies-and-a-good-reason-to-blog/
Do you know the caloric count of these muffins?
I don’t have any idea… wish I could help.
okay, just got out the trusty calculator and came up with about 120 calories per muffin. how AWESOME is that? healthy and technically low-cal. nice work Amy!
so awesome! thanks for the math skills, Brandi 🙂
oh, and i’m out of applesauce, so i’m going to substitute my homemade low-fat yogurt. will keep you posted on how it turns out.
low-fat plain yogurt….KEEPER!