What's for breakfast: Six-week bran muffins.

With Vivian improving every day, life is returning to normal at our house, but we are definitely not quite there yet. (Though factoring in Will's impending departure for college, I fear life as I knew it is in the past.)

Friends have kindly brought us delicious meals throughout our ordeal with Vivian. I can't adequately express what a huge help this has been as I have had neither the appetite nor the energy to decide what to eat much less to gather ingredients and actually cook.

I've been easing back into the kitchen, however, with breakfast foods. My kids love French Toast and pancakes. Vivian, in particular, enjoys muffins.

Yesterday I fixed a batch of Six-week Bran Muffins, which are great because, like the name implies, the batter can be kept in the refrigerator and baked when desired. The muffins smell fabulous when they're cooking and are hard to resist straight out of the oven. They are great for crowds or a small group as you can prepare as many as you'd like (if I am baking fewer than a full tin of muffins, I place an ice cube in the unused cups to prevent them from scorching).



Six-week Bran Muffins

1 c. All-Bran cereal
1 c. boiling water
½ c. butter, melted
1½ c. sugar
2 eggs
2 c. buttermilk
2½ c. flour (sometimes I mix whole-wheat and all-purpose flour)
2 c. Bran Flakes cereal
2½ t. baking soda
1 t. salt

Pour hot water over All-Bran and let stand. Mix sugar and butter well. Beat in eggs and buttermilk. Add hot bran mixture, stirring well. Sift together flour, soda and salt and then stir in Bran Flakes. Combine dry and liquid mixtures. Batter thickens as it stands. Store in refrigerator up to six weeks (I don't think mine has ever lasted longer than a week).

Fill muffin cups three-quarters full. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes.

Makes 3 dozen muffins.


I store the batter in a pitcher, although it cannot be poured once it thickens


Yesterday I baked the muffins in my heart-shaped muffin pan, but I didn't fill the cups full enough. This morning I baked them in my regular muffin tin


Yum!