Fresh Cranberry Muffins

I think this is the longest I have gone between blog posts! I also think this has been the year from hell for the Grumpy household. So much has happened that has been draining - physically and emotionally. BUT, I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. My surgery, Grumpy's fall, my relapse and Grumpy losing his job all just were consecutive things that just felt like we were doomed. However, yesterday after I had my follow up with the neurosurgeon, I started to feel some real hope. Hope that physically I was going to start to finally get stronger. I have hope because Grumpy is back at college and making his way to a better opportunity for us by next spring. BUT the news I received yesterday was like music to my ears. "You can go on and live your life normally." To me, when I heard that, I heard "Shelby, you can now run again." To those who run (with the exception of my friend Dave who is training for the Ironman competition and thinks it the most painful thing!) those are words of JOY!

This morning, to celebrate my new found zest for getting up in the morning I decided I had to make some muffins. I haven't made muffins since maybe June??!! Of course, I went to my faithful source for healthier for you recipes at Cookinglight.com and did a muffin search. I found a Fresh Cranberry Muffin Recipe and immediately knew that was the one. I didn't have fresh cranberries but I did have a mix of dried cranberries, dark chocolate and almonds that I had just bought so I subbed them for the fresh cranberries. Quick, easy, good for you and oh, so yummy. Especially when you are feeling this exuberant zest for life!

So, yes. I am back. Hopefully I am back with more yummy things to share! I do have a couple of giveaways to do and I expect to have one of them up in the next day or so! Please do come back and make sure to enter!

Fresh Cranberry Muffins
from Cooking Light

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped fresh cranberries
2/3 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1/4 cup butter or stick margarine, melted
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray

• Preheat oven to 400°.
• Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Stir in cranberries; make a well in center of mixture. Combine milk, butter, rind, vanilla, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 18 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pan immediately; place on a wire rack.