November
I made nutmeg muffins the other day that called for an entire grated nut. They were spicy to the point of gingery and the toddlers didn’t like them, which was fine by me because I found them astounding. I put four on a plate and brought them down to our neighbors on the floor below us. “Happy November!” the note read, but what I really meant was “Sorry about all that stomping and jumping and ball thumping.”
They’re probably the best downstairs neighbors I could ask for. They wake up before us typically and get home close to Lux’s bedtime in the evening, and thus I don’t think we’re the worst neighbors in the city limits, but definitely in the running if polled on the wrong Saturday morning.
Four days later she returned the plate to me with fresh baked blueberry muffins. It was 11pm and the smell of the muffins had been wafting up the stairs from their kitchen for the last hour. I think she meant for me to find the plate in the morning, but I ate one immediately after I heard the faint chink of the plate being slide onto the shelf outside our door.
I hope this is the winter of muffins. It will be the winter of sugar, I can say that. We are the eastern reach of the east coast time band. Our sun is deeply set by 5pm. I went the whole summer mostly craving fruit and vegetables but now it’s sugar cream butter sugar.
I’ve already bought hot coco mix and put it on a prominent shelf, next to the coffee. I look forward to a winter of bribing Lux to walk up the hill without delay. Luring her with the promise of hot chocolate shared, once we’re home.
Speaking of chocolate, my friend Laura tipped me off to the Mast Brothers visiting Central Bottle this Tuesday. Is Central Bottle God’s gift to Cambridge, or what. I can’t think of a better product to stock up on for pleasing-to-all-gifting this Christmas than their gorgeous chocolate. See you there?
Image from the Mast Brothers goofy Cookbook preview
3 Comments
Abbie
I read this as I was finishing a morning glory muffin that I baked last night. They have the same volume of grated carrots that they do of whole wheat flour, so they’re halfway between those summertime produce cravings and the wintertime sugar-flour-butter ones. I like the idea of a winter of muffins.
Julie
I’d love a muffin trade that went on all winter. Maybe you can leave her a cake at some point and see what happens! And the hot chocolate sounds like a genius way to lure anyone anywhere 🙂
Blaze
We have been making lots of muffins this fall, they’re just the perfect snack! Doesn’t really ever get cold enough to necessitate hot chocolate here in So-Cal but now you’ve got me craving some.