Good morning and Sunday morning blessings to all.  It is a chilly morning here in IL today, the only critters that were ready to be turned loose today were the goats but they are always happy to run and play no matter how cold it is. I will be very glad when winter decides to let go later on this week and the temperatures return to a more seasonable level.

The creek finally went down yesterday and the road commissioner came out and put a new culvert in and brought some gravel to fix the road. So once again the road into town is opened up and we won’t have to go the long way around through this timber. I am sure my husband Jeff would have preferred to still be running through the timber in his truck; he just loves to go out and play in the mud I guess that is the little boy in him still coming out after all these years.

Today looks to be a quiet day here at home after church. I am looking forward to getting some sewing done on a quilt I am working on, and who knows I may even fit in a little nap this afternoon.

A sweet treat;

Ginger Bran Muffins

Ingredients:
3/4 cup bran cereal (not flakes)
1/4 cup boiling water
2 tbsp olive oil or canola oil
1 tbsp sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 tbsp raisins or other chopped dried fruit
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1 tsp baking soda

Instructions:
Pour boiling water over the bran cereal in a mixing bowl. Stir to mix and let stand 5 minutes. Add the oil, sugar, egg, buttermilk, grated ginger and raisins to the bran and mix well. In a small bowl, mix together the flour and baking soda. Stir into the bran mixture and mix well. The batter can be kept tightly covered in the refrigerator for about a week.

To bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a muffin tin if you are making all 6 muffins or place a foil muffin cup in a custard cup if you are baking just one muffin. Don't stir the batter if it has been keeping in the refrigerator. Fill the muffin tin or muffin cups 2/3 full of batter. Bake the muffins for 12 - 14 minutes or until the top springs lightly back to the touch.

Have a wonderfully blessed day!