1 year, whew!

Happy Superbowl Sunday! And happy birthday Lilly & Louise blog!

Yep, it was one year ago today that I ventured into the blogosphere armed with my Apple, Nikon, KitchenAid, Xacto, and bare hands. It's been a fun year! Thanks to all of YOU who have sent e-mails, posted comments or subscribed! I love hearing what you have to say, and it certainly keeps me motivated to share the things that inspire me and make me happy...and, honestly, it's nice to know there's someone out there reading...thank you!

To celebrate (always a good excuse to bake, right?), I made these hearty, healthy muffins. They're delicious in a hearty, healthy kind of way. They'd be a good snack for a hike or trail ride (thanks Mrs. Pickett!), or a great breakfast to start off the day. Being the chocolate lover that I am, I dropped a handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips into the last three muffins it was a nice addition!

Whole Wheat, Oatmeal, and Raisin Muffins
from Cooking Light

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour (about 4 3/4 ounces)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons untoasted wheat germ
2 tablespoons wheat bran
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup chopped pitted dates
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup boiling water
Cooking spray

Preparation

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 7 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir in oats, dates, raisins, and cranberries. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in boiling water. Let batter stand 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pans immediately; place on a wire rack.