Another Perfect Muffin: Cranberry Orange Muffins

I have another perfect muffin to offer you.

I love perfect muffins, and I really think I should consider opening a muffin shop.

"The Muffin(Wo)man"

I am so impressed with this muffin, and I had to indulge in showing you every single picture.

Inspire you....

Make you drool.....

Long for its company......

Bring tears of joy.....

I think you get the picture, right?

This recipe is linked to:

http://mandysrecipebox.blogspot.com/2011/07/creamy-lemon-crumb-bars-totally-tasty.html

AND:

http://www.ladybehindthecurtain.com/?p=10299

Let me share with you how this muffin came about, and I know I am a little out of season, but make sure you save this for the Thanksgiving, Christmas holidays. What a perfect brunch item....

I created this muffin myself (gloating.....).

I lost my dear sweet Grandmother last month, and I have been one of the family members chosen to help sort out her belongings (what a hard task).

As we were working on the kitchen, my Aunt ran across some frozen cranberry orange relish. She was about to throw it away when I stopped her in her tracks.

"No, no, no, I can make muffins with that."

Come to find out the cranberry orange relish came from my Mother. My Mom told me that the relish was one of my Grandma's favorite things to eat. Mix it in jell-o and you have the most perfect, refreshing side dish.

My Mom told me how she made the relish.

She took a bag of fresh cranberries, and 1 whole orange (peel included), and ran it through a meat grinder.

I will be making some of this relish as soon as cranberry season is here......

I want to have it on hand for these magnificent muffins.

This is what I did:

Oops!! It's gone.....

That's how good they were.

I took 12 to a church luncheon, and came home with an empty container.

Cranberry Orange Muffins

1 c. uncooked old fashioned oatmeal

1 c. orange juice

3 c. all-purpose flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 c. sugar

1 c. vegetable oil

3 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 c cranberry orange relish

course cane sugar for sprinkling

Glaze

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

3 TBS orange juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the oatmeal and orange juice. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine four, baking powder, salt, soda, and sugar. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add oatmeal mixture, oil, and eggs. Stir only until ingredients are moistened. Carefully fold in cranberry orange relish. Spoon batter into paper lined muffin cups, filling about 3/4 full. Sprinkle with course cane sugar and bake at 400 degrees F. for 15 minutes, or until muffins test done with wooden pick. Remove from muffin pan and let cool. Drizzle with orange glaze.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

We're all encouraged by a leader who stirs us to move forward, someone who believes we can do the task he has given and who will be with us all the way. Someone who inspires us to feel good about what we are doing daily. God is that kind of leader. He knows the future, and His plans for us are good and full of hope. As long as God, Who knows the future, provides our agenda and goes with us as we fulfill His mission, we can have boundless hope. This does not mean that we will be spared pain, suffering, or hardship, but that God will see us through to a glorious conclusion.

Sometimes our lives can feel like the pain and suffering will never end, but God will never give us more than we can handle. Keep Him close in your suffering and hardships, and you will notice that the ease of facing them will become bearable.

I love my leader (God).