Its hard for me to sit still. If there is something to be done, some task or even something on my to-do list, it usually gets done ASAP. My grandmother also had this trait. She was always cleaning, always straightening, always doing. We used to joke with her that she couldn’t relax. Perhaps one day I’ll write a post about her. Today is not that day. I’ve discovered this trait runs in the women in my family like wrinkles. However, every once in a blue moon, I either want to relax for an hour or so AND I have done all of the things on my to-do list, the house is clean and all ‘chores’ are done. The funny thing is, I have only been learning this about myself recently. I never knew I was as Type A personality as I actually am. This partly could be related to the negative connotations that a Type A personality tends to have. After all, this idea of the Type A vs B or C only came about when cardiologists realized their patients were a ‘specific type of person’ i.e. those that have worse heart health than people who are not type A, primarily because of nerves. Now that I’ve been realizing it, I could probably write a book titled, How to love your Type A self and ensure it doesn’t kill you. Although we all will die eventually, this book helps improve the chances you get to pick how. I digress.
Why does this matter? Seattle has dark days, dark winters and usually soaked with rain. One particular weekend, when it was dark, rainy and cold, I happened to have everything done, so I spent the time to bake delicious muffins and listen to an album that in my mind, accompanied this day perfectly. Surfacing is what I would consider a beautiful album. Beautiful here to me means that it caresses your ears, your soul and lets you sit with your emotions. A self-care album could be another way to consider it. On a cold day, snuggled under a big blanket, Sarah McLachlan’s voice tending to your wounds or allowing you to finally explore yours is sometimes just what the doctor ordered. I had one of these days and felt incredibly restored afterwards. Perhaps I’ll have to start planning these downtime days into my schedule.
Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Makes 12 muffins
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup white flour
- 2/3 cup of whole wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large lemons, zested and juiced
- ¾ cup plain fat free greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoon poppy seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a muffin pan with liners. In a medium bowl whisk together the first four ingredients.
- In a mixing bowl mix the avocado oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon zest and juice, and greek yogurt. Add wet ingredients to bowl with the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, avoid overmixing. Stir in poppy seeds.
- Fill muffin liners with muffin batter until just about 2/3 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool before enjoying!