mulberry muffins and memories...

Some friends... you know the ones... lift your spirits and make your heart happy.  They're the ones who surprise you with treasures that they just know you'll love.  You giggle with delight at the same things.  You learn and grow together with them.  (And they're the ones that make a pact with you that neither of you has to clean the house before the other one visits... but that's another story.)  What makes them even more special is the wee people they're nurturing, wondrous children filled with excitement and curiosity and intelligence.

I am so blessed to have just such a friend, raising two beautiful daughters.  May I introduce you to one of them?  Her name is Nettie and I've known her since she was a tiny baby.  She makes me think and makes me smile and makes me see the world in new ways.  And she shares my love of overalls.

On a recent visit with her family, Nettie gave me a delicious gift:  fresh mulberries picked from their tree!  The berries were nestled in a lovely little pocket, tied with a perfect yellow bow.  I tasted one (well, maybe two or three) right away... sweet and juicy and perfect.  As we drove away with the mulberries, I knew exactly what I'd do:  bake mulberry muffins!

But how?  So, of course, I roamed the interwebs, searching for a delicious and somewhat healthy recipe.  And there it was:  Ginger-Wheat Mulberry Muffins from Sommer at A Spicy Perspective.  The recipe looked easy, healthier than some others from which I'd quickly clicked away, and contained crystallized ginger yumminess to compliment the mulberries!

Flouring the mulberries is a must and I do have a small addiction to Ziploc baggies (and paper towels and April Cornell clothing and...), so in the bag for a gentle shake before I began.  And another quick moment to chop that zingy-sweet ginger!

Into the mixing bowl went the ingredients, with the addition of some toasted and chopped pecans...

And then into the muffin pan to bake...

And soon we had wonderful bites of Springtime!!!

Thank you, Nettie, for the tasty gift of mulberries... and thank you, Nettie's mom, for the gift of friendship.