Ursula's Bran Muffins

September 14, 2004

I have come to the conclusion that I need approximately 30 hours in a day. Take yesterday - I worked at my regular copy editing job on a daily newspaper from 9am to 4pm. Then I went to help lay out a tabloid community newspaper for another four hours.

I arrived home and had a quick defrost/microwave meal before hitting some problem solving on one of the home computers. I went to bed around 1am and had to read for about 30 minutes to unwind. I was up again at 7am for a 10-hour day on the same community paper, then the supermarketing (neglected for a few days thanks to a busy social programme followed by foul stay-inside weekend weather), a late home-cooked dinner and half an eye on TV.

I've had a couple of half-hearted goes at semi-retirement but the minute someone thinks I have some spare time, more work comes out of the woodwork.

I was talking to a former newspaper colleague as we enjoyed some corporate hospitality at the rugby at the weekend and he chipped in fairly quickly: "But you're loving it, aren't you?‚"

There is something great about enjoying one's job and I suppose I should be grateful for the fact that I've never really had to go out looking for work.

Unfortunately a busy work schedule does tend to lead to what I call subsistence cooking at times. But that makes you appreciate something good to eat when it comes along.

The Spouse and one of the telephonists at work had a bet on the rugby recently. She is from South Africa and was naturally backing her home team, which won. Don lost the bet and took Ursula out for morning tea. She turned up on Friday with a little sympathy offering for we All Black supporters - some delicious muffins. I blessed her on Saturday when my lack of shopping left the cupboard a little bare.

These muffins were so delicious I persuaded her to give me the recipe. They really are my idea of easy weekend brunch fare - you mix them up the night before and then bake them the next day. How easy is that!

Bran Muffins

Beat well:
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oil

Sift together:
2 cups bran flakes
1/4 cup wholemeal flour
1 1/4 cup cake flour
5ml salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup dates chopped soaked in 1 cup of boiling water with 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Allow to cool.

2 cups milk
1 cup of sultanas or raisins

Add date mixture and sultanas to egg mixture, then add dry ingredients then the milk and mix until blended. Do not over mix - it should be a sloppy mixture. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight. Bake at 180 degrees for approx 25-30 min.

Ursula added some nuts to these light fluffy muffins. As she says, muffins should not be overmixed. Just stir enough to combine the ingredients.