Recipe: Vanilla Chai Muffins

Today's rainy weather left me wanting some comfort food for breakfast, something warm, with a hint of spice, and something that can double as a snack until they're all gone. I have a "base muffin recipe" that I just tweak to suit any muffin flavor we're dreaming up, so today we took a chance on chai! Well, they were gone almost immediately, so I don't need to worry about that, but maybe next time I'll make 2 dozen!

Vanilla Chai Muffins

¾ cup rolled oats -or- granola -or- multigrain cereal

½ cup brown sugar

¼ t. salt

1 cup sprouted whole wheat flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1 t. cinnamon

½ t. allspice

¼ t. cardamom

⅓ c.  strong black tea or chai spiced tea

⅓ c.  milk or milk substitute (we used vanilla hemp milk)

2 T. oil

1 t. vanilla extract

2 eggs

Optional mix-ins  (a half cup of any of these): chopped nuts like pecans, walnuts, etc., chopped dates, dried fruits, chocolate chips, grated carrots or zucchini (to day we used chopped dates and pecans)

Preheat oven to 350° F, and line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper, silicon, or just grease the cups. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, and wet ingredients in a separate bowl. In the dry ingredients, toss in any mix ins and coat them in the flour mixture. Add the wet ingredients and fold together until mixed through. Using an ice cream scoop or a spoon, fill the muffin cups to almost full, they won’t rise a lot in the baking. Bake the muffins for 20-24 minutes, until the tops are springy when lightly pressed. Cool, and serve. I like mine split open with butter or a butter substitute in the middle.  

 

Guest Post // Babywearing Mini Sessions at greenberries with Jennifer K Photography // Columbia’s Custom Child Photographer

Did you know?  We’rehaving Babywearing mini sessions atgreenberries on March 15^th!  We’re really excited about offering these sessions! 

Prior to a day of mini sessions like these, I usually grab a few models and have a dry run to take promotional images to be used in advertisements.  The ladies of greenberries were more than happy to help me.

 

Earlier this month, we took the images you see here.  Before our promo day, I thought I was really excited about the idea of having babywearing mini sessions.  But that excitement was no match for what I was feeling once I started working with these ladies and their little ones, and seeing our resulting shots.

 During every one of my family photo sessions, my goal is to not only document what you look like right now but also capture your family’s genuine personality, interactions, and love for one another.  Also being a mother to little ones myself, I have a soft spot for images showing the love between a mama and their babes.  We’re usually the family photographer, are we not?  And when was the last time dad captured a natural, real moment between the kiddos and us?

As soon as we started shooting on promo day, magic happened!  Having a mini photo session where mommies (and daddies!) wear their little ones is perfect for capturing the closeness, sweetness, and the special bond between parent and child.  I’m thrilled with the beautiful images we achieved that day and so are the ladies at greenberries – just read what they had to say upon viewing their photographs!

 

Spots are starting to fill up and booking for these minis closes on March 11^th.   Call 443-240-6796 today to hold your time slot!  All of the session details as well as information on the gorgeous album that’s exclusively being offered for these sessions can be found here on my custom photography website . 

If these mini sessions aren’t for you, but you know someone who may be interested  -please share this information with them and let me know that you did.  I would love the opportunity to send you a special thank you!

Jennifer Krafchik, owner of Jennifer K Photography, has been a wife for eight years, a mama for three, and a professional photographer for two. Capturing life through her lens is one of her greatest obsessions and she looks forward to sharing this love with you each month. Keep up with her life as a mama to two little monkeys as well as her latest work and promotions by following her blog and Facebook page.