Ahhh . . . muffins!

So here's my little sous-chef helping me to make our new favorite muffins . . . pineapple-zucchini-coconut -- YUMMO!

Jaden's favorite part of this recipe is running the food processor --

just look at that concentration!

And just that quickly (okay, so it's not quite that quickly), you have MUFFINS!

Don't they look great?

Jaden really loves his muffins . . . so much that he gave one a kiss before eating it up!

And just in case you want to make some yourself, here's the recipe:

Pineapple-Zucchini-Coconut Muffins

4 cups all-purpose flour (I use white whole wheat)

3 cups sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups canola oil

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

3 cups shredded zucchini

1 can crushed pineapple, well drained

3/4 cup shredded coconut

Grease bottoms only of muffin tins (or use paper muffin liners) and set pans aside. In mixing bowl, combine eggs, oil and vanilla; mix well to combine. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Stir together until just moistened. NOTE: At this point, the mixture will be very thick and seem too dry! Fold in zucchini, pineapple and coconut.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool briefly before removing to wire racks.

With this recipe, I made two dozen muffins (standard size), one regular loaf - which baked for about 45 minutes, and two mini-loaves - which baked for 30 minutes. You can also just make 3 regular size loaves. If using loaf pans, make sure to grease/flour the pan, then layer the bottom with wax paper and grease that also.

And if you're going to enjoy a muffin, how about a story to go with it . . .

If you give a mom a muffin,

She'll want a cup of coffee to go with it.

She'll pour herself some.

Her three-year-old will spill the coffee.

She'll wipe it up.

Wiping the floor, she'll find dirty socks.

She'll remember she has to do laundry.

When she puts the laundry in the washer,

She'll trip over boots and bump into the freezer.

Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan for supper.

She will get out a pound of hamburger.

She'll look for her cookbook ("101 Things To Do With a Pound of Hamburger").

The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.

She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow.

She will look for her checkbook.

The check book is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two-year-old.

She'll smell something funny.

She'll change the two year old's diaper.

While she is changing the diaper, the phone will ring.

Her five-year-old will answer and hang up.

She'll remember she wants to phone a friend for coffee.

Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.

And chances are...

If she has a cup of coffee,

Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

by Kathy Fictorie