Mary Lou's Sleeping Giant Park Muffins

These are the muffins I make each year for the Sleeping Giant Park cross country ski weekend. John and I go each year, end of February, with 10 others and we rent two cabins. Party party...and ski too.
I am making these muffins now to take this upcoming weekend! 

Recipe makes 12 large muffins (doubles well)

Dry ingredients:

1/2 cup finely chopped nuts or 1/2 cup coconut or a mixture of coconuts and nuts
1 cup bran
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 scant tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Wet ingredients:

2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk or buttermilk (I use buttermilk, I buy it powdered at the bulk food store)
2/3 cups brown sugar
2/3 canola oil (can be reduced)
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

Fruit:

1 cup total in any variation or combination (I love this flexibility for the recipe)

grated carrot and pureed tin pineapple
grated carrot and grated apple (skin on)
1 whole orange pureed in processor and pureed tinned pineapple
grated carrots and pureed tinned apricots
pureed peaches (fresh or tinned)
fresh or frozen blueberries (what I use always)
fresh or frozen strawberries
cooked cranberries

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tins or use paper liners.
Combine all dry ingredients in one bowl. Combine all wet ingredients in another bowl.
Add dry ingredients to wet and fold gently but thoroughly. Do not over mix.
Add fruit.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes (mine normally take less time)

Four Corners Lentil Soup

Ingredients   

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil or ghee
• 2 large onions or leeks, white and pale-green parts only, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• Fine sea salt
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
• 1 (15-ounce / 400g) can whole tomatoes, or 5 large fresh tomatoes chopped
• 1 small organic lemon, sliced
• 1 cup / 200g red lentils, picked over and rinsed very well (soaked, if possible)
• 4 cups / 1 liter vegetable broth
• Pure maple syrup or raw honey (optional)
• Fresh cilantro leaves, sliced spring onions, or flat-leaf parsley leaves, for garnish

Preparation

 

1. Heat the oil in a medium pot, add the onions, garlic, and ginger, and sauté for 5 minutes, until soft. Add a pinch of salt, the cumin, and the cayenne, and stir for another minute or so, until fragrant.
2. Add the tomatoes, 3 slices of lemon, and the lentils. Then add the vegetable broth and stir well. Cover the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the lentils are soft. Add a squirt of maple syrup to balance the flavor, if desired.
3. Serve hot, garnished with the cilantro, spring onions, or parsley, and topped with a slice of lemon.