Ever since I was a little girl, I have had a special affection for leaving mysterious goodies on people's doorsteps. My first True Crush (besides Superman) was Danny. I really had a serious crush on him, but I was too shy to confess. So, I made him a little care package, rode my bike to his house, left it on his doorstep, rode my bike home, and called him and told him to look on the doorstep. Then I hung up! ha ha. Nothing ever became of that crush (Danny just got married last month, in fact), but we are still pals after all these years.
Fast forward a few decades, and it was time for another front porch drop-off. I've got a super awesome friend, who has been working really hard lately. She's in grad school (which is hard enough), plus she's got two awesome little kiddos to look after. I think she is really awesome, and I wanted to let her know how much I admire her and appreciate her... so I turned to the universal gesture of love and support: baking!
I made two big batches of Friendship Muffins: a batch of Mocha Muffins from Vegan Diner (back row), and Applesauce Oat Bran Muffins from Veganomicon (front row). I hadn't ever made either of these recipes before, but they both turned out really great. I'll confess that I kept a couple of each - I had to make sure I wasn't delivering icky duds!
It always seems to me that a baked good delivery should include one batch of goodies that speak directly to the spirit - even if they are a bit naughty - and another batch of goodies that speak to the body and are full of nutrition and goodness. The Mocha Muffins definitely deliver a caffeinated blast of love to the spirit - with espresso powder and chocolate chips they really pack a yum punch. The Applesauce Oat Bran muffins, on the other hand, are really quite nutritious but don't taste boring at all. They've got some nice warming spices and a little apple hint from the applesauce.
Once they were all packed up, I added a little card and a cute dishtowel with doggies on it, and left it on the front doorstep... This time I didn't call to harass her though, since I knew she'd find them when she came home from school! :)
Fast forward a few decades, and it was time for another front porch drop-off. I've got a super awesome friend, who has been working really hard lately. She's in grad school (which is hard enough), plus she's got two awesome little kiddos to look after. I think she is really awesome, and I wanted to let her know how much I admire her and appreciate her... so I turned to the universal gesture of love and support: baking!
I made two big batches of Friendship Muffins: a batch of Mocha Muffins from Vegan Diner (back row), and Applesauce Oat Bran Muffins from Veganomicon (front row). I hadn't ever made either of these recipes before, but they both turned out really great. I'll confess that I kept a couple of each - I had to make sure I wasn't delivering icky duds!
It always seems to me that a baked good delivery should include one batch of goodies that speak directly to the spirit - even if they are a bit naughty - and another batch of goodies that speak to the body and are full of nutrition and goodness. The Mocha Muffins definitely deliver a caffeinated blast of love to the spirit - with espresso powder and chocolate chips they really pack a yum punch. The Applesauce Oat Bran muffins, on the other hand, are really quite nutritious but don't taste boring at all. They've got some nice warming spices and a little apple hint from the applesauce.
Once they were all packed up, I added a little card and a cute dishtowel with doggies on it, and left it on the front doorstep... This time I didn't call to harass her though, since I knew she'd find them when she came home from school! :)
Those muffins look great, Amey! Do you get spam even when you prohibit anonymous comments? I just turned off anonymous comments from Cake Maker and no more spam! I should have done that months ago.
ReplyDeletexo
kittee
I don't know, Kittee! Maybe I'll try that. I do have a couple of beloved readers who always post anonymously though... so I'll think about the pros and cons. Thanks for the tip though.
DeleteYour readers can post using opensource and just put anonymous as their username!
Deletexo
kittee
You are so sweet!
ReplyDeleteAwwwww.....that's so nice! It makes me wanna go bake something nice for someone. :-)
ReplyDeleteDo it! :)
DeleteHow cool is THAT?
ReplyDeleteCan I give you my address? ;-)
ReplyDeleteThese muffins have now saved my life on like four separate occasions when I began to despair and then was like NO! The time for despair, it is not! The time to pull a friendship muffin out of the freezer is NOW!
ReplyDeleteThanks again. You're a superstar and I feel so lucky to have such a thoughtful friend (who also likes to bake).
I am so glad!! That was just what I hoped... right when things were getting crappy or overwhelming, you'd remember that you had muffins in the freezer (and friends across town!). They are like little muffin hugs. :)
DeleteYes! There is no better way of showing friendship than baked goods. Except maybe baked goods and then some more more baked goods!
ReplyDeletethis is adorable! i wish i had a friend as nice as you :)
ReplyDeleteawww, the friendship muffin fairy!! :) what a wonderful act of kindness! love it!!!
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely sweet! What a huge heart you have!!
ReplyDeleteYou're such a sweet friend!! It makes me happy that you made someone else so happy! :)
ReplyDeleteThere's such a lift that comes from the middle-of-the-week, no-reason, and just-because gifts. They weren't expected, which makes them all the more special. I especially liked this first line of yours: "Ever since I was a little girl, I have had a special affection for leaving mysterious goodies on people's doorsteps." I'm the same way! When I was small, I'd often draw pictures, leave them on our neighbor's doorstep, knock, and run away. I always enjoyed May Day for its simple baskets left hanging on the door. And I'll always remember the times that I was surprised by a ringing doorbell, only to find no one there except for a surprise.