A Bald Blue Woman And The Very Best Blueberry Muffins

Have you ever just craved a fresh start? Sometimes there’s nothing better than wiping the slate clean and beginning again. And I don’t just mean the big new year fresh starts, the little one’s can be equally rewarding, the first page of a diary, a small resolve, starting the day in a good way – whatever that means for you.

I was despairing because my start to 2012 was not what I’d expected. No champagne, frivolity, midnight festivity – instead I lay in bed with aching joints, a rasping cough and a temperature so high I started hallucinating. At one stage I looked up through glassy eyes to see a bald, blue lady sitting on the edge of my bed. She was wearing the brightest orange lipstick – her lips like two plumped up tangerine segments. I remember thinking, “Girlfriend, orange is not a good colour if your skin is bright blue’, but I said nothing.  We just looked at each other. And that was ok.

Sure, I wanted to be well when I welcomed the New Year in – I wanted lots of things. But the thing about a fresh start is that it doesn’t need a big celebration, it needs no fanfare – it can be something life changing, or something very small and pleasure inducing. So once I’d recovered I made blueberry muffins for breakfast – because the thought of a warm, light, moist, blueberry studded cake seemed like a good start to a new day, filled with hope and promise.

So Happy New Year delicious people. It’s belated, but the thing with fresh starts is that that doesn’t matter.

I wish you all much love, light, health, prosperity and all the fresh starts you desire in 2012.

Blueberry Muffins

makes 12

2 xl free-range eggs

1 cup milk (I used low-fat)

1/4 cup/60ml  melted butter or margarine

1 1/2 cups flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp sugar

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries ( I used fresh, as they’re in season now)

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 180C and get out three mixing bowls.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and melted butter.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and 2 tbsp of sugar. Stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined. You don’t want to overmix. In the third mixing bowl, combine the blueberries, 1/4 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of sugar. Gently fold the blueberry mix into the muffin batter. Spoon into a greased muffin tray and bake for approximately 2o minutes. Best served warm with butter and jam if you like them a little sweeter.