If there is one thing Serafina knows, it is how to enjoy life to the fullest. Case in point: eating muffin batter with your fingers while enjoying getting away with being nude because mommy is busy baking.

Since my other girls are getting so grown up, it looks as though Serafina is my new kitchen helper and recipe enthusiast. She loves to lick the bowls and spatulas when I bake and she also loves to experience all of the textures, not only to taste, but to touch. It is a great sensory experience for her and a great memory-making moment for me.

Things can get a little messy sometimes, but I savor these memories that we make together in the kitchen.

This recipe is a new-to-the-blog recipe that I came up with before we moved into this place, but it is one that Craig really loves. Since he takes my baking to work every day, when I was perfecting this recipe he was very happy. I always ask my family to rate a recipe with stars, out of five, and he gave this one a ten out of five! Even when these were all gone he was searching for more in the freezer, disappointed to find that he had ate them all.

I had to share this one today, as I was going through my pictures folder and discovered these photos, but I promise a break from baking recipes, and a recipe with vegetables sometime soon!

The idea for this recipe popped into my head one day on a walk while I was thinking up new flavor combinations. I love molasses in my baking and the idea of pairing it with chocolate seemed interesting to me. I have made these muffins with Krisda chocolate chips and with carob chips. I really enjoyed them made with carob chips because the carob chips were sweeter and complimented the molasses very well. They are awesome with dairy-free chocolate chips too, (or Krisda if you want them sugar-free as well). The muffins are also made with the goodness of oats (one of my favorite foods)!

Molasses Chocolate Chip Muffins

This recipe makes 24 muffins, but feel free to make half the recipe if you need less. I like to make a big batch and freeze some to have on hand.

Ingredients

• 2 cups quick oats
• 2 1/2 cups boiling water
• 2/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/3 cup organic molasses
• 2/3 cup sunflower oil*
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup Krisda chocolate chips or carob chips

* You can substitute 1/3 cup of the oil with unsweetened applesauce successfully in this recipe if you wish for it to be lower fat. That is, 1/3 cup sunflower oil + 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line your muffin pans with large-size muffin liners.
2. Place the oats in a large mixing bowl and soak with the boiling hot water for 15 minutes, or until the water is absorbed into the oats.
3. Add the maple syrup, molasses, oil (and applesauce if using), milk, and vanilla and whisk to combine.
4. In a separate, medium mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.
5. Add the chocolate chips.
6. Add the dry ingredients along with the wet ingredients in the large mixing bowl and stir until just combined.
7. Spoon the batter into each baking cup, filling them all the way full.
8. Bake for 18 minutes, or until a knife or toothpick inserted comes out clean.

What do you do to enjoy life?

What have your children taught you in regards to enjoying life to the fullest?