I wish someone had told me to take “Before” photos when quarantine started last March. In the nether regions of my mind, I can still see that former life of mine: a spotless home, a predictable schedule, and a family that, albeit wild, felt comfortable within the confines of our everyday existence. Sure, there was the occasional hiccup in the regimen of our daily lives- maybe a vacation, a last-minute addition to our calendar, or even (gasp!) an unforeseen bout of strep throat or seasonal cold- but for the most part, life was defined and fairly easy to get along with.

Fast forward to the “After” photo. The images that make up our day-to-day nearly 10 months after quarantine began are a blur of grey and barely-controlled chaos, a hot mess pile of face masks, hand gel, and flailing attempts to work, parent, and manage feelings and expectations. This season has been a dying to self, a loosening of my grip on all things I used to think I could control, and to be completely frank, it hasn’t been pretty. I’ve found myself feeling bitter and struggling with frustration more times than I can count, and, in a a lot of ways, dealing with the imperfect, self-serving parts of my heart have been the one of the more unpalatable doses of reality I’ve been forced to swallow in my life.

Looking for the gold.

This is really just a reminder to myself: look for the gold in all of this. If and when it’s all said and done, I don’t want to be defeated and worse for the wear; instead, my hope is that we all find ourselves stronger and more resilient under the weight of our own individual challenges. I hope we find ourselves more graceful, more open to love, and less in need of the temporary wants that rarely serve our lives in lasting ways. Deep down, I really think this shaking of our personal foundations will nudge a lot of us to start building our hopes and dreams on the stronger ground of relationships and beliefs that will actually last. Yes, the haze of uncertainty, fear, and loss is still thick and looming, but there’s hope and goodness burning through with an offering of its own: matured perspective, slower pace, and an opportunity to trim the proverbial fat in our lives. We’re definitely being pruned, but I’m feeling more and more certain that it’s making room for growth.

One of my favorite parts of these past few months has been including my children in my kitchen activities. Let me be clear: kids in the kitchen is anything but easy, neat, or quick. Anytime my babies strap on an apron, I need extra time and energy to clean up the millions of little disasters that ensue. But the benefit of time spent together and watching their little hands and minds explore makes it well-worth the effort. Like with these lemon poppy seed muffins.

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

Muffins are one of the most simple and forgiving things to make in the kitchen with kids. These lemon poppy seed muffins are a favorite of my oldest. These muffins are a great place for kitchen-curious people to start; all you need is a hand mixer and a few measuring cups. Here, a simple butter and sugar batter comes together with sour cream, eggs, lemon, and milk. The end result are lemon poppy seed muffins that remain moist and tender even after a couple of days. The glaze is simple, just powdered sugar and lemon juice,. It adds that extra tang and hint of sweetness that makes these extra-delicous for kiddos.

I’m eager to hear from you all. How are you doing? What have you learned in this season? How can your fellow baking friends (raises hand!) support you in love? Muffins seem like a meager offering, but they’ve brought me a lot of joy and I hope they do the same for you. Have a terrific week and happy baking!

If you like these lemon poppy seed muffins you should try:

Lemon Berry Crumb Cake
Blueberry Lemon Bars
Lemon Pound Cake
Lemon Lavender Icebox Cake

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