Nothing More American

Hi friends!

Happy fuhh-reakily deakily Friday!

How happy are all of you that not only is it FRIDAY, but it is also a long, HOLIDAY WEEKEND Friday! Woo to the hoo.

Before I go any further, I must take a moment to wish my Momma a very Happy Birthday today! :) :)

I am so thankful to share such a close relationship with my Mom, and I wished more than ever that I could have celebrated with her in person today.

I told my mom this in her birthday card, but the older I get, the more I realize that the best qualities I see in myself all come from her.  She is strong, she is determined, she is selfless, she loves unconditionally, she is a good friend, and she has energy for years.  She really is a superwoman, and I'd be completely lost without her.  I love you so much, Mom!

Today was an intense day for me.  In my Bar exam prep class (BarBri), we did a full-day practice exam, which was basically a simulation of the first day of the Bar exam.

We did 200 multiple choice questions over a 6-hour period, and I am beyond exhausted.

I'm not sure if it's just a law school thing, but after these exams, I seriously feel like I have been hit by a truck.  Not that I would have any clue what that would feel like, but I'm pretty sure it's gotta be close to the feeling I experience stumbling out of one of these exams.

I'm not feeling too confident about how I scored on the practice exam, but at least it was just that, good practice.

Feeling more than my fair share of stress this weekend, I reverted back to one of my classic comfort activities...BaKiNg! :)

We were having that amazing Chili I told you guys about from Gina's Skinny Recipes, and I decided to put on my chef's hat and create some healthy(ish) cornbread & honey muffins.

With this patriotic weekend, I figured what better time to share this delicious comfort food with all of you than now.  Because, really, what is more American than cornbread, right?! :)

Jessica's Cornbread & Honey Muffins

Here's what you'll need:

(source)

1 cup of corn meal (your choice, but I went with Bob's Read Mill medium-grind whole grain corn meal)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup all-wheat flour
1 cup of almond milk (or you can use any other milk, of course!)
1 egg
1/3 cup applesauce
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
honey (amount varies)

Time to get your rolls muffin on: 


Step #1: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Step #2: In a large bowl, combine all of the above ingredients, except for the honey.  Stir with a wooden spoon until combined.

Step #3: Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with flour-based cooking spray.

Step #4: Spoon even amounts of the mixture into the 12 cups, like so:

It's okay if they're not so even, it's kinda rustic that way! ;)

Step #5: Drizzle each muffin with some honey.

I put my honey on in zig-zags! :)

Step #6: Pop those muffins in the oven. Let them bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown.  If you want to check them, you can do the toothpick test - when it comes out clean, they're good to go!

Step #7: Take the muffins out of the oven, carefully pop them out of the tin (I went around the edges with a fork and then took them out with my fingers).  Place the muffins on a cooling rack for a couple of minutes.

Serve them warm with some butter and maybe even a little more honey, if you'd like!

I think cornbread is SO good with a lot of different meals, like chili, or shredded BBQ pork or chicken.

Need a festive dessert for the weekend? I know I'm going to be making that super easy strawberry shortcake for our balcony cookout this weekend! :)

I'm off for a much needed night of relaxation, but I'm hoping to see you all this weekend for some more fun!

Have a fantastic night, everyone!

xoxo

Jess