Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

I hit my first deer the other day. Hit and definitely ran over my very first deer which is saying something considering the greater part of my driving years have been spent near eastern PA’s Valley Forge National Park (which incase you haven’t heard is overrun with deer).

I was pissed. Seriously pissed. Not because of the car or the potential damage (none), but because of the scream that escaped my mouth and the terrified crying that escaped out of Lilly’s. I was scared- and she knew it. The damn deer hobbled beside the car for more than a few seconds- enough time for Lilly to look at it and scream, “Mommy what’s wrong what’s wrong what’s wrong!” Over and over and over. Grace was crying. It sucked.

This was after running errands all morning and getting to the checkout line in Target (finally) only to realize my debit card was still in the ATM I had used in the morning. Double damn.

When I’m having one of “those days” I usually can’t think if anything better to do than bake so that’s what I did. But baking didn’t ultimately help as I sliced the back if my knuckle open on the pumpkin can. Whatever. The muffins were awesome. Try them. Share them. Eat them.

 

Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins:

I wouldn’t exactly call these muffins healthY but I would call then healthFULL thanks to the oatmeal, flax and of course the pumpkin.

1 Devils Food cake mix
1 can Pumpkin Purée
1 cup Rolled Oats
1/2 cup flax seed meal
1 cup chocolate chips
Optional: add any or all of the following- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, raisins, craisins, or shredded zucchini or carrot.

What?? I didn’t say it was a HARD recipe…

Mix it all together and add batter to a sprayed muffin tin. They don’t rise too much so fill the muffin cups almost to the top. These muffins are VERY moist and sticky so it’s easier not to use liners.

Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes or until toothpick comes out mostly clean.

Hopefully they cheer you up. Or cheer someone up… Brandon, Lilly and I ate these all up in a day which surprised me but I guess Chocolate Pumpkin anything will get eaten up in a day, right?

Of course Grace always cheers me up. Hard to imagine that this little chunk has lost half a pound in the last few weeks. She’s obviously having a great time in her sisters sassy seat gobbling up a pear!

She thinks she’s soooo funny.