Sometimes the gods just smile down on you.  We all had a holiday earlier this week.  In Canada we still celebrate Queen Victoria's birthday with a day off and fire works - it's weird, I know.  If you're not sure who Queen Vic is just google her and you'll get the scoop.
So, I'm gettin my garden working again... the weather is generally great.  I go for a run.  I continue finishing up my garden work.  I start cooking and get two dishes done for the week to come.  Then I go outside and cut some of this


out of my rhubarb patch... how heavenly is that... I get it from my backyard.  I'm feeling so pleased with myself while doing this.


I proceed to make these stupid easy muffins (which Kids might not eat because rhubarb isn't sweet and chocolatey but that's another post).  Next thing I know, the doorbell rings.  It's my Mom-in-Law and her husband.  They decided to drop by for an impromptu visit.  This is totally awesome for me because even though I haven't cleaned my house and there are toys everywhere in the toy room, the kitchen floor hasn't been swept since the morning and it's now strewn with grass and dirt from outside, Kid #2 decided to bring his pillow and comforter downstairs so that he could 'sleep' on the living room floor and I haven't even looked in the bathroom yet, because I haven't even looked in said bathroom I also haven't looked in mirror and/or brushed my hair, I still have my gardening clothes on... I've got homemade muffins to serve them.


Let me tell you, I had put those muffins on plate for them before they'd even gotten their shoes off.  Nothing can distract you from the mess around you like some good food.  Also, it made me look like a domestic goddess (to coin a phrase) having these things ready to put out for visitors.
Now granted, I was still pushing things out of view with my foot while keeping my eyes fixed intently on the person in front of me but what the hey... I made muffins.  They oh'd and ah'd about the muffins and then gave me bonus points for harvesting the rhubarb from the backyard... score.
So I'm trying hard to think of what the moral of this story might be.  What the hell... make muffins and then see what happens.


Rhubarb Streusel Muffins
makes 12 med/large muffins

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup melted butter (unsalted)
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 cups chopped fresh rhubarb

(Streusel - I used some of the streusel from Ottolenghi that I still have in the freezer - 3/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup cold butter - combine until it forms a good crumb - freezes for a long time.  Feel free to use any streusel topping that you might fancy)


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Line a muffin tin with liners.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
Combine the egg, buttermilk, melted butter and brown sugar together in a bowl and whisk until it's all well combined.
Add the flour mixture to the milk mixture.  Stir just until the flour is completely incorporated.
Add in the rhubarb and mix together.


Scoop into prepared muffin cups.  Sprinkle with about a tablespoon or more of the streusel.
Bake for about 15 - 20 min (mine were done after about 17 min. so keep an eye on them at the end), check with a tester to make sure that the batter is done.
Cool for a couple of minutes before removing from the tins.