We are all a Little Nutty

As I was eating my "nutty" acorn squash muffin this morning, I was thinking about my family. What I love about my family is that we can all be a little nutty. Let me give you a sneak peak into our nut house. Ha ha!

My dad loves watching Swamp people and Storage wars. It is on our tv so much that my family has adopted some of the popular saying. You can't say yep in my house without my dad following it up with a Yuuup! I love the auctioner's wife and how she says folks. She says it all the time on the show. It is one of my favorite things to say especially when I imitate her. ha ha!
My dad got a swamp people shirt from someone at his work and on it is Troy's popular quote which is choot em' (shoot it). What do you guess but that my dad loves to say this as well. haha! It is quite comical. Impersonations are my dad's specialty. since I was a little girl, my dad would do donald duck, goofy, elvis, and other personations. It always made my sisters and I laugh.

When my parents, sisters, and I say that we love each other, we say I luv you. It isn't pronounced love but luv. We don't get off the phone with each other without saying it. We have a closeness that I wouldn't trade for anything even if we are all a little nutty. Haha!

I hope you have a great day! If you can spend some time with your family today, do something fun or just sit around talking and laughing.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine..." proverbs 17:22

“Nutty” Acorn Squash Muffins
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup cane sugar (or granulated sugar)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
¾ cup baked acorn squash
1 large egg
1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
3 Tbsp. whole milk
3 Tbsp. raw agave (you can use honey)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Pecan Topping:
½ Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. cane sugar
¼ tsp. cinnamon
¾ cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with 11 muffin liners.
Set the melted butter aside to cool slightly while you mix the dry ingredients.

In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon.

In another mixing bowl, mash the baked acorn squash until smooth. Beat in the egg with a whisk. Add the slightly cooled butter, whisking constantly. Whisk in the buttermilk, milk, agave, and vanilla until incorporated.
Using a rubber spatula, fold in the dry ingredients in 3 intervals into the wet. *Folding the ingredients in will help to produce a light muffin. Do not over mix!
Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, fill the muffin liners with batter.

To prepare the pecan topping, mix together the butter, sugar, cinnamon, and pecans in a small bowl.
Divide pecan topping amongst each muffin.
Bake muffins for about 18-20 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Enjoy!
Makes 12 muffins

These are not too sweet so you can sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top after the pecans. Also dried cranberries would be great mixed into the muffins.