September 5: A Truck Parade and Almond Poppy Seed Muffins

Our family...waiting for the truck parade to start.

Tysen, Koen, and Henry...still waiting.

The kids got to sit in the firetruck after the parade ended.

Labor Day in Holland means the Truck Parade!  We took Koen to the parade a few years ago, but this year the whole gang ventured out for the experience.  It really is a phenomenal (and LOUD) experience!  After the parade, the trucks all convene at the Civic Center and the spectators can go get a closer look at the trucks and pick up free goodies from the companies represented.  The boys were THRILLED with the morning...big trucks with their loud horns, free stuff like candy, Frisbees, and ice cream, even a visit with Great-Grandma Davies who lives downtown Holland.  Brielle wasn't quite as excited about it...the loud truck horns were not her favorite thing to hear.  We all enjoyed our brisk morning out!




Once we arrived home, we dragged out the ingredients for Almond Poppy Seed Muffins.  I'm on a mission to find muffin recipes Koen likes so he can take them to school for lunch.  The only sandwich he enjoys is something with peanut butter, but peanut butter is not allowed due to other students' allergies.  I know he'll eat pumpkin muffins, but I want him to continue to like pumpkin muffins after the year is over, so I don't want to send on every day.  When I went through my recipes I'd suggested Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, but in informed me he actually likes almond poppy seed better (thank you, Costco).  Surprisingly, I didn't have a recipe for that on hand, so I ventured online and came up with a few possibilities.  I had all the ingredients in the house for the following, and I'm told they turned out quite well!  After mixing these together, I wondered about just taking the almond bar recipe I have and adding poppy seeds in.  It would be a much denser muffin, but would taste delicious, I think.  I may have to try that in the future!

Almond Poppy Seed Muffins

• 1/2 cup butter 
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/8 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 1/2 Tbs. poppy seeds

1. Cream butter and sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs, beat well.
3. Add almond extract, beat well.
4. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
5. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
6. Mix until just combined with each addition.
7. Fold in poppy seeds.
8. Spoon into greased muffin tins or use paper baking liners, filling 2/3 full.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes.
10. Remove from pan to cool on rack.

Yield:  12 muffins
(found on cooks.com)