elyssa: midnight muffins

it was a great day.

i ran into my teenage idol - scott speedman - as he was jay-walking across the street from my house. i've seen like 5 A-list celebs in 2 days and i'm stuck on scott..

hey-ay camera phone

AND i passed the part of the bar exam that i took in august!

after an exhausting kickbox + yoga combo, i came home, plopped on the couch, and realized i really really wanted a muffin. i assessed the feeling: 'hmm. a muffin? really? this is new in elyssa world'. after verifying the legitimacy of the craving, i proceeded to make my muffin(s). i figured it was better than scrounging around the kitchen and eating something i didn't want to eat.

revelation: ad hoc baking works. my theory is that people are either natural cooks or bakers. people that are bakers, cook like they bake - lots of measuring and very precise. cooks - on the other hand - usually can't bake to save their lives. i thought this was me - until i started allowing myself to bake creatively. i feel like the world was keeping this secret of imperfect baking from me. conspiracy theory?

i found a food network recipe for orange muffins and went about making it my own. inspired by angela's approach to experimental baking, i cut the recipe in half (preventative measures). substituted earth balance for butter. almond milk for the milk. turbinado for regular sugar and whole wheat for regular flour. lastly, i tried my first flax egg replacement (courtesy of the fitnessista) - 1 tablespoon milled flax seed + 3 tablespoons water. oh and cinnamon goes in everything these days.

fluffy. orangey. aromatic. comforting.

as you can see - this week, i'm going easy on myself. i'm eating muffins in the middle of the night for goodness sake. why? because the last few weeks have been rough. adjusting to life away from the mountain always is. i've been putting incredible stress on my body and my mind ever since i returned to toronto - and now i'm working on a little inner peace.

listen now: try a little tenderness

inspiration du jour: sookie st. james, gilmore girls. i want to be her when i grow up.