Bernadette's Catch All Muffins, pages 120-121

Ooo. I just remembered that this recipe is also available electronically so I can share it with you as well. I'll do that now:

From Cooking Wild in Missouri:  

Bernadette’s Catch-All Muffins

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 1∕3 cups flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, sifted

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup oil

2 eggs

2 cups buttermilk

1 cup boiling water

3 cups wheat bran
1 cup golden raisins (or part dried cranberries, dates or figs)
1 cup pecans or hickory nuts (toasted lightly, preferably)

Blend together first four ingredients (sugar through salt) in one bowl and next three ingredients (oil through buttermilk) in another. Then, gently mix all seven together.
Meanwhile, pour water over bran and fruit in a separate bowl; let stand a few minutes, then stir and gently combine with the batter. Stir in nuts. Pour into medium-sized muffin tins lined with paper cups. (Batter also will keep in refrigerator for at least a week.)
Bake in a 400ºF oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in muffin’s center comes out clean. Turn muffins onto a rack to cool.
Makes about 20 muffins

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Do you like bran muffins? I love bran muffins. In fact, I love muffins, period. They are so appetizing, don't you think? At the farmer's market there are pear and ginger muffins, raspberry and almond muffins, maple sugar and pecan muffins . . . all these delightful combinations of yumminess. I am surprised by how few places sell bran muffins, however. They are great and good for you, too. To me, a bran muffin with fruit and tea or coffee is a pretty fantastic way to start your day. And, Bernadette's recipe did not fail to disappoint. Once in a while, I'll try a bran muffin recipe that tried too hard to be healthy and ends up tasting like a dietitian's muffin that was rolled across the floor of a carpenter's shop-way too dry and woody. It's a shame because bran muffins like that give all the rest a bad name. A good bran muffin is awesome and helps you feel good and be healthy, too. I may not be too worldly, but bran muffin-wise I've tried out a few in my day (I say while while thumming my suspenders and spitting chaw) and Bernadette's are first rate.

And, I have a secret to tell. When Hy-vee first opened in Columbia they were selling organic dried blueberries for $2/pound in the bulk area. That's crazy cheap. I knew it must be a mistake but the price was written twice on the bulk bin so I . . . well basically I took advantage of the situation and bought crazy amounts of dried blueberries before the price rose. Eventually, someone caught the error and now the blueberries are $20.00/pound, which I will never buy. Not that I don't stroll by the bulk section about every time I'm in that store just to make sure the price hasn't changed. Anyway, I used the dried blueberries, which I had frozen, in the muffins. They were great-a smidgen tainted with guilt, but the overpowering flavor was, MAN WHAT A DEAL!