Making Pumpkin Muffins - new, adapted version*

* The new adapted version bit being to do with having to amuse a 12 month old at the same time. Please be assured that all mess was cleared up at the end of making these muffins.

The events portrayed here took place a couple of weeks ago. Little Flower's Mum needed to get some important work done at home, and while Little One was at playgroup for the morning, Little Flower really needed to be taken out of the way, so I agreed to have her at my house for the morning.

I had also decided that I needed to get on with making pumpkin muffins, and figured that it ought to be possible to do that at the same time, right? I had my can of pumpkin (which had been found in the cupboard of one of Bekki's friends, and had been offered to me as he didn't want it)Unfortunately, Little Flower was having one of those days where all is well, so long as she was being held in my arms. (And even an mad antics didn't seem to improve her mood).Still, I think we got on ok, on the whole. I can, after all, crack eggs one-handed, with either hand, and what other skills could you possibly need to make pumpkin muffins?!

She really wasn't convinced, but did let me put her down when I was having to do things like dealing with the oven. And I did provide her with lots of exciting things to play with.As this picture shows (you can click for a larger version) she had, (from far left, continuing towards us), a towel, a pair of garden shoes, a bottle of juice, a stick previously used for opening paint tins, a fly swatter, a plastic bowl, a set of measuring spoons, a sock (she was wearing the other one still), a plastic cup, an apple (which I removed after she'd thrown it on the floor), a little stall to sit on, and a radio to fiddle with (located on the chair that can just be seen in the foreground on the left) a whole bunch of fridge magnets, and an open washing machine. What more could you possibly want? Oh, and a handful of sultanas, which she liberally scattered all over the room, and I then swept up.

I have to say, we made a great team!

(I appear to have not yet uploaded the photos of the finished product, but I can assure you that they taste delicious. Even the last few I made, when I'd run out of space in the tins, and had to just put the mixture in cake cases there were loose on a baking sheet. The only thing I have to say about those particular few, is that if I ever want to make realistic looking fake dog-do, then I'll know how to do it. They tasted yummy though ;-) )