comfort food.

I love grocery stores. Love. Love. Love. It is strange how much I enjoy grocery shopping. I love looking at everything and seeing how things are set up. Of all of the grocery stores, Trader Joe's is probably my favorite. Trader Joe's is a new-found love; we've only known each other for about a year. People are nice in Trader Joe's. For example, a month ago when we went to Trader Joe's (we don't go very often... because it's about 45 minutes away in Richmond and because I spend way too much time and money), I was exploring their baking aisle. I was looking for an apple-cranberry pie filling they sold last year that was delicious.

I did not find the pie filling. That made me a little sad. I am planning on going to Trader Joe's sometime soon though (Don't tell AJ!) and I hope they have it in stock then. Anyways- while I was mesmerized by everything in the baking aisle, I caught eye of a pumpkin bread/muffin mix. My eyes are drawn to anything pumpkin... as you probably have gathered. An older lady (imagine a fairy godmother) came up beside me and told me to buy it. That was weird.

I must have given her a funny look, because she went on to elaborate on how amazing it was and that I should put golden raisins in and that it was so easy and so delicious. So I bought it. I figured... it certainly won't hurt me and it's pumpkin-flavored. Well, it's sat in our pantry for a month. I was trying to wait to use it until Thanksgiving or Christmas. It was not to be. My impatience wins out again.

Tonight, I opened that box and made it. Seriously, the only ingredients called for are eggs, oil, and water. EASY SMEASY. I added the golden raisins because the fairy godmother told me to. She's a smart lady.

My favorite recipes are simple but oh, so delicious. This one qualifies for both, definitely. It is so easy. Throw everything but the raisins in the KitchenAid and mix for two minutes. Stir in the raisins. Pour into a bread pan or muffin pan and BAKE. Hello! So easy.

Pre-baking. I have never been good at pouring batter into muffin tins neatly. Never. Actually, There's not much I do neatly. It all comes back to impatience. I'm working on it.

They bake for about fifteen minutes. While I was waiting, I distracted myself by setting up our new home office! So exciting .We have this funny 9' x 9' room that will Lord willing be a nursery at some point, but we decided to use it as an office for the time being. I have been doing my school work on the dining room table. AJ does not like that. I don't really like it either. Tonight, we bought a folding table to put up there and set everything up. It looks cute. I'll have to take a picture at some point.

By the time everything was set up, the muffins were done! I immediately sliced one and put butter and lingonberry jam on it. Also, I set off the fire alarm... you win some, you lose some. I opened the back door and continued to eat!

So yummy. Trader Joe's, you again do not disappoint. I still have not forgiven you for that horrific strawberry rhubard pie you sold me though.