Sunrise

People are always asking my why I get up so early because most days, I'm up by 6 am. I suppose it's mostly genetic, my mother is an early riser too. But, also, I get up so early because I love seeing the sun rise. Not saying anything against sunsets, but I prefer the early quiet, where I can sit with my coffee, wake up, and see God's glory in the beginning of the day.

Here's just one example:

I didn't take this picture myself, I'm not that good of a photographer, but I wanted to show just one example of the beauty in the mornings.

One other thing I love about rising early is being able to fix coffee and breakfasts for people. This morning, I fixed some Cranberry Streusel Muffins for the girls in the house. It's so nice to be able to wake up to the smell of fresh baked goods.

Cranberry Streusel Muffins (from Alton Brown's I'm Just Here for More Food)

2 1/4 cups All purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 whole egg

1 egg yolk

1 cup plain yogurt

Up to 1 cup of mix-ins (I used craisins)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Combine all of the dry ingredients and whisk together. Combine wet ingredients thoroughly. Pour dry ingredients into the wet and mix until just combined. Add in your craisins. Using an ice cream scooper, dispense batter into 16 greased muffins tins.

Streusel Topping

1/3 cup flour

1/4 to 1/3 cup brown sugar

cinnamon

nutmeg

butter

Combine all ingredients well. It should form pea-size chunks which you can then put on top of your muffins.

After adding topping, bake muffins for 18 to 20 minutes. Once finished, allow them to cool for 5 to 10 minutes in muffin tin. Serve warm with a hot cup of coffee!