In case you were curious…we survived our first airplane trip. Despite two, yes two, blowouts at 30,000 feet, we arrived in Houston bearing big, tired smiles. I can’t thank Ryan and my mom enough for their help. Between the three of us, we kept our very active 15-week-old baby occupied and happy. She charmed us with her yawns and whimpers, and I watched, captivated, as she stared out the airplane window as we descended through the clouds. There is nothing like watching your child experience the world new.
And did I mention we came to Texas to introduce my baby Lucy to her great-grandmother Lucille Babbitt? My sweet Grammy developed a rare and debilitating kidney disease two years ago, and she’s fought bravely over the last months. The look on my Grammy’s face when she saw her namesake was one I’ll never forget. They live about thirty minutes from my aunt’s house (where we ‘re staying) and my Papou said he’d never seen Grammy drive so fast.
We spent Sunday taking pictures of four generations, and I know Lucy will hold this captured legacy close to her heart in the years to come. We’ll be in Texas for a few more days, so I’ll only be sharing one recipe this week. These sour cream muffins are a classic in my family. With high domes and moist interiors, these whole grain muffins should grace brunch and breakfast parties most every weekend. They serve as the perfect base for plump berries or fall fruits, but if you’re like me, there are days when simplicity wins out. I topped these unadorned muffins with crumbled oatmeal cookies, which added the perfect amount of crunch.
Sour Cream Muffins
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
4 store-bought oatmeal cookies, crumbled.
Lightly grease a standard muffin tin. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Cream together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about four minutes. Scrape down the bowl to make sure all the butter is incorporated, then turn the mixer back on and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and sour cream, and mix until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed just until the batter is smooth. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl once more, to be sure everything is evenly combined. Refrigerate dough for at thirty minutes to one hour.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Scoop the batter by the 1/4-cupful into the prepared pan and sprinkle with crumbled oatmeal cookies. Bake the muffins until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 22 to 26 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack to finish cooling.
Your grandmother is absolutely beautiful… and the picture of the two Lucilles together touching. I hope you are enjoying these days together.
P.S. I posted about your blueberry cream cheese loaf and linked back to you. Sorry to mention it here, but I wasn’t able to comment on that specific post.
Oh wow what a precious meeting! I hope Lucy had a wonderful time with her great granny!
Awww, what a beautiful picture of the two Lucy’s! Hope you have a wonderful time in Texas 🙂
Monet, these are some of the most charming photographs that I have seen in a long time – incredible precious memories that you are creating with these pictures and your visit!
And, of course, your muffins look like absolutely delightful treats!
Have a wonderful week, dear Monet and hugs to cutie pie Lucy!
So glad the flight went okay! I love that picture of Lucy with her great-grandma. That is definitely something she will treasure when she gets older. Enjoy the rest of the time with your family!! And these muffins sound wonderful by the way : )
An amazing moment in the lives of all of you Monet! How amazing to get to know your great grandkid! Wonderful way to add a fast crumble to the muffins!
Wonderful!
In my family in Brazil, we have a very special photo that joined FIVE generations… I should try to get it in a format that could go on my blog, even though both my Grandma and my Dad are gone now….
Such reunions are too special and I am glad you made this trip to see your Grandma….
Enjoy your time there!
Oh my gosh. Pure joy. Your grandmother looks like the happiest woman in the world right there. Such a wonderful moment.
This is so amazing, Monet! My mother has a picture of me with my great grandmother and to this day I think it’s one of the most incredible things. I love photographs of generations – nothing speaks to time better than the stages that faces go through, and seeing each wrinkle and nook is one of my favorite things. What a precious time for you and Lucy.
The muffins looks delicious, too, but Lucy always steals the show. 🙂
I know there are lovely recipes buried in your posts but I am always so taken by the photography and writing, that I never seem to get there. The image of baby Lucille looking up at mom from Grammy’s arms is mesmerizing.
So glad the flight went well and that you guys are having a great time 🙂 Have so much fun the rest of your trip and enjoy your time with family. Love the pic of Lucy and great-grandma 🙂
I am loving the deep, soulful blue you three ladies are wearing in these pics. GREG
Congratlations on the flight! And your grandmother looks so beautiful in these pictures. I would have never guessed her recent struggles.
Beautiful pictures– how wonderful to have four generations present, and how special for “old” Lucy and “young” Lucy to meet! Glad the flights went well!!
I’m so happy that everything went fine! And the pic of Lucy and your grandma is beautiful, I love how happy the both look!
Great muffins, they look amazing! x
Happy week! x
That is one of the joys of parentood – seeing the world through your baby’s eyes. It seems a reminder to slow down and enjoy the view rather than letting life rush you by. Sigh. Good advice for me on this day as well. Those muffins look delicious…as always!
Wow, Monet! How incredibly special it is for four generations to be together. Your grammy must be so happy she’s able to hold her namesake and great-granddaughter. I absolutely love the photo of her and Lucy sitting together. Beautiful. These are my kind of muffins. I love baking with sour cream since they make everything incredibly fluffy and moist. Nice touch with the crumbled oatmeal cookies on top!
So glad the trip went well. Looks like your Grammy loved the visit. The muffins sound delicious!
Not that I didn’t think you would do a brilliant job but – she is a stunning baby. Love that you still have time to bake. I hope I’m that keen!
Monet,
You are so lucky to have generations of beautiful ladies for your Lucy to emulate. Your pictures are beyond words, beautiful.
Those gorgeous muffins made a delicious treat for all of your family! Hugs!
What marvelous family photos…you will treasure both! And what can I say? Muffins topped with crumbled cookies? Pass me the plate, please 🙂 Enjoy your visit. xo
What a wonderful time with your family. 🙂 I love the photos of your grammy. She is so regal and beautiful! 🙂 And the muffins are such good, comfort food. 🙂
I can only imagine how moist and good these muffins must be, my husband would freak out (in a good way) about them!
What a special trip! Enjoy every moment. PS. Love that you topped muffins with cookies. Why not??
So glad your visit has been so wonderful thus far. The picture of Lucy with her great grandmother is absolutely precious. What a lovely moment to have captured!
And your sour cream muffins look like such a delicious breakfast treat!
So so so sweet!! I’m so glad Lucy got to meet her grandmother…that moment must have been priceless.
What a special moment 🙂 The happiness is shining from your Grammy’s face, and every one of these pictures is just so precious. They will be treasured for years and years. Congrats on your first plane ride with little Lucy! It must be such a thrill to see the world through her eyes.
These sour cream muffins look delicious and moist! (And I love the fact they have whole wheat flour 😉 .) Enjoy the rest of your visit!!
Beautiful pictures Monet! I don’t imagine there is anything more valuable to great-grandma right now then getting to spend time with all of you. BTW – those muffins look delicious. I love adding sourcream to my baked goods, everything turns out so moist.
Awww that is such a beautiful, sweet visit! I love the photos. The muffins sound delicious. Have a great time!
It sounds like that first plane trip was well worth it! 🙂 I don’t think I’ve ever had sour cream in a muffin before, and I’m wondering why not! It’s obviously great in cakes. I’ll be sure to give this one a try!
Such gorgeous and sweet pictures!! The muffins look awesome!
Capturing memories like that is priceless! These muffins sounds great for a rainy sunday.
What a wonderful thing that you’ve had time to spend with family lately! Absolutely precious pictures. Glad you survived the flight too, haha! These muffins are just perfect for sharing with family. They look so soft and fluffy. Enjoy the rest of your time in Texas, Monet! Hugs from Austin!
Great use of sour cream! Beautiful baby photos!
aaah Monet these muffins look amazing! but I love the pictures, you granny, the Little sweet all of you look georgeous dear:)
What a cute post.. You daughter is so adorable!! Those muffins looks delish too!!
You have such a lovely family, Monet. I’ve probably said it before, but your Grammy is stunning…I wish her better days ahead, and I know little Lucy brought a lot of joy to her!
Lucy is such a doll…am I crazy, but does she favor Ryan a little?
You all have such a serene look…know your visit to Texas is a very special one!
Oh, and the muffins…I love that they have whole wheat! I agree that sometimes you just want something simple, and these muffins look simply fantastic!
How sweet that you got to take pictures of 4 generations! That is certainly something to be treasured. Beautiful photos. And muffins look delicious too!
Love this muffin recipe! Glad to hear you survived the plane ride with Lucy. Flying with an infant can be difficult. I’ve seen numerous moms flying solo with their infant and I can see the frustration in their eyes whenever their child cries. Anyway, glad to hear Lucy got to meet her great grandmother. Beautiful photos too btw.
What a precious post!!! I love those muffins too! YUM!
What a great meeting of the two Lucys! Beautiful pictures and I am glad you got four generation pictures. Those are precious. Have a great time with your family in Texas.
Thanks for taking us to Texas with you! Great pictures. And wonderful muffins – sour cream works so well in recipes like this, doesn’t it. Great post – thanks.
What gorgeous family photos! Your grandmother is so beautiful. And those muffins! Boy are they some beauties too!
What a great photo of Lucille and Lucy! The crumbled cookies on the muffins is such a good idea. Have fun in Texas!
I feel I can confidently say you have the sweetest baby ever.
Also-I love these muffins. I wants em.
In our family, our daughters’ middle names are from their grandmothers. My oldest- my grandma who I was with when she passed and pregnant with A. My second- my great-grandmother who died before I was born. I still remember telling my grandmother in her last hours of life that if we had a girl she would carry her name. Both my grandmothers were such an enormous part of my life. I love that they live on in my girls.
And as for those gorgeous muffins? Simplicity rules! Trying to find the time to make a GF version of these! I have some lovely jam someone gave me that would compliment these beautifully! Enjoy your visit to TX
Your grandma looks so lovely, it is so amazing that she got a chance to spend time with your daughter. These are memories that will last forever!
Oh dear Monet what a great post- all three of you look wonderful and beautiful! Yes, your little one will hold those picture close to her heart once she grows up! DEEE-licious muffins! Thank you for sharing and have an amazing Thursday!
So glad to hear that Lucy’s first plane ride went okay These pictures are absolutely gorgeous Monet! Grammy is one beautiful and classy looking lady and so wonderful for her to get to meet Lucy. Such precious moments, thanks so much for sharing with us 🙂
How lovely that your grandmother got to meet her beautiful granddaughter! Not an opportunity that every great-grandmother is privileged to have 🙂
I’ve never used crumbled cookies in a muffin recipe before but who can say no to oatmeal cookies—in any form?
I hope you have a wonder visit. I love your pictures.
The muffins sound wonderful.
Wonderful pictures and great recipe, Monet! The muffins looks so moist and I can absolutely see why it’s a classic in your family. It goes to everything. Thanks for sharing it!
Thanks so much for stopping by my blog so I could discover yours 🙂 Congratulations on surviving plane travel with a 15 month old (I find it hard enough solo!) and I hope you enjoy this precious time with your family.
Oh, and I forgot to say that these muffins look great too!
I mentioned in your fb, but I REALLY love your grandma’s photo with Lucy and you. Each of you have the best expression – all natural! It’s just a few seconds that we don’t want to miss and perfectly captured. I’m so happy to hear you guys made it to Texas and met great grandma! My kids saw their great grandma too when we went back to Japan this summer. As we can only go back once a year, it was a big deal for us, and she’s already 88. Enjoy the rest of your stay and spend good time with your grandma! Love your sour cream muffins. Yummy!
What a beautiful gift to your grandmother and your daughter, they will both cherish those photos.
Thanks for commenting on my blog! Those muffins look incredible, and what a great story to go with them!
What a scrumptious post! From the enchanting photos to the marvelous Sour Cream Muffins, a delight!
hope you have a fantastic time with your family! these photos are absolutely priceless! these muffins sound incredible I can’t wait to try them!