FRIDAY'S FAMILY FAVORITES

I don't know many people who don't like muffins. Muffins are great when you just want a little something sweet, a quick breakfast, a lunchbox dessert, or even a nutritional boost! Today's recipe is another of those Kroger jewels. I'll bet these would freeze nicely and taste great warm right out of the oven or microwave.

MORNING GLORY MUFFINS

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/4 c. white sugar

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

2 c. shredded carrots

1/2 c. dried cherries,roughly chopped

1/2 c. walnuts, chopped

1/2 c. unsweetened flaked coconut

1 apple, cored and shredded with a cheese grater

3 eggs

1 c. vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt with a wire whisk. Stir in carrots, cherries, coconut, and apple. In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, oil, and vanilla. Stir egg mixture into the flour/carrot mixture, just until moistened. Fill each prepared muffin cup two-thirds full with batter. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

MAKES 12 MUFFINS

HINT: It's better to limit how much you stir the batter with muffins-leaving some lumps is ok. Stirring too much makes the muffins tough.