I got this cute wrist strap for my camera a little while ago and finally remembered to switch it out for the plain one. I love those daisies  :)

Abby and I went for a walk on Monday. It was so different from the week before where we had seen only a few patches of gravel among all the snow still on the path. We had several days of completely above zero weather at the end of last week and by Monday the snow was gone except for a few patches in the shadiest spots. Other signs of spring were also noticeable: water running across the path, the smell of dirt and sunshine, the first hints growing things, the voices of newly arrived birds, even a few insects already awake ...

This was my breakfast this morning: tea, an apple and a rhubarb muffin.

I made the muffins yesterday so I could take half a dozen over to my mum. I don't know why but I was pretty set on rhubarb. We won't have any from the garden for a while yet but I still have plenty in the freezer from last year and I thought it would make pretty pink muffins. I did some quick internet searching for a nice recipe but they all called for things I didn't have or were a lot fancier than I felt was necessary. I ended up making my usual blueberry muffin recipe with rhubarb instead. They turned out perfectly.

I'm sure I'm not the first to post this but just in case someone else out there is looking for a simple way to use up some rhubarb (fresh or frozen) here is my recipe:

Simple Rhubarb Muffins
(adapted from the blueberry muffin recipe in Company's Coming's "Muffins & More")

1/4      cup    butter or margarine
1/2      cup    sugar
1                   egg
1          tsp    vanilla
1 3/4  cups   flour
3         tsp     baking power
1/2      tsp     salt
3/4      cup    milk
1         cup    chopped rhubarb

Cream butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla. Add dry ingredients alternating with milk (dry - milk - dry) and mix just until moist. Fold in the rhubarb. Divide batter into 12 greased muffin cups and bake for about 25 minutes at 400℉ (200℃). They are especially good if you sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar before you bake them.