Pumpkin Cherry Nut Muffins

I've been plagued with insomnia my whole life, but the past couple weeks have been colossal...work stress, plus 2 kids in high school  (i.e marching band, football, fall theater, etc) have led to many nights of not enough sleep.   I can always fall asleep just fine, it's just that I wake up in the middle of the night.   Last night was no exception; I awoke in response to a nightmare which was an amalgam of all my stress related nightmares of a lifetime: I was back in high school again myself at age 50, but didn't have time to go to class because I had to go to work, and I had a final in math and had no idea how to answer any of the problems.   Also, because I forgot to go to practice, I wasn't going to get my varsity letter in swimming.    The only thing that would have made this nightmare complete would have been me walking to my locker and realizing that I forgot to wear pants to school and everyone was laughing at me!  I was startled awake at 4:30, which (to quote a song) is not late, it's early.....



Normally, this throws me into a panic because I worry I'll be too tired and crabby all day, but since it is Halloween today, I decided to embrace it and make pumpkin muffins for breakfast.   Why not?

Pumpkin Cherry Nut Muffins
(makes a dozen regular size ones)

1/2 c white whole wheat
1 1/4 c self rising flour (all I had in the pantry, regular AP would work)
2 t baking powder
3/4 c brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/4 t ground cloves
1/2 c canned pumpkin
1 egg
3/4 c milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 c dried cherries
1/4 c chopped pecans

For glaze
1/2 c powdered sugar
2 T milk
chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 400 F.   Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, make a well in the center.   Mix wet ingredients and pour into the well, stir until well mixed.  Add cherries and nuts, stir.   Fill muffin papers 3/4 full and bake for 30 minutes.  After the muffins have cooled, drizzle with glaze and sprinkle with nuts.

Whatever happened to the Spin Doctors?   I don't know, but they were certainly ahead of their time with this bearded look not unlike the current day beardly Bosox, who just won the World Series 20 years after this video came out.  So all is not lost - if I have to be tired today, at least I can start the day off right with a good breakfast!