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"Hi Suzanne, thank you for the inspiration to cook with my
granddaughters. I love to read your columns about cooking with your
grandson Paul, the cooking lessons you gave at the school, and the
[11 layer cake] you baked with your grandchildren Seth and Bailey.

I'm not much of a baker but this past weekend when my
granddaughters, ages 5 and 6, were visiting, we made English Muffin
Pizzas. The girls were so cute and followed all my directions. I
kept the oven light on so they could watch the cheese melt and get
bubbly. They were so excited to make something themselves. Thank you
for starting a great tradition for me and my girls and do you have
any ideas for some easy meals?"--Love, Jo

(Suzanne replies:) Last week I made a Chocolate Chip Muffin recipe
(chocolate chip muffins are a meal, right?) that I think you and
your granddaughters would love. The recipe is so simple. No mixer,
simply grab a spoon and mix everything by hand in one bowl.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

(An easy recipe to make with kids, too.)

Dry ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder (I use Nestle)
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and another 1/4 to 1/2 cup for
sprinkling on top

Liquid ingredients:
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons buttermilk or sour cream
1/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with cupcake papers
(makes 12, sometimes 13, depending on the humidity level). You don't
need a mixer for this recipe, just a large bowl, a spoon and your
arm for mixing.

Combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder,
sugar, cocoa and the 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips in a large bowl.

Mix all of the liquid ingredients together in a separate container.
(I measure the milk in a measuring cup and then add all of the other
wet ingredients into the measuring cup.)

Dump the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients that are in the
big bowl and mix. The batter can be lumpy, that's okay. Just make
sure all of the dry ingredients are mixed in.

Fill the muffin liners and sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on
top of the muffins before they bake.

Bake for 18-20 minutes.

These are great.