Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres. I prefer autobiographies or journals even more, especially true stories with a pioneer female tackling life battles during an interesting period in history, but in second place, give me a great story of made-up characters based on historical facts.

When I scrolled past When the World Fell Silent (by Donna Jones Alward) in my search for a new book to read, it jumped off the screen and immediately had my interest. It is based on the 1917 Halifax Explosion. If you aren’t familiar with that event, two ships collided in a busy Halifax harbour during World War 1, and one was full of explosives. That led to a massive mushroom cloud explosion that wiped out a chunk of Halifax, some of Dartmouth, killing 1,782 people and injuring at least 9,000.

This book focuses on a nurse’s story, and a war widow through the year of the explosion. Their stories just grabbed me. I don’t know if it was my fascination of the historical event, or maybe even my familiarity of the Nova Scotia places (after living there for 8 years), but I was hooked. I read it in a week, hiding the screen glare of my Kindle from Jeff’s side of the bed for a few hours each night.

If you like reading similar material, here are a couple handy links to help you find this book:

Amazon | Goodreads

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I also have a muffin recipe recommendation! I gave ChatGPT a list of some ingredients I have, and asked it to make me a filling healthy muffin.

I’ll attach the recipe below. I made them the first time in paper muffin tray liners which was a huge mistake. They stuck terribly because there is no oil or butter in these muffins. The next time I made these, I just greased the muffin tray first with butter. I used birch syrup instead of maple syrup because I had some handy.

Jeff’s off on a 7-day road trip soon to pick up our new-to-us truck camper so I made a batch of these today for healthy road snacks for him. More soon on our exciting summer plans for 2025!

Here’s the recipe!

Healthy Oat & Blueberry Protein Muffins

These nutritious muffins are oat-based, packed with protein, and naturally sweetened for a perfect snack or breakfast option.

Ingredients (Makes about 12 muffins)

• 1 cup rolled oats (or oat flour)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour (or more oat flour for gluten-free)
• 1 scoop vanilla or unflavored protein powder (about 30g)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 eggs (or flax eggs: 2 tbsp ground flax + 5 tbsp water)
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey (reduce if using sweetened protein powder)
• 1 mashed ripe banana (thawed if frozen)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
• 1 cup frozen blueberries (do not thaw, toss with 1 tsp flour to prevent sinking)
• 1.5 tbsp chia seeds

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin tin with liners or grease lightly.
2. In a large bowl, mix oats, flour, protein powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and chia seeds.
3. In another bowl, whisk eggs, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, mashed banana, vanilla, and milk.
4. Gradually combine wet and dry ingredients, stirring gently.
5. Fold in the frozen blueberries.
6. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling about 3/4 full.
7. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack.

Nutrition Estimate (Per Muffin)

• Calories: ~115
• Protein: ~5g
• Carbs: ~18g
• Fiber: ~3g
• Healthy fats from chia seeds

Tips & Variations

• If using very sweet protein powder, reduce maple syrup to 2 tbsp.
• Swap 1/4 cup flour for extra protein powder to boost protein further.
• Add chopped nuts or extra seeds for more crunch and nutrients.
• Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days or freeze for longer storage.

Enjoy your delicious and healthy muffins!