Lemon Raspberry Muffins With Streusel Topping

We are now six days into the exciting and hopeful year of 2017 and I can confidently say that it already has not gone according to plan. Truthfully I didn't have much of a plan, but I at least envisioned myself being a healthy person full of energy and productivity.

It all started with New Years Eve weekend, where I was sick as a dog...with a COLD. It was honestly the worst and weirdest cold I have ever had. I say worst because it actually had me bed/couch-ridden, a cold has never done that to me before. I even had to call in sick to work (after a three day weekend yet!) it was so bad; and I say weirdest because I woke up Saturday morning feeling completely deaf. Both of my ears were plugged and my nose too; not to mention my head was aching like crazy. This is Maryland climate I tell you! When I lived in Canada my colds consisted of a dry hacking cough that's constantly itching. In Maryland my colds are all in my nose and ears. This type of cold has definitely been a first for me.
I did absolutely nothing New Years weekend. (An introverts dream!😍 ) Nothing but eat junk food (pizza and chips) and watch movies (Harry Potter!) and tv shows (Planet Earth Season 2 y'all!!) with Jarryd. (All while blowing through thousands of tissues and feeling super attractive while using them. Blech!) It was awesome in the sense that I actually love to do nothing, I love not having to leave my apartment, and I love staying in my pajamas all day long. Having nowhere to be with no one to see is actually the most stress-less way to spend a weekend. I wasn't even that bummed to miss out on New Years Eve plans. We shut the tv off and crawled into bed at 11:45 pm. So, so close, right?

Today is Friday and I'm definitely not bed-ridden, but my ears are STILL plugged and my nose is still being...annoying. (Having a cold is tough for a girl who really hates blowing her nose in public.) Will my ears ever unplug? What does normal hearing feel like again? Sigh, this is actually so annoying!

Anyway, on to the main theme of this blog post: muffins! (I hope I didn't make you lose your appetite with all this "sick" talk!)  😫

I'm not even sure why I chose this particular flavour of muffins to bake, I think it's because I'm on such a lemon kick right now. Lemon with blueberry or lemon with raspberry just taste SO good together. For instance, currently my eye is on a recipe for a lemon raspberry cake with a lemon cream cheese frosting, and I'm seriously dying for an occasion to bake it. Or...does it even need an occasion? Maybe I should just go for it!

The funny thing is that I baked these while I was sick with my sinuses completely stuffed; therefore I had no sense of smell or taste during the baking process. This was actually emotionally painful for me because I love the smell of lemons and I couldn't smell the lemon zest, the lemons, or the lemon extract. Nothing at all! I remember Jarryd walking into the kitchen saying "wow it smells SO good in here", resulting in me feeling very jealous feelings.

These muffins were SUPERB, you guys! 
Hey, I thought you couldn't taste or smell anything? Why would I ever trust your opinion?
I know this is what you all are thinking, but hear me out. My official taste-tester of a husband said they were great, so back off. 😜 
He's your husband so he HAS to say they're good...
For your information, my husband has a fantastic palate. For real! And oddly enough his palate is actually way better than mine. He can point out little dashes of herbs and seasonings in dishes like no other and I'm actually so jealous. Plus, he knows how important honest feedback is to me so he's ALWAYS honest in this area, whether I like it or not. So anyway, he tried these muffins and said they were incredible! And even though I was sick, I still quite enjoyed them too!
Also, the website where I adapted this recipe from had 5 stars and 20 fabulously positive reviews, so you can take their word for it too.

Muffins are one of my favourite things to bake because they're SO easy to bake and quick too! In this recipe, the most "strenuous" activity was zesting a lemon and for anyone who knows how to zest a lemon, it's not hard. It takes like 5 seconds.

The best part of these muffins is the lemon meringue Greek yogurt mixed into them.
Actually, the best part is actually the fresh raspberries.
Nah, just kidding. The best part is DEFINITELY the streusel. In my opinion, you should not serve these muffins without streusel! Don't do it! The sugar from the streusel adds a nice crunchy texture that these soft, fruity muffins NEED. It's a marriage made in heaven.

The recipe I used was from Taste of Home and therefore I in no way take any credit for this recipe. I only take credit for my food photography of course. 😘

CLICK HERE for the Lemon Raspberry Muffins with Streusel Topping Recipe!

Alteration: I followed the recipe exactly except I added a 1/4 tsp of lemon extract for EXTRA lemony flavour. Mmm! Worked like a charm (according to Jarryd).
Also, I made all the streusel that the recipe called for but only used just over half of it. In hindsight I wish I would have sprinkled ALL of the streusel on the muffins for even more crunchy texture. Oh well, next time! (Because I'm definitely making these beauties again!)

Another lesson learned, I should have doubled this recipe because Jarryd brought them to work and they disappeared! I'm glad because that means they were good, but I'm sad because I never even got to try them now while my tastebuds and sense of smell are slowly on the mend. 
ALSO, I totally forgot to take a photo of the inside of the muffins. How could I forget?! I'm sorry guys! I blame the sickness...
But oh well, I guess I'll just have to bake these again...SOON! 😀

Have you ever baked these muffins before or muffins similar to these? Or do you want to try and give these a go for the first time? Let me know in the comments. Happy baking, friends!