You know as you’re sitting in those orientation meetings for new parents, they go on and on about this kid’s peanut allergy, or that kid’s aversion to loud noises and dogs, but do they ever ask the parents if they have any dietary restrictions? Well, noooooo, they do not. They do, however, offer up coffee and pastries to parents who are in the middle of “transition” with their brand spanking new pre-schoolers. Or so I heard.

Which is why I went into survival mode the night before my son’s first day in his big kid school and made a mess of gluten-free muffins. Because I will not be denied a pastry. I will not.

It turns out that whole table of coffee and pastries was a myth, or at least they hid it from me, anyway. So I was most likely the only parent with a purse full of muffins. Still, these were DELISH. And took like five seconds to whip together. I only wish I’d had some coffee to enjoy with these cinnamon delights. If my kid is okay today, I’m hightailing it to the Starbucks on the corner and feasting like a gluten-free mom who has just sent her baby to pre-school and must eat to dull the pain of facing her own mortality. I mean, look at this kid.

Here’s how you can prepare for the next generation taking your place, too.

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Muffins

Prep time: 7 minutes Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.

2. Combine egg, oil, and milk. Mix with dry ingredients just enough to moisten the mixture.

3. Fill a greased muffin pan 2/3 full and bake for 25 minutes.

Makes: 12 muffins