The BEST Wholesome Blueberry Muffins

I found this recipe on www.allrecipes.com a few weeks ago, and have made these muffins four times now, with a few modifications.  My entire family loves them, and my husband has asked if they're "really that healthy?".  :-)

Emily and I made them this morning while Ben played nearby on the floor, and Audrey was at preschool.  My kids love to help me bake, so I try to let them unless I'm in a hurry (which is about half the time).

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/To-Die-For-Blueberry-Muffins/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Thumb&e11=blueberry%20muffins&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

The original recipe is above.  I made the following changes:

*100% organic whole wheat flour instead of white
*organic coconut sugar instead of white sugar
*olive oil instead of vegetable oil
*frozen organic wild blueberries instead of fresh (because we only buy fresh in season)

                                                       Emily mixing the dry ingredients...

                                                   The egg/oil/milk combo is fascinating...

                                                                   Mixing dry and wet...

                                                    She had to sample some blueberries :)

What they look like as I'm adding the topping...

25 minutes later--A happy little boy and two little girls enjoying their muffins (and pears)...

Cookies With a Purpose (Lactation Cookies)

Let me start by saying that these cookies are DELICIOUS, so just because they have a purpose, doesn't mean they aren't fun to eat. :)

I nurse my 5 month old daughter, and my supply isn't always the best. When I make a batch of these cookies, I notice a decent increase in milk production. Oatmeal is a great thing for a nursing mother to consume, and brewer's yeast, an extremely healthy "wonder food", is the secret ingredient. I'm sure the extra calories from simply eating cookies help as well.



I took the oatmeal cookie recipe on the box of Quaker Oats, and changed it around a little.

Here is what I used:

1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup brewer's yeast
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

2/3 cup applesauce
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups oats
1 cup chocolate chips

Sift dry ingredients together in a bowl (flour, baking soda, salt, brewer's yeast). In a mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy, then add applesauce, eggs and vanilla and continue to mix.

Add flour mixture to sugar mixture and blend. Stir in the oats and chocolate chips.

Drop onto cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Eat a few a day to improve your milk supply. (Or share them with other non-lactating friends and family. No, it will not cause them to lactate). ;)

Zucchini Bread

We received our weekly delivery of fresh produce yesterday, and it included a handful of medium sized zucchini. There's nothing better than the smell of something cinnamon-y baking on a cold, rainy day, so I decided to make some (healthy) zucchini bread. (I am no longer on the dairy-free diet, but this bread happens to be dairy-free.) I used the following ingredients:

2 medium zucchinis finely chopped or shredded (I used a food processor)
2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 t baking powder
3/4 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup canola oil
1/2 t vanilla
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
2 T cinnamon
1 t pumpkin pie spice (or a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg)

Mix the wet ingredients (eggs, brown sugar, oil, vanilla) together (I used my Kitchen Aid mixer). In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, flaxseed, cinnamon, pp spice). Slowly blend the wet and dry ingredients together. Finally, mix in the zucchini, but do not over mix.

Pour into a greased loaf pan, and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. This makes a great healthy snack for kids and adults. :)

A Healthy, Hearty, Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie (Great for Kids!)

While looking for a cookie to make for playgroup a few months ago, I found the following recipe on www.wholesometoddlerfood.com:

Farmland Flax Cookies - A popular cookie that everyone loves.
Butter 1 1/3 cups
Granulated sugar 1 1/4 cups
Brown sugar 1 1/2 cups
Flax seed- 1 1/2 cups
Large eggs 3
Vanilla 1 1/2 tsp
All-purpose flour 3 1/2 cups (try a mix of whole wheat flour/all purpose)
Baking soda 1 tbsp
Oatmeal 3 cups

In a bowl, cream butter and sugars; add flax seed. In another bowl, beat eggs and vanilla together. Combine with flax mixture. Sift together the flour and soda. Mix in oatmeal and combine with other ingredients. Form dough into 4 cm (1 1/2 inch) round logs. Place in freezer and chill. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Slice into .5 cm (1/4 inch) medallions. Place on baking sheet leaving about 5 cm (2 inches) between cookies.
Bake 13 to 15 minutes. Remove from sheet and cool Yield: 108 cookies (5 cm/2 inches)

Changes I made:

I used all whole wheat flour, only 1.5 sticks of butter, added a cup of applesauce, and added about one cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips (not enough to really make them super chocolatey, but enough to give them a little chocolate kick).

I made a few "logs", ended up baking one for play group, saving one for later (in the freezer), and giving two of them to friends. These were great for the kids, and for the adults as well!

Comfort Food Alert!!! Gooey, Crispy, Chunky, Baked Mac 'n' Cheese :)

Ok, so I never thought I would use Velveeta in a recipe, let alone publish a blog entry admitting to it. But, I did, and I am, and it was so worth it!

I have been craving a good baked mac 'n' cheese for a while, and finally gave in and started researching recipe basics. I combined a few ideas, added my own twists, and voila!

My dad, husband, daughter, and I all really enjoyed this dish. Next time I serve it to Audrey, I will have to wait until after she's eaten her meat and veggies (which usually isn't a problem for her; she loves meat and veggies!) But once she had a taste of this, nothing else on her high chair tray existed. :)

Ingredients:

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (not because I was trying to be healthy, but because that's all I had, and what I mostly use; I realize the Velveeta and stick of butter negated the healthy aspect right away). :)
4 cups whole milk
16 oz Velveeta cheese, cubed
A few dashes of Tabasco Sauce
1 box of macaroni, cooked, and drained
1 cup chopped/cubed/shredded cheddar cheese (I used a brick of sharp cheddar, and my food processor to chop it up into coarse little pieces with the panko bread crumbs)
1 cup panko bread crumbs

Melt the butter in a large pot, then whisk in the flour. Slowly add the milk while whisking out the lumps. Let mixture sit on medium heat for about a minute, then add the Velveeta cubes a few at a time, mixing in between. Once you have a nice creamy, blended mixture, shake in a few dashes of Tabasco Sauce and stir.

Add the cooked macaroni to the pot, and stir until all noodles are coated with the cheese sauce. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish, and set aside.

In a food processor, add a few chopped up chunks of the cheddar (about one cup's worth), along with the panko crumbs, and chop/mix until you have a coarse mixture. Sprinkle half of it over the macaroni and cheese, and place in the oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove the mac 'n' cheese, sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese/crumb mixture, and bake for another 5-7 minutes.

Enjoy the soft, bubbly, slightly crunchy goodness of this delicious mac 'n' cheese! I liked it so much that I replaced my 4am pregnancy snack with a bowl of it the next day. I just won't make it a habit. ;-)

Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes

I spotted a recipe for Nigel Barker's banana pancakes in a recent issue of People Magazine, and decided to try it out. Here is the list of ingredients for 10-12 pancakes:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tbsp white sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 pinch nutmeg

2 pinches cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 ripe bananas, mashed

sliced strawberries and bananas (optional)

I made two small changes to the recipe...I added a lot more than two pinches of cinnamon, more like 3 teaspoons (I love cinnamon, and tend to always add extra), and I used canola oil in place of the veggie oil.

Directions:

Combine flour, white sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together egg, milk, veggie oil, vanilla and bananas.

Stir flour mixture into banana mixture (batter will be slightly lumpy).

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Cook until pancakes are golden brown on both sides. Top with fruit if desired. Serve hot.

**TIP**

Do not use more than 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. I used a little too much for the first few pancakes, and it was hard to tell if the pancakes were done, or if they just had banana oozing out of them. Go for the smaller pancakes and they will be easier to cook properly. :-)

As you can see, Audrey was very happy with the results. :-) I refrigerated the leftovers and have served them to her three mornings in a row.

***TIP*** To me, the strawberries and bananas were not really optional. The strawberries especially bring out the sweetness of the pancakes, and without them the pancakes are almost bland. In order to really make it a healthy breakfast, add the strawberries and skip the syrup!

Banana Bread With a (Spinach/Flax/Pecan) Twist!

It's hard to create a recipe that is really, truly healthy and extremely tasty at the same time. But I have to say, I may have done it with this one! :)

Audrey, my former fabulously non-picky one year-old, has now become Audrey, my typical toddler, when it comes to eating. One day she loves sweet potatoes, the next day she hates them. One day she can't get enough cheese, the next day she throws it at our dog.

So, I am constantly looking for ways to combine a lot of healthy ingredients into one yummy dish that she will devour. (Just last week I added a ton of spinach to my spaghetti pie, and she gobbled it up!)

It turns out, she is in love with this recipe (for now!), so I am satisfied that she is getting a balanced meal as she eats it. ***Like all recipes containing nuts, be sure to pick out any large chunks/pieces before feeding to a toddler.***

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 T cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 stick (or 1/4 cup) butter
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
2/3 cup plain organic low fat yogurt
2/3 cup frozen chopped spinach
4 T ground flaxseed
3 large bananas (or 4 small/medium ones)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I ran out of walnuts, and the pecans were a great sub!)

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, and set aside. In a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), blend the sugar and butter until fluffy, then add the eggs. Beat for a minute or so, then add the yogurt and vanilla and continue to blend on medium speed.



While blending on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Finally, sprinkle in the flax seed, then add the bananas and pecans, and lightly mix until just combined.

Pour into a greased (I use spray canola oil) bread pan, and bake at 350 for about 45-55 minutes. Check with a toothpick or knife after 45 minutes to see if it's done. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Lemon Blueberry Muffins

I found the following recipe for blueberry muffins on http://www.allrecipes.com/:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, diced
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
Combine 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl. In a small bowl, sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons flour over blueberries, and set aside. (This simple trick will keep you from having "purple" batter)
In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter with 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, and stir in vanilla and lemon zest. Fold in dry ingredients alternately with milk. Fold in blueberries. Remember, fold gently, don't stir. Spoon batter into prepared cups.
Combine 2 tablespoons flour, 5 tablespoons sugar ,and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter with fork or pastry blender until mixture resembles course crumbs. Sprinkle over batter in muffin cups.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack. These muffins freeze really well, and re-heat in the microwave successfully.


I made the following changes to the ingredients:

whole wheat flour instead of white
2 cups frozen blueberries (I still did the flour trick to keep them from turning the batter blue)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 t lemon zest
a squirt of fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup applesauce

All other ingredients were kept the same. I did use skim milk. Although the recipe doesn't specify what kind of milk to use, baking recipes usually call for whole milk.

The muffins turned out great and everyone at our Wednesday baby playgroup gave them a thumbs up! :)

Veggie Loaded Beef Stew

This was my first time experimenting with beef stew, and I have to say it turned out wonderfully! I made sure to add a LOT of veggies and used lean meat to make it extra healthy. I also added a side of homemade whole wheat biscuits, and the meal was a success. Dan gobbled up two bowls, and we'll be having leftovers tonight! :-)

Veggie Loaded Beef Stew


Ingredients:

1 package of Trader Joe's lean stew beef
2/3 cup flour
1 package of pre-chopped onions, carrots, and celery from Trader Joe's (quite inexpensive!)
1 bag of teenie tiny potatoes from TJ's (so cute!) :-)
2 cups of Wolfgang Puck Beef Stock
1 T Herbs de Provence
2 bay leaves
1 T onion powder
1 fresh head of garic, minced (I used a small food processor to make it quick and easy)
1 cup of frozen chopped spinach
1 cup of frozen peas
2 T corn starch (optional--use it if you want a thicker stew, skip it if you want a broth-like stew)
1 tspn salt
1 tspn pepper

I used my crockpot, but you could easily do this in large pot on the stove. You would just need to watch it closely and stir it occasionally over a two hour or so period of time.



Start by placing the stew meat into a large ziplock bag. Add the flour, salt, and pepper, and shake to coat. Place the coated meat into the crockpot. Next, add the potatoes (washed, but not peeled*) and the chopped carrots, celery, onion and fresh garlic. Pour the beef stock over everything and add the herbs de provence, onion powder, and bay leaves. Stir everything together, and turn the crockpot on high for 5-6 hours, or low for 8-10 hours.



About 45 minutes before it is done cooking, stir in the frozen peas and spinach. Place the lid back on the crockpot and finish cooking.


In order to make the stew thick, I mixed 2 T of corn starch with 2/3 cup of water, and poured it into the crockpot. I mixed it all together and let it sit for a few minutes. You can skip this step if you want.


Simple whole wheat biscuits from scratch:


Ingredients:

1 C whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 T butter, slightly melted
1/4 tsp salt
Slightly less than 1/2 cup of milk (3/8)
1/2 cup of flour for the table/cutting board


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking pan with short edges.



Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Using your hands (the fun part!), blend in the butter. Slowly pour the milk into the mixture, while blending with your hands. Place the ball of dough onto the work surface (where your other flour is), and roll it out into a small circle. Use a pizza cutter (or whatever works) to cut it into 5-6 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, flatten the ball so it is about 1/2 inch thick, and place each biscuit on a greased baking pan.

Bake for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

I served the biscuits with a little butter and strawberry preserves.




This recipe yields about 8 servings of beef stew and 6 biscuits. You can eat leftovers one night and freeze the remainder for a night you don't feel like cooking. Your freezer is your friend. Don't throw away leftovers! :)




*I don't peel potatoes ever, even when mashing them. The peels contain most of the nutrition.*

Cinnamon Banana Nut Muffins

Audrey loves muffins (hence the title of my blog), and I've made these for her quite a few times. If you are feeding them to a baby, be careful with the walnuts, and make sure they are finely chopped (or just feed the baby parts of the muffin without walnuts).



1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cinnamon applesauce (I used organic TJ's applesauce)
1/2 cup plain lowfat organic yogurt
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
1 tspn ground cinnamon
1 tspn vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts
3-4 bananas (I used 3.5 this time because I only had 4, and Audrey wanted to eat some) :-)


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan or muffin tin (I used a muffin tin this time) with 100% canola oil spray.

Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a small bowl. In a mixing bowl (or stand mixer), combine the butter and sugar. Blend until light and fluffy, about one minute. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat to incorporate. Then, mix in the applesauce, flaxseed meal, and yogurt and blend until pretty smooth. Pour the flour mixture slowly into the mixing bowl while the mixer is still running, or add it a little at a time and mix by hand while you make the additions.

Lastly, add the walnuts and bananas, mix well, and use an ice cream scoop to fill the muffin tin. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes (45-60 if you use a loaf pan). Start checking the muffins around 30 minutes with the toothpick test. If you want a little extra treat, add a pinch of brown sugar to the top of each muffin after the first 30 minutes of baking. It will come out with a crispy, melted sugary topping. YUM!

Set the entire pan on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes, then carefully remove the muffins and enjoy. :)



This recipe yields about 12 muffins.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

My friend, Robin, brought her pumpkin chocolate chip muffins to playgroup one day and they were amazing! I had to have the recipe.


I knew that I would want to make them often this fall and winter, so I decided to make modifications in order to create a healthier recipe. They are still completely delicious (and of course still contain chocolate chips). Here is the original list of ingredients:


1 3/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 TBSP pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tspn salt
1 tspn baking soda
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
2 eggs
8 oz pumpkin
6 oz chocolate chips



Here is my modified list of ingredients:

1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 TBSP pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tspn salt
1 tspn baking soda
1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup)
2 eggs (I use organic)
3/4 cup plain low fat yogurt (I use organic)
8 oz pumpkin
4 oz chocolate chips



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin tin (I use 100% canola oil spray), and pour the batter directly into the tin (no need to use muffin cups). Mix the first five ingredients in a large bowl, then add remaining ingredients and mix. (Easy, right??)

Bake for 20 minutes.

Watch carefully at the end, and do not overbake. I start checking them by doing the toothpick test around 20 minutes, and sometimes they need about 22 minutes. When the toothpick no longer comes out with batter, place the muffin tin directly onto a cooling rack for about 30 minutes. Then, using a spoon, gently work the muffins out of the tin.


This recipe yields 12 muffins.

Enjoy with a glass of skim milk or a mug of green tea. :-)