Morning Glory Muffins

adapted from Allrecipes

Now that I'm pregnant again, I've found that if I don't eat right when I start to feel hungry that I start to feel very sick. It's horrible. And not always convenient, because you can't always choose when you are able to eat. So I've had to be prepared, and make some small nutritious things to pack with me wherever I go just in case hunger strikes.

Bring on the healthy muffins!

I noticed these muffins because the recipe was interesting and had lots of fruit and veggies in them. To be honest, when I saw the range of ingredients I was a bit skeptical on how it would taste, but I was pleasantly surprised. They are sweet and soft, with a nice island flavor of coconut and pineapple.

Makes about 24 muffins

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups grated carrots
1 medium tart apple, peeled and grated
1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained (225 g)
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
In another bowl, combine eggs, applesauce, oil and vanilla and mix well. Then add carrots, apple, pineapple, coconut, rasins and nuts. Then fold in dry ingredients.

Fill greased or paper line muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake at 350 F (176 C) for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Don't undercook! Cool for about 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Carrot and Molasses Muffins

from Mom

This is a very wholesome muffin. I grew up eating them, so I am used to the flavor, but Ben said they have a decidedly "healthy" taste... I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not, but if you put a little butter and honey on them I think they are fabulous.

1 slightly beaten egg

1 cup bran cereal

2 medium carrots, grated

1/2 cup yogurt

1/2 cup tomato juice

1/2 up molasses

1/4 cup oil

1 1/2 cups flour (I used whole wheat)

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup rasins (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 (204 C). Combine the egg, bran, carrots, yogurt, tomato juice, molasses and oil and let sit for 10 minutes until the bran cereal is soft. Mix well. Then add the flour and baking soda and spoon into a prepared muffin tin. Bake at 400 for 18 minutes.

Olive Garden Style Breadsticks

adapted from Allrecipes

These are as close as you can get to the breadsticks at Olive Garden. They are soft and tasty and were great with soup and salad.

.25 oz yeast (about 7 grams)

1/2 cup sugar, divided

2 cups warm water, divided

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 egg

1 tsp salt

3 tsp garlic powder

1/2 Tbsp dried oregano, crushed into a powder

4 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup melted butter (113 grams)

2 Tbsp parmesan (optional)

salt

Preheat oven to 400 (200 C)

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 Tsp sugar in 1 cup of warm water. Leave until foamy. Then add oil, egg, salt, spices and remaining sugar and water.

Mix in 3 cups flour and then slowly add the remaining flour a little at a time until you come up with a soft dough. Knead for 6-8 minutes, then put in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise for about 45 minutes (or until doubled).

After the dough has doubled in size, punch it down, and divide into 36 pieces. Roll each piece into a small snake (about the size of a cigar) and place on a baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Let rise for about 30 minutes (or until doubled) Brush with butter and sprinkle with parmesan (optional) and salt and bake for 10-12 minutes when the breadsticks are a golden brown.

Cranberry White Chocolate Muffins

adapted from Playing House

1/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup applesauce

1 1/2 cup yogurt

2 eggs

3 cups + 1 Tbsp flour (I used 1/2 white, 1/2 whole wheat)

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup cranberries (I used lingon berries)

Preheat oven to 375 (190 C) and prepare a muffing tin. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar, then add applesauce, yogurt and eggs. In another bowl, whisk together dry ingredients and then add them to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. In a little bowl, place the berries and 1 Tbsp of flour, coat the berries with the flour so they don't sink to the bottom of your muffins. Then gently fold in chocolate chips and berries.

Fill the prepared muffin cups 3/4 of the way full and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when you poke it in the center.

Let cool for 5 minutes in the tin and then remove and allow to cool on the counter.

Mom's Sweet Corn Bread

from my Mom

This is seriously the best corn bread you will ever have. It is sweeter than typical corn breads, and it is delicious served warm with butter and honey.

Thanks Mom, for passing on this one on. It is one of my favorites.

3/4 cup butter (168 grams)

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 cup corn meal

1 Tbsp baking powder

4 eggs

2 cups flour

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 (176 C) and lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add corn meal and baking powder and mix well. Separate the yolk from the eggs and add the yolks to the corn mixture. (Set aside the egg whites). Add in the flour, vanilla, milk and salt, mix until batter is smooth.

Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into the batter gently until just combined. Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for 25 minutes or when a toothpick comes out clean when you stick it in the middle.

Light Banana Nut Muffins

I haven't been in the mood to eat bananas lately and as a result I keep getting lovely black ones by the end of the week. I've been looking for some ways to use them, but it seems that so many banana bread recipes use a ton of sugar and white flour, which diminishes the healthy quality that I'm looking for. Anyway, these were easy and tasted quite good, especially with the nuts on top.

3 egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

3-4 ripe bananas

1/2 cup applesauce (unsweetened if possible)

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup quick oats

1/2 cup white flour

1 Tbsp flaxseed

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or almonds

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a muffin tin or line with paper cups. In a medium bowl, mash together applesauce, vanilla and bananas, then fold in egg whites. In a large mixing bowl, combine flours, oats, salt, sugar, flaxseed, baking soda, spices, and about 1/4 cup of nuts. Pour batter into prepared muffin tin and sprinkle remaining nuts on top of muffins. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Sundried Tomato and Cottage Cheese Muffins

adapted from In Fine Fettle

I wanted something quick and tasty to serve alongside a salad I was making and stumbled upon this recipe. It is vegetarian, made without butter and full of flavor, coming out with a sort of a quiche-like texture.

1 cup plain cottage cheese

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup white flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes

1/4 cup basil, chopped (I used 1 Tbsp dried basil)

1 tsp dried dill

1/4 cup finely minced onion

1/4 cup water

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine the cottage cheese, all but 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, flours, baking powder, sun-dried tomatoes, spices, water, eggs, and salt.

Fill each greased muffin cup 3/4 full with batter, sprinkle on the remaining Parmesan cheese and bake for 30-35 minutes (or until set, risen and golden brown). Serve warm or at room temperature

Soft Pretzels

From Smitten Kitchen

Oooh, I love a good soft pretzel. This recipe is so good and addicting. Ben is not a big pretzel fan, so I am cursed to forever having to make up excuses to make them. Be sure to prepare some mustard or dipping sauce because these are going to blow your mind.

This recipe (like a lot of breads) was a little time intensive, but try not to rush it. My first attempts did not turn out so well...

but I kept at it and by the time I rolled my last it was downright cute.

2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp + 2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp active dry yeast
5-6 cups flour
1 Tbsp salt
2 tsp canola or other neutral oil
1/4 cup baking soda
1 large egg
coarse salt

1. Pour warm water into a bowl, combine with 1 Tbsp sugar. Stir gently, add yeast and let sit for 10 minutes (until foamy)

2. Combine 1 cup of flour and yeast in a large bowl, and mix until combined. Add salt and 4 cups flour, and knead together for a few minutes. If the dough is still wet and sticky, add 1/2 cup more flour. Knead until smooth.

3. Pour oil in a large bowl; swirl to coat sides. Transfer dough to bowl, turning dough completely cover all sides. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for 1 hour (or until doubled).

4. Preheat oven to 450. Lightly spray two baking sheets and set aside. Take dough and punch it down to remove bubbles, then transferred to a lightly floured surface. Knead once or twice and cut to divide into 16 pieces.

5. Roll one piece of dough at a time into an 18 inch strip. Twist into a pretzel shape and place on a floured surface (maybe use corn meal? I had trouble removing the rolled dough without messing up the shape). Cover with a towel and let rise for 15 minutes.

6. After all the pretzels are rolled, fill a large, shallow pot with a couple inches of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and add baking soda (step back, it foams quickly!) and remaining 2 Tbsp sugar. Transfer 2-3 pretzels into the water and poach for 1 minute each side. Use a slotted spoon to take pretzels out, drip dry for a few seconds and then place them on the prepared baking sheet. Continue until all pretzels have been poached.

7. Beat egg with 1 Tbsp water, and brush pretzels with the glaze. Sprinkle with salt. Bake until a golden brown (12-15 minutes) and let cook on a wire rack.

Pretzels are best the same day but will keep at room temperature, uncovered for two days. Do not store in covered container or they will become soggy.

Raspberry Chocolate Muffins

I'm not sure where I got this recipe, but I rediscovered it a few weeks ago and had to try it out. A nice combination of berry tart and chocolate, they didn't last long enough to see the next morning. Always a good sign.


3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup raspberries
1/4 cup chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 400. Mix together oil and sugar. Add in eggs and beat well, then add milk. Sift together dry ingredients, and add it slowly to the wet mixture until just combined. Gently fold in berries and chocolate, reserving some to sprinkle on the top. Pour a spoonful into prepared into muffin tin and sprinkle chocolate and a few berries on top. Bake for 12-15 minutes and let cool before serving.

Fancy Dill Biscuits

from Bread and Honey

I forgot to buy rolls at the store, and really wanted something quick and savory for dinner that night. These biscuits took less than 10 minutes to prepare and turned out wonderfully. They would be especially good with a hot bowl of soup.


2 cups flour (I used half whole wheat, half white)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup sour milk (milk + 1 tsp vinegar)
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1 Tbsp dried dill
1/4 tsp pepper
A large handful of cheese. Asiago would be good. I've used Swiss and Parmesan.

Preheat the oven to 450. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, toss in the onions, and cheese and mix until evenly distributed. Add the oil and sour milk and mix gently until just combined. Spoon into lightly oiled muffin tins and bake for 12-18 minutes. Makes about 10-12 medium muffins.

The Ultimate Healthy Muffin.

originally from allrecipes

This is my go-to recipe for healthier muffins. I love it because it is so flexible and pretty healthy (about 100-130 calories each). Also it's made ingredients so I always have on hand, so they are easy to whip up and seriously good.

1 1/2 cups wheat bran or bran flakes cereal

1 cup milk

1/2 cup applesauce or 1/2 cup yogurt or 1 mashed banana

1 egg

2/3 cup brown sugar or 1/2 cup honey

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup white flour or 1/2 cup ground oats

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup berries, or 1 grated apple/pear, or raisins/cranberries... whatever you have on hand.

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a muffin tin (paper cups may stick to the whole wheat...) and set aside. Mix wheat bran and milk and let stand for 10 minutes. In a mixing bowl, combine applesauce, egg, brown sugar, vanilla. Then add in bran/milk mix. Sift together flours, spices and baking soda/baking powder and slowly stir dry ingredients into wet mixture. Then gently fold in berries. Fill muffin tin 2/3 full and bake 15-20 minutes. They are done when you can gently tap the tops and they spring back.

Bran Muffins err... Bran Bread

adapted from Cookie Baker Lynn

I grew up with my mom's amazing Bran muffins, but her recipe requires a food processor (something I don't have at the moment) so I rooted around for a recipe that would be easier to prepare, healthy, and still pack a flavorful punch.  I found this recipe, baked it as a loaf (I don't have muffin tins either...) and it turned out lovely.  

2 cups bran cereal

1 1/4 cups milk

1 1/4 cups flour (whole or white)

1/2 cup honey (or sugar)

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cloves

1 egg

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 large banana, mashed

Feel free to add raisins, nuts or other berries if desired.  As you can tell, you can make this recipe as healthy as you want depending on the ingredients that you choose.  

Preheat oven to 400 (350 if you are baking a loaf).  In a larch mixing bowl, combine bran cereal and milk.  Let stand for a few minutes to soften the cereal.  Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices in a small bowl and set aside.  Turn back to the cereal mixture and mix in the egg and oil, beating well.  Mash the banana and add it to the wet mixture.  Stir in flour mixture and pour the batter into a prepared muffin tin or bread loaf.  

Bake for 20 minutes at 400 or until golden brown (for muffins)

Bake for 50 minutes at 350 or until golden brown (for bread)

Best served warm, with butter.  Enjoy!