Blueberry Muffins

It's Monday.

sigh.

How did you arrive so quickly? I just closed down my computer for the weekend and got my work bag unpacked...and yet it's time to turn back on already?

We had such a nice weekend and yet it flew by so quickly. I can't believe that it's Monday yet again. By the time Sunday evening crept up on us, I realized that I didn't really do many of the things I had planned...like laundry and tidying and cleaning the bathroom. No one will really be affected by not having done these things...however, I hate starting off the week with a cluttered kitchen table, overflowing laundry bins and an unpacked overnight bag from the weekend. 

Luckily, I did find time to squeeze in some muffin-making.

{It's all about priorities, right?}

Today is my Secret Recipe Club reveal for Group C and I had Canela kitchen. With so many A-mazing recipes to choose from, I had a really tough time narrowing it down. Though I really {really} wanted to make her blueberry cobbler, I ended up going with a treat that I could make even healthier, and give it to Penelope to enjoy as well. And so I landed on the Healthy Blueberry Muffins. Made with whole wheat flour, these muffins are packed with blueberries, giving them a beautiful bluish hue. They puffed up so big and pretty, and my favorite part is that I could leave 6 out for the week and freeze the rest for a later date (or whenever we need a treat!). I made one adjustment, which was to make these oil-free and sub in applesauce in its stead. 

Oil free = woo to the hoo (!) for this WW gal. These clock in around 4Points+ per muffin.

Thanks to Gloria for this great recipe!

Blueberry Muffins

*Adapted from Canela kitchen

1 C all purpose flour

1 1/2 C whole wheat flour

3/4 C sugar

2 eggs

1/2 C water

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

1/3 C applesauce

1 C blueberries (I used frozen)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl, mix together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, water and applesauce. Make a well in the flour and pour in the wet ingredients. With a wooden spoon, stir until just combined. Fold in the blueberries. Pour into a 12 cup muffin tin, lined with paper or foil liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool and eat.

I hope this helps your case of the Mondays this morning!

What treat(s) are you looking forward to this week?

An InLinkz Link-up

Happy Valentine's Day! + Whole Wheat Pumpkin Applesauce Muffins

Happy Valentine's Day!

We have yet another snow day today so I'm working at home with my tiny Valentine. Like I mentioned last week, I'm so not one to complain about the weather...but even I'm starting to get a little frustrated. Here's to a long weekend ahead and starting fresh next week!

Meanwhile, my little champ of an eater has suddenly become quite picky in her eating choices. Not to mention that once I think I've found something she likes, she almost immediately decides that she hates it. Is this just how toddlers keep Mom on the edge of her sanity her toes? If so, well played, Penelope...well played.

I've been experimenting a lot lately with different foods, and trying to keep everything on the healthy side of the spectrum for the whole family. I decided to try some pumpkin applesauce muffins to not only use up some things I had on hand, but to have a go-to, guilt-free treat readily available.

Oh and I used my super duper adorable silicon heart-shaped muffin liners. I love these for their cuteness as well as functionality...no muffin tin required. I simply lined them up on a baking sheet and it worked like a charm. They also go right in the dishwasher once you've gobbled up its contents.

I didn't take the time to do pretty photographs of these muffins. They were easy to mix by hand, had virtually no clean up and so I just wanted to leave it at that. Instead, I went with rustic iPhone pics. I used this recipe with some tweaks (like completely eliminated the oil and lowering the sugar). Penelope seemed to like them...for now!

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Applesauce Muffins

*Adapted from allrecipes.com

2 C whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

2/3 C brown sugar, packed

3/4 C applesauce, unsweetened

1/2 C pumpkin puree

1/3 C buttermilk (I made my own by mixing 1/3 C milk + 1 tsp white vinegar)

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/3 C raisins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and prep your muffin tin.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, applesauce, pumpkin, buttermilk and eggs. 

Make a well in the dry ingredients, and pour in the wet. Mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until just combined.

Fold in the raisins.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

This recipe yields about 13 nice size muffins (I guess I slightly underfilled the cups so I ended up with 13, instead of 12!) and I calculated about 3 WW Points+ per muffin. Not too shabby!

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Banana Bread Muffins

Goooooood morning!

Sorry I'm coming at you a little late today...I spent last night at my parents' house to watch the Oscars with my mom and took the bus into the city way early this morning. Did you watch the Oscars? I had only seen like 1 movie (The Help!) so I wasn't totally into it, but I always love Billy Crystal...I mean, When Harry Met Sally is legit one of my all-time favorite movies! I always love the red carpet though, no matter what the event! Who was your favorite look?

I hate to admit it because I'm so not a fan...but Angelina Jolie looked pretty fabulous. I think she's my pick for best dressed.

Worst dressed? This one was a tie for me.

I love you Melissa McCarthy, but no. Just... no.

And J.Lo? You are too gorgeous for this monstrosity.

Anyhow...I'm certainly no fashionista, so let's get back to what I'm good at...

When we arrived home late on Sunday evening last week from Penn State, I realized that we had like 10 bananas hanging around that needed to be used up, not to mention a giant container of strawberries.

So Monday I spent the day making muffins!

I tested out some strawberry yogurt muffins...but I think they need a bit of work and so they will have to wait for a while...

 they look a whole lot better than they taste

But!

I had an idea to make banana bread. And then I had an idea to make the bread into muffins. I love muffins because they are already prepackaged and ready to eat.

Though I love a nice slice of bread, I really can't be trusted with a loaf of quick bread. That's just the truth. Oh and I love how muffins cook in about a quarter of the time as quick breads do.

 

These are lightened up a bit but still totally delicious. I could eat like 10 of them. Which is why they now reside in my freezer...so that I don't eat 10 in a sitting.

Banana Bread Muffins

Makes 20 muffins; 4 WW Points+

1 3/4 C all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

6 very ripe bananas

6 Tbsp margarine, melted (I use Land o' Lakes baking sticks)

2 eggs

3/4 C brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a separate bowl, mash up the bananas with a fork. In a mixer or with a hand mixer, combine the melted margarine and brown sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix in the bananas until completely combined.

Add the flour and mix just until combined.

Pour batter into 2 muffin tins lined with baking cups. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

 

Voila!

So there you have it. Some fashion and some food on this Monday morning :) I hope you have a fantastic week!

Questions of the Day:

Did you watch the Oscars? Who were your best and worst dressed?

What do you do with fruit on its last legs?

psst...today I'm blogging about my shoe detox over on The Peach & The Pit...how many pairs of shoes do you own? How do you wrangle 'em?