Morning Carrot Muffins

I dream of starting most of my days with a nice warm homemade muffin and a coffee. Is this attainable for me? Absolutely! Is it the best thing for my body everyday? Not in my books. However...it does make for a wonderful afternoon snack while our boys are napping:)

I love muffins...our boys really love muffins, or 'mops' as Levi calls them. I have a few standby recipes that always give great results...but for the most part I love to try something new every time. This week I've been craving a nice moist and healthy carrot muffin...I have no idea why...just am. I was watching the Food Network while running at the gym on Monday...that's almost an oxymoron!...and Giada was making a version of these. I would have totally made her muffins if I would have been able to write down the recipe...or find them online...but neither option worked! She did such a great job, they looked amazing. So here's my version of them. I know she used shredded zucchini instead of the banana...but I went with what I had on hand:) They turned out amazing...very pleased. Hope you enjoy them as much as we did! In fact...these are so healthy you could definitely start your day with them!

Morning Carrot Muffins

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cups flour(I used 3/4 cup brown rice flour & 1/2 cup almond flour)
1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup oats
1/2 cup raisins (optional...but add sweetness)
3 Tbsp olive or coconut oil
1 egg
1/3 cup almond milk
4 medium shredded carrots
1 medium ripe mashed banana

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Stir in oats, syrup and raisins. Add oil, egg, milk, carrots, and banana and stir until blended.

Fill muffin tin with batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes.


Boys are napping...I'm making tea and heading to our sunny dining room to finish up my Beth Moore study for the week...talk soon!

Chili!!

CHECK IT OUT!!!

Look who's chili was used at Quality Greens this week for their feature recipe??!!! A great recipe to have on hand for these chilly snowy days...no pun intended!...or for Superbowl Sunday perhaps? I'm cooking a variation of this to share with friends after Code Orange Revival tomorrow afternoon!! Can hardly wait!! My favourite thing to do lately is add chopped fresh pineapple at the same time you add the Corona...soooo yummy!! For you meat lovers you can also add some grass-fed beef or ground turkey to the beginning stages of this recipe...always turns out great and is a crowd pleaser!!

Cinnamon Chia & Almond Crunch Cereal

I started 2012 thinking I should post some healthy recipes that will make people feel great and give them a nutritious jump-start to their year...something that will help them stick to their "resolutions". After about two minutes of brainstorming I realized...THAT IS MY WHOLE BLOG!! What a great feeling to know that all my readers could make any of these recipes and know they are fueling their bodies in a good way!!

It's fun to look over my blog stats and see what some of the biggest hits have been! Wiebe Style Cereal definitely was a top fan favourite! In celebration of that...I thought I'd try out another option! Mixed this altogether while making dinner one night last week...it smelt AMAZING while toasting in the oven...and it got thumbs up all around the breakfast table the next morning! Quite similar to my other cereal...yet different. A little more of a granola texture to it...but so good! Like always, feel free to be quite flexible with substituting in your favourite grains, seeds or nuts...make it your own:)

We might even like this one a little better than Wiebe Style Cereal...just sayin':)


CINNAMON CHIA & ALMOND CRUNCH CEREAL

INGREDIENTS
4 cups oats
1 cup raw sliced, chopped or slivered almonds
1 cup quinoa flakes
1/2 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup coconut sugar...or sugar of choice
pinch of salt
1 TBSP cinnamon

1/3 cup applesauce
1/4 cup maple syrup, or honey
1/3 cup nut butter (I used almond)
1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients together.

In a small pot on low heat, melt all the wet ingredients together. Pour over dry mixture. Stir until all combined...might take a minute or two.

Spread out on parchment lined baking sheet...might take two depending on size. Lightly toast for about 25-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so.

Store in air tight container for about 2 weeks...if it lasts that long:)

Enjoy over yogurt or with your favourite milk...that's Unsweetened Almond Milk in this house:)