Healthy Granola

Last weekend after finally getting some snow around here I went snowshoeing a couple days in a row. The first day there was only one trail to follow, the next there were so many loops that we thought we'd either got lost or did the same circle a few times over. I brought some healthy granola mix I had made over the holidays, which I also gave as gifts to friends and family. The granola is really good on its own, in yogurt and recently I saw a cook on the Food Network add M&Ms to it and then sprinkle it over ice cream - yum!

1/2 cup wheat flour

5 cups rolled quick cooking oats

1 cup wheat germ

1 cup bran flakes

1 cup almonds chopped

1 cup walnuts chopped

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup oil

1 cup honey

1 T cinammon

1/2 cup each of raisins and cranraisins (cherry flavored)

add anything you love in granola

Combine all the ingredients and bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 30-40 minutes, tossing around every 10 minutes. Watch for it to turn golden brown. The longer it cooks the harder the granola will be and it hardens more as it cools....let cool completely and then store in containers in the fridge or freezer.

Whole Wheat Banana Blueberry Bran Muffins

Yes another muffin recipe. I have been cottaging and camping alot these past few weeks and have found muffins to be a great breakfast or snack while on the hiking trail or sitting on the dock with a coffee. The addition of blueberries makes for a fresh change on traditional banana muffins.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Banana Bran Muffins

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup Bran Cereal
1/4 cup buttermilk (add more if needed)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3)
2 eggs
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9 X 5-inch loaf pan with Cooking Spray or a muffin pan.

In large bowl, stir together flour, cereal, sugar and baking soda.

In another bowl whisk together banana, eggs and oil. Using wooden spoon, stir banana mixture into flour mixture. Do not over mix. Stir in blueberries. Spoon into prepared loaf pan or muffin pan.

Bake in centre of oven for 50 to 55 minutes for a loaf and 20 min for muffins or until tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes.

Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Swiss Chard and Ricotta Cheese Quiche

My sister recently gave birth to her second little boy named Kai. He was three weeks early and 7lbs 1 oz. Because she was early she did not have all the time she thought she would to prepare some meals in advance. In addition she receives weekly delivery of fresh seasonal organic fruits and vegetables from a local farmers market. She had not had a chance to cancel the order and received two weeks worth of gorgeous vegetables. I was the lucky recipient of those veggies considering she had not time and considering the c-section the ability to cook.

I thought I would use some of her vegetables to make a few meals for the family. With the broccoli I made two large batches of soup. With the swiss chard, fresh parsley, onion and chives I made this delicious quiche. The family enjoys a lot of vegetarian meals so I thought this would make a perfect dinner one evening for them.

Swiss Chard & Ricotta Cheese Quiche

1 unbaked pie shell (9")

1 small onion, minced

1/8 tsp cracked black pepper

3/4 cup 1% milk

4 large eggs

20 oz of swiss chard chopped (or use spinach, kale)

1 tsp oil

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 lb ricotta cheese, light

less than 1/3 cup parmesan cheese (optional)

chopped up parsley and chives (optional because I had them)

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Microwave the swiss chard for about 3o seconds. Then chop it up into the size desired for the quiche.

Add oil to pan and sautee onion and chard with nutmeg, pepper. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl combine the cheeses. Add the cooled sauteed mixture. Add the milk and eggs. Mix well.

Pour into the pie pastry and place on a cookie sheet to catch any over spill. Bake for 15 min.

Then reduce the oven to 325F and bake for an additional 50 mins until it is set.

Cranberry Blueberry Flax Seed Muffins

I just love the tartness of cranberries and blueberries and the way their juices burst in your mouth when they are hot. Not only do they pack a punch with tartness, but they are also packed with antioxidants which neutralize free radicals and help prevent disease. Make sure you get these into your diet as they have great health benefits. Whether you throw them into your cereal, yogurt, eat them with cottage cheese (yes it is good!) or throw them into a fibre packed muffin you will reap the health benefits.

These muffins also contain flaxseed, which are best digested when they are ground up. These little seeds contain alpha-linolenic acid which is an essential fatty acid (belongs to the omega-3 fatty acid group) and is beneficial to heart disease and certain cancers. I love to ground them up and sprinkle them over cottage cheese, yogurt or cereal.

So don't grab that chocolate muffin for breakfast - that is more like eating cake that offers zero nutritional benefits, hundreds of calories and is full of cancer causing sugars....instead make a batch of these healthy muffins.

Cranberry-Blueberry Flaxseed Muffins

2 eggs
1 cup flaxseed, ground
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup natural bran
1 T baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cup buttermilk (or 1% milk)
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cup berries (frozen or fresh, cranberries and blueberries)

Mix together flaxseed, flours, bran, baking soda and powder, salt and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl mix eggs, milk, sugar and oil and then pour over the dry ingredients and gently fold mixture together. Add in berries, gently folding into mixture.

Spoon into muffin tins and sprinkle some whole flaxseeds on top.

Bake at 375F for 20 minutes.

Rhubarb Loaf

What to do with all that rhubarb?

This is the first season I have a garden other than potted herbs. It is a great feeling to go outside pick fruits or vegetables growing in your own garden and use them to cook or bake. As my back yard has a lot of shade, I am limited in what I can grow. And anything that can grow is still subjected to the gluttonous squirrels, as well as the gophers and rabbits lurking nearby.

So far I have rhubarb, spinach, chives, oregano, rosemary, and basil that have survived. The squirrels have eaten one spinach plant and my coriander seeds again and again. My rhubarb plant is rather small considering it is in the shade, but it still made a wonderful tart tasting rhubarb loaf. I adapted the recipe found in the the Canadian Living magazine, it made one large loaf and about 9 mini muffins.

2-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

1-1/4 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups chopped rhubarb
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

In large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In separate bowl, blend sugar with oil; whisk in egg, buttermilk and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients along with rhubarb and walnuts just until flour is incorporated.

Spoon into greased or paper-lined muffin tins, filling three-quarters full, or spoon into two greased loaf pan.

Bake in 350°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes for muffins, 15 min for mini muffins, 45 to 55 minutes for large loaf, or until cake tester inserted into centre comes out clean.

Let cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to let cool completely.

Lemon Cranberry Scones

If you are look for a quick morning or afternoon snack to whip up, scones do not take long at all. These took 15 minutes to put the batter together and 12 minutes to bake. You can even make the dough a day ahead of time, store it in the fridge and take them out to bake them fresh. These scones use whole wheat flour, very little sugar and are loaded with tart antioxidant filled cranberries. Noting scones can be dry I tried to make them a bit more moist using buttermilk and frozen cranberries. So put the donuts down and enjoy a healthy scone with your coffee or tea.

Lemon Cranberry Scones

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 t wheat bran
2 T sugar
2 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 T unsalted butter, cut up into pieces
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 lemon zested
1 cup cranberries (frozen, fresh or dried)

Preheat oven to 425F.

In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients. Add in butter pieces and using a pastry cutter blend butter into flour. Add in zest and cranberries.

In a small bowl whisk together buttermilk and eggs.

Pour buttermilk and egg mixture into dry ingredients and gently mix until moist. Let sit for about 5 minutes.

Then on a floured surface divide the mixture in 2 and mold into 1" thick circles. Cut the circles into 6 wedges.

Place on a non stick (spray with non stick spray) and bake for 11-12 minutes, until golden brown.

Glaze: combine 1/2 cup icing sugar and 2 T lemon juice for a glaze and brush ontop of scones while still warm.

Scones freeze well.

Yields: 12 scones

Kiss me Muffin, It's Valentine's Day!

God forbid I ever call my husband muffin or vice versa. We have our fair share of nicknames and cheesiness – but names like muffin or pumpkin are really not us, unless we are in a mocking type of mood. In addition to no cheesy nicknames my husband and I are not much for desserts (I can hear the gasps and see the eyes rolling). That is not to say we do not have our indulgences, it just does not take the form of a slice of cake or wedge of pie. Rather we both enjoy savoury dishes with a well paired wine or beer. Of course as a women there are times when chocolate is my best friend, and I'd kill to get it. But generally speaking it is not something I eat. Consequently when it comes to Valentine’s Day chocolate or desserts are typically things we do not indulge in.

Instead of a dessert I decided to make something we could have as an afternoon snack that we could take with us while we checked out Ottawa’s Winterlude festivities. I decided on some simple banana-bran muffins (nothing says V-Day like bran :) ) to go with a thermos of coffee & Kahlua. What makes these banana muffins special is that they are sealed with a chocolate kiss. Yes Yes I know after that rant on no chocolate, I use chocolate to cook.

Banana Bran Muffins with a Kiss

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 bananas, mashed
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat bran
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a muffin pan or line with paper muffin liners.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar together until fluffy. Add bananas, milk, vanilla and eggs; mix well. Stir in flour, bran, baking powder, soda and salt; blend just until moistened. Stir in walnuts. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool in the cups for 5 minutes, and then remove muffins and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

If using mini muffin pans, bake for 12 minutes or again until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.

It made 9 large muffins and 7-8 mini muffins (I filled them almost fill, usually best to fill 3/4 of the way). Could also cover the kiss entirely with more batter so it is a surprise kiss.

Happy St. Valentine's Day!

Cranberry Buttermilk Loaf

Today is my day off and I have a list of things to do, but do not feel like doing any of them. Perhaps the weather is getting the best of me. I would rather sit at home curled up and read a book and if you know me that is not my norm, as staying still for too long drives me crazy. I will try and put some energy into cooking this afternoon as I need to make some dishes for a BBQ and for Superbowl, as well as have some African inspired dishes I'd like to try making soon. I started this mo rning by making a cranberry buttermilk loaf, which is a nice change from banana loaf. The buttermilk keeps it moist and light, and the cranberries provide a nice tart flavor. You could add almonds if desired to give it a crunch texture or even add ground up flaxseed. It is delicious with my morning coffee.

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cardamom
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 T melted butter
1 egg
1 cup fresh/frozen cranberries whole

Mix together flour, baking soda, powder, salt and spices. In a seperate bowl whisk together the sugars, buttermilk, butter, vanilla and egg. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet and add cranberries after that.

Spoon (too thick to pour) into greased loaf pan and bake in a preheated oven at 375 for 50-60 minutes.

Caught red handed!

Delicious Loafs

Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf
Banana Nut Loaf

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

It is another beautiful fall day and I have enjoyed puttering around the neighborhood. On my walk I finally managed to get the ingredients necessary to make these fall inspired muffins. This is a rather large recipe, making 24 large muffins. I found it off Recipe Zaar, which proclaims that the recipe is like the starbucks muffins. I have never eaten a starbucks one, but from what I hear they are yummy. But why buy Starbucks when you can make your own.

After mixing all the ingredients and just about to fill the muffin tins, I stopped because I felt like I was forgetting something. Then I realized I had not added the pumpkin. Ha! Yes that would have been nice, pumpkin muffins without the pumpkin. I did not have pumpkin pie spice, so I altered the spices slightly. They turned out really pretty and delicious. If you heat them up (or eat them out of the oven) the cheese gets nice and warm and melts in your mouth, careful not to burn your tongue. If you do not wish to use canned pumpkin, which is obviously the easier choice, you can use a real pumpkin and cook it either on the stove or in the oven. I have not tried that yet for muffins, but have for soups and it offers a nice flavor.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

(Printable Recipe)

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 pinch cardamom
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
8 ounces cream cheese
chopped pumpkin seeds(optional) pecans (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

Put the entire brick of cream cheese on a piece of wax paper or parchment paper and shape it into a long log.

Put it in the freezer while you mix and fill the pans, up to an hour.

Unwrap and cut with a sharp knife so each cream cheese disk equals 1-2 teaspoons. If the cream cheese disks are too big around, cut thick slices and then cut them in half. This lets you push it down into the batter easier.

Mix all ingredients together (except cream cheese and nuts).

Fill muffin tins (greased or paper cups) 3/4 way full.

Put cream cheese disc in the middle, pressing down.

Sprinkle with 1 tsp pumpkin seeds or place a pecan on top.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the muffin part.

Let cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to racks to cool completely. Do not touch the cream cheese until it cools.

Lemon Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

It has been over a month since I have been able to blog. I have been busy with the move into the new house, had no computer and also have been tending to injuries. I see I missed a ton of great blogs and new recipes while away and can't wait to catch up with your posts. Also in my absence I was surprised and very pleased to see some awards sent my way. Thank you so much to More Than Burnt Toast for awarding me with the Brilliant WebBlog award; La Cuisine d'Helene for awarding me with Kreativ Blogger award and Kimi from My Plate my World for awarding me with El Premio Arte y Pico. These awards are so appreciative, once I get my act together I will certainly be passing these on to others.

With respect to the move it went well. Thanks to the help of some friends we had everything moved into the place in one night. We have been enjoying sitting on the patio and watching the wildlife our backyard has to offer. Small little backyard, but home to rabbits, cardinals, blue jays, squirrels, raccoons... it is hard to remember you are living downtown with so many animals.

Of course other than the patio and backyard, I am loving the new kitchen. So much more room with loads of counterspace, double sink, gas stove. I also took out the new cuisinart stainless steel pot set that I have been storing for 2 years since my wedding. They just were not worthy of the apartment I was in. I will post some pics of the apartment vs home soon.

With my injuries I have not been able to type much or to cook much. However, I wanted to make some muffins for breakfast. My mother in law baked these for us and provided me with the recipe. They were so good and fresh tasting I had to make them again.

1 3/4 cups oats (quick cooking)
2 T packed brown sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbaking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup 1% milk or buttermilk
2 egg whites, slightly beaten
2 T vegetable oil
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a 12 med muffin cup tray with non stick spray.

Topping: Combine 1/4 cup oats and the brown sugar, set aside.

Muffin: combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. In a small bowl combine the milk, egg white, oil, lemon peel and vanilla. Mix well. Add to the dry ingredients, stir until moistened. Gently stir in blueberries. Fill the muffin cups almost full and sprinkle with topping.

Bake 20 mins. Remove from oven and let cook on wire rack for 5 minutes.

Whole Wheat Raisin Bread

I get up pretty early in the morning and head to work. I usually eat while at work, which means I take something that does not require a lot of effort - cereal, bagel, oatmeal, muffins. Well I am pretty tired of all of those options and decided I needed something new. A few weeks back I bought a delicious raisin bread from the farmers market - this seemed like a good change - and also reminded me of childhood breakfasts before school.

I thought perhaps the nostalgic feeling and eye popping aroma of the bread would be a good way to wake up in the morning. Well that and a good cup of strong espresso. I have not made many breads, and decided it would be a nice to try something new. I found this one of the internet and cannot for the life of me figure out where... sorry! The only thing I changed from the recipe was that I used whole wheat flour rather than white bread flour. It seemed to workout just fine, giving it a healthier and more rustic look. The bread turned out really moist and hearty with a great taste and texture. Will definetly make this again.

1 cup raisins (sultans)
1 cup + 2 T 1% milk
2 1/2 T unsalted butter (softened)
2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour (and extra for flouring surface)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1 2/ tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp dry yeast
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
non stick cooking spray

Place the raisins in a small saucepan and cover with water, bring to a boil. Remove frmo heat, cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Drain well.

Combine 2 3/4 cups flour, brown sugar, 3/4 tsp of the cinnamon (not all of it), salt and yeast in a large bowl. Mix well.

In a small saucepan heat the milk over low heat (do not bring to a boil). When warm remove from heat and add the butter, stirring until melted.

Add the warm milk/butter and the lightly beaten eggs to the flour mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Add the raisins and stir until combined.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. The dough will be sticky so keep adding a bit of flour to the dough 1T at a time until no longer sticky.

Place the dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray and flip to coat the other side. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 1 hour (should double in size). After 1 hour press two fingers down into dough, if imprints remain it is ready. Punch dough and then cover for 5 more minutes.

Roll dough out into a 14 x 7 inch rectangle on a floured surface. Evenly sprinkle the remaining cinnamon over the surface of the dough. Roll up the rectangle tighly, starting with the short edge pressing firmly while rolling to eliminate air pockets. Pinch the seams and ends to seal.

Place the roll, seam side down, in a 9x5 inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Cover an dlet rise for 30 minutes (should double in size).

Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until loaf is browned on bottom and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pan an dcook on a wire rack.

Makes about 16 slices.

Similar Recipes:

Irish Soda Bread

Homemade Granola Bars

For me the summer means many weekends of hiking the Adirondack Peaks in New York state. There are 46 peaks over 4000ft which offer spectacular views. Although I am not in any rush I plan on completing them all and becoming a member of the 46ers. Hiking for me is not just about physical activity and the outdoors which I love, but a mental escape from hectic daily life. It is so peaceful and quiet in the trees it gives me a chance to decompress, reflect and just be in the moment. I have an added motivation to hike them this year as in September my husband and I will be hiking the Mont Blanc Tour in Europe. This is a hut to hut hike through the French, Swiss and Italian Alps. I am sure as the trip approaches I will talk more about it.

I have consumed my fair share of Gorp (Good Old Raisins and Peanuts) or trail mix/granola bars on my hikes. In order to make a healthier trail mix, one with less sugar and less oils, this year my husband I decided we'd make our own homemade trail mix/granola mix. This idea then inspired me to try a granola bar recipe. This recipe is adapted slightly from The Kitchen Sink. I have seen others that used wheat germ, which I may try next time.

The bars are very good, crunchy and the sour cherries compliment the nutty flavors. However, I must say I prefer a softer chewier granola bar. So in the end I ended up breaking up the granola bars into granola mix. This is great for on the trail or as a cereal mixed with berries and milk.

2 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup pepitas

1/4 cup flax seeds

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1 cup whole almonds

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup light peanut butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup dried cherries (really good fruit to use, but can use any dried fruit)

Preheat the oven to 325 F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the oats, coconut, seeds and nuts; spread out evenly on the rimmed baking sheet and toast for 15 minutes. Gives them a nice roasted flavor.

When the oat mixture has been toasting for about 10 minutes, combine the honey, peanut butter, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and vanilla in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

When the oat mixture is done toasting, transfer it to a large bowl and add the honey mixture and dried cherries. Mix until all dry ingredients are moist. Spread the mixture in a greased baking pan (9 x13). With the bottom of a measuring cup press the granola mixture into the pan and create a smooth, even surface. Bake the granola mixture for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool completely.

When completely cool flip granola onto a cutting board. With a sharp knife cut the granola into desired size bars. If you desire granola then you can crumbled with hands or place in a bag and crush with the back of a mug. Store in air tight container.

National Captial Race with PB & Banana

Well 4 months of training has come to an end and I am now at the end of my tapering week with only a 3km light run to keep limber before the big race - half marathon (21km). In fact there are only 2 days to go. I previous ran the National Capital 1/2 marathon in 2005, but contending with injuries and neglecting speed and hill training my time was not impressive for my personal goals.

This time with fewer injuries, my dedication to long runs, hill and speed training I feel pumped and ready for the race. If all goes well I might be able to achieve even lower than my initial goal.

Last night I picked up my race kit - a nice loot bag full of advertisements, chocolates, gum, toothpaste, mints... yes all those things that help with the race...apparently runners have bad breath. I also received my T-shirt, running chip and bib # 9887.

It is always fun to be at these events watching all the athletes, from those professional marathoners from Kenya that astonishingly run barefoot and more than not clench first place each year, allowing them to bring the $5000 prize money home to their families; to the family of 3 that are walking the 2km; or the family running or walking to raise money for a cure or for a loved one. There are runners from all ages and genders from all over the world. Overall the atmosphere is one that is energetic, motivational and inspirational.

Well considering this is a food blog... I suppose I should discuss food. It is no surprise that food and training for running go hand in hand. Some people run to eat while others eat to run. I would have to say I am a little bit of both. However this week I will be eating to run. It is going to be pertinent for me to get rest, water, zero to less alcohol and good long lasting high energy foods. I will likely post a few of the dishes I deem to be pertinent to a good RACE DAY.

Today's breakfast was a large cup of strong coffee and a whole wheat english muffin with light peanut butter and sliced banana. I would never eat peanut butter before a race, as it is hard to digest and heavy on the stomach....but on my off days or as a post run meal, PB and banana sandwiches are a great energy replenisher. Try grilling these!

I realized that my photos are blurry because the setting was not on close-up. I always have it on close up so did not bother to check it... and was wondering hey! why are these blurry. Oh well next time I will pay better attention.

For my pre-run meals I must eat at least 2+ hours before my run. The snack or meal must be light and easily digestable:

- A half of a bagel with 1 tablespoon of sugar-free jam
- small bowl of instant oatmeal
- 1 cup of cereal with 1/2 cup of skim milk
- 1/2 cup light yogurt with 1/2 cup of fresh fruit and 2T granola
- A banana and 20 mini-pretzels or wheat thin crackers
- An energy bar with less than 200 calories

Raisin Bran Muffin

The past weekend was a long weekend which made me excited to make lots of delicious meals. Although it turned out to be more of a lazy weekend than anticipated, I think I needed the rest. I have been training hard for the half marathon, and with only a week left to go, I feel strong yet certainly feeling the toll of long runs and speed training.

Friday night I had company and made delicious ginger and lime chicken skewers & blackened chicken skewers. No pics taken so will that post will have to wait. Then Saturday was your typical long weekend bbq with yummy bbq sausages and Sunday a casual noon hour drop in at a friends place turned into beers on the deck and dinner out. So needless to say my weekend of cooking or baking was put on hold.

Monday night I managed to get the energy to bake some raisin bran muffins and tonight I made some delicious balsamic roasted vegetable and goat cheese wraps to be posted soon.

1 1/2 cup wheat bran

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup raisins

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

Mix the wheat bran and the buttermilk in a small bowl.

In a medium bowl mix all the dry ingredients together and stir in the raisins.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the sugar, eggs and oil.

Now stir in the bran mixture and add the dry ingredients tot he sugar, egg and oil mixture. Mix until moist, as with all muffins do not over mix.

Bake muffins at 400 F for 15-18 minutes.

Makes a dozen.

I also wanted to announce that May 13th the results from the LIVEStrong Event hosted by winos and foodies have been posted. There are some wonderful pics and recipes presented in order to raise cancer awareness.