Excellent Orange Muffin

Ingredients

• Dry ingredients:
• 1 ¾ cup (210g) all purpose flour (or gluten free flour)
• ½ cup (56g) blanched fine almond flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 
  
• Wet ingredients:
• Zest from 2 large oranges
• 1 cup (200g) organic cane sugar (or granulated sugar)
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• ½ cup (100g) freshly squeezed orange juice (from about 2 large oranges)
• ⅓ cup (75g)  whole-milk or 2% Greek yogurt*
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• ½ cup (1 stick, 113g) salted butter, melted (or sub olive oil or avocado oil)
• Sprinkle with coarse sugar or organic sugar, if desired
• 
  
• Optional:
• 1/2 cup of mini or regular chocolate chips
• 1 heaping cup fresh or dried cranberries 
•  

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with liners and spray the inside of the liners with nonstick cooking spray or use silicone muffin tins.
  Mix together dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add chocolate chips and/or cranberries, if using to dry ingredients.  Set aside.
  

  • In a separate large bowl add the orange zest and sugar and use your fingers to rub the orange zest into the sugar for at least 30 seconds to infuse the sugar with orange flavour.
    
    
    Mix together wet ingredients: In the same large bowl with the orange zest and sugar, add in eggs, orange juice, yogurt, vanilla extract and almond extract. (Do not mix in the butter yet!) Whisk together until well-combined and smooth.
    
    
    • Combine: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Finally, stir in the melted butter (or oil) until well combined. Do not overmix the batter, you just want to stir it until the batter is smooth.
      Bake: Divide batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with  coarse sugar, if desired (but absolutely recommended). Bake for 15-19 minutes or until the tester comes out clean.
      Enjoy!
      

      
      

 HEALTHY BRAN MUFFINS

                                     

These bran muffins are Flavourful, wholesome, and tender.  Make sure you’re using pure wheat bran, not bran cereal. Use your favourite add-ins, or leave the muffins plain. 

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups (195g) whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour if preferred
• 1 cup (52g) wheat bran
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (170g) honey or pure maple syrup
• 1/3 cup (75g) coconut oil, melted Or use vegetable oil, melted butter, or avocado oil instead
• 1/3 cup (60g) unsweetened applesauce, at room temperature or use a mashed banana
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (240ml) nondairy milk (or dairy milk), at room temperature
• 2/3 cup (about 100g) raisins or, as I prefer, chocolate chips
• Sprinkling of raw sugar for tops

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or use muffin liners or silicone muffin tins.
2. Whisk the flour, wheat bran, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl until combined. Set aside.
3. Whisk the egg, honey, melted coconut oil, applesauce, vanilla, and milk together in a medium bowl until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and whisk to combine. Switch to a rubber spatula or wooden spoon and fold in the raisins or chocolate chips, if using.  I like to sprinkle raw sugar on the tops and sometimes add a walnut or pecan half on top as well.
4. Spoon the batter evenly into muffin tins (makes 12). Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F, then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 14–15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 20 minutes, give or take. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.


5. 
   

Smoothie

This recipe is especially for Little Jenny.  It was passed along to me from Shaun.  This is a favourite of the twins and is what SR ate when on the Whole30 Diet.  I began making it when I was on the same diet and loved it so much it became my breakfast go-to.  Was good for our diet as there is no added sugar in this recipe and it tastes good.

I have a small individual sized drink blender - 400 ml (about 14 fl. oz).  I made smoothies for the twins in a Ninja blender and it made enough for the two of them.  The only difference is I use 1/2 a banana and for the twins I used a whole one.  Otherwise the directions are the same.

In an empty blender add:
1/2 (or one whole) banana
1 peeled tangerine or orange (I like tangerines as they are seedless)
Frozen fruit - I use President's Choice 4 Fruit Blend but use your choice of fruit
(The frozen fruit takes the place of ice cubes and chills the smoothie)
Cold Water to the top line on the blender (mine is at 400 ml)

Now, your choice of fruit is your own.  I sometimes add 1/4 scoop of powdered protein.  Jennifer's dietician suggested a TBSP of peanut butter.  Try whatever you enjoy or think may taste good in a smoothie.

Turn on the blender and blend for the count of TEN.  This is a great thing to do with the kids.  When blended pour into a glass and enjoy.

Easy Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Whew!  Took this photo with the last muffin sitting there waiting to be eaten.  Funny how many gluten free recipes that are made with banana, and most of them so tasty.  This one is super easy and you don't have to think about flour or a flour substitute at all.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Yogurt

2 Eggs

2 Ripe Bananas

2 Cups Gluten Free Rolled Oats (I used large flake oats as I am wheat free, not totally gluten free)

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1-1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips (Optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 400°F and grease muffin pan well or use parchment paper muffin cups.

2.  Add all ingredients except for chocolate chips to your blender or food processor (which I used) and

     blend until smooth.

3.  Stir in chocolate chips if using. (I used, yummy!)

4.  Pour into muffin cups and bake for 15-20 minutes.

5.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes then enjoy!

Kristin's Banana Bread (Gluten Free)

Banana Bread

1 Cup Raw Sugar (we used 1/4 Cup and it was just fine)
1 TBSP Butter Regular or non-dairy) (we used Coconut Oil)
1 Cup Mashed Over-ripe Bananas (2 or 3)
1 Egg
1 Tsp Real Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Oat Flour (we ground whole flake oats in Magic Bullet)
3/4 Tsp Baking Powder
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup semisweet Chocolate Chips (if desired)

Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of a loaf pan. Put it in the bottom of the pan and spray with cooking spray.
Pour in the batter and cover loosely with foil. (we didn't cover with foil, but if getting too brown, just lay foil over top while it cooks.)
Bake for 30 minutes.
 Cool completely, then slice and serve.