It's a beautiful morning!

Mornings are my favorite time of day. Rising early before the sun comes up, watching the stars fade, hearing the birds start to sing before it is light. Of course, in order to enjoy all this I have to actually get up and that, as we all know, is the hard part.

This recipe should help make your morning a little easier. Chocked full of goodies like raisins, carrots and bananas, they give you a pep in your step. Make these up the night before and pop a couple in the toaster to warm as you make a cup of Joe. Take them both outside and snuggle up on your porch under a blanket and watch the world shake off the bonds of sleep, stretch and rise.

 

Healthy Morning Muffins

(courtesy of Everyday Foods)

 

 

Makes 12 * Prep time:10 Min * Total time: 35 Min

 

1 1/4 Cups AP flour                                             4 medium carrots, shredded

1/2 Cup packed dark-brown sugar                       1 Cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon baking soda                                     1/2 Cup raisins

1/2 teaspoon baking powder                                 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg                                             1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt                                        1/3 Cup skim milk

                                                                              1 medium banana, smashed

 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 12- cup muffin pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg and salt until there are no more lumps. Stir in oats and raisins. Add oil, egg, milk, carrots and banana and stir until blended.
2. Fill each muffin cup with 1/4 Cup batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean, 23-25 minutes. Serve muffins warm or at room temperature. To store, keep in an airtight container, up to 3 days.

per muffin: 186 cal; 4.7 g fat (0.8 g sat fat); 3.6 g protein; 33.9 g carb; 2.2 g fiber

 

 



Blueberry Heaven

I ripped this recipe out of a magazine years ago. It was in an interview with Gwenneth Paltrow about healthy living and she gave a few family recipes. This one was from her mother Blythe Danner.

BLYTHE'S BLUEBERRY MUFFINS - makes 12

1/2 Cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 eggs
1/2 Cup whole milk
2 Cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 Cup plus 1 tsp sugar, divided
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 Cup fresh blueberries

Heat oven to 375*.

Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.

Whisk butter, eggs and milk in a bowl. Combine flour, 3/4 Cup sugar, baking powder and salt in another bowl.

Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients; fold in blueberries. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups;sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp sugar.

Bake until muffins are golden brown and a knife comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.

I usually cook these the night before for breakfast and unless we control ourselves, there aren't any left for the morning. Lillie personally would like them without the blueberries but then they just wouldn't be blueberry muffins, now would they?

I store them on the counter in a sealed container. they keep for about 3-4 days.

This should hold you until I get my camera cleaned out. Last week, we went to a Spirit Cookout before the local football game. It was held at Lillie's school. There were bouncy houses, free hot dogs and lemonade and $1 cotton candy. Lillie was off on her own the entire time, Ian stayed in the toddler bouncy house and Small Fry did this.

 He had snagged a bag of free popcorn and she had found out. She stayed by his side the entire time, mooching popcorn pieces. There was loud chaos all around. Kids screaming and laughing, bands playing, cheerleaders cheering, adults hollering at kids. And off to the side of the bouncy house, in a quiet shady spot, with the hot wind blowing her wisps of hair, she was content to just hang out with Daddy.

Photos are coming.

I promise.

I have so many photos on my camera since the last time that I uploaded to my computer that it will take me a full day or so just to sort thru them and post.

The first photo on my camera is the week before Elsie was born. That's right. It has been over a year since I cleaned out my camera.

That is one of my goals this week, among others. Would you like to know them all? All righty then.


THIS WEEK'S GOALS  (fanfare)

I said that in bold so it would be dramatic. I thought it was a nice touch.

1.  Re-start my Couch to 5K. I started it a few weeks ago but it crashed and burned. I was trying to run at night after the kids were asleep but that required my darling man to be home and his school load was so heavy that he was staying late to study and not coming home till 11 or later. Having had some time off,  I realized that the last time I ran successfully was when I did it in the morning. Now that I am not nursing a baby, there is not a frantic panic to get home and showered before the baby wakes up. I am more of a morning person than a night person. I get wired after I exercise so that keeps me up at night but would be a big help in the morning. It really is a much better time and more than likely, I would be much more successful at it.
    
2.  Finish all ironing. A lofty goal.

3.  Upload, edit and sort all photos on my camera. Preparatory to ordering them, upload to website by month and, unfortunately, by year.  :(

4.   Clean off my desk of all papers, receipts, pages ripped out of magazines and such.

5.   Sit down and make a list of all presents needed for upcoming birthdays, Family Day, and Christmas.

6.   Complete at least one Thanksgiving decoration craft with kiddos. Pinterest, here I come!

7.   Sit up straight. My posture is terrible and it drives my darling man crazy. It is a hard habit to break since you don't realize that you are doing it most of the time. I feel like I am fighting an uphill battle.



There. That ought to keep me out of trouble for a week.

Do you have any big goals for this week or are you just surviving?