Fun Fridays- Muffin Madness!

When I first started blogging last year, I mentioned here about my family eating muffins for Friday morning breakfasts with a dear friend and her family.  We still do muffins almost every Friday at our house, without that friend to share with sadly (boo hiss, military!), but each time we mix them up it makes me smile at the memories we have sharing muffins with someone each week.  Warm muffins in the morning are yummy.  Warm muffins in the morning made by or for a friend are delightful!

So this month, Fun Fridays are all about MUFFINS!

First one up is a recipe I have been using for over 18 years!  No kidding!  When I was first substitute teaching, before our first was born, a preschool director introduced these to me.  She made them as bread in coffee cans.  We loved them and they are a staple in our house.  You can use whatever fruit you choose, I seem to remember her using strawberries, but we either use pumpkin or applesauce. 

I love this simple recipe.  It is one of those just pour it all in a bowl, mix and put in the muffin cups.  One bowl to clean, no fancy steps to remember.

Quick note- this is NOT a "healthy" recipe.  If you are looking for low cal or just good for you ingredients, better close your eyes real quick and change blogs for this one.  I do try to make up for it by using our own milled flour and usually substitute honey granules for the sugar.  I say usually, because I am currently out and have not reordered them.  So, white sugar it is....shhhhhhhhhhh, don't tell.  Hey, I gave up diet cokes this month, I deserve a little white sugar, right? ;)


Fruit Bread

3 cups flour (we use whole wheat)
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
3 tsp. cinnamon
2 c. sugar (or 1 1/2 honey granules)
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup oil
2 1/2 c. fruit (applesauce, pumpkin, strawberries)

Mix all ingredients together and fill muffin pans 2/3 full.  Bale at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
Makes 2 dozen, so there are plenty to share with a friend or freeze half for the following week's breakfast.  Or snacks!

 

Enjoy and Happy Friday, friends!

 

Bye Bye Red Dye, Hello Natural Pops

Bounce...jump...run...skip...but never walk.  NEVER!

Does your childrens' energy irritate, I mean, amaze you?  One of ours -to remain nameless- wears. me. out some days.  Many days.  He is so much fun to watch if you can spot him as he flashes by, that I haven't given running and jumping and whizzing by too much thought.  Until recently.  Kindergarten is approaching.  I am the teacher. hmmmmm.  And then there have been whisperings of hyperactivity.  (Isn't every 5 year old boy hyperactive?)  But anyway, I have been looking for any outside influences that might make a difference in one's activity levels.  And no, Benadryl, fellow parents, does not count!  ;)

But red dye- 'nuff said!    Never mind it is made from petroleum- yuck!  Never mind that it stains everything permanently.  It does affect a child's behavior - MY child's behavior.  I have seen it- at home, at church, and in everyday life.  Give a kid a piece of red candy or popsicle or Fruit Loop and watch them P-I-N-G!

And so we have decided to cut it out of our life as much as possible.  Seemed easy enough.  We don't eat that much "junk" food anyway. (Excluding my M&M stash, but I don't share those with the 5 year old anyway!)  But, man, you have to check those labels folks!  Not just the obvious red stuff.  Remember, yellow and red equal orange.

Let me share with you my biggest frustration - POPSICLES!  Seriously, even the "natural" ones have dye!  I figured it was going to be a long, hot, popsicle-free summer.

                                     

But just to prove that God is even in the small stuff, the very week of my frustration The Nourishing Home email appeared in my inbox with a free down-loadable e-book for healthy frozen treats!  We jumped for joy, headed out to buy molds and are sold!  So far we have tried 3 and are quite pleased. 

Ahhhhh....happiness, minus the red dye!

Has our behavior changed? Not completely. But our health sure has, and for now, I'll take that!

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You can get The Nourishing Home Frozen Treat e-book by going to the link and signing up for her email.  While you are there, check out her other recipes!  They are awesome!

Since our first find, we have also added this recipe to our list!

From- Made in Alaska

Orange Creamsicle Popsicles Recipe
yields 8 – 10 popsicles
2 cups unsweetened orange juice (I use the Naked brand of orange juice, it has no added sugar, no preservatives, non-GMO, and it’s vegan)
3/4 cup plain yogurt (you can use dairy yogurt, or coconut milk yogurt for dairy free/vegan)
2 – 3 tablespoons raw runny honey, or organic agave nectar, or coconut nectar, etc.
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 drops liquid vanilla stevia (I use the NuNatural’s stevia brand. If you don’t like to use stevia, simply increase the amount of honey/liquid sweetener used)

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Taste mixture and add more sweetener if desired.
3. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze overnight.

Enjoy!