Monthly Archives: October 2014

Cinnamon Sugar Oat Muffins

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I love this recipe!!  I make it at least twice a week because these muffins make for a perfect breakfast.  I use Greek yogurt and unsweetened apple sauce in place of butter or oil.  You could use all applesauce and no Greek yogurt, but I have found they do not come out as moist.  The use of apple sauce does not leave these with an apple taste.  I make my own oat flour by blending oats in my Ninja.  You could buy oat flour, but it is much more expensive!   There are a lot of variations you could do with the recipe based on your preferences.

Cinnamon Sugar Oat Muffins

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups oat flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/3 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
3/4 cup white sugar (organic)
3/4 cup organic coconut sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk

Topping:
1 cup melted smart balance spread
1/2 cup white sugar (organic)
3/4 cup coconut sugar (organic)
2-3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

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Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees °F and line 20-24 muffin tins with muffin liners (I prefer the aluminum ones).
  2. In one bowl whisk together oat flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
  3. In a separate bowl whisk together apple sauce, Greek yogurt, white sugar, coconut sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and almond milk.
  4. Add the bowl of liquid ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
  5. Fill muffin tins ¾ of the way full.
  6. Bake until muffin tops are a light brown and springy to the touch (21 to 23 minutes).
  7. Combine cinnamon and sugar in a bowl for the topping. Melted smart balance spread should be in a separate bowl.  Once the muffins are done, dip muffins in melted butter, and then roll in sugar/cinnamon mixture.

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Enjoy!!

*This was adapted from a recipe found on http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/

Meatless Monday Recipe (Only uses one pot and takes 20 minutes!)

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I started my week of with a meat-less one pot dish that used up leftover vegetables I had in the fridge.  This was super easy to make and it turned out fabulous!  You could use whatever vegetables you have around or even add meat to this. One pot dishes are easily changed and easry to make.

One Pot Pasta

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16 oz. box of spaghetti or linguine pasta, broken in half (I used whole wheat)

1 large green bell pepper, cut into ¾” pieces

3-4 small Roma Tomatoes cut into pieces

½ of a medium onion, chopped

1 can great northern beans

1 teaspoon parsley

1 table-spoon basil (from a squeeze tube)

1 tablespoon garlic (from a squeeze tube)

I packet of dry Italian dressing mix

1 teaspoon corn starch

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

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Add the pasta to a large stock pot first. Then add the remaining ingredients, cover. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir and reduce the heat to medium-low.

Cook covered for about 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook until most of the liquid is gone.

Remove the lid and let set for a few minutes before serving.

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This is the secret ingredient that give’s it all of the flavor:

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Michigan has had cold and rainy weather the past few days.  I ran 8 miles at a moderate pace before it started raining.  60 degrees is perfect running weather; I wish it would stay like that all the time!

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Later in the week (once I finally go grocery shopping) I am making healthy doughnut muffins!

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New Recipes!!

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I haven’t written a post in a few months (sorry!).  I got busy with summer classes and working way too much (promotions and on my house).

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Since my last post I completed 3 summer classes: Organic Chemistry, Food and Cultures, and Lifetime Health.  I sprained my ankle and was out of running for 8 whole weeks!  Now I am back at it and training for a half marathon. I also filmed a commercial in July and another one will be filmed tomorrow!

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In the meantime, I have been collecting and perfecting healthy and delicious recipes for YOU!! The first one, Redskin Pickle Potato Mash, swhich ounds a little strange.  After testing it out, I am in love!  The second recipe I have is a Mexi- Macaroni casserole.  I have already eaten 3 bowls of each 🙂

Redskin Pickle Potato Mash

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1.5 pounds small redskin potatoes
½ cup dill pickle juice
2/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
½ cup finely chopped dill pickles
*Salt and pepper to taste

  1. Scrub all dirt off of the potatoes
  2. Boil potatoes with skins on them until tender.
  3. Cool potatoes and cut into ¾” pieces
  4. Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mash until you have a slightly creamy texture that still have some “lumps”.
  5. Salt and pepper to taste.

I made-up the Mexi- Macaroni casserole last night and I love it!  This recipe is very in expensive to make; I found most of my ingredients on-sale.  This casserole would make 8-10 servings.  The price per serving is about $1.66-$1.33 depending on how large your portions are.  I also use all organic ingredients.  If you used items that were not organic, your cost would be much lower as well.

Mexi-Macaroni

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3 cups cooked macaroni pasta al dente
1 pounds extra lean ground turkey
2 cups salsa (I used one that was not chunky)
1 15oz can tomato sauce
½ small Finley chopped onion
1 bell pepper chopped into small pieces
2 cups frozen corn
1 can black beans
2 cups shredded 2% cheddar cheese

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 °F
  2. Cook pasta according to directions while you are browning the turkey meat.
  3. Chop onion and bell pepper while you wait for the noodles and turkey to be cooked.
  4. Mix pasta, ground turkey, salsa, tomato sauce, onion, bell pepper, corn, and beans together in a large mixing bowl.
  5. Transfer to a 13” x 9” glass baking dish and cover with tinfoil.
  6. Bake covered for 35-40 minutes, or union peppers and onions are soft.
  7. Uncover, top with cheese, and bake an additional 10 minutes until cheese is melted and golden.

*pretty much any type of noodle would work.

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Weekly Work-out
I am trying to train for a half marathon and get great definition for a few photo-shoots I have coming up.  This is what my work-out looks like from last week:
Monday- 5 mile run at a 7:33″ pace
Tuesday– ins and outs on the treadmill mile 1 was completed in 6:20″.  Then I did arm weights, weighted squats, and abs. I ran another mile of ins and outs and it was completed in 6:12″.
Wednesday– REST
Thursday– I ran 8 miles at a pace of 7:55/ mile.  It was very hot and my asthma was horrible this day!
Friday– REST
Saturday– easy 3 mile run
Sunday– 6 mile run

I am trying to mix up my distances and work-outs.  I am short on time lately so my long runs are incorporated only on the days I have time.

Next week I’ll be posting a recipe for healthier cinnamon nutmeg doughnut muffins!