Pumpkin Praline Muffins

I know many of you are gearing up for back to school.  Muffins are one of my favorite foods because they are quick and easy to make, freeze beautifully and served with some yogurt or milk and a piece of fruit  make a healthy breakfast or snack.

This is one of my favorite muffin recipes, it is fairly low in calories, and has a decent amount of protein and fiber.

Pumpkin Praline Muffins

1 3/4 C. whole wheat pastry flour (this adds fiber and flavor and your kids won't notice it's "good" for them)
1/2 C. oatmeal (ground finely)
1/2 C. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 C. skim milk
1 large egg
2/3 C. mashed pumpkin (not the pie filling)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Topping
1 Tbsp. finely chopped pecans
1 Tbsp. brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare muffin pan with liners and then lightly coat with cooking spray.

Mix flour, ground oatmeal, sugar, baking powder and pumpkin pie spice in a bowl. 

In a separate bowl mix milk, egg, pumpkin and vanilla.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir just till moistened.

Place batter in prepared pan, filling 3/4 full.

Mix topping ingredients together and sprinkle over muffins.

Bake 15-18 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool for 5 minutes.  Remove from pan.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

~Makes 12 muffins

~Store in airtight container at room temperature for two days or wrap individual muffins and freeze.

~Put frozen muffins in a lunchbox, they will be defrosted and ready to eat by lunch time.

~Approx. Nutritional Info:  Calories: 128, Fiber 3.2 gms, Protein 3.2 gms, Carbs 27 gms, Fat 1.2 gms

Tortilla Mix

Here is another mix for your collection!

Our family loves Mexican food: tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas--pretty much anything you wrap in a tortilla.  The cost of store bought tortillas seems to keep going up--$1.67 for 10 tortillas?! 
Homemade tortillas are not only very easy and inexpensive to make (about $.25 for 10) they taste so much better than the store bought ones.

Tortilla Mix
16 C. flour (use unbleached or add up to 1/2 whole wheat)
2 Tbsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. salt (you can use a little less, but some salt really does make a difference in the flavor)
1/2 C-1C. shortening  (I like about 3/4 C. of palm shortening (no trans fat!))

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and stir with whisk to fully mix.  Cut in shortening with pastry blender or hands.  Store mix in airtight container.


To Make:

Place 2 C. tortilla mix in a bowl, making a well in the center.  Add 1/2-3/4 C. warm water, a little at a time, mixing until you have a soft dough.

Knead dough for a short time till it becomes elastic.

Cover with plastic and let it rest 10-15 minutes.

Form small balls, pull the dough around the bottom of the ball to make top smooth.  Set aside, covered with plastic wrap.

Dip dough balls in flour and roll out thinly.

Cook on preheated dry griddle until top begins to bubble, Flip and cook for about 15 seconds more.

To keep warm: stack between towels.

Wrap in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator.

Zucchini Bread

Easy Zucchini Bread

Here is just one great recipe to use up all the zucchini floating around this time of year.

2 C. sugar
3 eggs
3 C. flour (I use 1/2 unbleached, 1/2 whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 C. oil
1/2 C. applesauce or apple butter
2 C. shredded zucchini
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp.baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 C. nuts (optional)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix eggs, sugar, oil, applesauce, zucchini and vanilla in a bowl.  In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients.  Add dry ingredients to zucchini mixture and stir to combine.  Place mixture in 2 greased loaf pans.  Bake for 60-65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool on wire rack, wrap and freeze.

*Zucchini bread makes a quick easy breakfast with some yogurt and fruit.
*Fruit breads are great to have on hand for last minute company or to share with a family in need.

Zucchini bread wrapped and freezer ready

~Things are still crazy busy around here, but I do have some posts I am working on--hopefully it won't be so long between posts!