Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Hi Everyone,

It’s so sad to write this post because I know Monday is almost here.  We really need to do something about a 5 day work week.  Why not make it 3?  Ok, I’ll settle for 4!  :)  Today in Northern California it was gorgeous out.  It had to have been in the 70′s.  It’s 6pm right now and I have my back door open.  That’s one thing I love about warmer weather, is opening the doors and windows and letting the fresh air in.  Tomorrow it’s suppose to be another gorgeous day!!  I was going to go out and walk today, but instead I stayed in and made these.

What are these little darlings, you wonder?  There apple cinnamon muffins.  I have been craving apples and cinnamon lately, so I decided to come up with a muffin, so I can freeze them and take them to work with me.  These little bites of deliciousness are made with whole wheat flour, Chobani Apple Cinnamon Greek Yogurt and 1 cup of freshly chopped apples.  You get an apple in every bite!!

I am so pleased with these muffins.  There moist, light, flavorful and only, get ready for this, only 89 calories a muffin!  Yup, you read that right!!!  Unbelievable!  Why didn’t I come up with these sooner?   I even added a 1/2 cup of sugar in them, just to make them a little sweeter than last weeks Blueberry Lemon Muffins.   Oh, and yes, their normal muffin size, no skimping over here!!  I got 18 muffins out of this batch and if I didn’t cram the batter in the muffin cups, I probably would have had more.  But I like a fat muffin, don’t you?

This is one muffin that will please everyone in your family and it will make you feel good that you are giving them a healthy treat.   So there’s not guilt if you eat two of them.  I love guilt free food.

I also made some lemon bread for my neighbor who gave me a ton of oranges and lemons this week.  I have to say, they are the best oranges I ever had.  There so sweet!  I plan on making a few goodies with them tomorrow, but that’s a secret for now.  I don’t like to share, because if they don’t turn out I feel bad.  So you’ll just have to be patient and wait.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter, melted (I used Brumble & Brown)

2 tablespoon unsweetened apple sauce

2 eggs (I used egg substitute)

6 ounces apple cinnamon greek yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup non-fat milk

1 cup apples, peeled and diced small

cooking spray

1 Tablespoon Turbinado Sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine flours, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

In a separate bowl combine the butter, apple sauce, eggs, yogurt, milk and vanilla extract. Add to the flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Gently fold in the apples.

Spoon the batter into 18 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle Turbinado sugar over the tops of the muffins.

Bake muffins at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until light golden.

Makes 18 muffins:

Nutrition per muffin:  Calories:  89,  Fat:  .07,  Cholesterol:  .1,  Sodium:  90,  Potassium:  64.4,  Carbs:  17,  Fiber:  1.6,  Sugar:  5.8,  Protein:  3.2

You must try these muffins!!  They only take a few minutes to make and about 16 minutes or so to bake.  So worth it!!!  These are one of my favorite muffins I have created.  Isn’t it fun when you make something and it comes out and to find out it’s low in calories, fat and sugar?   He he!!!  Hmmm, what is your favorite kind of muffin?  Would love to get new muffin ideas, and try to make them low-calorie so we can enjoy them guilt free.

Off the subject of delicious muffins, how do you store your recipes?  Do you have a computer program?  Or do you just leave them on your blog?   I would like to think I would have my blog forever, but with technology these days, you never know what may happen to our blogs, so I want to store my recipes in a safe place so I can pass them on.  So please any input you have would be wonderful!!

I guess before I go, I should let you know how I am doing on my workouts.  I haven’t reported to you in a couple of weeks.  Last week I was 2 calorie burn short of my 1700 calorie burn goal.  Kind of stinky, I told myself I would do better this week, and I started out strong!  I jogged 3 miles twice, did my strength training and jump roped Monday – Wednesday and then I got sick, so I couldn’t finish my work outs.  I ended the week just shy of 1500 calorie burn.  If I went and did Thursday, Friday and Saturday I would have been way over, but I didn’t want to push myself.  I’m kind of angry with myself about that, so tomorrow, I am going to be strong and just do it!!  I am going to do strength training in the morning and go for a jog in the afternoon while it’s nice and warm out.  Hopefully that will give me the push I need to start my week out right!!  Hope my enthusiasm sticks!

Well that’s it for me.  I have my butternut squash Frittata in the oven, and it’s almost done.  I’m going to have that with my Apple Cinnamon Muffin.  Yum, yum, yum!

Oh and one last thing, my blog was nominated on Fitness Magazine for Healthy Eating Blog, I would love it so much if you voted for me.  Go here to vote. Thanks!!

Have a wonderful Sunday!!!