Healthy Muffins and Family

If you get to live near to, or within a reasonable driving distance from, your parents BE THANKFUL! My parents live 2000 miles away and we only get to see each other a couple of times a year--if that. We used to live in Northern California, but I moved to Southern California for college and just before I graduated they moved back "home." My whole family is native to South Dakota and I still call it "home" even though I haven't lived there in over 20 years. I love the weather of Southern California, I love my church, I love my friends and the little bit of family I have down here, but I really miss being close to my parents. A few weeks ago they came to stay with me and Mario for a few days before we went to a wedding in Vegas. It was SO MUCH FUN having them here in our new house. So, again I say, if you have the convenience of seeing your parents whenever you want, consider yourself blessed and cherish the time you have with them!! My parents have recently gotten on a health kick and I knew I wanted them to have a healthy breakfast option when they were at my house. My mom and I haven't had the chance to bake together in years so instead of having these muffins ready before they came, I asked her if she'd help me make them. We used to bake cookies and all sorts of fun things together when I was a kid, so this was surely a treat! These muffins are really delicious and you really can't feel guilty having 2 of them! They fill you up and make a delicious breakfast alongside a cup of coffee and an orange! I love you, Dad and Mom!!

Blueberry Applesauce Muffins
Source: Annie's Eats
Yields: 12 muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 quick cooking oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 T canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup blueberries (frozen works just fine)

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 375. Either line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray well with Pam.
-Mix together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
-Add in applesauce, buttermilk, brown sugar, oil, and egg.
-Mix together until just incorporated.
-Gently fold in the blueberries with a spatula.
-Divide batter evenly between the muffin cups.
-Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
-Cool on a wire rack.

Blueberry Coconut Crisp (yes, Mom, the coconut is optional)

My local grocery store had a pint of blueberries on sale for just $1.99! I couldn't believe it! I love fresh fruit because it makes the best addition to something sinful like a Crisp, Crumble, or Streussel recipe. I'm sorry! Did you think I enjoy fresh fruit just for the sake of eating fresh fruit?! Heck no. My husband is the one who thinks a bowl of fruit is dessert. I say that's fine as long as you sprinkle it with sugar and put a dollop of whip cream on top. I distinctly recall my dad eating a lot of frozen fruit for dessert, too. So strange. Anyway, this dessert was a hit--even with my husband. It was actually his idea to add the coconut after he tasted the uncooked crumble mixture! He didn't have very much of it...and he didn't even know I used wheat flour instead of white. At least I attempted to "health-ify" it, right?

Blueberry Coconut Crisp

Yields: 8x8 dish...so two gigantic servings?

Source: Adapted from browneyedbaker

Ingredients:

1 pint fresh blueberries (about 2 cups)

2 Tablespoons white sugar

1 cup flour (all-purpose OR wheat)

1 cup instant oats

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup butter

1/2 to 1 cup sweetened coconut (depending on how much coconut you want--you can totally leave this out)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl toss together blueberries and white sugar; set aside. In a separate large bowl, combine flour, oats, and brown sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press half of this mixture in an 8x8 glass baking dish. Cover with all of the berries and then sprinkle the coconut on top of the berries. Sprinkle remaining crumble mixture on top of the coconut. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the berries are bubbly and the topping is golden brown. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake

I think one of the most perfect unions is that which exists between butter, flour, sugar, and cinnamon. In other words, streusel. I love anything with this crumbly, delicious, topping of perfection, so I take any and all opportunities to flex my streusel muscles when the chance arises. My husband and I are members of Pomona First Baptist Church and a young-married couple's Bible study. Each Sunday two couples sign up to bring snacks, and in an effort to impress my fellow students of the B-I-B-L-E, I made this fantastic breakfast treat. The result: a moist and delicious cake laden with blueberries topped with the perfect streusel...and I returned home from Bible study with an empty baking dish. Success!

Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake:

4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups frozen blueberries
2 cups chopped pecans

Streusel:
1 cup sugar
2/3 cups flour
1/2 cup cold butter
1 tsp. cinnamon

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add egg, milk, and butter. Beat well. Fold in berries and pecans. Spread into a greased 9x13 glass baking dish. In a separate bowl, combine dry streusel ingredients; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter. Bake at 375 degress for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Delicious when hot with a pat of butter on top to melt through cake (although my picture clearly was shot before the butter had a chance to melt completely!).

Note: This recipe can be cut in half and baked in a 9-inch baking dish, the cooking time would be reduced to 30-40 minutes.