Apple Craisin Bran Muffins

I love the hum of my convection oven cooking up delightful treats. Here is a yummy muffin recipe that is also good for you, it's packed full of bran, fiber, and tart fruits. These little hot cakes always disappear fast at my house.

Ingredients

1cup flour

1 cup wheat bran

1 cup plain oats

2 tsp.baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tart apple cored and chopped

1/2 cup craisins

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup lowfat milk

1/4 cup lowfat buttermilk

1/2 cup applesauce

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions

Combine all of your wet ingredients into a mixer, mix until creamy. Slowly add in your dry ingredients, mix until just combined. Do not over mix, you want your muffins to be light and fluffy. When completely mixed, scoop your batter into paper baking cups that are nestled in a muffin tin. Bake at 375˙ for 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool.

Enjoy!

Sunshine Salad

One of my favorite places to eat is a little pizza place by my house called Sazza. Sazza's ingredients are mostly organic and bursting with unique flavor combinations. My favorite salad on the menu is their Sunshine Salad with Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette. I crave this salad on a daily basis so I thought I would try and recreate it at home, and it was a success. Here is to happy and healthy eating!

Salad Ingredients

1 large bag of field greens

1 tomato, diced

1 green bell peppers, seeded and diced

1 cucumber, peeled, and diced

1 can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1 avocado, sliced

1/2 cup of unsalted sunflower seeds

1 cup of sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

4 grilled chicken breasts, sliced (optional)

Directions

Prepare all of your vegetables. Grill your chicken and set aside to cool. Mix in a large bowl your greens, vegetables, seeds, cheese, and sliced grilled chicken. Top with your creamy lemon vinaigrette, serve.

Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette

1/2 large egg yolk

2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbs. heavy cream

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

In a small bowl whisk the egg yolk and the lemon juice. Slowly add in the olive oil and cream whisking rapidly. Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

S'mores

I came across the most scrumptious picture on facebook from one of my friends the other day, she had just pulled a batch of these yummy s'mores out of the oven. Thank you Ronda for this simple and yummy recipe!

Ingredients

Graham Crackers, broken in half

Ghirardelli 60% Cocoa Squares

Marshmallows, large

Directions

Break your graham crackers in half and place them on a large cookie sheet. Unwrap your chocolate squares and center them on your crackers. Top each square with a large marshmallow. Broil your s'mores in the oven until the chocolate has melted and the marshmallow is golden and toasty. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!