m is for mutigrain and muffins (multigrain banana nut muffins to be exact)

its been another long stretch in between posts. i've been finding it harder and harder to cook and bake how i used to with a growing boy pulling on my legs most of the day. littlefoodie has become enamored with the alphabet and letters....and EVERY time he sees a word he loves to tell me the sound it makes and say the first letter...then proceeds to "spell" in his own special 2 1/2 yr old way.
today m was the word and all day "m said muffin, m says muffin..evwey lettah makes a sound m says mulitgrain banana nut muffins". do you have this crazy leapfrog letter contraption/brainwasher? escape while you can. and yes, i do enjoy the constant conversation and curiosity but i'd like to get my baking on around here a little more than i have been...

i have been experimenting with different flours like organic spelt flour and organic quinoa flour and so far the results have been awesome. also, i have been using unsweetened almond milk in most of my baked goods and the results are incredible as well.
these muffins, despite being hearty and wholesome are very light and flaky. under bigfoodie dads supervision today littlefoodie jr. downed 3 and wanted more all day. these were definitley 2 thumbs up from the toddler palate and the parental palates gave it high ratings as well.

enjoy!

1 cup organic spelt flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup organic quinoa flour
1/2 cup oat bran
1/2 cup oatmeal
2 tsp aluminum free baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 large organic eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup unsweetned almond milk
2 tsp pure natural vanilla extract
2 ripe banana, mashed
1 cup crushed walnuts
1/3 cup dried blueberries (preservative free)
sliced roasted almonds

preheat oven to 350F.

sift spelt, quinoa and whole wheat flour, baking powder, and baking soda into bowl. stir in oat bran, oatmeal, cinnamon and salt.

add flour mixture to mixer and beat in on low the butter and applesauce. add eggs, almond milk, vanilla, and bananas. beat just until moistened and combined.

add in walnuts and fruit.

spoon into muffin tins and top with sliced almonds. bake for 25 min.

maple and fig muffins

apparently i love to make muffins. i didn't realize this until starting this blog. littlefoodie jr. is always happy that i am once again baking ANOTHER variety of muffins.
these are delicious and he couldn't get enough but it seems like i say that with everything. littlefoodie loves food...maybe its luck. maybe i change it up so often that he is used to variety and different textures and flavors or perhaps he is just like his mom and dad and will eat just about anything in front of them...really!
so i give you yet another muffin and another recipe that is so interchangable...i think thats why i love to make muffins so much, the possibilities seem endless. i adapted this from a muffin recipe that i had written down a while ago from allrecipes.com.

enjoy!

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3 tbl organic natural brown sugar
2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup spectrum brand shortening (no transfats/crappy gross ingredients)
1/3 cup oats
handful of flaxseed meal
1 egg
3/4 cup almond milk (we use unsweetened)
1/2 cup organic grade b maple syrup
1/2 cup chopped dried figs

preheat oven to 400F. grease muffin tin.
sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together.
cut in shortening.
add oats.
combine egg, almond milk and maple syrup. add to dry and stir until just moistened. stir in figs.
pour into muffin tins and bake 18 minutes.