Pumpkin Oatmeal Bran Muffins

Sometimes healthy options don't taste that great. Bran muffins are no exception. But sometimes- they do.
I dissected and re-arranged 4 different recipes to come up with this bran muffin. And... It's awesome. Unlike other bran muffins, it's not crumbly, dry or bland. Maybe pumpkin muffins are slightly out of place in the middle of summer, but any muffin that can help keep my on track while I'm trying to get into wedding-shape it welcome in my oven any time of the year.

I didn't think Michael would be a fan of these, but he thought they were pretty good. I thought they were awesome. They put my flour-less banana oatmeal muffins to shame.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Bran Muffins

15 oz can pumpkin purée
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup sugar substitute* (splenda baking blend)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (I used baby food. It's what I had on hand- I'm a mom now)
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups wheat bran (I used All Bran)
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoons salt
1 cup raisins or craisins

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 20 muffin tins with paper liners or mist with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix pumpkin, honey, sugar substitute, canola oil and applesauce until well-combined.
3. Add in the eggs and vanilla, mix well.
4. Stir in the wheat bran, oats, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. Fold in the raisins or craisins.
5. Evenly distribute between 20 muffin tins. They will be close to full.
6. Bake for 17-22* minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. They will still be slightly soft, but firm up when they cool.
7. Allow to cool completely. I prefer to refrigerate these- I like cold muffins.

*I opted to use the Splenda Baking Blend because it is zero points plus on Weight Watchers. You can substitute 3/4 cup white or brown sugar, or use a cup of honey if you'd prefer to avoid artificial sweeteners.
*22-25 minutes. Hmm. That's a total guesstimate. Michael canceled my timer when he put something in the microwave so I have no idea how long I baked these. Oopsies.

Points plus per muffin : 2
Total points plus for ENTIRE recipe: 44

This recipe is extremely versatile- I've added one cup shredded carrots, dried chopped dates, shredded coconut, extra bran, less oatmeal, turned into mini muffins, etc.

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

It's been 7 months since my last post! Whoa. Not much has been cooking on Indigo Street, but man, have I been keeping myself busy in other ways...

First, this happened:

Yup, I got pregnant.

Then, this happened:

Yay!!! We're engaged!!!

Then, this happened:

Holy poo.

Milo is 4.5 months old now, but most people don't believe us because he's the size of a 10 month old. I've had to start going to the gym to build up my upper body strength so I can haul that kid around. And.. so I can lose my mom-gut.

Anyway, remember that time circa 2011 when I decided to join Weight Watchers and did so awesome and lost all that weight and and I proudly flaunted my body in a bikini and everyone rejoiced? Just Kidding. I lost 2lbs and posted a bunch of terrible Weight Watchers recipes. Well.. I'm going to do that again. But nix the Weight Watchers. My gym membership is expensive enough, I don't want to add any new expenses to my life. 

I've started tracking calories again (via MyFitnessPal), and I'm hoping to get back to pre-pregnancy weight before Milo hits his 1/2 birthday. That gives me just around 50 days to lose 7lbs. I think that's feasible.  

My first "life change" involves the most important meal of the day: Breakfast. Usually I chug an obscene amount of coffee and forget to eat until around 2pm. Not exactly the healthiest route. I've started pre-making breakfast so I can have a quick bite in the mornings.

I was actually shocked by how tasty these lame little muffins turned out to be. No flour or sugar or butter? Uh... That doesn't sound delicious.. But they were! Miracles do happen. 

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 cup almond milk (I used unsweetened vanilla)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• Optional mix-ins: mini chocolate chips, blueberries, raisins, cranberries, couple dashes of cinnamon, etc.

1. Mix together all the ingredients, allow to sit for 5 minutes.
2. Line muffins tins with paper liners. Evenly distribute batter between 15 muffin liners. 
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until tops are firm to the touch. 
4. Allow to cool completely, store in an air-tight container in the fridge.

I used chocolate chips in mine so I didn't feel they were lacking in sweetness, but if using raisins or blueberries I recommend using sweetened almond milk or adding a bit of sweetener (sugar, splenda, agave syrup, honey, etc.)

Fruit Dip

I don't consider these recipes to even qualify as 'cooking' because they only take 60 seconds and require no chopping/sauteing/turning on the oven, but... I use them all the time for parties. It's almost shameful that I always have at least 2 jars of  marshmallow cream in my pantry.

Basic fruit dip:

• 1 (8 ounce) block cream cheese, softened
• 1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow cream

Whip the cream cheese until smooth, add in the marshmallow cream and continue to mix until well-blended.

Strawberry fruit dip:

• 1 (8 ounce) package of strawberry cream cheese
• 1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow cream
• 2 tablespoons orange juice

Whip the cream cheese until smooth, add in the marshmallow cream and continue to mix until well-blended, add it the orange juice until combined.

Tips:

• Serve with fresh fruit (favorites: strawberries, pineapple, bananas, apples, etc.), cubed pound cake, graham crackers, etc.
• Run a spatula under hot water before you remove the marshmallow cream from the container, it'll slide off the spatula instead of being a sticky mess.
• Low-fat strawberry cream cheese tastes fine in the recipe, if you want to save some calories.
• I never double the recipe- if I think I'll need more, I'll fold in some cool whip to spread everything a little further.

My "To-Make&Bake" List for June

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Snack Squares by How Sweet Eats

Eggs Benedict by Pioneer Woman

Crispy Salmon BLT Sliders with Chipotle Mayo by How Sweet Eats

Stuffed Cabbage by Smitten Kitchen

Wild Blueberry & White Chocolate Cheesecake

Michael took me out to dinner for Mother's Day a couple weeks ago- I based my restaurant choice on my craving for desserts and chose the Cheesecake Factory. Food: meh. Cheesecake: delicous. We took a slice of white chocolate and wild blueberry cheesecake home to share (which I ate for breakfast by myself the next day).. It was delicious, but I couldn't get over paying $7 for a slice of cheesecake! It seemed so ludicrous. I decided to play around with a few recipes and created my own version. And you know what? I liked mine more- it had more blueberries, wasn't as dense, and golden oreos make a really delicious crust. I'll definitely be making this again.

 This is the Cheesecake Factory's version 

 This is mine.

I wish I had great photos to show off how lovely my cheesecake turned out, but... it was cut into, packaged into tupperware, handed out, and eaten before I had a chance. Just trust me- it was fabulous.


Wild Blueberry & White Chocolate Cheesecake

• 1 1/2 cups vanilla sandwich cookie crumbs (such as Golden Oreos)
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 cups white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• wild blueberry sauce
• 1/2 cup whole blueberries (can be frozen)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Wrap foil around the bottom of a 9" springform pan. 
2. In a medium bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, tablespoon of sugar and butter. Press into the bottom of the springform pan.
3. In a double-boiler, melt the white chocolate with the half and half, stirring occasionally until smooth. Alternatively, microwave in 30 second intervals (stirring after each interval) until the chocolate and half and half is smooth.
4. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until it is smooth and light. Add 1/2 cup sugar, beat until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Blend in vanilla and the melted white chocolate. 
5. Pour half of the batter into the pan, then spoon 1/2 the blueberry sauce over the top. It's thick- don't bother trying to spread it. Sprinkle the whole berries over the top.
6. Pour the remaining batter into the pan, and spoon the remaining blueberry sauce over the top. Swirl the jam with a knife to create a marbled-effect.
7. Place the pan in a jelly-roll pan, fill the pan with some water to create a water bath. Bake for 65 minutes, until filling it set (it should still be jiggly in the center). Then turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for an hour. 
8. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, then refrigerate for at least 8 hours (overnight) before removing from the pan. 
9. Garnish with extra blueberry sauce, fresh blueberries, white chocolate curls, or whipped cream before serving.  

Wild Blueberry Sauce

• 1 cup frozen wild blueberries
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water

1. In a saucepan, combine all ingredients. 
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, allow to boil for one minute, stirring occasionally. 
3. Cool before using in cheesecake recipe, but can be served warm with pancakes, waffles, crepes, or ice cream.

Carne Asada Tacos

Carne Asada Marinade

• 2 lbs. skirt steak, or carne asada meat from a carniceria
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 jalapenos, minced
• 1 large handful cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• kosher salt/ freshly ground black pepper
• 2 limes, juiced & zested
• 1 orange, juiced and zested
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil

1. Mash together the garlic, jalapenos, cilantro, salt/pepper until they form a paste (or use food processor). Put the paste in a glass jar with the remaining marinade ingredients; shake it together really well. 
2. Place the beef in a large baking dish, pour the marinade over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-8 hours; do not exceed 8 hours (it could make the meat mushy).
3. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. 
4. Pour the meat out of the marinade and grill for 7-10 minutes per side, turning once, until medium rare. 
5. Place the meat on a cutting board and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice it across the grain.
6. Serve with tortillas, pico, cheese, guacamole, extra lime, cabbage/lettuce, whatever you like on your tacos!

Cake Batter Blondies

I am seriously in love with this recipe. A recipe that uses sprinkles as an INGREDIENT instead of a garnish? Count me in!

I suppose you could get craz and frost these things- but I thought they were delicious all on their own. They taste like.. well, exactly how you'd think they should taste! Like cake batter, but chewy.

Cake Batter Blondies

• 1 box yellow cake mix (or Funfetti!)
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup sprinkles (OR only 1 tbsp. if you opt to use Funfetti cake mix)
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Combine the oil, milk, egg, and cake mix in a large bowl until well-mixed. Add in the sprinkles and white chocolate chips; mix until evenly-distributed. 
3. Spread the batter evenly into the baking dish- it'll be thick! Sprinkle with some more sprinkles!
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges are golden and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool completely* before cutting into small squares.

*But I won't judge you if you eat a corner while it's still warm.