Blueberry muffins

Grant travels for work fairly often, and when he's spending evenings in a hotel room with not much to do, he ends up watching television, channels we don't get here at home. For months, he managed to see this infomercial about an exercise program called P90X. It's an extreme fitness regime for people who are already in considerably good shape to whip their bodies into the physiques of Greek gods over a period of 90 days, doing at least an hour of workouts six days a week. He finally caved and purchased it a few weeks ago.

And it's extreme, let me tell you. Good grief. (I am getting to the muffin recipe, bear with me here!) I didn't take the pre-fitness test (which takes a good 40 minutes and involves pull-ups, push-ups, leaps, jumping jacks, bicep curls, etc) and I certainly didn't take the "before" photos (no need to see that, now). But I have attempted to complete a couple of the cardio videos.

In the easier, only 43 minute one, I can complete nearly all of the exercises. However, the "mother of all workouts", Plyometrics, is a doozy. It's an hour of jumping, leaping, squatting, lunging, leg burning that has both Grant and I panting and wobbly-legged at the end of the warm-up. We have managed to finish it and still be able to walk, barely. And there are several exercises in there in which we have terrible form and can't really claim to have accomplished. But we're trying and giving it a darn good effort. And we'll get better. Really.

Anyways, the program also came with a nutrition guide (which I can tell you right now will NOT be followed by me....swordfish, anyone?) and a bonus little healthy recipe book. I have made a few of the recipes from the bonus book and they were all really good. Our definite favorite is this blueberry muffin. (Note: I have modified it a tiny bit, just because I can. And I hate to waste egg yolks, okay? So instead of using 1 egg and 2 egg whites, I just use 2 whole eggs. You can do whatever you want.)

Recipe
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup flax seed meal
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. ground ginger
2 apples, peeled, cored, shredded
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup blueberries (more if desired...1/2 cup isn't very much)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients together, including apples.


• Combine eggs, milk, and vanilla and beat for 30 seconds


• Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir and fold in blueberries.


• Fill each (greased or nonstick) muffin tin 3/4 of the way full. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

I make 12 full size muffins and 9 miniature muffins.

We ate these for breakfast this morning. Here are some photos of the kids stuffing their faces. I'm glad no-one got a picture of me!

Annika (11 months)

Marissa (2.5 years)

Corban (4.5 years)

Plate of delicious muffins. Of which there were none left over. Make some!