at home with ann

I know, more muffins.  I should probably write a muffin only blog.  But, don't you like muffins? Our Christmas festivities are going to involve a lot of traveling and celebrations, and likely end with overtired kids, one of whom has lived on sugar and present-induced adrenaline for days.  If I feed him something remotely healthy for breakfast, I can overlook the candy cane chasers. Carrot Apple Muffins Modified from Minimalist Baker Ingredients: 1.5 flax eggs (1 1/2 tablespoons flax seed in 5 1/2 tablespoons water) 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted 1/3 cup mashed banana (one small banana) 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey 1 apple, grated 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup milk or milk alternative 1 heaping cup grated carrot 2/3 cup oats 1/2 cup almond meal 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare muffin tin. In a small bowl, co...

My big Le Creuset soup pot is in near constant use during the winter.  I love a bowl of soup with a baguette for dinner, and leftovers can be eaten for lunch the next day while trying to juggle a 4 month old baby who makes it his life mission during every meal time to hurl himself onto the table and try to grab all the food. For a kid who has never actually eaten anything solid, he puts a lot of effort in.  He swiped an orange slice off Colin's plate the other day and spent several minutes trying to get it into his mouth.  Another foodie in the making. This is a healthy and hearty meal that is family friendly.  Although, if you have a small child like mine who is wary of soup and usually bathes in it instead of eating it, it's easy to portion out the components onto a tasting plate.  You can easily make this vegetarian friendly by substituting white beans for the meatballs and vegetable broth. Italian Meatball Soup recipe from Skinny Taste Ingredients: M...