Oatmeal Muffins

Penny, I think you would like these. And a shout-out to Sharon Baker---these have your name written all over them. Bake them once a week and keep on hand (I store mine in the fridge in a flat Tupperware thing). A great grab-and-go breakfast, especially if you add a dab of peanut butter. Good snack any time. We only have these 3 left, so I'm making another batch tomorrow for the week but instead of the banana I'm going to add 1/2 cup applesauce and grated carrots, so that it's kinda like a carrot cake. I'll be sure to add some fresh nutmeg to that one, in addition to cinnamon spice blend. You could also use a cut up apple....whatever you like. Oooh, Libby, I think they would make a great healthy kids snack, too, since little chubby fingers tend to like self-contained things like muffins they can grab themselves.

But in thinking about what makes it easy for me to just whip up a batch of these whenever I want, it's cuz I have the tools that work and make it so easy. This is not an advertisement for my Pampered Chef business, but these things really make all the difference for me. My muffin-making kit includes a Batter Bowl with lid, Large Scoop (perfect size for muffins--you want them uniform so they all bake at same time), Mix 'n Scraper, and Muffin Pan. This muffin pan is new, and I love it so much. Great for mini meat loaves, my mini quiches, etc. It's professional quality aluminized steel and cooks beautifully, then the clean-up takes 2 seconds at the sink and it's done. In case you're a piglet like me (well, granted, nobody is a piglet quite like me) muffins are built-in portion control for anything you would normally bake like a cake or bread. If you decide you need any of these tools, just holler or go here: www.pamperedchef.biz/susanmurray

Oatmeal Muffins

2 c uncooked oatmeal (old fashioned or quick)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 c fat free skim milk (or what you want)
2 eggs (or ½ c egg beaters)
1 mashed up banana

1/4 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp ground cinnamon (I use P Chef Cinnamon Spice Blend)
1 tsp Canola Oil

Preheat oven to 350. Spray muffin tin – makes 8-9 large.

Combine wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients. Spray muffin tins, or coat with Pan-Eze. Bake 35-45 minutes (until golden brown)

You can change these muffins up; use 1/2 cup applesauce instead of the banana (probably increase sugar to closer to 1/2 cup if you use unsweetened applesauce); 1 pureed unpeeled apple. Another variation - Along with the applesauce, add 1 small dry package of either vanilla or banana instant sugar free fat free pudding mix. This is also good (I’ve been told) using pumpkin pie filling (unsweet) or just pureed pumpkin in place of the applesauce. Be sure to spice to fit whatever add-in's you're using.