Muffins!

This morning Mr. McGhee took the two boy minis to swim team practice.  Or should I say my record-holding mini McGhee swimmers?  That's right, my boys are the 6 and 8 year old mile swim record holders on their swim team.  OK, here's the FINE PRINT on that.  They're on a small swim team at our fitness center and they are the only 6 and 8 year old boys that have swam the mile.  However, they're swim coach tells me they are both excellent swimmers with tons of potential.  And I believe her, because she's one of my best friends, so she'd never lie to me.

*sidenote* In all seriousness, my boys are really great swimmers.  I don't want any grandparents readers leaving nasty comments that I am picking on my boys.  They really both have swam a mile, which is amazing considering one of them is a 6 year old and the other is a one-legged swimmer.  Also, if you don't know my family and are looking at that last picture and thinking "wow, that kid has a funny looking leg", you can read his story here

So, anyway, the boys left and I was home with my mini McGhee, who is the record holder at the fitness center in both the loudest scream when left by parents in the childcare and also loudest scream in swim lessons.  We're raising overachievers in this house.  So, I plopped mini McGhee on the counter and gave her some breakfast (an apple and frozen blueberries) and decided that since I had 2 hours of time in a messy house full of dirty laudry that I would do what all smart women do....turn on Dr. Oz and make muffins!  I mostly followed the muffin recipe from the amazing Lisa Leake  I am giving you the recipe as I made it, but if you don't trust me, you can go to her website and follow hers.  Just promise me you'll come back.

*on a sidenote* Is this now my recipe since I made changes?  If so, go me!  If not, I'm totally cool with playing second fiddle to Lisa. 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1.5 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup coconut
• 3/4 cup orange juice 
• 1.5 cups of filling (I made 2 batches, one with banana, one with blueberries)
• Muffin/Cupcake liners

Directions

1.  Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2.  In a large bowl with a fork or whisk mix the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3.  Melt coconut oil slightly in microwave (I put it on defrost for 15 seconds).  Mix oil with eggs, honey, vanilla, and orange juice. 
4.  Make a well (hole) in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the eggs, honey, vanilla, oil and orange juice mixture.
5.  Mix the dry and wet ingredients together – do not overmix.
6.  Add filling of your choice.
7.  Bake until toothpick comes out clean. 

Being honest here, these are not the you-would-be-better-off-nutritionally-eating-a-bacon-cheeseburger muffin you get from starbucks.  However, they are tasty!  I think adding a lot of fruit helps keep them very flavorful because, in case you didn't notice, these muffins have NO sugar.  So, play around with the recipe and let me know what "tweaks" you and your family make.  And, if you really can not make the jump to 100% whole wheat, try half and half...half whole wheat flour, half all pupose flour. 

*final sidenote* I have had several people email me questioning why I threw our peanut butter away.  We did not give up peanut butter, however we did switch from processed peanut butter to all natural peanut butter where the label is peanuts only.   

Have a good weekend!