It has been a quiet little family day for us.  We took this kids to Boo in the Zoo at the Lincoln Park Zoo, and despite the suddenly chilly temperatures we managed to have a nice morning in the fresh air. Of course they ran right to the vintage carousel and begged for a spin.  At $1.00 a ride, how could we possibly say no?!

Once we came home I put Vivian down for her afternoon nap.  While she snoozed, I prepared a batch of healthy homemade muffins.  She’s become a rather picky eater, so I’m always experimenting with recipes that will please her palate while nourishing her growing body. This recipe I developed today was inspired by the one in Heidi Swanson’s “Super Natural Every Day”.  I substituted a few ingredients for what I had on-hand, and I chose to add in a few more tasty tidbits to make these muffins a better fit for my family. The results were delicious!  Even wee Viv gobbled up an entire muffin!

And my sweet Evie nibbled on one while she worked on a Shrinky Dinks craft project.

A nice Saturday indeed!

Homemade Healthy Muffins

2 large eggs

1 7 oz container Greek yogurt

1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup whole ground flax seeds

1 1/2 cups healthy cereal – I use Uncle Sam’s

1 tart apple (like Granny Smith), peeled and grated

1 cup raisins

1 cup unbleached flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Whisk eggs, yogurt, butter and maple syrup until well combined.  Pour ground flax seeds and cereal on top, stir a bit, and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.

Pour grated apple and raisins into the wet mixture.  Stir well.

Pour in dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Drop into paper lined muffin pan. Bake for 20-22 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool.