Garden Muffins

These muffins came to life one day, as I ran across an interesting muffin recipe on the internet - kind of like you're doing now! I looked at it, studied it, and thought to myself...."I don't have that, I don't like that, Yuk! Yuuuuum! That's sounds good. I could replace that with that and this with that" and before I knew it I was whipping up my own muffin recipe.

I don't anticipate Tim Hortons knocking down my door any time soon looking for these guys, with their flat tops and all, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't!

Just to make sure I wasn't the only one smiling after consuming, I brought some warm ones straight from the oven to my co-workers one morning. I asked them for honest feedback, not polite compliments. The overwhelming consensus was "delicious". Chad liked everything about them - especially the zucchini, Jen liked it with the pecans, but "would have loved it without them", and Michele said she was in love with them and that she would dream of them everyday until I brought more in (Michele's the dramatic one in the office). Mary gushed over them as she does all my food - bless her heart - and promptly ordered a dozen to be baked for her each week. I, myself just have one thing to say....

"Toot Toot!"

Directly below, is my version of the muffins and further below that is a version that may be more conducive to your pantry. They'll both taste great, but my healthier version will add years to your life and life to your years!

Garden Muffins

1/3 Cup Brown Rice Flour
3/4 Cup Oat Flour
1/2 Cup Oats
1-1/4 Cups Sugar
1-2 Tablespoons Flax Meal
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
One Heaping Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
One Cup Shredded Carrot
One Cup Shredded Zucchini
One Shredded Granny Smith Apple
1/2 Cup Broken Pecans (optional)
3 Eggs
3 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1/4 Cup Coconut Oil
2 Tablespoons Orange Juice Concentrate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shred carrots in a food processor (measure out the one cup after shredding). Shred the zucchini the same way. Shred apple (including skin) in the food processor. In mixing bowl, combine flours, oats, sugar, flax meal, salt and baking soda together. Mix in carrots, zucchini, apple, and pecans. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, oil, OJ Concentrate, and vanilla. Stir egg mixture into carrot mixture and then spoon into muffin cups. Bake for approximately 20 minutes. Enjoy!

1-1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour*
1/2 Cups Oats
1-1/4 Cups Sugar
One Tablespoon Wheat Germ*
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
One Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
2 Cups Shredded Carrots (if you don't have or like zucchini)*
1 Shredded Granny Smith Apple
1/2 Cups Broken Pecans (optional)
3 eggs
3 Tablespoons Vanilla
1/4 Cup Oil*
2 Tablespoons OJ Concentrate

These muffins are so tasty, so moist, and so healthy that I dare say that if you ate them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you just might make live to be one hundred and one, and look good doing it! How about that?

Remember: Muffins, when completely cooled, can be stored in the freezer, pulled out when hungry, and when thoroughly thawed, taste just as moist and flavorful as the day you first baked them. (My favorite magic trick EVER)