Mahvelous Meal SUNDAY!

Happy New Year, friends! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season filled with family, friends and yummy food! We had a great first Christmas with Baby C. Her favorite gifts? Whatever box her presents came in. :) I think Claire got more presents this Christmas than I've opened in the last 10 years!

Mmm....ribbon...

We all had a great time, and we're still recovering from all the, uh, let's say less than healthy food we've been eating since Thanksgiving. Cookies and homemade fudge and fast food while crossing things off our to do list...it takes a toll, that's for sure.

So let's start the new year off on a healthy note, shall we? While muffins aren't a meal, per se, it's a great snack and a HUGE bonus - it's a good choice for your little ones! These muffins have a cup of zucchini, a half cup of carrots and a quarter cup of applesauce while only having 2/3 cup of sugar! Plus, they're made with some whole-wheat flour for some good whole grain action. Obviously, you'd want to check with your pediatrician before making these (I'm not a doctor nor a child nutritionist), but Baby C eats them up like they're going out of style!

Zucchini Carrot Muffins (adapted from Women and Weight Website)

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 ground ginger
--
1 egg, beaten
1 cup grated zucchini (I used one large zucchini)
1/2 cup grated carrot (I used about 9 baby carrots)
1/4 cup applesauce (I used unsweetened applesauce)
1/4 cup oil

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Mix wet ingredients in a small bowl and add to dry ingredients. Be sure to moisten batter, but be careful to avoid overmixing.
4. Pour batter into greased muffin tin and bake for 25-30 minutes. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the middle of muffin and wait for it to come out clean.
5. Makes about 10-12 muffins (it makes 10 for me, but I eat a little batter and I make slightly bigger muffins), or one 9 inch loaf of bread.

Fresh from the oven!

If you can see vegetables in your baked goods, it's a good thing.

Yum! These are so good! Although I'm always worried about substitutions in baking, I think this recipe would be awesome with a handful of raisins added, or adding a 1/2 tsp of cinnamon! Each muffin comes about to be about 150 calories, 4 grams of fat, 2 grams of fiber and 12 grams of sugar.

Okay, I hope that 2012 has all kinds of good things in store for you, dear readers! I don't really believe in New Year's resolutions, but I will definitely be trying to blog more often, enjoy my baby at every single stage (as frustrating as it may be sometimes) and GET A BABYSITTER! :)