Low Fat Cranberry Apple Muffins

I made cranberry oatmeal cookies on the weekend and I decided to look for a good recipe for cranberry muffins. These ones are low fat and not too sweet. I substituted oat bran for the wheat bran because it is good for the cholesterol levels.

Leading nutritionist and author, Leslie Beck has this to say about oat bran.

Oat bran has long been touted for its soluble fibre. About one-half of the fibre in oat bran is soluble fibre, the type that lowers LDL (bad) blood cholesterol. Soluble fibre is a soft fibre that absorbs water as it moves through the digestive tract. In addition to helping lower cholesterol, it also keeps blood glucose levels in check. Technically, oat bran is not a whole grain (since it's actually only one part of the oat grain). But because of its exceptionally high fibre content, it can be considered a whole grain.

A landmark study published in 1963 was the first to document the cholesterol-lowering effects of oat bran. Since then, there's been no shortage of research to support the many health benefits of a diet rich in soluble fibre, including oat bran.

A notable study published in the Western Journal of Medicine in the late 1980's found that study participants who ate two oat bran muffins a day for 28 days experienced a 5.3% decrease in total serum cholesterol, and an 8.7% decrease in LDL cholesterol, compared to no change in participants consuming wheat muffins.

I won't be eating two muffins every day but adding oat bran wherever I can seems to be a good thing for keeping my overall cholesterol levels in check. Besides that it is a good source of fibre.

I didn't have any apple sauce so I chopped two small apples and boiled them in some water with a small amount of brown sugar until soft. I did not wait until they were mushy as I like chunks of fruit in my muffins.

   Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups oat bran
• 1 cup nonfat milk
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup brown sugar (I put 1/cup as I don't like things too sweet)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped frozen cranberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or use paper muffin liners. In my case, I use silicon muffin containers and I don't grease them. Mix together oat bran and milk, and let stand for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, mix together applesauce, egg, brown sugar, and vanilla. 

Beat in bran mixture. Sift together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir into bran mixture until just blended. Fold in blueberries. Scoop into muffin cups. 

Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tops spring back when lightly tapped.  

Taste test:  These muffins were not very sweet and had a nice tartness provided by the cranberries. I made a boo boo however. I didn't have the oven high enough for some reason and ended up cooking these for twice as long as necessary. In the process the outside of the muffins became a little rubbery and hard. I cooked them in my newish silicon muffin pans and I'm thinking that might also have something to do with it.  I've just read on line that overmixing the batter can also lead to a rubbery texture. I think that was also part of my problem though the recipe clearly says "stir...until just blended". I will be more careful next time.

 Does anyone else notice a negative difference when cooking in a silicone muffin pan? Baking bread in my silicon pans seems to work just fine but I've noticed the muffins lately are rubbery in texture.

Mountain Moods

  
An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.

 

Martin Luther King, Jr.

(In honour of Martin Luther King day)

 ~~~~~

I captured the mood of the mountains at several stages this past  weekend. It always fascinates me how quickly the weather conditions can change.

We were expecting a big snow storm on Saturday but it didn't amount to much; at least not where I live.  We did get a mild sprinkling of snow on the mountains and in the city which you can see in the photos below.

The storm did arrive overnight on Sunday. This morning's news said that some schools were closed up the valley, about an hour or so away from me.  Big snowflakes were falling here outside my window a few moments ago and fog shrouded the mountains.
Right now though, the sky has cleared a bit and the snow has stopped.

I am not sure what the next few days has in store.  So far it is not too bad where I am but I intend to stay cosy indoors.  This is a good time for me to "catch up" on housework.

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Low-Fat Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

NOTE:  I've just been advised by a reader that she cannot leave a comment. I apologize to all bloggers who experience the same issue. I've recently set blogger settings to allow "embedded" comments. I know that this used to cause commenting problems for some people. Blogger's new comment feature requires "embedded" comments.  Hopefully blogger will soon resolve any issues associated with this change.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour (white or whole wheat)

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup packed brown sugar (I used about 3/4 cups)

• 1/4 cup fat-free vanilla or plain yogurt

• 2 tablespoons canola or corn oil

• 1 large egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 1/3 cups uncooked old fashioned or quick-cooking rolled oats

• 1 cup dried cranberries (original recipe calls for raisins)

Directions:

HEAT oven to 350°F. Cover 2 cookie sheets with
parchment paper or use non stick teflon cookie sheets.
COMBINE flour, baking powder, cinnamon,
baking soda and salt together in small bowl.
COMBINE brown sugar, yogurt, oil, egg and
vanilla in large bowl. Add flour mixture to make
a blended dough.
STIR in oats and raisins.
DROP mixture by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches
apart on prepared cookie sheets.
BAKE for 10 to 12 minutes until very lightly
browned. Do not overbake.

I made about 33 cookies with this recipe though it says you can make 40. I had to watch how much I put in each spoon. Surprisingly the batter spread well.

I slightly adapted this recipe from a Sun Ripe Raisin recipe book.  These cookies are low sodium, low fat and low cholesterol.

 My taste test reveals a crunchy cookie, not too sweet, quite airy and delicious.

 NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Daily Values:
Dietary Fiber 4%
Nutrients per serving (1 cookie): Calories 63, Protein 1.1g,
Fat 1.1g (Sat. Fat 0.1g), Carbohydrates 12.7g, Dietary Fiber 1g,
Cholesterol 5mg, Sodium 63mg.
Note: Since I've added 1/4 cup less sugar, each cookie should be a few calories less than stated but that is only if you make 40 as per the recipe suggestion. If there are fewer cookies, the calorie count per cookie will be higher but still very reasonable.

To All the Somebodies

SOMEBODY is thankful for the support you have provided. 

-somebody wants to hold your hand.
-somebody hopes everything turns out all right.
-somebody wants you to be happy.
-somebody wants you to find him/her.
-somebody is celebrating your successes.
-somebody wants to give you a gift.
-somebody thinks that you ARE a gift.
-somebody hopes you're not too cold, or too hot.
-somebody wants to hug you.
-somebody loves you.
-somebody admires your strength.
-somebody is thinking of you and smiling.
-somebody wants to be your shoulder to cry on.
-somebody wants to go out with you and have a lot of fun.
-somebody thinks the world of you.
-somebody wants to protect you.
-somebody would do anything for you.
-somebody wants to be forgiven.
-somebody is grateful for your forgiveness.
-somebody wants to laugh with you.
-somebody remembers you and wishes that you were there.
-somebody is praising God for you.
-somebody needs to know that your love is unconditional.
-somebody values your advice.
-somebody wants to tell you how much they care.
-somebody wants to share their dreams with you.
-somebody wants to hold you in their arms.
-somebody wants YOU to hold them in your arms.
-somebody treasures your spirit.
-somebody wishes they could STOP time because of you.
-somebody praises God for your friendship and love.
-somebody can't wait to see you.
-somebody loves you for who you are.
-somebody loves the way you make them feel.
-somebody wants to be with you.
-somebody wants you to know they are there for you.
-somebody is glad that you're his/her friend.
-somebody wants to be your friend.
-somebody stayed up all night thinking about you.
-somebody is alive because of you.
-somebody is wishing that you noticed him/her.
-somebody wants to get to know you better.
-somebody wants to be near you.
-somebody misses your advice/guidance.
-somebody has faith in you.
-somebody trusts you.
-somebody needs you to send them this letter.
-somebody needs your support.
-somebody needs you to have faith in them.
-somebody will cry when they read this.
-somebody needs you to let them be your friend.
-somebody hears a song that reminds them of you.

Wise Words

You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late. 

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

 Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight.  Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward.  Your life will never be the same again.  

~ Og Mandino

The best practical advice I can give to the present generation is to practice the virtue which the Christians call love. 

~ Bertrand Russell

The first and highest law must be the love of man to man.  Homo homini Deus est - this is the supreme practical maxim, this is the turning point of the world's History.  

~ Ludwig Feuerbach, The Essence of Christianity

I expect to pass through life but once.  If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again.  

~William Penn

A prayer

Father, I pray for your people. I pray that your kindness will be their kindness, that

your love will  be their love, that your mercy will be their mercy.

I pray for your people to receive your grace, your power, your abundance;  for you have come that we might have life and have it more abundantly.

In Jesus' name, I pray and give you all thanks, honour and glory.

Amen

 

Someone Needs You

Hello friends,

I'm still on my blogging break but I wanted to thank you all for your kind comments on my last post. I have been enjoying some restful days while I also plan a bit of my schedule but I did say to a friend that I would be back on the blog if I have something to report concerning the Missions of Hope.

I do want to mention that my friend, Jonah has returned to what what I think is his last semester in his Master's Degree Program on International Development. He has been in an accelerated program to try and save money on his studies. Please pray for him to have excellent study skills and good memory and research and writing skills as he completes his thesis and prepares for exams.







The other student, Kipngeno, I've written about before. I ask you to continue praying for him as he is now at a critical juncture in the finances needed to complete his first year of medical studies at the Kisii University.

Here we have given him a small amount of money to get him started. It is only about 10% of what he needs to complete the year.  This amounts to about $88. Canadian dollars. I will round that up to $90.

This boy, Kipngeno, is a promising medical student and needs your help to continue his studies.

I know that perhaps the full amount required is too much for one person to take on but you can help to the amount of $90, $180, $270 and so on.

If you can help, please click the Missions of Hope logo below now.  You will be taken to the donate page. 

If you cannot help, please at least spread the awareness of the need an/or pray for this young man. Thank you so much and may God bless you.

Time has a Way of Moving On

Dear reader,

Where does the time go? It seems that the older one gets the quicker time passes and the Christmas season we just had is no exception.

This past Christmas was the first time I was at my own home for Christmas.  There was only one other time I was far from home and family at Christmas.  I didn't remain at my home though because I had been invited to a friend's for the holiday. I wanted to stay home but she insisted that no one should be alone at Christmas so I accepted her hospitality.  This year, I had a number of plans but everything was in limbo until the last moments before Christmas.  In the end I was at home and it was okay. I was looking forward to it and I thought I might actually have a nice rest from all the busyness of constant appointments concerning my leg, and all kinds of errands to run, before Christmas. Not!

It was quiet but it wasn't restful because I was very busy. Besides the rush of buying and getting Christmas gifts in the post (yes, this year I did buy gifts!), decorating my home and my tree, planning and buying food for Christmas dinner and generally getting things tidied up, I had a number of other unexpected projects.

A blogging friend of mine, Caroline, has been wanting to change up her blog for a very long time. I offered to try and help her though I am not a blog designer as such. Caroline had her own ideas about what she wanted and I learned that my skill set wasn't advanced enough to complete some of the specific work.  Not to fear though as I was able to give Caroline what she wanted through the assistance of my brother.  In the end, Caroline was happy with the overall result and I was happy to have helped her achieve her goal.

I had another unexpected project to help my nephew with his budgeting.  I didn't know that he had been struggling and was seriously considering dropping out of university.  Though he doesn't live with me and has an  "affordable" rental that he shares with others, we live in one of the most expensive cities in Canada,  perhaps even in all of North America (exception New York City), and the burden of the finances were proving to be too  much for him. 

I offered to take a look at his budget and see what the shortfall is and whether we could save his year. It took awhile to get all of his financials and to create a budget and a cash flow to the end of the school  year.  It was also a bit challenging figuring out what his real costs are in a few areas because of the holiday.  At this moment, he is also trying to renegotiate some of those costs.  We've established a food budget and come up with nutritious and affordable menu ideas and places to shop. They are menu ideas as opposed to recipes but I've kept them simple and easy. It will require that he shops the sales and cooks more.  He did say that he has been cooking more since he moved here so those skills will help him.  We have chatted about living within the budget categories, the difference between "needs vs. wants" and how to use a credit card. Shortfalls in the budget and ideas about how to meet them while trying to successfully manage a course load, were also important aspects of the budget "summit".

As an auntie and surrogate parent,  I feel it is my duty to demonstrate some "tough love". It is the first time that my advice and suggestions appear to be listened to and accepted. That means, this can be a very good learning experience for which life long skills can be learned and applied though I know it will be very challenging for him.  I will also be saving funds monthly for when he finishes his term as he will have no money left over to cover bills until the first pay cheque.  He hopes to sublet his bedroom which will help him a lot.  But he needs a back up plan if that doesn't work out and he still needs money until first pay cheque even if that does work out. I have a few stipulations for giving my help:  no credit card usage and renegotiating credit card interest rate, getting on equal payments for electricity costs, no gym membership, taking thermos (flask) coffee to university, no entertainment unless it comes out of the food budget. The budget is very strict. There is no fat. He will need to bite the bullet and commit to the plan or the year will have been a lost one in the sense that he will have incurred significant debt from student loans.  At least the debt will have been for a useful purpose, if he is able to finish the year and complete his courses with good grades.  Though the budget is very tight, I do feel it can be met with some hard effort and discipline.

I have tough conditions because I want him to learn financial discipline and responsibility for his own actions. If I was overly strict, I would simply say "get yourself out of it" and "you made your bed", but I think people need second chances. Sometimes you get a second chance and sometimes you don't.  In this case, he has a chance to set things right and it is now or never to learn some good financial management skills.  I've seen him struggle with some of the same financial issues now for several years though in different circumstances and he needs help but he can only benefit if he is willing. Right now to make some effort to change because he doesn't want to lose out on his entire academic year. Sadly, the issues he faces are not uncommon.  There are many people who fritter away hard earned money on "nothings", racking up debt, and wondering where the money goes.

To his credit, he does know that there are certain things that are costing him too much (like debit card bank fees) but he doesn't know how to fix the problems. He tries but then it seems to lead to other issues and then he gets into a cycle of issues.  I'm sure many of you reading this can relate and have had to deal with these kinds of issues yourself, or seen loved ones with similar issues, but different circumstances. I too, can relate, because I always had to learn things the hard way with  no one to teach me or guide me about financial matters. Thankfully I was able to begin to learn and get some measure of control over the myriad financial issues that we all have to deal with every day.

My medical issues and associated costs are another thing I was dealing with over Christmas.  As part of better financial management,  I wanted to get all the benefits from my extended health coverage for the year 2011 as I could. I'm still experiencing a sore knee and so I went to as many physiotherapy and registered massage therapy sessions as I am allowed under my health plan.  I also filled my eye prescription and my pharmacy prescriptions for the next several months.  Once 2012 rolls around, I have to pay a deductible before I get any prescriptions filled. I like to prolong that payment.  As a result of all this activity over the holiday, I now have my receipts ready for submission to the insurance plan.  I won't have the problem I often have of losing track of my receipts since I can submit them all at once.

Finally, I managed to take stock of my goals in 2011 and set new ones for 2012. I've got a busy year ahead and I am hoping that soon I can enjoy myself without the level of knee and leg pain present I had this past year.  I still have pain but hopefully things are improving. I do notice my right leg muscles and knee cap are not stiff like they have been for at least half a year.  Hopefully the stretching and exercises will really help.

Things have been much busier than I could have anticipated over the holiday but I feel like I am ahead of the ball for 2012 and ready to make the best of things.

A photo of a gate I took in Chinatown.

The truth is that right now I am a little tired so I probably won't be blogging that much for a few weeks. I want to enjoy the next few weeks and take things slowly as I begin to implement my plan for 2012. I hope you will come back from time to time and see me once I am back.