I made these Healthier muffins the other morning…  this recipe I got from a foil top under a container of Dannon “ Light & Fit” Yogurt.

…And by the way, I have never assumed to be a good cook.  Growing up with cafeteria meals as part of my parent’s paycheck, we didn’t cook much at home.  I have been on a learning journey ever since I arrived at adulthood unprepared to fend for my stomach! It’s been learning by default, but the things you need to learn, you learn quickly and with motivation!

Modifying recipes on product boxes is a quick and easy way to start.  Being a starchy carbs and sweets addict, I naturally started with sweets as something I could adapt to a healthier step up in my diet.  I have seen many people choose organic potato chips… they’re still a chip, but a better option while moving on and stepping up to even better choices…

I doubled the batch because, well, I have large guys at my house…  and they eat a lot! Otherwise I’m a reluctant, lazy cook and figure that if I make a large batch, there’s less I have to do later…

-Plus, I added a ground up pear instead of the oil.  We got one of those little personal size blenders for Christmas, very handy.  And because I’m sneaky, I added a small handful of carrot sticks to my pear when blending… (Adding the veggies)  I usually add applesauce, but hubby got a big bag of pears and I needed to use them before they go bad…

I frequently use applesauce instead of oil in almost all of my baking except for cookies and waffles to add moisture but not fat, you don’t taste it, and you get the bonus of fiber!  Note that it does usually reduce the cooking time, so set the timer for a couple minutes early and check to see if a tooth pick comes out clean in the middle of the muffins….

I reduced the brown sugar by a 1/3.  I use stevia quite a bit, but here I know the brown sugar taste adds to the recipe…

I used lots of extra raisins for the sweetness and moisture …and yumminess,

And I added a couple of handfuls of chopped walnuts for the crunch, the protein and good fats… and speaking of good fats, a couple of tablespoons of flax seed.  You can add lots in baked goods without anyone knowing it. 

Voila!  Yum!