Krystal's Berry Bran Flax Muffins

This is a very healthy muffin recipe that I came up with. They are a good source of B Vitamins, Vitamin E, potassium, magnesium and Omega-3 fatty acids. They are great for breakfast or as a snack. Apple sauce is used instead of oil or butter and they are so moist that you may not want to store them in a air-tight container because they can get a little soggy. I usually add a mix of frozen berries to these muffins but any fresh, frozen or dried fruit would do. Cranberries with orange zest would be fantastic.

Ingredients

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup organic cold-milled ground flax seed

1/2 cup unprocessed what bran

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1/2 cup almond milk (can use cow's milk)

1 large egg

2 cups frozen mixed berries

few teaspoons of sugar in the raw (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350* and line a muffin 12 pan with paper liners (muffins will stick if not using liners).

Sift together the flour, flax, what bran, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Discard any course chunks of flax or bran.

In a separate bowl mix the applesauce, honey, egg, milk and lemon juice together.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry. Mix only enough to wet the dry ingredients. Don't over mix.

Fold in the frozen berries and mix lightly to blend.

Put equal amounts of batter in the muffin cups and sprinkle with sugar in raw if desired. Bake for about 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Don't over bake. Enjoy!

Recipe by me.

Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Chocolate ice cream is one of my favorite things on Earth. I have been making my own ice cream since Ryan and I received an ice cream maker for a wedding gift. Usually it takes a little time to make homemade ice cream but not with this amazingly delicious and easy recipe. This rich ice cream is made from coconut milk so perfect for those avoiding diary. The simple list of ingredients are always in my pantry so it is a perfect recipe to have as a quick "go to". I think the ice cream is best when it has firmed up for a hour or two after churning. It does get pretty hard when left in the freezer but if put out to thaw for a a bit, the texture once again becomes creamy and not at all icy. You can successfully make a half batch of this recipe as well. The taste and texture of this ice cream is very nice and is just as good if not better than the expensive Purely Decadent Coconut Milk Ice Cream that I have tried (Sells for about $4.99/pint).

Ingredients

3 cups of unsweetened coconut milk (about two cans)
2/3 cup of cocoa powder
6 tablespoons agave syrup (I often use honey instead of agave)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Whisk cocoa powder in a small amount of coconut milk, until smooth. Then add the rest of the ingredients and whisk until well combined. Or dump all ingredients together and blend with a stick blender (this is the method I prefer). Make according to your machines instructions.

Recipe from The Nourishing Gourmet