Applesauce Muffins

I have been feeling a little frustrated with school lunches.  My kids typically take about 45 minutes to eat a meal.  At school, they get 20 minutes.  Therefore, they don't typically eat enough for lunch.  So, I have been trying to pack things that they can eat quickly, while giving them some much needed energy!

I store these muffins in the freezer to pack in lunches.  If you pack the muffin frozen, it is thawed well before lunch time.  With the muffin, I pack a Greek yogurt stick, fruit and veggies.  The muffins are made with unsweetened applesauce and honey to keep the sugar lower than most muffin recipes but they are still sweet enough to keep the kids interested in them.  They also have some oat and whole wheat flour to give a little fiber boost in their meal.  I hope your kids like them as much as mine do!

If you like this recipe, you may also like Applesauce Spice Cake (EF, DF).

Applesauce Muffins

½ c old fashioned oats, blended

½ c whole wheat flour

½ c all-purpose flour

½ c honey

1 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

½ t salt

¼ c vegetable oil

¼ c milk or non-dairy milk

1 c unsweetened applesauce

1 t cinnamon

1 t vanilla extract

Measure ½ c oats and blend in a blender or food processor until a course powder and set aside.  Be sure to measure the oats before blending them.  Using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, blend applesauce, oil, milk and vanilla mixing until combined.  Slowing add in the dry ingredients, while mixing the batter.  Spoon batter evenly into 12 greased muffin tins.  Bake at 375^o for about 16 minutes.  Cool in muffin tins. 

Makes 12 muffins

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Well, this recipe was a total accident.  I was experimenting with possibly making some adjustments to my chocolate chip cookies recipe.  But when the batter looked all wrong and I knew it wouldn't roll into cookies well, I almost threw it out.  But I decided to press it into my jelly roll pan and bake it up anyway.  I figured regardless of the result my husband and kids would eat some of it.  Well, what do you know. . .   My mess up baked up into these yummy chocolate chip cookie bars!  I am so glad I didn't throw out the dough!  This recipe makes about 24 two inch square cookies.  I even froze some for the kids' lunches.  If you put a frozen cookie in their lunch in the morning, it is thawed well before lunchtime.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars 

1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, melted (14 T)

½ c sugar

1 c brown sugar

1 t vanilla

2 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

½  t salt

3 c flour

7 T milk

1 ½ c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375^o.  Mix both sugars, flour, baking powder, baking sode and salt.  Slowly pour in butter, mix.  Then pour in milk and mix.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Press into an ungreased 17¼ inch x 11½ inch rimmed cookie sheet (jelly roll pan).  Bake for about 15 minutes.  Let cool in pan before cutting. 

Makes about 24 two inch square cookie bars.

Mexican Zucchini

Do you need a quick meal on a busy school night before you race off for your kids' activities?  Try this one!  It is pretty healthy, too.  I liked it as is, but I also served it over seasoned Spanish rice.

Mexican Zucchini and Beef - click to link to recipe.

Chili Con Queso

Football season is here!  I am not a huge football fan but I do enjoy a good football party.  Here is a great recipe to take to your next party or pot luck!  It is a crowd pleaser!  My husband recently took it to a work lunch!  We got it all ready, put it in the slow-cooker and he plugged it in at work.  So, I didn't get a good picture of it when the cheese had melted.  This picture is from my husband's cell phone so it is not the best quality.

I just noticed I had posted this recipe before with less meat and spice.  I think this version could easliy be used as a main course with chips.  The other one can be found here as a side dish Chili Con Queso (EF, GF).  Also, the version used as a side is gluten-free.  It just uses a gluten-free taco seasoning packet and not the chili packet.  It is very hard to find a chili seasoning packet without gluten.

Chili Con Queso

2 lb ground beef

1 taco seasoning packet

1 chili seasoning packet

2 lb Velveeta cheese, cubed

2 cans tomatoes with green chilies

Brown ground beef in a skillet until no longer pink and crumbly.  Drain.  Place cooked beef in the bottom of a slow-cooker.  Top with taco and chili seasoning, Velveeta and tomatoes.  Cook on high for about 4 hours, stirring every hour, or until cheese is all melted.  For best results, turn your slow-cooker to warm while serving.  Serve warm with tortilla chips.