Banana Oatmeal Muffins

These are one of my favorite healthy muffin recipes. I also changed it so it has no oil and less sugar (if you don't want to use splenda you can use 1/2 brown sugar instead.) than the original recipe. I also usually add some chocolate chips in it for the kids. There is no flour in this recipe either. To make your own oat flour just put regular oatmeal in the food processor and blend until it turns to flour.

Yield: 12 large

Bake: in 400ºF oven for 20 minutes

1 1/4 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup yogurt, plain low fat

1/2 cup milk, low fat

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup slpenda

1/3 cup applesauce

2 bananas, large, ripe, mashed

1 egg, large, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cup oat flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

Instructions

In a bowl mix together rolled oats, yogurt and milk. Let soak for 10 minutes.

Mix oat flour, salt, spices, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl.

Add brown sugar, mashed banana, egg and oil to rolled oats mixture. Mix well.

Add dry ingredients to the rolled oats mixture. Mix well. Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for approximately 20 minutes.

Cinnamon Bear Popcorn

24 C popped popcorn (1 C unpopped) or 3 bags of microwave popcorn

1 16 oz bag cinnamon bears

1 C butter

1/2 C corn syrup

1 1/2 C sugar

1 t vanilla

4 C mini marshmallows

red food coloring

1. Pop up your popcorn. Sprinkle it with just a bit of salt and set it aside.

2. Snip your cinnamon bears up with a pair of kitchen scissors.

3. In a medium sized sauce pan combine the butter, corn syrup and sugar. Heat it over medium to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.

4. Remove it from the heat and add your vanilla, marshmallows and red food coloring.

5. You could of course add more food coloring for a darker pink. Mix it all around to get everything melted in and combined.

6. Stir in the bears.

7. Add the mixture to your popped popcorn. Stir it all around until well combined.

Andi's Chili

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced (1 cup)

1 red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)

2 celery, diced (1/2 cup)

2 carrots, diced (1/2 cup)

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 pound extra-lean ground beef (90 percent lean) or I use Lean Ground Turkey

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 cups water

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, seeded and minced

2 teaspoons adobo sauce from the can of chipotles

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15.5-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Directions

Heat the oil in large pot or Dutch oven over moderate heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and carrots, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the ground beef; raise the heat to high and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the meat is no longer pink. Stir in the tomatoes, water, chipotle and adobo sauce, oregano and salt and pepper. Simmer, partially covered, stirring from time to time, for 30 minutes. Stir in the beans and cook, partially covered, 20 minutes longer. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.