Applesauce Kale Muffins

I LOVE to cook healthy things! It is one of my hobbies and it allows me to be creative. Tonight we had some kale in the fridge that was going to go bad if I didn't use it soon, so I decided to create a kale muffin recipe. I was a bit nervous about how they would turn out but we loved them! Plus they are really healthy. Kale is literally one of the healthiest vegetables in the world and is known as the "queen of greens". I learned that "one cup of chopped kale contains 33 calories and 9% of the daily value of calcium, 206% of vitamin A, 134% of vitamin C, and a whopping 684% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus." It also protects against cancer and lowers cholesterol. Okay, enough of the technical stuff. What is fun about this muffin recipe is that it allows you to get all of these health benefits in an easy and yummy way. They were easy to make as well! 

Here is the recipe...

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon 

3/4 cup Splenda (or any other sweetener you want) 

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup applesauce (I used "no sugar added")

1 tbs oil 

3 eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla 

1 cup oats 

1 cup kale (steamed and chopped) 

Add anything else you would like... shredded carrots, raisons etc!! 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add everything else and stir until evenly moist. Pour into greased muffin tins filling each one 3/4 full. Bake for about 15 mins or until knife inserted into the muffin comes out clean.

Enjoy!! 

Quote from  http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/the-truth-about-kale  

Live To The Fullest

A couple nights ago, Jaren and I made hot chocolate and laid outside our bedroom window on the grass to watch the stars. We kept the window open so that we could hear our sleeping Hannah inside (we have been getting creative on our alone time since becoming parents). As we laid there, we talked about really living life and not taking it for granted. We only have so many days in this life, taking one for granted is one day lost. It is so easy to just go through the motions of the daily grind. Wake up, go to work, come home, go to sleep, or whatever our days consist of. Are we treating each day like a gift? A precious gift that can only be used and loved for a moment until it is gone? I believe that we generally miss out on what life has to offer. Whether we spend 8 hours a day in a business office or whether we are chasing after our kids all day, there is beauty and wonder that we miss if we don't take a moment to let life sink in. Look for the good. Take a moment to smile when you otherwise wouldn't have. Look around and make note of a blessing or one of God's beautiful creations. Jaren and I decided that we would come up with a saying that we could use to remind each other of this idea. "Live to the fullest" is now our motto. I know that I can't do this special conversation that we had justice, but all in all, we are trying not to take life to granted. We are trying to love and live each day. Life is such a blessing!

Here are some of our recent simple pleasures...

Fun on Jaren's lunch break!

Sleeping with Daddy

Community event (can't remember what haha)

Drive-in movie