Snack – Page 2 – ketchupface.com

Over the last few months, my passion for the chocolate banana smoothie (Vivanno) has landed me on the doorstep of Starbucks more than I’d like to admit. Starbucks and Mommies go hand-in-hand like diapers and wipes (we should seriously get VIP discounts). Did you know there are 6 Starbucks are within walking distance of my home.

It started with an extra straw and evolved rapidly in to 2 straws, 2 stir sticks, a lid, a cup sleeve….I was insatiable. These items represented peace and quiet to me. For some reason, my toddler was fascinated with these items. The silence would sometimes last for a full 10 minutes at a time…sheer bliss.

This “love affair” started at the “chewing” stage (already peeled straws), next he entered the “straw peeling” stage, then came the “drumming” stage where we branched out from straws to include stir sticks. The next stage happened completely by accident when I forget Caden’s water bottle. This was the most exciting stage for me. The “drinking water from a straw” stage (his first time was at a Starbucks). There was only one drawback to this stage, it was the last time I was able to enjoy my smoothies alone with no mooching, from that day on it was “share-zees” all the way. Lately, we’ve been “threading” straws and stir sticks through coffee cup lids. What’s next? Who knows. It’s likely he’ll be enjoying his very own half-sweet hot chocolate or steamed vanilla milk….awwwww.

Thanks Starbucks. Thanks for the memories and for keeping me sane by occupying my son for 10 minutes while I went to my happy place.

These aren’t exactly hardcore veggie muffins but they do contain zucchini and carrot which is a good start. My toddler’s vegetable repertoire consists of carrots and peas (on a good day) so it’s nice to sneak a few extra veggies in when you can.

Grown-ups love these muffins and my little guy seems to like them too. They were easy to make and really moist. I suggest buying the oat flour found in the bulk food section of your store. It’s more economical that way. Next time, I’m going to try coconut yogurt, carrots and pineapple…maybe with a splash of rum…ahhhhh….not really, just dreaming of a pina colada and a sandy beach…ahem.

The most difficult thing about making these muffins is trying to save them for the kids (and not stuffing your face while you down a cup of tea).

Sneaky Mommy Muffins
Makes 24 Muffins

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup oat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup Liberte lemon yogurt (or other full fat yogurt)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup shredded carrot

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease muffin pan.

In a bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, oat flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, vegetable oil, applesauce, yogurt, sugar, honey, and vanilla. Mix the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Fold in the zucchini and carrots into the batter. Scoop into the prepared muffin cups.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes in a preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Make tea and start eating.

Recipe adapted from: Allrecipes.com, Zucchini Yogurt Multigrain Muffins

Move over Mattel; Starbucks offers hours of enjoyment

Veggie-filled muffins even a mother could love