Making it Healthier

If you're interested, I took this recipe for pumpkin muffins that I'd tried several times and that we all enjoyed, and tweaked the recipe to make it A) healthier and more muffin-like and B) more suitable for little bellies.

• I changed the flour to 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour and 2 cups of all-purpose flour.
• I split the oil and make it with 1/2 cup of applesauce and 1/2 cup of oil - there truly is not a huge difference in texture, it gives you another serving of fruit, it is less oily, and it is kinder to your waistline.
• I merely cut the sugar in half. I tried it with 2 cups, and they were still a bit sweet, so I backed down to 1 1/2 cups of sugar instead. Pumpkin is sweet on its own as it is. The original recipe didn't really store well because the dough got rather sticky. These store much better, though they are, overall, a bit denser, and they truly are sweet enough as it is. However, if you're skeptical, experiment on your own!

This really is a good recipe. I've found that, since there is so much batter, it is possible to make 6 muffins and 2 loaves of bread, or any combination that is needed. I have been trying to bake extra, freezing one loaf every time so I don't have to bake as much during the summer.

I must confess, since Syd still only has 7 teeth, I haven't made them with nuts, yet, but I look forward to beginning to incorporate them in to the batter.

Let me know how you enjoy them! Dawn, you mentioned freezing individual muffins for the kids - let me know how they like them, ok?