I officially don’t like Wednesdays. On Wednesdays I work at a different dialysis clinic that is an hour and 15 minutes from home. And my hours are 10am-8pm, meaning I leave at 8:45am and get home at 9:15pm…ugh. I really like the clinic and the staff, but covering 2nd and 3rd shifts so far from home is obviously not optimal. C’est la vie. I am blessed to have a job…and one that I love, at that 😀
But it is days like yesterday that make me very glad I plan ahead and have easy on-the-go healthy snacks. When Georgie posted the below recipe, I absolutely wanted to try it.…especially since I’ve never used wheat bran before. And what a treat I was missing! A serving of wheat bran, 1/4 cup, is a mere 30 calories and 6 grams of fiber!
Apple Bran Muffins slightly adapted from Ask Georgie
Cooking oil spray or muffin liners
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup wheat bran
2 medium apples, peeled and finely chopped (2¼ cups)
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ unsweetened applesauce
¼ cup skim milk
¼ cup egg whites (2)
¼ cup molasses (I used maple syrup)
2 tablespoons oil (olive, macadamia, or canola)
1 tsp cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat wells of a muffin tin thoroughly with cooking oil spray or place liners in muffin wells.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, bran, apple, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; stir to mix.
In a separate large mixing bowl, stir together applesauce, milk, egg whites, molasses/syrup and oil. Add dry ingredients to wet ones, and stir just until uniformly moistened. Spoon batter into 12 muffin wells.
Bake 18-20 minutes or until tops spring back lightly when touched. Allow to cool completely before removing from tin. Store in refrigerator. Yield: 12 muffins.
Nutrition Information (per muffin): 103 calories; 2.7 g. fat; 0 mg. cholesterol; 60 mg. sodium; 18.9 g. carbohydrate; 3.7 g. fiber; 1.6 g. protein
Result: These are great! They are hearty and filling…and remind me so much of fall which is quickly approaching. I don’t think you can beat those nutrition stats, either. One muffin for breakfast? Why not 2 AND a piece of fruit and still come in under 300 calories!
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And during my run yesterday I decided that this song is one that always causes an increase in pace! It’s hard NOT to move to this song! The beat is great…the lyrics…um, yeah. It’s the beat I love! 😉
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxQxErimXnE]
A short day at work and then I’m off to Chicago for a wedding and some over-due time with family & friends! My brother is my date to the wedding…we’ll have a blast, I can’t wait!
Question: What’s your #1 workout tune that always gets you in the workout state of mind?
Be well,
Timbaland’s “throw it on me.” Or anything by Michael Jackson!
Ugh, that sounds like a miserably long day! I don’t know how you fit in a run! I’d sleep till the last minute, then when I got home it’d be dinner and bed. Good for you!
Yikes, it sounds like your Wednesdays are not ideal at all! I’m glad it’s only one day a week, but still! You are super organized, Nicole, to fit in running and baking a healthy treat. I confess, I’ve never used wheat bran before, either, but using bran looks like a great way to pump up the muffins 🙂
Have fun at the wedding, Nicole – you deserve a break!!
Too funny! I’ve been rocking a JLo throwback as of late, too- but it’s “Play”. I made a playlist of songs from when I was in jr high/high school and LOVE the switch up!
I love making healthy snacks, I’ve been making my oatmeal muffins with peaches up the wazoo! So much better than buying granola bars 🙂
Um JLo looks great in that video! My favorite song right now is that Dynamite song. It really gets me pump up hahaha!
Muffins look fabulous as well!
The muffins look great. 🙂 Wheat bran is one of my favorite ingredients. It adds a really nice flavor and of course lots of nutrition, too! Oat bran is also lovely, but not as much fiber. 😛
I completely forgot about that song!
i recently used wheat bran for baking for the first time and i love the stuff!! the flavor is quite nice and subtle yet makes a huge difference in the consistency of the baked good. especially delicious muffins like yours!! <3
I really dig my entire *go* list but Let’s Get It Started by the Black Eyed Peas is a definite favorite.
I’ve been looking for a muffin recipe that I have all the ingredients on hand for… Winner winner!
I always get pumped up with lady gaga or black eyed peas 🙂
Lately I’ve been loving MIA’s Paper Planes because on the gun shots in the chorus my feet hit the ground in unison = awesome 🙂
haha I’ve started just about every run with ACDC – You Shook Me All Night Long. It never fails. 🙂
Wow the muffins look so yummy! I would want those first thing in the morning.
My no. 1 workout tune was anything from Britney Spears to British pop bands. But lately I’ve discovered the fun and joy of Bollywood dance workouts! The songs are fun and crazy..though I don’t undertand anything but it keeps me going 🙂
Anything top 40. I am a total sucker for current songs that I download to my ipod and just listen to time after time.
OO and I have wheat bran in the fridge! Sweet! Perhaps I’ll bake these tonight!
Have fun on your trip to chicago! I’ll be leaving for Cali on Saturday! I’m SO super excited!!
That is a bummer about your Wednesdays. 🙁 I work at 2 different offices, too, and I DEFINITELY have a favorite! You have a great attitude about it, though – the same one that I’m trying to have. Pays the bills, too!
Hmmm – it’s kind of funny, but I realllllly like Rap/Hip Hop songs when it comes to working out. 🙂 My new favorites are “Teach Me How to Dougie” and “Pretty Boy Swag.” I LOVE new music! It’s so motivating.
I would have to say anything by Black Eyed Peas will usually get me moving.
That is a such a long shift. Hopefully you will get in a routine and it won’t seem like such a big deal.
Good for you for being on top of blogging and running!
I’m gonna steal Brittany’s song – I love MIA Paper Planes when I run (um, ran? 😉 ) too! Also, I used to LOVE to run to Panic at the Disco’s album that was out the summer of 2006 on my iPod while running!! Everytime I hear it now I want to run!!
I love to listen to “Fergilicious” and those muffins looks so yummy! My mom has a bran muffin recipe but she hasn’t made it for me yet even though I keep reminding her!
I forgot about this tune. I tend to prefer really old tunes that make me feel like the hippy chick I’ve always wanted to be.
Right now I basically have all top 40s stuff…but my favorite song to run to (don’t laugh….) is “jump around”. Yes, I went there. House of pain. Lol
I made these last night and they turned out great! Not heavy at all for a bran muffin.
I am 17 posts behind on your blog dear—but no worries, I am playing catch up!! These muffins rate great nutritionally and I bet they taste fabulous as well!