It's FALL, time for baking...the healthier way!

How about some Pumpkin Oat Bread and Zucchini Muffins? They are both crowd pleasers, freeze perfectly and they are 100% family approved! My youngest son wants the zucchini muffins almost every day for breakfast and I usually give in because he is one that doesn't care for many veggies, so if he loves these, I'll take what I can get!Pumpkin Oat Bread
You'll Need:
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, 2 egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 tbs flaxseed meal
2/3 cup oats- quick oats will work fine too!

Heat oven to 375. Use a 8x8 loaf pan, 3 mini loaves, or it will also make 30 mini muffins but these stick, so be careful!
Combine all dry ingredients and then mix with others. Combine but don't over stir. Pour into pan and allow to cook for about 25 minutes or until cooked through.
*I sliced my large loaf into small slices, put in freezer bags and thaw as needed!


And now for these zucchini muffins...
Zucchini Muffins
You'll Need:
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups grated zucchini. As I shredded, I drained water from cup, until zucchin was packed in
1/3 cup canola oil
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tbs flaxseed meal

Preheat oven to 350. Make sure you gently drain the zucchini as it's being grated. You can use food processor, but I used hand grater.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg, add vanilla and then sugar. Stir to combine.
Add grated zucchini, then the oil, and then baking soda and salt. In seperate bowl, combine flour, cinnamon and nutmeg and then add to zucchini mixture. Gently combine and then pour into muffin pans. Bake 25-30 minutes or until cooked through.
*These freeze great too, and it's a great quick breakfast to grab on the go!

I think the reason I love fall SO much is for the pumpkin! Ha, I think I could add pumpkin puree to any and all recipes and it would make it that much more delicious...what about you?

My friend's aunt, who has run many 1/2 marathons and other races, was talking to me the other day about how my training was coming along. I told her I was good, but VERY nervous. I asked her to tell me something brilliant about this Houston half marathon that would keep me focused, drive me to get these miles in, and push me to the finish line and I think she did a pretty good job! She said, "when you are at about mile 4, turn around and you will see, you are surrounded by runners! In front of you, behind you, all different people, at different speeds...1,000's of them!" and that did it for me! All those people worked hard like you, set goals like you, pushed forward like you, and they all have ONE thing in common...they are DOING IT! Can't think of better motivation than that!!!