Apple Carrot Muffins & Fruit Pizza

Delicious and healthy muffin recipe I found on allrecipes.com and freeze great if have extra.

Apple Carrot Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

1 & 3/4 cups raisin bran cereal

1 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 & 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup canola oil

3/4 cup finely chopped peeled tart apple

3/4 cup grated carrots

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In a small bowl, beat the egg, buttermilk and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in apple, carrots and walnuts. Fill paper-lined muffin cups or cups coated with nonstick cooking spray three-fourths full. Bake at 4oo degrees F for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm.

Nutition per muffin: 199 calories, 7 g fat

(I found this wonderful recipe on www.allrecipes.com submitted by Elaine Cooley)

Fruit Pizza

Recipes are from my amazing mother-in-law.

Sugar Cookies

3/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Blend in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover, chill at least 1 hour. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Roll dough 1/8-1/4" thick on a greased cookie sheet into one large circle (to resemble a pizza). Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until just set and barely brown on the edges and bottom.

Fruit Pizza

1 recipe of sugar cookie dough

1 8 oz. package cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. lemon juice

approx. 1 cup Cool Whip

raspberry filling or jam

kiwi, sliced

bananas, sliced (could toss in a small amount of cinnamon sugar)

strawberries, sliced

Press cookie dough into pizza pan. Bake according to directions. Beat the cream cheese to soften; add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth; beat in lemon juice and fold in Cool Whip. Spread evenly over top of cooled sugar cookie crust. On top of cream cheese mixture, spread raspberry filling or jam in a circle in the center of the pizza. Place kiwi, bananas, and strawberries in rows around the raspberry center. May use other fruit if desired.

I used bananas, strawberries, blueberries and kiwi. It was tasty! A great summer dessert.

Taco Salad

Taco Salad

This is the best taco salad I have ever tasted!

Makes: 6 main-dish servings

8 ounces lean ground beef or ground turkey

3 cloves of garlic

1-15 ounce can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1-15 ounce can of tomato sauce

1.25 ounce packet of taco seasoning

3/4 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed (or you could use canned corn) (optional)

6 cups shredded leaf

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 large green sweet pepper, chopped (1 cup)

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion (4)

6 purchased tortilla cups or a bag of tortilla chips

1 medium avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and chopped (1/2 cup)

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (3 ounces)

Dairy sour cream (optional)

1. In a medium sauce pan cook ground beef or ground turkey and garlic until beef or turkey is brown. Drain off fat. Stir in kidney beans, tomato sauce, taco seasoning, and, if desired, corn. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a extra-large bowl combine lettuce, tomatoes, sweet pepper, and green onion. To serve, divide lettuce mixture among the tortilla cups or chips. Top each serving with some of the meat mixture and avocado. Sprinkle with cheese. If desired, serve with sour cream.

(adapted recipe to my liking from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book 14th Edition)