Oh, do you know the muffin man?

Besides reading labels more fanatically, 

putting things back on the store shelves that contain items from our "no-no" list, 

and experimenting with homemade alternatives, 

I'm also modifying some favorite homebaked delights to reflect this "cleaner" eating

 that I'm pursuing for my family.

We LOVE pancakes.

Here is my recipe for our version.

I was inspired by this recipe,

and have since ceased using all-purpose white flour

and instead use whole wheat pasty flour instead.

I use organic cane sugar crystals or honey for sweetening, and

I also add about 1/2 cup of cold-milled ground flax to my pancake batter to increase the

Omega-3's, which are said to be very beneficial to those with ADHD.

You can try adding in fresh blueberries or bananas, but my children turn and run from my kitchen

when they see ANYTHING in their pancakes.  Big chickens!!

Another favorite on our breakfast menu is MUFFINS!!

I love them any flavor.....blueberry, apple, cinnamon struesal (my spell-checker is not helping me here!).

But our all-time favorite is chocolate chip!!!

Here is my quickie, mix-up in-a-snap recipe before tweaking:

Chocolate Chip Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 T. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup mini-chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine the first four ingredients.  In a small bowl, beat egg, milk and oil.

Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full.

Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

Yield:  1 dozen

Here's my tweaked version:

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup honey or organic sugar cane crystals

Several scoops of cold-milled ground flax

1 T. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 cup canola (or olive) oil

3/4 cup mini-chocolate chips 

1 egg

**Sometimes I mash up some old bananas and mix them in too.

But my children notice that.  They are DETECTIVES when it comes to mom slipping in fruit on them.

I double my recipe and bake them in mini- muffin pans.  

Yield:  5 dozen delicious mini-muffins!!!

Since I use mini-chocolate chips, they aren't as chocolatey sweet as you would think.

I do not make cookies or dessert anymore on a daily basis in an effort to serve less sugar laden foods,

so these are a nice sweet treat on Sunday mornings that my children will gobble up on our way out the door to church!! 

Enjoy!!!