Blueberry-Coconut Protein Smoothie

If I'm not eating my fresh blueberries straight out of the container, here is one way I like to enjoy them.  They always make a very pretty, and happy looking, smoothie.  It's such a nice way to start my day!

Blueberry-Coconut Protein Smoothie
serves 1

Ingredients

• 1 cup vanilla coconut milk beverage
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/3 cup frozen banana slices
• 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
• 4-6 ice cubes
• a few drops liquid stevia (or sweetener of choice) optional

Directions
Throw all ingredients into the blender and whirl away until smooth and frosty.

Quick & Easy Blueberry-Peach Cake

 

We were all craving something sweet and fruity the day I made/threw together this simple dessert.  It's not quite a cake, not quite a cobbler, not quite a pie ~ but is sure was tasty.  Since I used a boxed 'cake' mix, that is what I'm going to call it. (I'd have called it a fruit cake...but, that sweet always gets a bad rap, so I decided not to go there :)   I used what I had available in the fridge/pantry, and was really happy with the results.  Super quick & easy.  Score one for Mom!

Quick & Easy Blueberry-Peach Cake

Ingredients

• one box of Jiffy yellow cake mix, prepared according to box instructions
• 1 large can peaches (approx 29oz), drained/sliced
• 2 cups of fresh blueberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare the cake mix according to box instructions & set aside.  Spray a cake pan with Pam, add the fruit to the pan, pour the batter over the top & gently shake to get the batter all around the fruit.  Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.  Enjoy.

 

Blueberry-Rhubarb Grunt

Blueberry-Rhubarb Grunt ~ Hmmm... the word 'grunt', it sure is a funny sounding name for a dessert, but it really does taste good.  I kinda, sorta made this recipe...I just fudged it a bit.  I did actually follow the recipe/ingredients for the blueberry fruit part....except that I added a handful of chopped rhubarb.  And...instead of the regular 'topping' recipe part, I used a 'just-add-water' pancake mix as the 'dumpling' base.  And then...I just added water, a bit of sugar, vanilla extract & cinnamon to it until it was a 'dumpling drop-able' consistancy.  But after all that, I went back to following the recipe directions. (see, just a few minor detours :)    It was a dessert that cooked on the stove top as we ate our dinner, and it was ready to enjoy, just as we finished our meal.  We devoured it quickly...with no dessert leftovers hanging around here that night.  That's always the sign of a good dessert in my book, no matter what recipe you may (or may not) follow.  tee hee  :)

Blueberry Corn-Bran Muffins ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure Cookbook

This morning, I was looking at a copy of ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure Cookbook.  I came across a recipe that sounded good and that would use some of the fresh blueberries I still had sitting in my fridge.  (they where on sale last week, and I bought A LOT!)   So, into the kitchen I went to start my day off baking.  As the muffins were going into the oven, our neighbors (Bill & Cheryl) stopped by, so we invited them in.  What a great way to start our day ~ warm muffins just out of the oven, a fresh brewed pot of coffee and a little chit-chat with good friends!

For being a food that claims to help reduce your cholesterol, I think these muffins are pretty good.  They have just a hint of sweetness, the blueberries are a nice surprise, and the cornmeal adds to the overall texture.  They have just a little oil, so they are really pretty low in fat, too.  If you are a fan of corn muffins, I think you might like this one.  I tinkered around with the recipe just a bit, I couldn't help myself! :)  I checked out the cookbook from our library, and I like it so much, I'm going to buy a copy of my own.  Real-time baking in my kitchen today ~ Enjoy!

Blueberry Corn-Bran Muffins
makes 12 muffins
Recipe adapted from ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure Cookbook

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups oat bran (I used Trader Joe's Toasted Oat Bran)
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup sugar (I used brown)
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup fat free milk
• 2 Tbsp oil (I used Smart Balance)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries (or frozen)
• 3 egg whites

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place first 5 ingredients (oat bran - cinnamon) in a food processor and pulse for a minute or two, until dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed together and are more 'flour-like', then put into a large bowl.  Combine milk, oil and vanilla, in a small bowl, then add to dry mix.  Stir together, then add the blueberries and stir again.  In a separate bowl beat egg whites until stiff and then fold them into the batter.  Spoon the batter into a prepared muffin pan (either greased or with muffin liners).  Bake for 20 minutes.  Best served warm.

Blueberry Rhubarb Muffins ~ healthy, low fat gems!

 

I came across this recipe for Blueberry Rhubarb Muffins and had to give them a go.  Why?  Because my neighbor, Cheryl, shared some homegrown rhubarb with me; fresh blueberries were 99 cents a pint at the market; and I found a recipe that used the two together...seemed like a sign to me!   The muffins are full of whole oats and the recipe make 12 VERY generous muffins.  I found them incredibly filling and I didn't get hungry for hours after eating them.  I enjoyed them for breakfast, at lunch and also as a snack ~ last week as I was painting and working around the house.

RoseMarie checking out the muffins as they cool...

The muffins are really low fat, so they are a bit on the dry side for my tastes ~ but perfect if you are looking for a super low fat muffin.  They were good as-is, but I preferred eating them with a schmear of  low-fat margarine or low fat cream cheese.  I also enjoyed them torn into bits and served in a bowl, covered with fat free milk.  Eaten this way, they were the perfect breakfast cereal, sorta like a 'baked soft granola'.  What a simple way to change-up a muffin into a different 'meal'.   So, if you're looking for some new recipes for baking with rhubarb or blueberries, check out the recipe over on the blog ~  Downton Abbey Cooks.  :)   

Cranberry Greek Yogurt Smoothie

Here is another tasty way that I've found to use fresh or frozen cranberries in a smoothie.  I took a little different spin on this High Protein Berry Smoothie recipe that I shared the other day.  I gotta say, I'm really enjoying adding those shiny, ruby berries to my smoothies.  I've been a bit lax lately in adding greens to my smoothies, so I decided to include some this time.  The fresh baby spinach just disappears into this drink ~ can't see it, nor taste it ~ but you still get the benefit of its green goodness, just the same.  Greek yogurt, flax seed/oil and strawberries/blueberries are just more of the superfood goodies in this smoothie ~ and it works for the Fat Flush Plan, too.  Booyah! 

Cranberry Greek Yogurt Smoothie
serves one

Ingredients

• 1 cup cold water
• 1 oz. unsweetened cranberry juice
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
• 3/4 cup fresh or frozen mix of strawberries and/or blueberries
• 2 handfuls of baby spinach leaves
• 1 Tbsp flax seed oil
• 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 6 ice cubes
• 2 packets of Equal or sweetener of choice 

Directions
Throw all ingredients into the blender and whirl away until it's smooth and frosty!

Antioxidant-Superfood High Protein Smoothie

I felt like having a smoothie today for breakfast, something full of good-for-you ingredients.  I started throwing superfoods into the blender, going for things that were rich in antioxidants, nutrients and high protein.  Here's the superfoods I found hanging around in my freezer, fridge and pantry ~ blueberries, strawberries, banana, chilled green tea, cinnamon, flax seeds, chia seeds, honey and Greek yogurt.  Man, combine them together and what a powerhouse of a beverage! I'm really enjoying the smoothie I came up with and thought you might like it, too.  So, here is my real-time morning superfood breakfast smoothie recipe.  Enjoy!

Antioxidant-Superfood High Protein Smoothie
serves 1~2

Ingredients

• 1 cup chilled green tea
• 1 cup fat free Greek Yogurt
• 3/4 cup mix of frozen blueberries & strawberries
• 1/4 cup frozen banana slices
• 1 Tbsp ground flax seeds
• 1 Tbsp chia seeds
• 1 Tbsp honey, or to taste (or sweetener of choice)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions

Throw all ingredients into blender and whirl away until smooth and frosty.

Super-High Protein Pancakes with Blueberries ~ quick & easy, low carb & flour-free

Super-High Protein Pancakes with Blueberries ~ These low carb/flour-free, quick & easy, really high protein  pancakes are great for breakfast, but would be good any time the mood strikes.   :)

Fellow blogging buddy ~ Enid, of Enid Jones Photography ~ asked me if I had a good, high protein pancake recipe.  Since I'm not much of a breakfast eater, I really didn't ~ but, I was up for the challenge.  So, I surfed around the 'net & found this recipe, over on ~ Oatmeal After Spinning ~ that sounded intriguing.

I was inspired to create this pancake batter ~ that looks & behaves quite a bit like a traditional batter.  The cool thing about this pancake, is that it's ~ really high protein, is flour-free, pretty low carb/low fat AND it's also super tasty, quick & easy to make.  Booyah!!  Adding blueberries to the batter really makes it shine & if you're so inclined (I'm so inclined), add a few more to top it all off. (maybe with a little syrup, too :)  Roy & I devoured these little gems, in no time flat.  These high protein/low carb blueberry pancakes might just make a morning person/cook out of me yet... just maybe.   :)


Super-High Protein Pancakes with Blueberries ~ quick & low carb
serves one - 4 pancakes
To see nutritional stats ~ CLICK HERE ~

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup fat-free cottage cheese (or cottage cheese of choice) 
• 1 egg 
• 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder 
• 1/2 tsp baking powder 
• 1 Tbsp water 
• 1/8 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon 
• a dash of salt 
• 1 Equal packet or sweetener of choice, to taste (optional)
• 3 Tbsp frozen wild blueberries 
• Pam cooking spray
• your favorite pancake toppings (optional)

Directions 

Blend first 9 ingredients (EXCEPT the blueberries) in a small food processor until fully blended & no lumps are remaining ~ scraping down sides if necessary.  Transfer batter to a bowl, let rest 5 minutes, then gently stir in the blueberries. 

Preheat skillet over medium-low heat while batter is resting. 

Spray skillet with Pam & ladle out the pancake batter into 4 pancakes.  Cook for approx. 4 minutes on one side (or until edges start to turn golden brown & a few bubbles appear) and flip. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes on the other side. (they almost cook like traditional pancakes, but not quite. They will not get all the bubbles on top like regular pancakes do)

When both sides are golden brown, they're ready to eat.

Enjoy the pancakes as is (naked :) or finish them off with one of your favorite toppings, as desired. (optional) 

For my toppings I added ~ 3 Tbsp frozen blueberries, nuked for one minute & then mixed with a bit of sugar-free pancake syrup (I call it my ~ Blueberry Pancake Syrup) and a few squirts of  'I Can't Believe It's Not Butter' Spray. 

Other topping ideas to consider... fresh fruit; unsweetened applesauce; syrup (regular, light or sugar-free); nut butter; jam; butter/margarine.

Fresh Berries! Get 'em while they're still cheap!

Homemade Raspberry Vinegar ~ making your own flavored vinegar is so easy & it allows you to really get creative with different fruit/herb flavors.  Check out how easy it is to make raspberry vinegar ~ here.  The post has lots of pictures, recipes for using the raspberry vinegar, as well as gift tags to download.  How cool it that?  :) 

Our local markets have been competing against each other & have been having a lot of good sales in the produce department lately ~ featuring tons of different fruits.  Woo-hoo!

I've been buying many different kinds.  Besides enjoying the fruit simply cut-up or just eating them out of hand, here are some other ways we have been enjoying them...

Strawberry Tofu Mousse ~  It's so cool how tofu can transform into a mousse.  It's an easy non-dairy, lower fat way to enjoy a mousse... & did I already mention it's easy?  :)   Check out this simple recipe.

Easy No-Bake Blueberry Pie ~ I always like the sound of that, especially when the weather is REALLY hot, like it's been here for most of the summer.  Check out the simple recipe ~ here.

Fresh Raspberries ~ We love eating raspberries; plain, with a little sugar or sometimes I just pour a little fat-free half & half or French Vanilla coffee creamer over the berries. Yummy!

Strawberries Marinated in Madeira ~ such an easy & elegant way to serve strawberries for dessert.  Check out the recipe over at Downton Abbey Cooks.  If you're a fan of the TV show, you will LOVE Pamela's site.  It's awesome!

Hope everyone gets a chance to enjoy all of the great end-of-summer prices, too!  Cheers!

Blueberry Oat Muffin-Top Scones ~ a perfect low-fat teatime treat!

I needed to finish up the rest of my fresh blueberries today, they were really on their last legs.  So, I decided to bake them in a sorta muffin-top/sorta scone ~ I'm calling them my Blueberry Oat Muffin-Top Scones.  They're perfect with a cup of tea or coffee & they're even low fat ~ Yes!  When I was making these, all I kept thinking about was the classic Seinfeld episode ~ The Muffin Tops.  It's the one with Elaine's brainy muffin-top idea, a whole lotta 'muffin stumps' & that memorable exclamation mark! phrase... 'Top of the Muffin to YOU!'  Absolute classic!  Check out some of the hilarious scenes, below...

I came up with this recipe while I was looking through the cookbook ~ Vive Le Vegan! ~ by Dreena Burton.  I was inspired to take parts from her recipe ~ Blueberry Bounty Buns ~ and combined it with some other ingredients that sounded good to me.  I came up with this really tasty hybrid of a muffin & a scone.  My recipe has egg & honey in it, so it's no longer vegan, but I think adding those ingredients really add to the overall texture & flavor of the muffin-top scones.  I also replaced part of the oil with applesauce, so it's even low fat ~ yes!    Baking them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, instead of in a muffin pan, gives them that muffin-top look ~ while also giving them the rustic appearance of a free-form scone ~ a perfect cross between the two.  I can see me tinkering with this recipe ~ a lot ~ and coming up with many other flavors.   Yummm...  My mind is brimming with ideas, I feel the beginnings of another baking tangent coming on.   :)     Enjoy!

Blueberry Oat Muffin-Top Scones

makes 12  

• 1 cup ground quick oats -->  ((grind your quick oats into an 'oat flour' using your food processor or blender))  ** if your batter is too thin to hold its shape on the parchment paper, add an additional 1 Tbsp+ of ground 'oat flour'
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon (or more, to taste)
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (grated fresh ~ if you've got it :)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp vanilla soy milk ~ light or regular
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 2 Tbsp applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1  1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 cup fresh blueberries (or frozen)
• oats for sprinkling on top of muffin-top scones before baking ~ optional
• sugar for sprinkling on top of muffin-top scones before baking ~ optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, sift together all dry ingredients. (first 8 ingredients)  Stir until well combined.

In another bowl, combine vanilla soy milk, beaten egg, honey, vanilla extract, oil & applesauce until well combined ~ then stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest.  Finally, add the blueberries & immediately add the wet mixture to the dry mixture.

Stir wet & dry ingredients together until just well combined.  Spoon batter onto parchment lined cookie sheet, into 12 gently shaped round mounds.  (try & say that fast 3 times! :)  If desired ~ sprinkle some extra oats and/or sugar on top of muffin-top scones, before popping in the oven.

Bake for approx. 20-25 minutes ~ or until muffin-top scones are just turning golden brown & are set in the middle.  Remove from oven & cool on cookie sheet for a minute, then transfer to a cooling rack.  Store in a covered container.

 

Low-Fat Blueberry Oat Bars

I bought a lot of blueberries a while back & still have a bunch in the fridge.  They're starting to look a little worse for wear & really need to be used up.  I thought they'd do better in a cooked recipe then just for eating fresh, so I went on a hunt for a good recipe that highlighted blueberries.  I ran across a recipe for Blueberry Oat Bars from ~ FatFree Vegan Kitchen ~ that sounded good, so I gave it a go.  I tweaked her recipe just a bit ~ I added some lemon juice/lemon zest to the blueberry mixture & sprinkled some whole oats on top of the the whole thing just before I baked it.  I also came up with 12 servings instead of the 16 she has noted.  16 slices just seemed too small a serving ~ but, it would keep the calories down...

I think this dessert is sorta like a cross between an 'oaty' cobbler & a cookie bar, especially with the 'jammy' blueberry filling in the middle.  It would be nice as an after school snack  (school is just around the corner!) & I know we'll enjoy it, especially with a little whipped cream on top or maybe some ice cream on the side.

If you don't have fresh blueberries, I'd go ahead & use frozen, about 2 cups.  Don't let a little thing like not having fresh blueberries stop you from trying a low-fat treat like this.  :)

Easy July 4th Trifle

July 4th Trifle ~ I made this quick & easy trifle in minutes.  It's a free-form version of the traditional layered English Sherry Trifle, but with an American twist.  Malibu Coconut Rum gives this trifle just the right 'summer of fun' flavor, blue jello looks so cool (it always makes me smile), strawberry jam adds a sweet taste, and the fresh blueberries & vanilla pudding  round out the dessert.  It all comes together in a kaleidoscope of color & tastes that really works.  Since you make/layer this dessert right in the glass you are serving it in, you can make as many ~ or as few ~ as you like.

 

I felt like having a trifle for dessert tonight, but didn't have the traditional ingredients in the house & didn't feel like running out to the store.  I decided to just made do with what I had in the pantry & fridge.  I came up with a quick & easy spin on a traditional trifle, that was ready in minutes & was a real treat.



I split a strawberry sponge cake cup in half, spread it with strawberry jam, cut it into chunks & placed part of it in the bottom of a pretty wine glass.  I drizzled it with Malibu Coconut Rum & then began layering it with ~ blue jello, vanilla pudding, (from a pudding cup, told you I used what was in the pantry :) & fresh blueberries.  I layered it again, the same way & gave the trifle another healthy shot of the coconut rum, topping it off with a bit of whipped cream.  It turned out marvelous!  Just what I wanted.  Creative cooking, on the fly.  :)   Hope you all have a fun-filled Fourth of July!

Easy Colorful Desserts ~ Low-Fat treats, perfect for the 4th of July

Glorious 4th of July Shortcake~ store bought shortcake filled with blue jello, fresh raspberries, fat-free Cool Whip & drizzled with fat-free French vanilla creamer. (& maybe a bit of coconut rum, for the adults :)

The Fourth of July is almost here & man, is it hot!!  I'm not turning on the stove much at all, so making any dessert that requires baking is pretty much out of the question.  Instead, I've been buying ingredients that I can just assemble into quick & easy desserts.  So, here are some desserts that I've been making that would be perfect for celebrating the Fourth of July.  They star the patriotic colors of the day ~ without having to heat up the kitchen.  Here's to eating food using the tried & true colors of ~ red, white & blue ~ and to staying cool while making them!  Enjoy! 

Trio of Desserts ~ (L) Fresh Blueberries, Raspberries & Strawberries ~ spiked with coconut rum & French Vanilla Creamer.     (C) Patriotic Jello Parfait ~ blue jello, raspberries & Cool Whip.     (R) Yogurt & Fresh Fruit Breakfast Parfait ~ honey sweetened Greek yogurt, layered with fruit & granola.

Chocolate Raspberry Tart ~ chocolate tart shell filled with chocolate pudding & topped with Fat-Free Cool Whip & fresh raspberries.

Guiltless Patriotic Fat Free Brownie Supreme with fresh Raspberries & Blueberries ~ A Simple Fourth of July Dessert Idea

Guiltless Patriotic Fat Free Brownie Supreme with fresh Raspberries & Blueberries ~ This is such an indulgent tasting dessert that is actually a snap to make & exceptionally low in fat, make that FAT FREE ~ thanks to Trader Joe's Reduced Guilt Fat Free Brownie Mix & Fat Free Cool Whip.

The Fourth of July is just around the corner & I'm playing around with different dessert ideas to celebrate this most patriotic of holidays.  I know Memorial Day is the traditional 'unofficial/official' kick-off for summer, but to me, July 4th is when summer really kicks it into high gear.  The sun is brighter, the days are longer, the nights are hotter & the parties are non-stop,

Here is one of the dessert ideas that I've come up with so far ~ Guiltless Patriotic Fat Free Brownie Supreme with fresh Raspberries & Blueberries.   It's a sinfully good Trader Joe's Reduced Guilt Fat Free Chocolate Brownie, hiding beneath a layer of Fat Free Cool Whip & topped with colorful, fresh berries...& did I already mention it's really, really low fat, like FAT FREE?  Almost too good to be true ~ but it is!  I just love it when you can find ingredients that let you create a dessert that's so easy to make, as well as so elegant & festive, too!

Since July 4th falls mid-week this year, our town's grand fireworks display, shot off over the lake, will be held on Sunday, July 1st ~ but everyone will be coming to the lake & hanging around town starting on Friday, June 29th.  That makes for a really long, extended weekend for celebrating the 4th.  I decided I better come up with a few desserts to keep my family & friends happy, that way every day leading up to the Fourth of July will be special, too.   Enjoy!

Guiltless Patriotic Fat Free Brownie Supreme with fresh Raspberries & Blueberries 

• prepared brownies, either individual microwaved brownies using Trader Joe's Reduced Guilt Fat Free Brownie Mix    OR    a full batch of your favorite brownies, store bought or home baked, cut into squares
• fresh blueberries
• fresh raspberries
• tub of Fat Free Cool Whip

Place a brownie ((either still warm or cooled, but we like it best still warm)) in the dessert bowl or pretty glass of your choice.

Layer it with a generous mound of Fat Free Cool Whip, then top it all with fresh blueberries & raspberries.

The dessert can be made ahead of time & kept in the fridge until ready to serve, if you want it chilled ~ OR ~ assemble it at the last minute if space in the fridge is at a premium or you like to eat your brownie warm, like we do.  :)

Let's hear it for the Good Ol' Red, White & Blue!

Oatmeal for Breakfast ~ different ways to suit my mood

I try to eat oatmeal for breakfast everyday.  I usually like to eat it raw, just mixed in with yogurt, but I will cook it if I am making it for the family.  Here are some of the ways we enjoy eating it...

Plain Yogurt with Blueberries, Raw Oatmeal & Walnuts ~ My favorite way to eat oatmeal is to add it straight from the canister & just sprinkle it over my yogurt.  I like to add different fruits to my yogurt (blueberries fresh/frozen, shredded/diced apple, mashed/sliced banana or fresh strawberries)  & I always include some ground flax/flax oil, along with a handful of walnuts & a dash of cinnamon.  Sometimes I'll add a touch of honey, but often I'll skip the sweetener all together.  If I have fresh lemons/limes around, I'll give it a little squeeze of juice, it really brightens it up.

Bircher Muesli ~ Such an easy & healthy way to have breakfast. You just add milk or juice to the uncooked oatmeal & let it soak overnight. In the morning - add some grated apple, yogurt, honey, fruit & nuts.  Learn about Dr. Bircher, ~ interesting how even back in the early 1900's people were already on the raw/health food band wagon.

Oat Bran ~ I REALLY like Quaker Oat Oat Bran, it's the best I've found. Oat bran is such a change from regular oatmeal, completely different texture.  I will sometimes sprinkle it raw over my yogurt, but mostly I cook it as the box directs.  This picture is a spin on the basic recipe that I like to make from the blog ~ Peas & Thank You.

Blueberry Flax Muffins ~ Gluten-free

Blueberry Flax Muffins ~ gluten-free

I came across this recipe, from the blog ~ Meal Planning Maven ~ for a gluten-free, triple berry flax bar.  I decided to tinker with it & turned it into muffins.  ((I have a muffin tin, I don't have a mini loaf/bar pan))   Besides, I had a bunch of large, fresh blueberries that needed using up.  My adapted recipe made for a tasty, but very unusual, muffin.   All the big, fresh berries sunk to the bottom of the muffins & actually made a 'sort of' sauce.  Hmmm...

As Monty Python so famously said ~ 'Adopt, adapt, & improve.'  So, I just flipped the muffins over & I served them as an upside-down, blueberry mini cake/dessert.  They were a hit!   It's nice when you can just change up the presentation & still walk away a winner.  :)   Enjoy!

Blueberry Flax Muffins ~ gluten-free 

8-12 muffins
 
1/2 cup            unsweetened apple juice
1 cup               ground flax seeds

1/2 cup            vanilla whey protein powder ~ gluten-free
1                      egg, beaten

1 tsp                cinnamon
1/8 tsp             ginger
1/8 tsp             nutmeg
1/2 tsp             baking soda
1/4 cup            honey

1 1/2 cup         fresh blueberries

~                     Pam, cooking spray

1)     preheat oven to 300 degrees

2)     spray muffin tin with Pam/spray cooking oil

3)     in large bowl mix the apple juice & flax seeds ~ let sit for 10 minutes 

4)     add the next 7 ingredients & stir until just combined

5)     gently fold in blueberries

6)     divide batter evenly between muffin cups & bake approx. 15 minutes or
         until a toothpick  inserted into the middle comes out clean
          ~ be careful not to over bake

7)     let cool about 5 minutes & remove from muffin pan ~

        ~ serve as either a muffin or as an upside-down mini cake, store in fridge

One of my favorite things to do with blueberries is to add them to fruit salad.  There's something about that fruit that just makes me happy...