Healthy Oatmeal Carrot Spice Muffin for a Happy, Healthy Easter

                           

Photos by Teresa Klein

This past weekend, Yvonne and I were excited to host our 2nd Annual Easter Lunch and Egg Hunt. It was a picture perfect southern California afternoon with clear blue skies and not a cloud the sky; the perfect day to enjoy an outdoor lunch with friends and their adorable kids followed by crafts and an egg hunt by the duck pond.

This year's lunch was (surprisingly) healthy and by surprisingly I mean it was totally unplanned!  We must have been inspired by the beautiful beach weather....

On the menu: a beautiful Cheese Platter, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus with homemade Whole Wheat Pita Chips, Roasted Veggie Sandwiches on Olive Oil & Herb Focaccia, Turkey Sandwiches with Arugula and Lingonberry Jam, Whole Wheat Orzo Salad, Spring Salad with homemade Orange Vinagrette, Fresh Fruit and a Dreamy Lemon Curd Tart with Fresh Berries.

After lunch, the little ones enjoyed a little craft time customizing their own Rice Krispy Treat Nests.....

Then it was down to the duck pond for the hunt!

As usual, there was a take home treat for the parents. To go along with the healthy theme, Yvonne baked these delicious Oatmeal and Carrot Spice Muffins.

Prepwork

1.  Grind down the Cracking Oat Cereal in the food processor

2. Grate the Carrots

3. Set up you muffin tray with paper muffin cups. Spray them lightly with spray oil.

4.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees ( 375 degrees if you’re using a dark muffin tray)

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour (you can use wheat flour also)

2 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon Salt

½ teaspoon Cinnamon

½ teaspoon baking spice

½ cup Quick Oats

½ cup Old Fashion Oats

¾ cup Crackling Oat Cereal grinded

½ cup Shredded coconut

½ cup white raisins

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ Canola oil

¼  brown sugar

¼ Honey  (warm)
1 cup 1% milk

1  cup of grated Carrot

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and baking spice. Mix till well blended.

Add all the Oats and Oat cereal, coconut and raisins. Mix till all blended.

In a separate bowl combine egg,  vanilla and oil.  Blend together.  Now add the brown sugar, the warmed honey (by warming the honey, it makes it easy to blend together with the other wet ingredients) and Milk

Add the Egg mixture to Flour mixture and stir with spoon. Do not over mix

Add Carrot and combine, do not over mix.

Add the carrot mixture to prepared paper muffin cups. Fill cup to ¾ full.

Bake for 18-20 minutes. They will be lightly brown on top

Serve warm or cold. Enjoy!!

We hope your Easter is blessed with good friends, good times and of course, good food!!

Happy Easter!!

~ LiveBakeLove