Lighter Lemon Blueberry Muffin’s

These just came out of the oven have been tasted and husband approved! 🙂 The combination of lemon and blueberry together is amazing! I was skeptical when I first saw this because i’m not crazy about lemon in things that I bake but it complements the blueberry and gives it a fresh light taste. These are perfect to go with your morning coffee!

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 packed cup of Light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups blueberries (12 oz)
2 tsp lemon zest
½ cup plain Greek low fat yogurt

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder and salt. Add the blueberries and lemon zest and toss to combine.

3. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the yogurt then the dry ingredients, mixing only until incorporated and being careful not to crush the blueberries.

4. Scoop batter into muffin tin (It made about 18 for me but depends on how full you fill them) I also added some chopped fine walnuts to the top for a little crunch.

5. Bake for 30 Minutes (Again depends how hot your oven runs), Let cool (Or not! I tried mine while they were still warm and they tasted AMAZING!)

Blueberry Obsession!

My newest obsession is blueberries! I always have them in the fridge. They go on my cereal, oatmeal, salads, yogurt, bread and of course I just munch on them. Apparently Its a good thing I do. 🙂 Heres some interesting information on the health benefits of blueberries.

Blueberry Basics

They’re tasty, they’re sweet, and practically bursting with nutrition. They may be tiny, but blueberries show that size is no measure of quality. With only 80 (nearly fat-free) calories in one cup, these powerhouses of nutrition offer a great source of vitamin C and fiber, plus a plentiful source of antioxidants. Discover more about this hassle-free, versatile fruit. No peeling required!

Fast Facts
Popularity: Blueberries are the second most popular berry in the United States. Number one? Strawberries.

Wild beginnings:
The modern blueberry owes its existence to Dr. Frederick Coville and Elizabeth White, a New Jersey farmer’s daughter. They teamed up to crossbreed wild blueberry plants, creating new varieties of the fruit. Before their efforts in 1916, Native Americans were incorporating blueberries into tasty recipes as well as using them for medicinal properties.

Quirky tradition:
Some of the more fanciful recipe names include Blueberry Buckle (coffee cake) and Blueberry Grunt (pie meets cobbler in this steamed dessert–the name speaks for itself as a grunting noise escapes the skillet during cooking).

Nutritional Properties
The USDA recommends 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit per day for adult men and women and 1.5 cups per day for most kids. Ongoing research offers more reasons to choose blue. Studies show that blueberries top the number one spot — among more than 100 foods — in the antioxidant department. Antioxidants are essential for fighting free radicals, the molecules that contribute to higher risk for cancer as well as a host of other diseases. Additional research reveals that blueberries may play a pivotal role in age-related diseases. Studies from the USDA showed that aged animals fed blueberries in their diets for two months showed improvements in short-term memory, coordination, balance, muscle strength, and stamina.

How to Store
Keep blueberries in the refrigerator, either in their original packaging or in a bowl — and wait before washing. Blueberries are best washed right before you eat them. Washing too soon damages the protective skin, leaving them prone to spoiling. Old thinking held the view that freezing blueberries was bad, but research has shown otherwise. Berries will be fine in the freezer, if stored properly: wash them and make sure they’re dry before putting them in a freezer-lock plastic bag.

How to Prepare
High baking temperatures can damage certain vitamins and antioxidants. To preserve all those nutrients, it’s best to eat blueberries when they’re fresh and uncooked. Fresh, plump blueberries make a great addition to cereals and oatmeal, or topped on low-fat yogurt.

Layer yogurt, fresh blueberries, and chopped nuts, such as almonds or walnuts, for a parfait. Drizzle with honey for extra sweetness.

How to Eat
Due to their versatility, blueberries can be teamed with dairy products like yogurt and cottage cheese, and pair well with nuts and spices. Whipped up in a cool smoothie, sweetening a pancake, or adding a unique kick to salsa, blueberries provide an impressive accent to most dishes.

Greek Yogurt Blueberry Banana Bread

This Bread is AMAZING! I was searching to find a healthy banana bread and stumbled on this one. It has no butter, no oil, no white flour, it uses whole wheat flour, brown sugar or a sugar substitute, and Greek yogurt instead.

Ingredients

*1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flower
*1.5 tsp. baking powder
*1/2 tsp. kosher salt
*1/2 cup brown sugar (or 1/4 cup agave) ( I put just a little bit more then half )
*3 large ripe bananas (I used 3)
*2 eggs
*6 oz. Chobani Or any Greek yogurt. (I used plain fat free, Next time I’m going to make this with strawberry yogurt and fresh strawberries)
*1 cup of fresh blueberries

Directions

*Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Start by combining flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

*In a separate bowl, mash bananas with a fork until they are gooey and liquid-like.

*Add eggs and sugar and mix thoroughly.

*Add Greek yogurt whisk until everything is well combined and there are no lumps.

*Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. At this point, fold in the fresh blueberries

*Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and distribute evenly.

*Put into the oven and bake for one hour, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean (50 minutes for me).

Let cool (if you can) And then enjoy!