Healthy Friday

Spaghetti squash is a great substitute for pasta and it's healthier. Creating noodles from this squash is so easy. Check out these two recipes from eatyourselfskinny.com

  Spaghetti Squash Casserole

1/2 cup = 145 calories

http://www.eat-yourself-skinny.com/2015/10/baked-spaghetti-squash-casserole.html

This is a one pot meal. Use spicy turkey sausage. It's lean and lower in fat than regular sausage. One cheesy boat is 270 calories.

http://www.eat-yourself-skinny.com/2015/09/spaghetti-squash-boats-with-spicy-sausage.html

The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, cholesterol level maintenance, weight loss, boosted immune system, proper digestion and regulated metabolism. It also provides relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV, and cancer, while helping to improve dental quality and bone strength.

Wow- with a sterling resume list like this we should be inhaling it! I'm wondering why we don't see more recipes using coconut oil. I just happened to have a jar 

from another recipe so Morning Glory Spice Muffin recipe was perfect. Remember when these muffins were all the rage in the 80's and 90's? I adapted the recipe by using whole wheat flour for some of the flour mixture. These muffins are loaded with lots of good stuff. Nuts can be eliminated from topping and the taste will not compromised.  Grate carrots in a food processor.

Cook's notes: recipe comes from October 2015 Lunds and Byerlys Magazine  makes 10 muffins.

Ingredients:

• 1- 1/3 cups all purpose flour or 2/3 cup white flour and 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
•  1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/3 tsp. salt
• 1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 
• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 2/3 cup coconut oil (melted)
• 2 large eggs-room temperature
• 1-1/4 tsp. vanilla 
• 1-1/3 cups peeled and finely diced apples (I used Granny Smith) 
• 1/3 cup grated carrots
• 1/3 cup raisins or chopped dried fruit
• 1/3 cup toasted coconut
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 10- 12 muffin cups with paper liners.Toast coconut on a baking sheet.
• In a large bowl whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside. 
• Whisk together melted oil, eggs and vanilla or beat on low mixer speed. 
• Blend wet ingredients into dry ingredients and gently stir  to combine.
• Fold in apples, carrots, raisins. Batter may be a little dry. Fill muffin liner 2/3 full. 
• Mix toasted coconut with nuts and sprinkle over top of each muffin. 
• Bake 17 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Bon Appetit!