Mostly Chores But...

I did some baking today-- which I can't afford to do often if I want to reach my weight loss goals; I have to restrict myself to cooking instead. But today the kitchen was clean, and I had "no-sugar-added" apple butter on hand; it was the perfect time to try Mini Whole Wheat Apple Muffins with Cinnamon Glaze from The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight & Eating Great by Pam Anderson. The author brags that you'd never know the muffins were made with whole wheat flour, and that little sugar is needed for the muffin batter because of the glaze.

Well, the muffins aren't bad, but I think the texture is a dead giveaway that they're whole grain-- they're a little too soft somehow-- not al dente to appropriate pasta terminology. And, the sugar may be minimal but the fat is not-- about 5g per mini muffin! It's always a trade off between sugar and fat when it comes to baking. The recipe does call for oil rather than butter, so at least the fat is not the saturated variety. And whole wheat flour means a little more fiber and some trace nutrients that white flour lacks.

I only made enough glaze for 3 muffins, because I planned to freeze the rest. Good thing, too, because I don't care for the glaze; it's just powdered sugar plus milk-- with a bit of cinnamon and a drop of lemon juice for flavor (but it still tastes strictly like powdered sugar-- kind of chemical). I think the glaze was a futile attempt to convert something wholesome into something decadent; better to just enjoy the muffins for what they are-- warm and cinnamon-y and 100 calories each (with or without glaze).

I am proud of myself for only eating the three I had planned to consume. As soon as they were cool, I packaged 2 per baggie and whisked them into the freezer. With a piece of fruit, they will be a nice afternoon snack/small meal to tide me over until dinner time. Or, one muffin plus a cup of yogurt will be a satisfactory light breakfast until my mid-morning fruit snack. It's always helpful to have goodies in the freezer-- "Frozen Assets" according to one cookbook title.

Baking is also a pleasant way to spend a day of snow flurries-- domestic and cozy to counter the cold.