Baking Fail

Happy March!  Oh wait, you say it's January?  Who would know based on the temperatures we've had here lately.  It was mid-40's yesterday and I went for a nice 5-mile walk with my parent's dog, Copper.  She's a springer spaniel and I can apparently outlast her.  It's always my goal to wear out a springer when I go for walks outside at my parent's house.  She has a lot of energy.

I've been hitting all my 2012 (short term) goals this week!  I "worked" (i.e. did stuff) every day (all day) this week and have worked out 4 days this week so far.  I'll get out for a walk or something yet today, which will bring me up to 5 days this week.  I have also been trying to be careful with what I am eating and am back to my pre-holiday weight already.  I tried to be careful over the holidays but, well, that didn't pan out completely.  I think if I wouldn't have worked out so much, I would be facing having to re-losing a bit more weight.  I love being on break (who doesn't?) but I am looking forward to getting back into a routine.

Now for my baking fail.  Last week, in an attempt to get back to healthful eating, I made Chia Muffins (as per this recipe from the Dr. Oz show with some alterations, see below).  The muffins were very good and my mom and I ended up eating the whole batch within a few days.  Chia seeds (if you are thinking "ch-ch-ch-chia!" you are on the right track, these seeds are the same as what is used to grow a chia pet) are extremely nutritious (high in Omega-3, fiber, and protein) and - here's the best part - expand up to 9x's in your stomach after you eat them.  This means you are fuller much longer.  I have been adding these little seeds to my breakfast and it has been so helpful in me not being hungry during the day.

So, back to the story, my mom asked me to make a double batch this weekend and I wanted them for breakfast so I went for it this morning.  A double batch makes 34-36 muffins.  I made the first 24 and when they came out, there was obviously something wrong.  I forgot the baking soda and salt!  I added baking soda to the rest of the batter and baked them (still forgot the salt).  They seem fine.  I'm guessing you can tell which is which:

Yup, baking fail.  Never-the-less, when these muffins are made properly, they are so good and so healthy!  As mentioned above, the original recipe came from the Dr. Oz show, but I made some alterations, so here is my version of the muffins:

Chia Muffins
Makes ~17 muffins, 102 calories each

Ingredients:
1 tbsp ground chia seeds (we use a coffee grinder)
2 tbsp ground flax seed
1 1/2 cup brown rice flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 egg whites
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 cup pureed sweet potato
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
Zest of one small lemon
Juice of one small lemon
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Mix everything together and fill lined muffin tins 2/3 of the way full.  Bake 20-25 minutes at 350F or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Muffins will be very moist.  Enjoy!

Maybe next time I'll actually follow my own recipe.  :)