I am enjoying my day off today, by baking some healthy treats to send to some family members who are under the weather. While I would normally send cookies and other sweet treats I feel it is very important for these people to get some healthy nutrients in their food. And since I don’t live near the people these are going too, I can’t exactly cook them a healthy meal, so this is the next best thing I can do. I made two different types of muffins, Zucchini Pecan and Oatmeal Cranberry, using inspiration from a blog I came across this morning, Enlightened Cooking.

Zucchini Pecan Muffins (recipe from Enlightened Cooking)

Makes 12 muffins

Preheat oven to 375°F
12-cup muffin tin

1-1/3 cups whole wheat flour
2/3 cup natural bran
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup low-fat (1%) milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
1/2 cup chopped pecans, Plus 12 pecan halves

1. In a large bowl, whisk together whole wheat flour, bran, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and cloves.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, oil, milk and vanilla until well blended and slightly frothy . Stir in zucchini.
3. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just blended. Gently fold in pecans.
4. Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups. Place a pecan half on each muffin.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in tin on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then transfer to the rack to cool.