Average But Inspired

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February 16, 2015 by Bre

Freezer Cooking Tips – How to Make it Work for You!

Until recently I’d never tried freezer cooking (where you prepare lots of meals in advance and store them in the freezer until they’re ready to be cooked and eaten).  Why?  Because I was intimidated by the entire process.

In my mind, you had to be a serious cook/homemaker/very frugal person to tackle freezer cooking and make it work for you.

Since I am none of those things, freezer cooking scared me to the point of never even trying.

But then one day I decided to give it a go.  And it was glorious.  And what was even more glorious was not having to actually prepare and cook dinner on the weeknights that I had meals already prepared.  I saved time and money with this process, making it a total win.  (For a little context, I prepared five different slow cooker recipes (for ten meals) in a little over 1.5 hours, and spent less money than I did on a regular trip to the grocery store.)

I know that I am not the only one out there who was intimidated by freezer cooking, so I thought I would try and help dispel the fears associated with it – – – as a public service and all.  (It’s a serious problem, folks.)  I’ve learned from the mistakes I made along the way, as well as the things I did right, and I hope they will help you, too!  Don't let freezer cooking intimidate you!  Make this meal planning process work for you with several tips  from Average But Inspired. [Read more…]

October 6, 2014 by Bre

Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Swirl Cake

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted a recipe on here. I think it’s because I despise cooking in the summer. My kitchen gets so hot and I get so crabby.

With the turn of the season, however, I’ve felt more of a desire to bake. I’ve also been feeling a need to eat a lot of comfort food, so I just had to bake this brown sugar and cinnamon swirl cake for a special weekend treat. Brown Sugar & Cinnamon Swirl Cake My daughter said it was “the most fantastic amazing cake” she’s ever eaten. (Disclaimer: this statement was likely made only because I allowed her to eat it BEFORE dinner.)  Not sure I’d go that far, but it was very good and a perfect taste of fall with its gooey, cinnamon and sugar flavor.  Brown Sugar & Cinnamon Cake whole It also made my home smell divine while it was baking. I wish I could make the smell of this cake baking into a candle. (Business idea!)

Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Swirl Cake

Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Swirl Cake

Yield: 8x8 cake
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

A comforting cake blended with flavors of fall.

Ingredients

  • BATTER:
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tbl cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup butter (melted)
  • TOPPING:
  • 1/2 cup butter (softened)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tbl all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbl cinnamon
  • ICING:
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tbl milk
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Mix all of the "batter" ingredients in a large bowl, except for the melted butter.
  2. Add the melted butter slowly, and mix well.
  3. Pour batter into a lightly greased 9x9 cake pan.
  4. In a separate bowl, mix all of the "topping" ingredients together.
  5. Pour over the cake batter and swirl with a knife.
  6. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes.
  7. Once the cake is finished baking, remove it from the oven.
  8. Mix "icing" ingredients together in a separate bowl and drizzle over the cake while it's cooling.
  9. Let the cake stand for at least 15 minutes prior to serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 9 Serving Size: 1/9
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 654Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 524mgCarbohydrates: 94gFiber: 2gSugar: 45gProtein: 11g
© Bre Eggert
Cuisine: Cake / Category: Food
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cake 2 Looks good, doesn’t it?  Will you bake this brown sugar and cinnamon swirl cake?
-Bre

April 4, 2014 by Bre

Strawberry Banana Yogurt Muffins

I’m popping in for a quick post about these amazingly yummy strawberry banana yogurt muffins my kids and I made last week.  They’re stuffed with strawberries and bananas, and include yogurt, which makes them extra moist and delicious.  You’ve got to try them.

Strawberry Banana Yogurt Muffins are a DELICIOUS and healthy treat! Filled with fresh fruit and yogurt - they're delicious!
I adapted this recipe from The Noble Pig’s recipe for strawberry yogurt muffins and put my own spin on it.
Strawberry Banana Yogurt Muffins

Strawberry Banana Yogurt Muffins

Yield: 12
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 23 minutes
Total Time: 33 minutes

Delicious fruit-filled muffins are sweetened with strawberries, bananas, and yogurt for a tasty breakfast or snack.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 cup chopped strawberries
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 oz. vanilla yogurt (I used a small container of Activia vanilla yogurt)
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and grease 12 muffin cups.
  2. Mix together the flour, sugar and baking soda.
  3. Add in the strawberries and stir. Set bowl aside.
  4. Mash the banana in a large bowl.
  5. Add in the eggs, butter, yogurt and vanilla extract. Whisk these ingredients together.
  6. Add the dry ingredients into this bowl and mix everything together.
  7. Distribute batter evenly amongst the greased muffin cups.
  8. Bake until muffin tops are golden brown, approximately 20-25 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 185Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 211mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 1gSugar: 13gProtein: 4g
© Bre Eggert
Category: Food
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Strawberry Banana Yogurt Muffins are a DELICIOUS and healthy treat! Filled with fresh fruit and yogurt - they're delicious!

The strawberries make these muffins a nice change from your “typical” muffin – a little sweetness and tartness at the same time.  Give them a try; I promise you won’t be disappointed!

– Bre

January 9, 2014 by Bre

Deceptively Delicious Toddler Muffins

Picky Eaters.  My kids are the WORST.  It’s like alarms and sirens go off anytime anything that’s remotely good for them is placed within a 5 inch radius.  Do you feel my pain?

If so, you NEED these muffins in your life.  They’re full of good veggies and fiber, and the best part is that they don’t even taste like it.  Your kids will not turn up their noses at these toddler muffins.  I can pretty much guarantee it!  (They may also like these yummy Strawberry Banana Yogurt Muffins, too!)These muffins are packed with fruit, veggies & fiber, but your kids will never know! They taste SO GOOD!My kids happily devour them any chance they’re given.

Don’t believe me?  Photos don’t lie.
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I am so happy to have found a way to sneak some healthy foods into my extremely picky eaters’ mouths.
These muffins are packed with fruit, veggies & fiber, but your kids will never know! They taste SO GOOD!

Deceptively Delicious Toddler Muffins

Yield: 12
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 17 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes

These healthy muffins are packed with fruits, veggies, and fiber. They're a wonderful, nutritious kids breakfast or kids snack.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup of brown sugar
  • 2 bananas, mashed
  • 1 (4.5 oz) jar of baby squash
  • 2 grated carrots (I used the pre-cut matchstick carrots)
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup of all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup of oat bran (I used Kellogg’s All-Bran Buds)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees and grease 12 standard muffin cups.
  2. Cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth.
  3. Mix in the mashed bananas, squash, carrots and eggs.
  4. Stir in the flour, bran, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt.
  5. Stir to combine ingredients, and then distribute evenly amongst the muffin cups.
  6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
  7. Eat within two days or freeze.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 muffin
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 182Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 231mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 2gSugar: 11gProtein: 3g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix. Average But Inspired bears no responsibility for calculation errors. Nutrition information isn't always accurate.

© Bre Eggert
Cuisine: Muffins / Category: Food
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These deceptively delicious toddler muffins freeze very well and have become a quick and easy breakfast favorite at my house.
 
Do you have any sneaky recipes you make for your family?  Please share!
 
– Bre
 

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Bre of Average But Inspired

Hi, I'm Bre! Thanks for visiting my blog. I hope you'll find ideas to inspire your creativity and beautify your home here.

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