Coconut Syrup

The one, the only, coconut syrup!  This baby deserves it's own post because it is so delicious!  My kids are to the point of refusing pancakes unless this syrup is on them.  It is everybody's favorite syrup in this household.  I even catch my kids trying to drink it straight from the bottle.  It is fantastic stuff and you can whip it up in no time.

Coconut Syrup
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon coconut extract

Directions:
Place butter, buttermilk, and sugar in a medium sized saucepan.  Cook over medium heat and stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves.  Bring to a boil and boil for one minute.  Remove from heat and stir in the soda and extract.  It will bubble up.  Let it rest for a few minutes before serving.

Recipe Source: The Sister's Cafe

Skinny Apple Muffins

I have always loved muffins!  Always!  I love eating muffins for breakfast, lunch, snacks...whenever. The only problem is they are usually loaded with sugar and calories.  I have adapted this recipe from an apple streusel bread recipe I have to make it lighter so that the kids will still enjoy it, but so that you can also afford to eat more than one for breakfast!  Each muffin is just 123 calories!!  (I didn't calculate all the other stats, but if you want them, I will make my lazy self calculate it for you!)  They are still yummy and my kids love them!

Skinny Apple Muffins
Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 granny smith apples, peeled and grated
cinnamon for sprinkling
brown sugar for sprinkling

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine flours, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
2.  Cream butter, applesauce and sugar in a mixing bowl.  Beat in the eggs, lemon juice and vanilla.
3.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir just until moistened.  Add apples and stir gently to combine.
4.  Spray a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.  Spoon the batter into the muffin tin filling each tin 3/4 of the way full.
5.  Sprinkle tops of the muffins with cinnamon and brown sugar.
6.  Place muffin pan in oven and cook for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Makes about 14 muffins.

Recipe Source:  Kimmy's Creation