I love these muffins and so do my muffin-loving kids. Enjoy!
Cranberry Tangerine Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• Juice from 2-4 tangerines (or oranges)
• 2 Tbsp tangerine (or orange) zest (preferably organic or tangerines not coated with wax or another coating)
• 1⁄3 cup flax meal (ground flaxseeds)
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (or more whole wheat)
• 1/4 cup protein powder (optional, replace with flour if not using)
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄3 cup sugar
• 1⁄4 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1⁄2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Coat a muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. Pulse cranberries in a food processor until coarsely chopped.
3. Pour zest and tangerine juice into a measuring cup for a total of 3⁄4 cup. Pour into a small bowl and add the flax meal, sugar, oil, and vanilla. Combine well.
4. In a large bowl, combine flours, protein powder (optional), baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the wet mixture and mix with a rubber spatula just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in cranberries and nuts. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan.
5. Bake until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-23 minutes.

• Bananas, peanut butter, chia seeds and/or ground flaxseeds
• Apples, walnuts, raisins, hemp seeds, and cinnamon
• Peaches and/or fresh berries and raw almonds
• Pears, almonds, nutmeg, and cardamom

This morning I mixed up rolled oats, pears, whole raw almonds, fresh grated nutmeg, cardamom, brown sugar, and a splash of vanilla soymilk. This bowl of steamy goodness and a perfect cup of French-pressed coffee started my cold day off right!

To make rolled oats quickly, combine 1/2 cup oats and 1 cup of water or milk and microwave for 90 seconds or until it reaches your desired thickness. Watch it closely to make sure that it doesn't boil over (especially if you use milk)!

Confused about what kind of oats to buy (steel cut, rolled, quick, etc.)? Check out this post for more info.

These muffins are not super sweet but they are really healthy- they contain lots of iron and protein too! I wasn't sure if they'd pass the "kid test", but...

Success!
Big smiles:

...but that's just part of the fun for them. The water was cold but gorgeous...



...and we had a great day at the beach!


Cooking was quick with our simple accommodations- I love the minimalism that camping forces! To make our meals easier, I did most of the food prep at home. I chopped all of the fruits and veggies and bagged them for each meal. For breakfast we had tofu scramble burritos one day (one of my veg bags contained all of veggies and a small container of pre-measured seasonings) and then instant oatmeal (we added a few goodies like peanut butter, bananas, raisins, applesauce, etc.) the next day.

Tofu scramble burrito prep on the camp stove:


Lunch was PB&J sandwiches for the kids and Indian samosas (wheat tortillas with a mixture of potatoes, peas, and Indian spices that I prepared at home) for us. For dinner I pre-made my favorite lentil recipe (red lentils with kale) so we just had to heat it up when we were camping. The second night we had pasta with sauteed veggies (pre-chopped and bagged) and, of course, vegan s'mores (we used Sweet and Sara vegan marshmallows which are fabulous)!

We also brought along tons of snacks including Larabars, zucchini bread, Super Charge Me cookies, sesame cashews, fruit, and veggies with hummus.

Here is a menu brainstorm that I did before planning the meals for our trip. I know this list will come in handy for me on future trips!

Breakfast:

• Pancakes
• Oatmeal
• Tofu veggie scramble with potatoes (or as burritos)
• Scones (Dreena Burton's Squirrelly Scones- YUM!)
• Cinnamon rolls
• Bagels with peanut butter or vegan cream cheese

Lunch:

• Sandwiches (PB&J, tofu or tempeh, soy cheese)
• Samosas Lentil and/or grain salad with veggies

Dinner:

• Chili and cornbread
• Veggie burgers and sweet potatoes or grilled corn
• Veg kabobs, hummus, pita bread
• Pasta with sauteed veggies
• Soup and bread
• Red lentils and kale with bread

Snacks:

• Muffins or quick bread
• Cookies
• Veggies and dip
• Fruit (incl. apples w/PB)
• Bars 
• Nuts
• S'mores!

Vegan Zucchini and Sweet Pepper Pancakes
Makes about 8 pancakes

1 large zucchini, grated or finely chopped
1 sweet bell pepper (2, if the peppers are small), grated or finely chopped
1 Tbsp parsley (I used Italian parsley), finely chopped
1/2 yellow onion, grated or finely chopped
~1/2 cup amaranth flour*
~1/2 cup garbanzo (chickpea) flour*
1 tsp baking powder
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

*Note: I chose amaranth and garbanzo flour for the extra protein and iron content. You can use any kind of flour that you like.

1. Finely chop and combine the zucchini, pepper(s), parsley, and onion (a food processor makes this really fast).
2. In another bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, and salt and pepper. Then add the flour mixture to the veggies.
3. Lightly coat a pan with olive oil or cooking spray and heat over medium heat. When hot, shape the pancake mixture into patties and cook until brown on both sides.

Paired with a salad of baby lettuces and edible flowers that was lightly dressed in lemon juice and olive oil, these pancakes were perfect for lunch today! I think they would also be good served along side a tofu scramble and some fresh fruit for breakfast.

If you haven't ever eaten quinoa, I encourage you to give it a try this week! You can buy it at most grocery stores (it is also frequently available in bulk) or even at Costco.

Here are four ideas to get you started:

1. Add lightly toasted sesame seeds and sea salt to cooked quinoa and serve as a side dish.
2. Toss cooked and cooled quinoa with a bit of olive oil, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, pepper, and your favorite veggies for a great grain salad or green salad topper.
3. Instead of oatmeal for breakfast, top warm cooked quinoa with almond milk, fruit, and nuts or seeds.
4. For meals that are usually served over rice or noodles, use quinoa instead.

Here are six quick breakfast ideas to help you get your day started on a healthy note!

1. Smoothie: Smoothies are such an awesome vehicle for so many good things. If you haven't tried a green smoothie yet, give it a try! Here are some ideas to get you started.
2. Oatmeal: To make this a faster breakfast, stick with rolled oats or try overnight oats or cook steel cut oats overnight in a crock pot.
3. Waffles: Waffles are a "sometimes food", as Cookie Monster would say, but I do like them every now and then! When I have a waffle craving but no time to make my own, I use organic and light frozen waffles. Try them with fruit and nuts and drizzle with a tiny bit of real maple syrup. Yummy combos: try apples and walnuts, bananas and peanut butter, or peaches and almonds.
4. Pancakes: I make a batch of my super pancakes every couple of weeks, doctored up with added protein and various other ingredients. I freeze the leftovers for quick, microwavable breakfasts later in the week. I add fruit and a bit of syrup to the batter, so I can skip the syrup when I serve these to my kids.
5. Muffins: Muffins are another great vehicle for good stuff. I add nuts, seeds, and all kinds of things to mine to make them a heartier breakfast.
6. Yogurt: Choose a yogurt that isn't loaded with sugar or other icky ingredients (I buy soy yogurt) and add to whole grain cereal (Kashi Go Lean has lots of protein) or top with nuts or seeds and fruit.

Blackberry Orange Muffins
Makes 9-10 muffins

1 cup flour (preferably whole wheat or spelt)
1 cup ground oats (grind in food processor or VitaMix until they look like course flour)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup fresh blackberries, halved
1 Tbsp orange zest
2 Tbsp hemp seeds (for protein and extra iron)
1/4 cup unrefined sugar (organic sugar)
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup soy milk
1/4 cup real maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp canola oil

1. Preheat oven to 375〫F (190〫C) degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour and ground oats. Sift in the baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon, then stir in remaining dry ingredients and combine well.
3. In another bowl, combine applesauce, soy milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and oil.
4. Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix gently until just combined (do not overmix). Spoon into a lined or lightly oiled muffin pan and bake for 19-24 minutes (mine took 19), until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Recipe adapted and published with permission from Dreena Burton's "As-You-Like Muffins" from The Everyday Vegan.

1. Mash the banana well. Add the remaining ingredients, whisk like crazy, and place in the fridge overnight.
2. In the morning I added 1 tsp maca powder and 2 Tbsp peanut butter. Feel free to embellish your oats with whatever you like!