Nathaniel James' Birth Story

Ye olde blog has been pretty neglected as of late.  Between Facebook and Instagram I feel that enough of my life is out there on social media.  But for some things, a few sentences aren't enough.  So here is Nate's story of how he arrived into our world.  If you're interested, Josh's story here, Ben's story here and Sam's story here.

Since I hadn't even mentioned anything on here about being pregnant with Nate, here's a recap.  It took us much longer to get pregnant with him, about eight months longer than it took with the others and it didn't happen until I went on some homeopathic hormone/adrenal medicines.  It was a blessedly uneventful pregnancy and this time I didn't need to have the progesterone shots every week, which was awesome.  We decided to do a blood work only genetic screening at 10 weeks which had the added benefit of letting us know the gender of the baby.  We had really hoped for a girl and I admit that I cried the whole way home when they told me I was having another boy.  Now, before conclusions are jumped to, it wasn't the fact that I was having a son that was upsetting.  I knew this was my last baby and I wanted a daughter so that I could have a relationship with her like I do with my own mother.  I wanted to have that experience because no matter what people tell me about having daughter-in-laws or granddaughters someday, it is NOT the same and it doesn't make me feel much better.  For whatever reason, it just isn't meant to be.  I allowed myself to have sorrow over the loss of a dream, not sorrow over the child within me.

It took us up until we saw Nathaniel to decide on his name.  We knew we wanted James as a middle name (David's middle name is James) but other contenders were Aaron, Timothy and Isaac.  All our other boys came with names pretty much built in, so this was a new situation to not know what his name was.  David was the one who decided, since I liked all our options.  We called him Squishy through the pregnancy.

It was nice being second trimester pregnant through the holidays because I felt great and could eat whatever I wanted without any guilt.  Of course that lead to me gaining almost 50lbs.  Of course twenty pounds have already gone due to baby, blood and fluid retention loss, but I will have a longer road to get back into my clothes this time.  Hooray for leggings and long tunic style tops being in fashion! The third trimester was a bit rough due to pretty intense back and rib pain.  Now that I know I was carrying a 9 lb 9 oz baby, this isn't surprising at all.  At my last check up before going past my due date the doctor couldn't even measure him because he was up underneath my sternum and ribcage.  Ouch!

After waiting and doing everything I knew to induce labor naturally (except caster oil, heard too many horror stories about that one) I was induced on 4/22 four days past my due date.  I was worried that it would be another long labor like my inductions with Ben and Sam.  This one only took five hours from start to finish, and the finish came so quickly that I almost missed getting an epidural!  I went from 4cm to 10cm in twenty minutes after getting that first blessed push of pain relief.  I had an excellent anesthesiologist who had it placed and meds flowing in less than three minutes, but I still had enough feeling to move my legs and feel when to push.  The doctor was prepping to insert the catheter when baby decided it was time to come.  I don't know exactly how many minutes it took me to push, somewhere between 10 and 15 I think.  It hurt worse than any of my other babies, but this isn't surprising considering his weight, length (21 in) and huge head size (14.5 inches).  As with all of my previous pregnancies, I tore along all the old scar tissue and then tore further.  Third degree tears if you're curious and want to look up what that means, but don't say I didn't warn you.  It's taken about a week for me to feel like I can walk and take the stairs normally and it still hurts to sit for a long time.

When Nate came out he was of course huge and rather purple.  It took longer for him to pink up than my other ones did.  He had been in so long that he had lost the waxy vernix coating to protect his skin from the watery fluids so the skin on his feet and hands were/are still cracked and dry.  He has a light layer of hair on his head that looks blondish in some lights and brown in others.  We're not sure yet which way his eye color will go, but if I had to guess I would say brown.

We only spent one night in the hospital because I knew I wouldn't get any sleep.  And I didn't.  Not a single wink of sleep that whole night because Nate is a voracious eater and would cry the instant I tried to take him away from the boob.  He has more suction than any of my other babies, so that combined with a lack of milk meant that I was incredibly sore and he did damage I'm still trying to heal from a week later.  After 24 hours without any pee or poop, we started supplementing with formula.  The inability to breastfeed has been a major guilt-inducer for me with each baby.  I have taken every supplement and medication, I pump, I feed on demand and nothing helps.  We suspect a lack of glandular tissue, but can't confirm it without doing a scan and I'm not willing to pay for that just to satisfy curiosity.  It has been a little bit better this time with a new combo of homeopathic herbs, but mainly I've just come to the conclusion that I'm the dessert bar for him, not the main course and source of nutrition.  Just the fact that I can give him a tiny bit of milk and comfort (I BF him after he has a bottle so that he isn't so ravenous and undoes all the work I've done to heal up my chest) is more than I was able to do with the others.  I don't know how long it will last, or if by doing this it will somehow up my supply eventually, but I am very grateful to live in a time and place where I have a safe and reliable source of nutrition for my baby.

Nate is thus far a champion sleeper, usually always sleeping at least two hours and sometimes three hours in a row.  David takes the first part of the night, staying up with him until midnight and feeding him before putting him down.  I go to bed at 9pm so I am generally getting to sleep from nine to three these past few nights.  It makes such a difference because I don't have opportunities to sleep or even lay down during the day!  He's doing well sleeping even while his brothers are ridiculously loud around him.  I feel like I need to record my voice saying "the baby is sleeping, please be quiet" so that I can just push a button and play it.

Brothers are adjusting as well as can be expected.  Sam has regressed in his language usage and Josh is fine until he doesn't get what he wants in the evening.  We've been dealing with defiant behavior for a while with him, so this is just an amped up version and not unexpected.  With Nate he is absolutely wonderful; always asking to hold him, singing to him, reading to him and just being generally helpful (until the evening time).  Ben has been very sweet as well.  When we were waiting for Nate to arrive Ben drew him pictures every day and put them into the pack n play that Nate sleeps in.  Sam tends to not pay him a lot of attention and pretty much just wants to occasionally hold his hand.  I can tell that he's feeling some jealousy because when I do set aside "Sam time" he will climb on top of me, wrap his arms tightly around my neck and hold onto me for a very long time.  I'm doing my best to give each of them the attention they need individually.  It's hard with four little active boys, but I think I'm doing a fairly good job.  I'm lucky that thus far I've never dealt with the baby blues and I have lots of support from friends and family.

And now some pictures!

What do you mean he's going to be almost 10 lbs?!

Squishy is such an appropriate nickname for him.

Baby wearing a newborn is the best.  I'm wearing him while I can before he gets too big to do this comfortably.

This is such a good reason to be up all night.  Luckily only the first few nights were bad with only a few hours of sleep, if any.

Josh loves to read to Nate.

I had to bribe him to get him to smile with his brother.

All four boys as babies.  I think Sam and Nate look the most alike, and I keep calling Nate Sam.

Taking care of their own babies.

Snuggles with daddy.

oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

I love it when I can take a recipe and tweak it enough to make it healthier while still being delicious.  This recipe is from an old church cookbook of my mom's, but I adapted it so that I can eat more with less guilt. :)

OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Preheat oven to 350.  A batch makes about 5 dozen cookies.

1/2 cup shortening (or butter)

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

2 cups brown sugar (I prefer dark)

2 eggs

3 cups whole wheat flour*

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

2/3 cup buttermilk**

3 cups oats

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts

Cream the sugar, eggs and fats.  Add dry ingredients, adding the milk before the oats, though the order really doesn't matter.  Shape dough into small balls and bake for 11-12 minutes.

* I've had times when I've had to add 3/4 of a cup more flour.  The dough is rather sticky, so even with extra flour I put the dough in the fridge between batches so help make it easier to handle.

** I hardly ever keep buttermilk on hand, so if you splash some lemon juice in the bottom of your measuring cup and pour regular milk up to the 2/3 mark and let it sit for 5ish minutes it will give you the tangy flavor of buttermilk.

Life is Good

Another celebrity has recently gone public about refusing to vaccinate her children due to concerns about Autism.  I'm not going to talk about the science involved, or the statistical information, or even the resurgence of diseases like measles that were eradicated in our country but are now making a comeback.  What I want to write about is a side effect of the debate that no one talks about: vilifying Autism.  If you choose not to vaccinate your child because you fear s/he may "get" Autism, it says to me that you fear ASD more than polio, rubella, hepatitis, measles, diphtheria and other potentially life-threatening yet preventable diseases.

(Side note here, if you choose not to vaccinate your children I'm not going to go around declaring you an unfit parent.  The point of this post is to try and dispel the fear that people have on what their life might be like if their child was diagnosed with ASD.  You are free to make any lifestyle choice you like, I'm just putting another point of view out there for your consideration.)

Part of that attitude can be blamed on the powerful group Autism Speaks.  Fear mongering is a great way to raise money.  Take for example this truly saddening 'call for action' from Autism Speaks co-founder Suzanne Wright from a few months ago.  Here are a few excerpts:

"This is autism.  Life is lived moment-to-moment.  In anticipation of the child’s next move.  In despair.  In fear of the future."

"These families are not living."

"And, what about their parents? How much can we ask them to handle? How long will it be before the exhaustion makes them ill?  How long before they break?"

I'm sure Ms. Wright had the best of intentions.  Autism Speaks does some good things for the ASD community.  But if that rhetoric is the only side of the story that's being told, no wonder people are terrified of their kids "getting" Autism.

It's part of human nature to complain when things get bad.  I know I'm guilty of FB posts that spill out the details of an awful day in order to get some sympathy and solidarity that I'm not alone in my struggles.  But I hope that for every "life is hard" post, that I have double the amount of "life is awesome" posts and "look how far we've come" posts.  Everyone that I am friends with knows that Josh has ASD.  Part of the reason why I post a lot is because I want people to see that life with a child with ASD isn't too much different than anyone else's parenting journey.  Statistically it stands to reason that at least one or two of my friends will end up on this journey with one of their children.  When they reach that moment when a professional says "your child has Autism" I hope they will think, "Hey, I know a family with a kid with Autism.  They look like they're doing pretty good, so maybe this isn't a doom and gloom life sentence for our family."

We do not live in fear in this house.  Autism has undeniably changed our journey, but it hasn't been a change for the worse.  In some ways, I believe it has made me a better person.  In the spirit of casting out fear, here are some reasons why I LOVE having a child with Autism.

1.  Milestones are celebrated with enthusiasm, since most of them are delayed.  From the first "I love you" to the first time Josh buttoned up his church shirt, the little things that I take for granted are appreciated much more.

2.  Josh loves rules.  He has never climbed furniture, grabbed a knife or gotten into my bathroom stuff.  Once you set a rule, he'll follow it.  I had to take baby proofing to a whole new level with my subsequent boys because Josh never got into things.

3.  Everyone is his friend.  One of my favorite memories is of us in our upstairs playroom and Josh saw a group of older kids walking outside on their way home from school.  He yelled out the window "Hello friends!"  I'm sure the kids were wondering where this tiny voice from above calling to them was coming from.  There isn't a kid on the playground that he won't play with.

4.  Routines are easy to establish and maintain.  Bedtime has always been a breeze because Josh thrives on predictability and consistency.

5.  There is nothing false about him.  He never lies and the only attempts at deception are sneaking to eat a cracker in a hiding place.  But if you ask him, he'll tell you exactly what he's doing.  He never attempts to manipulate and is totally without guile.

6.  It is the easiest thing in the world to get him to laugh.  Of all the passions that bubble beneath his surface, pure enjoyment is my favorite.  And due to his love of repetition, once you do something to make him laugh you can do it over and over again and he will continue to crack up.

I realize that we're lucky that Josh is pretty high functioning, but of all the parents in the classes and support groups that I attend, very few of us are parents of children that will likely need permanent care for their entire lives.  I'd say we're typical of families who have access to early intervention and stability in the home.  We're living a good life.  No one need wonder when or if I'll snap.  I am not living in despair.  I rejoice because life is pretty dang good.  I have three beautiful, healthy boys.  Their growth and development is wonderful to observe.  They give me kisses and hugs and delight in showing me a bug or a block tower.

This is what life with Autism can be, and it's glorious.

what caught my attention

So many times I come across an article or a blog post that I want to tell everyone my opinion about it.  However, most of the time it's more of an "amen" or "this is cool" and I don't have much to say about the subject that hasn't already been said in a much more interesting way.  So I decided to copy some of my favorite bloggers and make a list on here of the things we've been discussing in our home lately.

Eli McCann's blog is normally made of the stuff that I just about die laughing over, but when he writes a serious post it's most likely just as awesome.  He wrote about what's happening in Ukraine right now and I learned more in that short post about what's going on over there than from all the stuff on the mainstream news outlets.

Ironically, I just checked out a book from the library about Amur tigers in eastern Russia (The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival) and I wasn't expecting it to be completely stuffed full of information about Russia's history.  I'm rather ashamed that I am so ignorant about Russia.  This is a great book to start getting a handle on what is going on in that part of the world, and the things that happened (Stalin era and on) that shaped the country.

Bullying at Church from a Mormon perspective.  I sincerely hope that if my kids EVER act inappropriately at church that someone will bring it to my attention so that it will never escalate to the described levels of torment.  In a church setting especially we should be cherished and protected from the cruelty of the world.

Speculation that change may be coming to North American Mormon temple wedding policies.  This is something that I hope with all my heart is coming.  I still feel guilt and anxiety over my wedding nine years ago that I was forced to choose between my family and being married inside the temple.  Right now in North America, if you have a civil ceremony you are prohibited from receiving a temple sealing (which is the biggy part of the LDS temple wedding ceremony) for one year.  In other countries, laws require marriages to be public so you have a civil ceremony and immediately go to the temple and be sealed.  The fact that I was denied this option simply because I live in the USA (versus England, for example) was painful because I hurt the feelings of my family by excluding them.  Of course I felt like we didn't have an option; every good Mormon is supposed to have a temple marriage.  I hope that this change is coming to make our church more globally consistent in policies, such as the recent changes to lower the missionary age to be in line with other countries who require military service or different educational requirements.

With Josh, it's always a challenge to know what he comprehends, thinks and knows because he has difficulty expressing himself.  I've followed the ASD non-verbal teen blogger Ido In Autismland for years and this post about the frustrations of not having the physical ability to express himself was a great reminder that just because Josh can't answer "what is your last name" or "what is that letter" it doesn't mean he doesn't understand my question or know the answer.  Maybe he just can't get his mouth to work in the precise way to get the words back out in a form that I can understand.

And to end on a happier note, I (and the rest of the internet) LOVED this wonderful video of Lupita Nyong'o's speech on beauty.

Expressing Appreciation

I had major guardian angel help today and it would be ungrateful of me not to record it.

It starts out with the admission that I brought misfortune upon my own head.  We have a new to us van and I was getting ready to put gasoline in it for the first time.  The fuel light came on so I decided to push it and see how far I could go once that light came on.  My mistake was not reading the owner's manual and assuming that it would have a feature like my previous cars wherein the fuel light starts blinking when it gets super low.  Let it be known that the fuel light will NOT blink when it gets low, and that unlike other cars of mine that would go 50 miles once the light turns on, the Honda Odyssey fuel light gives no quarter.  I only have 30ish miles from fuel light coming on to running out of gas.

Here's where the guardian angels come in.  I ran out of fuel RIGHT IN FRONT of a gas station.  I was able to coast into the gas station parking lot.  A man immediately saw that I was in trouble, called to his teenage son who was sitting in their truck and they pushed my van to the pump.  Then they waited until I got fuel in it to make sure it would start.  The father said that he didn't want a mom and her kids to be stranded.

Of course I expressed my appreciation many times to them, and I sent a message to the company they worked for (both were wearing company jackets with name tags) telling them how those two employees saved my day.  I also sent up prayers of thanksgiving because what are the odds that I would run out of gas in the exact spot that would allow me to coast into a gas station?  Two minutes earlier I would have been on a major highway.

I was watched over today.

Enjoying Disneyland with Small Children

Tell someone that you're taking a five, three and one year old to Disneyland (DL) and you're liable to get one of three responses: a polite, "wow, you're brave!" which usually means, "wow, you're crazy and don't mind while I edge away slowly as to not catch whatever psycho pathogens you must have."  Response number two kind of similar, in a "good for you, Moneybags, but I'm waiting for it to be more worthwhile for my family."  Response number three is what prompted this post:  "How do you make a trip like that work?"


I am becoming de facto expert on surviving enjoying a DL trip with small children.  Here's a list of the trips we've taken to Disney to give my words come street cred.

October 2009 - one 1 year old
June 2010 - one 20 month old (3 months pregnant)
March 2012 - one 3 1/2 year old, one 1 year old (4 months pregnant)
November 2013 - one 5 year old, one almost 3 year old, one 1 year old (decidedly NOT pregnant.)
Next trip planned for August of 2015.
Now, I'm going to be honest here.  Of those trips, the best ones were the 2009 and 2013 trips for child compliance and enjoyment.

Here comes more than you ever wanted to know about planning a trip to DL.  Be sure to read all the way to the bottom for my number one piece of advice for having a great trip with little ones!

SHOW ME THE $$$

The first thing people ask about when considering a DL vacation is the cost.  It is expensive, but our family has figured out pretty much the cheapest way to do it.  The worst part are the darn park and plane tickets.  Gah, it makes me shudder every time I think about it.  Darn you, Disney for making your parks so appealing and fun.  There used to be ways to buy "black market" tickets, but now that the tickets are connected to your photograph that option is gone.  One year we all got a free park ticket during Disney's Give A Day Get A Day volunteer promotion, but that's never come up again.  The only viable option we've come across is to make sure we buy tickets before the (usual) price increases in May.  When increases are announced there's usually 72 hours to buy at the old price.  I'll outline more ways we save money (hotel and food) below.  The other option we've employed is timing our trip right before a kid's third birthday so we don't have to pay for a park ticket.  We always bought park hoppers because our kids like to bounce back and forth between the parks.

 

HOTEL

We don’t stay at Disney hotels because they’re too expensive and unless you stay at the Grand Californian, you still have to walk to the parks.  Because we always go with extended family members we stay in the Anaheim Desert Inn and Suites, getting a suite (C2 Parlor Suite, to be exact) to split the cost between two families.  It is the least expensive “walking distance” hotel in that regard.   It isn’t anywhere close to a ritzy hotel, but since we pretty much only sleep there, it works for us.  A “walking distance” hotel can really mean a large range in advertising.  The Desert Inn and Suites is literally right across from the park entrance.  The farthest we have walked is up to the Howard Johnson hotel and I won’t stay there again because it was too long of a walk after a grueling day in the park.  So if you look at a map drawn to scale, look at the distance of the Howard Johnson from the park entrance and then you can compare that to the distance of other hotels.  I strongly recommend staying in a hotel that is closer than that one when you have little ones.

 

FOOD

We get groceries delivered to the hotel from Vons; things like bottled water, juice, milk, bananas, cheese sticks, yogurt, bread and diapers.  You can take a soft-side cooler into the park (no glass), even though it officially says no outside food.  My kids are picky eaters so I would essentially pack a lunch for them and bring it into the park.  Also, IHOP (also across the street from the park entrance) has a "kids eat free with a paying adult" deal after 4pm daily.  We try to only eat out once a day, and some days we only grab a snack item in the park.  Before I leave home I pack a gallon-sized plastic bag for each day with snacks like granola bars, dried fruit, crackers and candy.  In the morning I would toss a new bag into the bottom of my stroller, knowing I had enough food for the day.

 

STROLLERS

I think that any kid under age eight should have a stroller.  Last time we went my brother had a pedometer and we walked at least six miles a day.  That’s a lot for little kids.  I bring my strollers (a double and a single joggers) because I don’t want to hassle with rentals plus in the evenings at least one would be asleep so it was nice to be able to go back to the hotel without waking them.  There is a literal sea of strollers parked outside the rides.  I bring something to easily ID my stroller, such as a pink scarf tied around the handle, or a pirate flag.  No one has ever messed with my stroller, though I never leave anything like a camera or purse in it unattended.  I also had a spare change of clothes for each child crammed into a plastic bag in the basket that stayed there until a kid needed it.  And we did need it a few days.

 

WAITING

There is a lot of waiting at DL, so bring LOTS of snacks.  A spill-proof container of bubbles is also a big hit when waiting.  Handheld video games work well if you set up the usage parameters before hand.  Blankets even in warm weather provide comfort and encourage stroller napping.  The best way to avoid waiting is to go during the slow season.  See that picture below?  When you go during the slow time of year sometimes you don't even have to get off the ride to go again.  Personally, I will not go to DL during a busy period because paying so much money to stand in lines just doesn't do it for me.  We visit DL during the week for this reason as well, since a nice weekend any time of the year will bring in crowds of locals.

 

RIDES

We watch YouTube videos of the rides before leaving to get the kids used to what would happen.  On the one ride I didn’t (Radiator Springs Racers), Josh freaked out and refused to get on it for the rest of the trip.  Granted this might just be an Autism thing, but even my other boy really loved watching the videos and it took some of the uncertainty out of what was going on.  Also, measure each child before leaving (with shoes on) to know how tall they are for the rides and prep them accordingly if little sister can’t go on all the rides that brother can.  The cast members are real sticklers for the height requirement and I saw lots of kids throwing fits because they weren’t tall enough to ride.  Also, be sure you know how the Fast Pass system works.  If you don’t know what that is, look it up.  Fast Passes are a great way to get in more rides and even if your kids are too little, you can use their passes yourself.  Also familiarize yourself with the baby-swap options on rides.

 

BREAKS

If you value your sanity, take breaks!  Whether you go back to the hotel room to swim or find a quiet corner of the park to just sit and play for a while, this made a big difference in keeping everyone happy.  Even for kids without sensory issues, a day in DL can be overwhelming.  Other options are sitting down to save a good spot for parade viewing, or watching a show like Aladdin over in DCA.

 

TOYS/SOUVENIERS

Things cost almost double in the parks of what you can get elsewhere.  If your daughter likes to dress up like a princess bring a dress from home, or buy one at Walmart before going.  Same thing with stocking up on Disney t-shirts or sweatshirts before leaving.  One of the toys Josh found that he really wanted was an Angry Birds Star Wars toy.  I found I could get it for $15 cheaper on Amazon, so I told him that we’d have it delivered to our house when we got home.  I got Ben a Buzz Lightyear hoodie from Amazon and he got lots of “hi Buzz!” compliments from the cast members and he was thrilled.  I paid less than half of what they were charging in the parks.  In the evening there are light-up and glowing toys everywhere.  I got a 12 pack of glow sticks for $1 before we left and busted out a few for the boys each evening.  It kept the “I want that!” whining at bay.  Another little girl option (how I hope to be able to do this someday) is bringing some hair glitter because there will be lots of little girls walking around who just came out of getting a "makeover" at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.  They wear their hair up in a bun with a little tiara and lots of glitter.  Of course it's an expensive treat, so if that's something your daughter would like you can buy a very similar tiara in any DL shop, fix up your daughter's hair, shimmy on some hair glitter and your daughter will look like all the other little princesses for a fraction of the price.

Whew, congrats on making it through all that!  Now, for that promised NUMBER ONE PIECE OF ADVICE...
Have backup and go with family!  We have never visited without at least two other family members.  Grandparents are an awesome resource for this.  Divide and conqueror works for a reason.  The absolute best way to go is with grandparents and extended family who have kids in the same age range.  It was amazing how many tantrums were adverted, or bravery found because cousins wanted to be together.  One group could take the littles while others rode with the big kids.  One auntie (me!) would go on the silly coasters over and over again with a herd of little nieces and nephews while the other adults sat down and ate ice cream with the babies.  A trip like that makes for the best memories.

 

So is Disney expensive?  You bet, but that is precisely the reason why I want to go as often as I can save up the money when my kids are little.  At this age things are MAGICAL.  The characters are real.  The rides really take you inside the movies.  Everything is so stinking exciting to little kids!  I know the day will come when my boys will be too old and too cool to enjoy DL.  So why on Earth will I spend two years worth of savings on boys who are only going to roll their eyes and grudgingly go on It's A Small World with their mama?  When we get to that age our DL trips will probably become much less frequent; instead we'll visit places like Six Flags or Knott's Berry or Universal Studios that have more appeal for the teen/tween boy set.

 

For now though, I'm going to save up my pennies so I can savor the squeals of delight when Ben finally sees Buzz Lightyear.  I'm going to treasure the maniacal laughter of Josh spinning the teacups.  I'm going to smile fondly when I hear the boys talking almost daily about what they liked at Disneyland and their requests to go back.  Good job, Mr. Disney.  You got us hook, line and sinker.

My very first trip to DL in 1995, and our latest trip in 2013.  My kind brother pointed out that I still have skinny chicken arms.

 

Quick and Healthy Apple Muffins

We've been making these muffins daily and they're a great healthy snack for me and the minions.  The original recipe that I modified from is here (and it would be a great recipe if you wanted a slightly sweeter and fancier muffin for an event.)

Quick & Healthy Apple Muffins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease (or paper) two muffin pans (makes 24)

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 egg

1/4 cup canola oil*

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup low fat buttermilk**

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup oat flour***

Mix together the wet ingredients (except the milk, but if you forget and add it at that point no big deal) then add the dry ingredients, adding the milk in between the two types of flours.  Combine until blended.  Fill the muffin tins halfway full and bake for approximately 16 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.  This makes for rather small muffins (the original recipe only makes 12) but doing it this way makes it a more of an appropriate serving size for my kids.  If you're making mini muffins bake for about nine minutes.

* haven't tried subbing coconut oil yet, because apple coconut sounds gross, if you do let me know how it turns out!

** if you don't keep buttermilk on hand (like me) splash some lemon juice into a bottom of a liquid measuring cup and then pour in milk to reach the 3/4 line.  Let sit for 5ish minutes.

*** or white flour, or more whole wheat flour.  I grind up some oats in my food processor until they're pulverized, but not as fine as flour.  We like the texture of the oat flour that way.