Right after Christmas my store had bags of fresh cranberries on the “poor people rack” as Tony likes to call it, marked down to .50 cents a bag so I bought a couple and threw them in the freezer. The weekend before I bought 14 bananas on the $1 rack that when I opened my pantry, the smell of banana was so pungent I knew I had to start using those bananas up!
I decided to make a batch of muffins for my restaurant work friend who is struggling. With two boys ages 11 and 14 I am sure they eat a lot, and these muffins are the perfect grab and go before getting on the school bus, or perfect for an afternoon snack. I will admit, these are on the sweet side for me. I had Tony taste one the night before last and he said they were the best muffins I’ve made yet. Um, turns out I forget to add sugar a lot of the time when I bake muffins, which is probably why I don’t make them that often.
This made 12 muffins – each muffin comes in at 202 calories, 5.2 fat, 35 carbs, 1.5 fiber and 5.3 protein.
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I wish I had a better picture, because these turned out really good. When I work at the restaurant I don’t like carrying my DSLR with me, so the iPhone had to do! I decided I’d make another batch before work yesterday morning and bring them in. It’s been a while since I brought stuff to the office. Remember when I made soup every Friday?? Which reminds me that I want to make this Vegetarian Taco Soup again next week!
I didn’t have any muffins, because I had breakfast tostadas on my brain. Three tostadas with scrambled egg white, ham, baby spinach, cheddar cheese and half of an avocado. While this plate comes in at 555 calories, I don’t usually eat snacks so most of my meals are in the 500 calorie range. So filling and good! Oh, and I may have doused these with more hot sauce when I got to my desk.
Since I had to work at the restaurant last night, I knew I had to sneak in Day 3 of T-25 sometime during the day and I realized I could just borrow my office laptop and take that to the gym. Holy shizz, another tough workout – I was sweating balls within a matter of minutes! I just used the open group exercise room – no one uses it during the day.
So sweaty!!
It was a tough workout, but I was able to do 100% of it – toggling back between doing the Shaun T version and back to Tania who is the modifier. My goal was to never stop. Before I knew it, I was done!
Lunch was more leftover pizza, blackberries and cucumber.
This was filling, which is what I was going for because I wasn’t sure how busy the restaurant was going to be. I haven’t worked during the week since the first couple weeks they were open. I ended up having a bit of stracciatella soup for dinner, which was delicious. I don’t know if I’ve talked about that soup yet, but it’s an Italian egg drop soup – it’s chicken broth based with crumbled Italian sausage, baby spinach, Parmesan cheese and it’s topped with garlic croutons. This recipe is similar, except using spinach instead of kale.
I had an off night at the restaurant. I kept getting sat deuces while the two other servers kept getting sat six tops and four tops. I couldn’t sell for shit. My first table of three split an appetizer and then split a half plate, and when I kept refilling their pops they wanted to make sure the refills were free. Gah. I ended up only walking with $75, but I was home by 10:45, so that’s not too bad. I figure last night paid our electric bill, so it’s all good! But by the time I settled down after getting home, I was in bed after midnight. I am happy I was just covering another girl who normally works on Wednesday, and I’ll stick to my profitable Friday and Saturday nights, thank you very much.
So far this week we’ve had temps in the single digits, a thunder snow shower where we got six inches, temps in the 50s and today? We start out with a wintery mix and then move onto thunderstorms. I’ll still be dreaming of this – sitting outside!
Time to put my food together – I have the last of my broccoli breakfast muffins and shocking – the last slice of pizza for lunch today! Make it a great day!
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Catching up on blogs after the weekend, so you might “hear” from me more today or tomorrow 🙂 I don’t read blogs often during the weekends because I try to stay away from the computer a bit on the weekends.
That said: those muffins look yummie, reminds me I need to bake more often. I often don’t take the time for it which is silly because muffins can be made in 45 minutes.
Great job on Focus T25, since I mix everything I have, I have done just one workout so far but like you I was switching by modifications and the “hard” version. I remember at the end of the first workout I was warmed up enough that I didn’t need the modifications anymore.
Those look great Biz! I don’t like to eat yogurt plain but do like to use it in baked goods. I definitely need to make these muffins. Muffins are best for me because I need things that are portable to ready to go in the morning.
And at 200 calories each – throw in a cheese stick and a piece of fruit and you are good to go!
The muffins look and sound great. I like that flavor combo. I have been craving chocolate and banana together. I like how you have the little drizzle of hot sauce along with the ranch on the cucumber. Is there anything safe from hot sauce? 🙂
Thank you for confirming the chocolate/banana combo. One of the first things I made for Tony was banana chocolate chip bread and he thought I was nuts for adding the chocolate chips – it’s amazeballs!
And I guess I wouldn’t put hot sauce on banana chocolate chip bread. 😀
Oh those muffins look so good! Every year I tell myself I’ll buy a bunch of cranberries and freeze them before they go out of season and I still haven’t remembered to do it. 🙁 Speaking of bananas, my FIL ate one of my precious aging bananas and I was saving JUST ENOUGH to make banana bread with them. ARG! Who eats a spotted banana anyway? EW!! lol
I am the same way V – if I eat a banana it has to be almost still green – to eat it all spotty like that makes me want to throw up! Can’t believe Baby J is already 3 months old?!
I make muffins way too often! We love them.
You, my friend, are the baking QUEEN!
I love hearing that you baked those muffins for your struggling friend. It melts my heart. I love doing things like that for people as well. I often will drop off a “meal” for friends with a new baby, unexpected – it feels so good!
It does make you feel good, doesn’t it?! I can’t wait to see your new baby’s face!
You’re a good friend, it’s so kind of you to think of her family and want to know they have enough food.
Years and years ago I worked with a lady who was new to the office, and by the looks of her and her lunches, she had very little money. So my co-worker brought in instant oatmeal and stuff for sandwiches eachweek and told her she could help herself. Same co-worker was barely making ends meet herself, and put me to shame with her generosity because I hadn’t really noticed she wasn’t eating well. I still feel bad about that. So good for you and your karma!
Like I always say, no matter what your situation, there are always people who are struggling more than us, so I have no problem paying it forward – just wish I had more time to bake and cook! I agree about the karma!
Yum, the muffins look good. So the yogurt replaces the oil… Love muffins with cranberries, but there never seem to be enough cranberries to suit me when I buy a muffin. Which I rarely do because they are so full of fat, sugar and calories. Yes, my alternative is to make my own!! So good of you to be thinking of your co-worker and her kids. 🙂
Great job with the tough workout!
My favorite cranberry muffin was at Starbuck’s – it had these giant sugar flakes on top – so fricken good but also over 500 calories – yikes!
Thanks Laura – have a great weekend!
Muffins….that sounds good.
Every now and then I can catch the “poor peoples scratch and dent Dole banana boxes” full of canned and boxes food for $10. There is always 30-40 dollars worth of food in each box. The last box I got had a box of 36 cups of Keurig K-cups coffee (if bought off the shelve was 15-18 dollars) so buying 2 boxes for $20 paid for it self with just the coffee alone. Sometimes I feel like I won the lottery when I see those boxes sitting by grocery doors!!! Usually there is some stuff in the boxes I don’t use, so I give it to a family that is going through ruff times too. So nothing goes to waste.
Thinking of making that sour dough bread. Question: If no rye flour, can I use regular white or whole wheat????
Have a great day.
Absolutely you can use regular flour. Check out this video!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bybDoBf25QE
Those muffins look lovely and it’s so kind you made them to share! Yummmm on the breakfast tostadas – we are having tostadas for dinner tonight!
I will be at your office tomorrow at 5PM with Logan! Will you be around? I’d love to say hI!
I might have to leave at 4:45 today Courtney since it’s the opening – hope I don’t miss you though!
Does your restaurant have a entree sharing charge? Around here, the nicer restaurants add anywhere from $5-10 when someone wants an entree split.
Nope – we even have shared entrees on the menu, but they are between $40 and $50 for two people. 😀 I’ve never been to a restaurant that charges you to split a meal – crazeballs!
I haven’t made muffins in forever – I need to get on that stat.
And how cool to have that group exercise room available! I’d be all over that!
So much room for activities! 😀
I love muffins!
Muffins usually don’t work out too well for me, but these are a keeper! Have a great weekend Suzi!
Sucks when you don’t get good tables.
Yeah, that’s a great idea on the muffins! I have a bunch of bananas too and I bought cranberries from the poor people rack too ($1 here though). All are still in the freezer.
I think your boys would love the muffins Marcia! And I have to look at the big picture, I’ve been making great money so far, so there is bound to be off days here and there – it’s all good!
Nice to see some warmth in your area!!!! You’re so sweet to make those muffins for the boys. I’m sure they will LOVE them. They look super fluffy. Love using Chobani in my baking. I need to bake tonight- it relieves so much stress 😉 Great job on T25. Your group fitness room is GORGEOUS
One of my co-workers called them “cakey” which she said is a good thing! Yep, sadly that giant room is empty most of the time – I need to check out their group class schedule again – before they were odd times like 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. and 6:00 and 7:30 p.m.!
Those muffins sound good, and even that soup sounds like something I’d like. Nice job sneaking in your workout!
Thanks Courtney! I am loving the T-25!
I think those breakfast tostadas might be my favorite of all your breakfasts yet!!
And, I can totally vouch for the fact that an 11 & 14 year old boy eat a LOT!!! My boys are 12 & 15 and can put food away!!!
Bummer on the light night at work – hopefully this weekend will be another big one for you!!
My sister is amazed how much her kids eat when they were home on Christmas break – she bought food over one weekend and by Tuesday most of it was eaten up!
i thought of you last night when i took my son to a pricey restaurant at UCONN and we did exactly what you described….split an app and split and entree and drank water, not even soda…..OYYY…that poor server (sophemore engineering major working his arse off) must’ve been like ARGHHH! I gave the young kid a very nice tip in the spirit of BIZ. (Bill was 22, TIP $10 cash) Anywhoooo….speaking of my son…… I have a cadre of clothing for those boys of your friend at the restaurant if they are interested I’ll ship them out to you Biz. Just say the word. It’s GoodWill or BizWill. LOL.
I am an asshole Jody – I came across as “why aren’t you spending more money” when I know people have tight budgets – including me! Love you cash tip though!!
I’ll talk to my friend about the clothes tonight at work – love paying it forward!! Have a great weekend Jody!
Those muffins! Zipped that right up!
LOL Poor people rack. Oh yeah, we shop that! In the produce aisle & then they have the other in the dairy by the stockroom…filled with damaged boxes, but great items. I’ll take it! 😛
…and seriously, this weather is nuts! I just can’t keep up!
I shop the hell out of that rack! Yep, I am over this weather – today is so windy I thought it was going to blow my car over when I drove!
I LOVE to use Chobani in my baking and cooking, too! 🙂 these muffins look delicious. Thanks for the recipe, Biz!
I do too Heather – I love it when it goes on sale 10 for $10!