If you are what you eat, I wanna be friends with the candy eaters; they don't rot like the steaks

Remember that time you ate a muffin every day for a month and the old saying "you are what you eat" came to life as your upper body turned into the top of a muffin?  I do.

I couldn't sleep this morning:  my dog was a snoring machine, and I had finished my latest book (Sarah's Key - So so so good), so it was off to restless baking for this kitten.  Since I've started to add in my other obsession of healthy baking into this blog, I thought I would show you the results of a Nespresso Coffee induced baking good time at 5 am!

I love eating muffin tops, but want to cry if I have one in any particular outfit (I also want to pull the muffin top/tight belly shirt offenders aside and say "that doesn't need to happen - buy two sizes up").  And so my quest for healthy muffins began.  This is one of my favourite staples that I have around the house pretty much at all times (I freeze 'em)...  You can add chocolate chips, or walnuts, or blueberries, or whatever, but this is the basic recipe.  It's under 200 calories/muffin, which, compared to most store bought muffin delights (450-1200 calories!!!) is pretty coolio.

The Théa-fyed banana, sugar free, non-muffin-top muffin!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup Splenda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 egg (or two egg whites)
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil ...  or you can try using half of this oil, and replacing the other half with apple sauce or plain yoghurt for extra low-cal muffins
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2-3 bananas)

Directions:

1. Combine flour, oats, splenda, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
2. In a large bowl, beat the egg (or egg whites) lightly. Stir in the milk, oil (or oil + applesauce/yoghurt combo), and vanilla. Add the mashed banana, and combine thoroughly. Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture until just combined. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper bake cups, and divide the batter among them.
3. Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 18 to 20 minutes.