Frugal Menu Mamas

So, I had heard that you can substitute sweet potatoes in for pumpkin in recipes.  I have LOTS of mashed sweet potato in the freezer, so I decided to try it.  My son and I decided to make our favorite pumpkin muffin recipe.  (I did not tell him about the substitution.)  We got everything ready and then I realized I was out of oil.  Well, I had also read somewhere that you can substitute applesauce in for oil.  So, we tried that, too.  The muffins turned out beautifully and smelled delicious.

Can you tell which is a sweet potato muffin and which is a pumpkin muffin?

The kids loved the sweet potato/applesauce muffins!  After taking the muffins out of the oven, my son ate 2 and both kids ate 2 this morning for breakfast.  But I have to admit, I don’t like sweet potaoes and so I think I could taste the sweet potato.  It probably didn’t help that there was a big sweet potato chunk in my muffin ( I need to mash better next time.)  So, I will let the kids have all of these and I’ll stick with the pumpkin muffins.  I’ve found another recipe for sweet potato bread and some more muffins, so we will be trying other options soon! 

Oh, and here is my helper…he loves to lick the beater.  I mean he LIVES to lick the beater.

I know we were done with breakfasts…but if it is okay with you, I will post new easy, frugal breakfast recipes when I come across them.  :)  My mom gave me a page torn out of an old Southern Living magazine with some make ahead breakfast recipes.  As I try them, you will get to see them.  I am so excited about this one…carrot zucchini muffins.  I got my kids to eat carrots and the zucchini were free from a relative’s garden!  I used the grating attachment on my Kitchen Aide mixer to grate up at bunch of both veggies and I’ll freeze the extra.  So easy!  Oh, the muffins freeze well too, so enjoy!

Carrot-Zucchini Muffins
(makes 1 dozen)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 medium carrots, shredded
1 medium zucchini, shredded

-Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture.
-Stir together egg, orange juice, and butter; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.  Fold in carrot and zucchini.  Spoon into greased muffin pans, filling two-thirds full.
-Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes.  Remove from pans immediately, and cool on wire racks.
-Freeze in an airtight container up to 3 months.  To reheat, wrap each muffin in a damp paper towel; microwave on HIGH 40 seconds or until warm.

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