Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

I don’t bake too often anymore. There is nothing worse than delicious little baked goods sitting around tempting you all day. I can’t help but pop in the kitchen and snag a muffin/cookie/ slice of cake every chance I get. These muffins were worth the temptation though. They are the perfect morning treat. I love to wake up to sunshine flooding into my kitchen and these bright, kind of tart, not-too- sweet muffins sitting in a basket on my counter. PS: The basket of muffins help distract people from the dishes in the sink!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C Flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp poppy seeds
8 tbsp of unsalted butter, melted
1 C sugar

2 eggs
2/3 C plain greek yogurt ( 1 single serve container)
1 tsp vanilla extract
the zest and juice from 1 lemon

For the Glaze

3 tbsp of lemon juice
1 C of powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line the muffin pan (I used these silicone liners from Amazon—http://amzn.to/1OOfs9y) or coat with nonstick baking spray.
2. In a small bowl, combine sugar and lemon zest. Combine until sugar is slightly wet and fragrant.
3. Whisk in all the dry ingredients except for the poppy seeds.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the greek yogurt, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and melted butter.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix gently until combined. Stir in the poppy seeds.
6. Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups.
7. Bake for 16- 20 minutes. Transfer muffins to cooling rack before adding glaze.
8. TO MAKE GLAZE: place powdered sugar in a bowl. Add lemon juice until it’s a consistency you like. I prefer a thin glaze that drips off the spoon.

TIPS:

The instructions are a little involved but don’t look for shortcuts; they’re worth the time.

I have tried several lemon poppy seed muffin recipes and I find that the less mixing and whipping of the ingredients the better.

Add some blueberries for a nice twist!

5 Tips to Simplify Dinner

As an NFL wife, student, business owner and human google search engine for all of my friends and family on things nutrition, my plate is always full. I don't doubt for one second that you can relate when I say we women will often times live in complexity to simplify the lives of others! And really we don't mind because we are naturals at it and usually bask in the refreshing feeling of having checked off everything on our to-do list for the day. But even though we are the masters of multitasking and seem to always have the right answers to combat any uncertainty, why is it so hard to answer the question "what will we have for dinner?"

If you are the cook in your household then you know that the main answer to this questions is quite frank: because dinner is never as simple as it sounds. It requires creating a meal that satisfies tastebuds, keeps complaints to a minimum, avoids unrequested repetition, meets nutritional needs and contains just enough food so that you don't have to remind yourself to be a joyful giver as you stingily give away your personal portions to a husband that needs over 3000 calories. Honestly, its like Burger King should have to pay us every time we allow someone to "have it their way" when it comes to dinner time. Constantly trying to strive to make this process easier for myself personally, I have put together a (almost) perfected list of how to make dinner easier so that we too can enjoy some simplicity every now and then :)

1. Draw inspiration: Collect meal ideas from family members, in-laws, friends and even the WAGS Redefined site as inspiration for fresh and creative meals to avoid boredom. Also, checking out magazines while in line at the grocery store will always encourage a new bright idea that you and your family might enjoy!
2. Make a menu: Creating a menu for the upcoming week takes the guessing out of figuring out daily meals and it gives everyone a chance to put in their personal request for particular menu changes. Tell 'em speak now or forever hold their peace!
3. Always prepare EXTRA: Yes, YOU may be full after one plate but our guys tend to see that as just an appetizer. Making too much is always better than not making enough. Plus you can freeze extras or throw some leftovers in an awesome stir-fry for lunch the next day! Get creative...
4. Prep for the week: As a co-owner of a meal preparation company I know how much easier it is for families with busy lives to just open the refrigerator and grab a pre-portioned prepared meal. Turn into your own meal prep chef by preparing your meals for the week on the weekend. This saves time and is especially useful if there are just two of you like my husband and I.
5. Count servings, not calories: If your guy's team has a dietitian on staff, reach out to him or her to find out how many servings of macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, and fat)  each of you need per meal. Use this as a guide when preparing your plates to give yourself some peace of mind that you are both eating exactly what you need nutritionally!