Good-for-You Muffins-Super Easy and Moist

 For those of us who like to cook, I recently tried a recipe a friend sent me. She is a really good cook—and, unlike some of us, she actually cooks all the time. It is something she enjoys, so she has developed what I would describe as an exceptional cooking capacity.

(Illustrative Only)

The recipe was called “Good-for-You Muffins,” and they were surprisingly simple. There was little to no flour involved—mostly milk, oats, applesauce, banana, stevia or honey, a little baking powder, and then whatever extras you want to throw in. Flaxseed, raisins, walnuts and other ingredients can easily be added. I used protein-rich rolled oats, which seemed like a good way to add a little more nutritional value.

The muffins turned out really well. They had a noticeable banana flavor and were a little more moist than your typical muffin, which I considered a feature rather than a flaw. They were also extremely easy to make, which is important because I enjoy cooking a lot more when the recipe doesn't require a small engineering degree.

For the most part, the ingredients make this a pretty good snack. I ended up bringing some along while lifeguarding to share with the crew. I like doing that from time to time, and I also gave a few to some neighbors. Apparently, muffins are a fairly effective way to make friends.

Cooking doesn't have to stop when you're camping or even when you're on a boat. With a little creativity, you can cook just about anything. I'm also trying something new on the equipment side. I recently bought a new ceramic cookware set, so I'll be giving that a test run. I've never actually owned a new ceramic set before. I've always had the traditional collection of mismatched pots and pans—the kind where every piece appears to have arrived from a completely different kitchen.

So we'll see how the new cookware performs. Maybe this is the beginning of my professional cooking era. Or at least the era where all the pans match.