More With Less - Refrigerator Bran Muffins

A few weeks ago I did a post about how my family has made some significant changes to our diet, to what food we choose to buy, and how to get/do more with less. Other than my persistent sweet tooth (see yesterday's post), I'm happy with our new lifestyle. Sam is eating veggies like he hasn't since I made homemade baby food for the first year of his life, nobody is eating processed crackers or snacks anymore, and the kids are learning how to bake. (I think they are learning more from the process but that's different post.)
Besides our weekly bread making ritual we've made Refrigerated Bran Muffins from my More with Less Cookbook.

Place in bowl:
2 c. ready-to-eat bran cereal
Pour over:
2 c. boiling water
Set aside to cool





Cream together in large mixing bowl:
1 c shortening 1 1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs
Add and beat in:
1 qt buttermilk* soaked bran mixture

*If you're like me and don't keep buttermilk on hand you can make your own





For each 1 cup buttermilk called for in a recipe, use 1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream;

OR

1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough milk to make 1 cup;

OR

1 cup milk plus 1 3/4 tablespoons cream of tartar;

OR

1/4 cup buttermilk powder and 1 cup water.


Sift together:
5 c. flour I use at least 50% whole wheat flour in all my baking.
5 t. baking soda
1 t. salt








Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture and fold until flour is moistened




Fold in:
4 c. additional dry bran cereal

I told you it was a giant batch!

Store batter in covered containers in refrigerator.
Keeps 3-4 weeks.





When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees and fill well-greased muffin tins 2/3 full.

I like to use the paper cups especially since my muffin tins have toxic non-stick coating on it. If you don't know this already, Teflon is terrible for you.

Bake 20 minutes.

Enjoy!!!!



Bonus Material -

* You could always use powered milk to save even more money.
* Until we ran out of mix (took two and half weeks) we made six muffins every morning for breakfast

* It was nice to know that the mix wasn't going to go bad if we didn't eat any muffins one day.

* My oven must run hot - it only took 14 minutes to bake a batch every time
* You could mix in raisins and/or nuts just prior to baking if your family would eat them (mine wouldn't).

* To add a touch of sweetness - add a sprinkling of brown sugar and nuts or granola before putting them in the oven.

I'd love to hear from you if you try these. :)