I'm Back...with Pumpkin Muffins

It's been a while since I've posted anything - approximately seven months, but who's counting?! I didn't get lost at sea or sustain a head injury resulting in temporary amnesia. While I haven't felt particularly healthy, I have been pursuing better health. I began a new treatment for Fibromyalgia, known as the Guaifenesin Protocol, which was designed by Dr. R. Paul St. Amand,  a Los Angeles-based medical practitioner, who himself has Fibromyalgia. I won't go into any great detail about the protocol, other than to say that guaifenesin is the active ingredient in Mucinex and that once you begin to take it, your Fibromyalgia symptoms initially get worse (if you're interested in finding out more about the protocol, check out this website: http://www.fibromyalgiatreatment.com). It can take six months to a year before you begin to start feeling better, and here I am, living proof that if done properly, you can start to see your health improve. I have begun to feel better, so it's time to start blogging again!

Even though I wasn't feeling well enough to write (I was both too fatigued and too brain-fogged to concentrate), on my better days I continued to cook, bake and look for new recipes. In addition to playing around with some old favorites, I've experimented with some new ingredients. I know it's a bit late in the season to be getting excited about pumpkin (pumpkin-mania usually begins in October), but I have fallen in love with the orange gourd and  have several recipes that I want to share. The next several posts will  be pumpkin-related, with some non-pumpkin dishes to break the monotony. I'll start with one of my favorites: Pumpkin Muffins.

My current pumpkin mania was inspired by a couple of recipes from one of the low-carb, gluten-free food blogs I follow. While doing some research I found that it's low in calories and it's packed with minerals (copper, calcium, potassium and phosphorus) and anti-oxidant vitamins - particularly vitamins A, B-complex, C, and E. I haven't worked up the courage to work with fresh pumpkin yet, but I've learned a few things about working with the canned variety. It can be refrigerated in an airtight container for three or four days but you can also freeze it. Of all the recipes I'll be posting, the muffins are my favorite - the flavor reminds me of gingerbread, but the texture isn't as dense. They're perfect for breakfast or a quick snack and can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for several days - if they last that long! You can also keep them in the freezer - either let them sit in the fridge overnight or microwave them for 10 - 20 minutes.

Pumpkin Muffins (LC/GF)

Ingredients:

3/4 C almond flour (84 g)
1/8 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/16 tsp ground cloves

1 T butter, melted (can substitute coconut oil)

1/4 C erythritol

1/4 tsp stevia glycerite

1 1/2  eggs

1/2 C canned pumpkin

*Preheat oven to 350º F.

*Whisk together dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.

*Add egg, butter, and pumpkin  and stir until well blended.

*Fill silicone muffins cups with batter and place them on a baking sheet, evenly spaced.

*Bake for 30  minutes (rotate baking sheet halfway through), or until muffins are firm and lightly browned. Keep on eye on the bottoms to make sure they don't burn.

*Remove from oven, transfer to wire rack and allow to cool.

Total: 617 cal, 29.26 g total carbs, 16.66 g net carbs, 49.25 g fat, 12.6 g fiber and 23.85 g protein.

Makes 6 and each has 102.83 cal, 4.88 g total carbs, 2.78 g net carbs, 8.21 g fat,  2.1 g fiber and 3.98 g protein.