A Delicious Smoothie (With POM Wonderful) and Awesome Bran Muffins

On Saturday I made a most delicious smoothie that I must tell you about.  Besides the fact that it had the tasty POM Wonderful pomegranate juice that was so kindly given me by the POM Wonderful people, the combo of other things I put in this smoothie was just divine.  Give me a little umbrella for my drink and a lawn chair on a cruise ship and I would have really been in heaven.  ; )

I served up 5 six ounce drinks to the kids and I with this and it was great.  I didn't take time for very great pictures, but just trust me--delicious!

POM Wonderful Colada Smoothie

1 cup skim milk

¼ cup fat free vanilla yogurt

3 ounces POM Wonderful 100% pomegranate juice

2 ½ oz. frozen pina colada concentrate

4 ounces frozen mango chunks

3 ounces frozen banana (about 1 small)

2 tablespoon soy protein powder

about 10 ice cubes

Mix all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Makes 5---6 ounce drinks

SOOOO Good!

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Anna down south a' here at Cookie Madness recently made some bran muffins and I thought they sounded really good, so I made them--with my own little twist, of course!  You see, her version had the bran soaked in coffee and if you know me, you know that I don't "do" coffee.  I could easily have just soaked the bran in water or milk or something, but then it hit me--coffee--hmm, hot cocoa!  Oh yes, I decided to soak the bran in hot cocoa, but this wasn't just any hot cocoa--it was some delicious gingerbread hot cocoa I'd found at World Market at Christmastime.  I thought the added ginger would be great in the muffins--and it was!

These muffins turned out fantastic.  They were moist and very flavorful.  I tasted just a hint of the cocoa and the ginger.  I love a good healthy bran muffins.  These would have been great with added raisins (if you like raisins in your baked goods) and even some chopped walnuts or pecans.  I can't wait to make them again sometime!  Anna adapted the recipe from Joy of Baking and now I've adapted it.

Bran Muffins—adapted from Joy of Baking and Anna at Cookie Madness

3/4 cups wheat bran
1.2 cup Gingerbread Hot Cocoa (or regular flavor)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon mild molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons fat free milk
6 tablespoons buttermilk or sour milk** — sour milk by adding 1 tsp. vinegar or lemon juice, let sit for 5 minutes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners or spray with cooking spray.

Combine bran and hot cocoa. Set aside.

Cream the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer.
Beat in the egg, vanilla and molasses. Beat in the bran.

Mix together the flour, oats, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and powder.

Combine the milk and buttermilk (or soured milk).

Add the flour mixture, alternately with milk, to the bran mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Fill the muffin cups almost to the top, sprinkle with some turbinado sugar (if desired) and bake for about 14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

Makes 12 muffins

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More still to come.  Busy week.  Lots of goodies!