Summer Berry Muffins
Fresh Summer Berries add delicious flavor, colour and nutrition to these tempting berry muffins. They are best fresh from the oven, but are also good once cooled—an ideal addition to a lunchbox, or for breakfast on the go.
Ingredients 1 cup whole-wheat all-purpose flour
1 cup white all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
140 g mixed berries, such as blueberries and raspberries
4 tablespoons reduced-salt margarine
1⁄3 cup brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
3⁄4 cup low-fat milk
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Use paper muffin cups to line 9 cups of a muffin pan—each cup should measure about 7 cm across the top and be about 3 cm deep.
2. Sift the whole-wheat and all-purpose flours and baking powder into a large bowl. Gently fold in the mixed berries.
3. Melt the margarine gently in a small saucepan, then add the sugar, egg and milk and mix until smooth. Pour this over the flour mixture and gently fold together just enough to combine the ingredients. The mixture should remain quite lumpy.
4. Spoon the mixture into the paper muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. (Half-fill the empty cups with water.) Bake for 18–20 minutes or until the muffins are risen and golden-brown.
5. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly, then serve warm or allow to cool completely before serving. The summer berry muffins can be kept in an airtight container for 1–2 days.
Summer Berry Muffin variations:
• Instead of a mixture of white and whole-wheat flours, use all whole-wheat flour.
• For a hint of spice, add 1-1⁄2 teaspoons mixed spice, ground ginger or cinnamon with the flour.
• Replace the berries with other fresh fruit, such as chopped apples, apricots, peaches or strawberries or dried fruit, such as sultanas, raisins, chopped apricots, dates or figs.
• To make pear and cinnamon oatmeal muffins, mix 1 1⁄2 cups whole-wheat self-raising flour, 3⁄4 cup oatmeal, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cinnamon in a bowl. Fold in 2 peeled and chopped pears. In a separate bowl, mix together 4 tablespoons melted reduced-salt margarine, 1⁄4 cup caster (superfine) sugar, 2 eggs and 2⁄3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice. Pour this over the flour mixture and fold the ingredients together. Spoon into 9 paper muffin cups and bake as in the main recipe.
• For mini summer berry muffins, divide the mixture among 30 mini paper muffin cups and bake for 10 minutes.
Preparation time 10 mins
cooking time 20 mins
makes 9 muffins
Top Eight Fitness Tips
To keep you moving, here are 8 fun fitness activities!
1. Soccer—This highly active game involving both agility and teamwork has grown increasingly popular in recent years. To keep your self injury free, be sure you are geared up in appropriate protective equipment, such as shin guards. Soccer players should also wear shoes with cleats or ribbed soles to prevent slipping.
2. Martial arts—With a variety of forms to choose from, martial arts are a great way to get involved in a sport that incorporates strength, coordination and mental discipline. Proper training and equipment to prevent injury are a must.
3. Bike riding—Bicycle riding is a fun activity for the whole family. Experts suggest that people ride on sidewalks and paths until they are at least 16 years old, show good riding skills and are able to follow the rules of the road. Helmets, of course, are a necessity for both children and adults.
4. Swimming—Nothing beats splashing around a pool with friends and swimming offers the benefits of a full-body workout for both young and old. Fitness experts recommends swimming lessons for children ages four and up, although classes are available for babies and toddlers as well.
5. Basketball—Whether it’s a round of HORSE, a game of one-on-one or a full-court competition, basketball is ideal for developing hand-eye coordination and teamwork.
6. Board sports—Whether snowboarding in the winter, surfing in the summer or skateboarding year-round, people love to be on the board. Injury risk, however, is higher for these sports. For both snowboarding and skateboarding, people should wear helmets to prevent head injuries, and surfers or boogie-boarders should always be safe when in the water.
7. Jumping rope—Jumping rope is still a favourite on most playgrounds. Whether alone or in a group, jumping rope challenges both coordination and stamina.
8. Ice skating/inline skating—Ice skating, inline skating and hockey can be both fun and safe, as long as appropriate protective gear such as a helmet, wrist guards and knee pads are worn. Hockey players should wear a helmet with foam lining and a full facemask; a mouth guard; pads for shoulders, knees, elbows and shins; and gloves.
Exercise Ideas When Its Just You!!
By yourself? Try hopping on your bike, strapping on your skates, or grabbing your skateboard. Don't forget your helmet and pads! Or try jumping rope and counting how many times you can jump before you miss.
Sometimes being by yourself gives you a chance to practice stuff so you get better at it. If you play tennis, try hitting a tennis ball against a brick wall. If basketball's your thing, try shooting hoops and seeing how many you can sink. Or if you're into soccer, grab a ball, and see how long you can keep it in the air using your feet, knees, and head. When you play with your friends again, they'll be amazed at what you can do!
More things to do when it's just you:
- See how long you can hop on one foot.
- Invent some dance moves.
- Do sprints (short running races) and time yourself to see how fast you go.
- Use a pedometer to count the number of steps between your favorite places, like your house and the park.
When There Are Two or More
Just you and some friends looking for something to do? Practice playing some Ping-Pong or start a tennis tournament. Ever try badminton? It's great if you have a net, but you also can play by just seeing how many times you can hit the birdie back and forth to each other.
Lots of sports and games work well with a group of kids. Baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, and volleyball are good group games.How about a little one-on-one in basketball or a race to see who's the fastest runner?
More things to do
- Have a handstand contest.
- Invent dances to your favorite songs.
- Jump rope.
- Ride bikes and don't forget your helmets!
- Practice pitching and hitting a baseball.
*Information taken from: www.kidshealth.org/kid/stay healthy/fit/what timel