Here are some 'tried and true' recipes that I keep on hand all the time since my husband suffers from irritable bowl syndrom and feels 'out of sorts' if he does not have them in his regular diet. He also suffers from lactose intolerance so I substitute the milk for yogurt. Also instead of the all-purpose flour I always use whole-wheat in any recipe (even gravy) for added fiber. Hope these are what you are looking for. My favorite is the California Breakfast Muffins; the others do not contain oats in the origional recipe, but I do throw in some extra ingredients. Lately I have been substituting the raisins and currants for prunes for even more fiber. I got these from Sunset Recipe Annual, 1990 Edition.


California Breakfast Muffins

3/4 c oat bran
3/4 c quick-cooking oats (I use old-fashioned)
1/4 c toasted wheat germ
1 c all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
2 large eggs
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c honey
1/2 c salad oil (I use canola)
1/3 c milk
1 1/2 c grated carrots (about 2 large)
3/4 c raisins
1/2 c sliced almonds (I use sunflower seeds for added zinc and numerous other nutrients they contain)

In a small bowl, mix together oat bran, rolled oats, wheat germ, flour and baking powder. In a large bowl, beat to blend eggs, applesauce, honey, oil, milk, carrots, raisins and almonds. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.
Spoon batter equally into 12 greased or paper-lined 2 1/2-inch muffin cups. Bake in a 375 degree oven until well browned, about 35 minutes. If made ahead, let cool, cover and hold at room temp. up until next day; freeze to store longer (thaw wrapped). To reheat, follow preceding directions. Makes 12.


Peanut Butter-Banana Bran Muffins

1 c whole-wheat flour
1 c bran cereal (not flakes)
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/2 c salad oil, or butter or marg. (1/4 lb.) at room temp.
1/3 c firmly packed light brown sugar (I use honey)
2 large eggs
1 c mashed very ripe bananas (about 2 medium)
1/2 c chunk-style peanut butter
1/2 c milk

In a small bowl, mix together flour, bran cereal, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, beat oil with sugar to blend. Add eggs, bananas and peanut butter and beat until well mixed; add milk. Stir dry ingredients into liquids just until moistened.
Spoon batter equally into 12 greased or paper-lined 2 1/2-inch muffin cups. Bake in a 350 degree oven until well browned, about 30 minutes; remove from pan. If made ahead let cool, then wrap airtight and hold at room temp. up until next day; freeze to store longer (thaw wrapped). To reheat, follow preceding directions. Makes 12.


Homestead Bran Muffins

This batter keeps up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator, so you can have fresh, hot muffins any time you like. (If batter is made ahead, be sure to stir it before using.) Although you can bake muffins on demand, you can also store them using the procedure given in preceding recipes.

3 c bran cereal (not flakes)
3/4 c boiling water
3 T thawed frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2 c salad oil
2 large eggs
2 c buttermilk
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
2 1/2 c sugar
2 12/ t baking soda
1 c dried currants
1/2 c finely chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, combine 1 c bran cereal, water, orange juice concentrate and oil; stir to mix. Add eggs and buttermilk, mix well. In a samll bowl, mix remaining bran, flour, sugar, baking soda and currants. Add to liquid mixture and stir until evenly moistened. If made ahead, cover batter and chill up to 2 weeks.
Spoon batter equally into 24 greased or paper-lined 2 1/2-inch muffin cups; sprinkle evenly with nuts. Bake in a 350 degree oven until well browned, about 30 minutes. Remove from pan. Makes 24.


Spice Zucchini Bran Muffins

2 c bran flake cereal
1 c shredded zucchini
3/4 c milk
1 large egg
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c salad oil
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
2 1/2 t baking powder
1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground ginger

In a large bowl, stir together bran cereal, zucchini, milk, egg, sugar and oil; set aside and let stand until cereal softens slightly, 2 or 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a samll bowl mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger. Add flour mixture to bran mixture and stir just until combined.
Evenly divide batter among 12 well-greased muffin cups, 2 1/2-inch size. Bake in a 375 degree oven until muffins are browned on top and firm to touch, about 30 minutes. Remove from pans. Serve hot, or cool on racks and serve warm or at room temp. To store, wrap airtight and chill up to 1 week; freeze for longer storage. Makes 12.