Who can resist warm muffins? Not me. I love muffins and bake many different kinds. Making muffins from scratch gives me a chance to add more grains and fruits to my diet. Though I can't say these recipes are totally healthy, I can say they're healthier than the original recipes because of the ingredients I've swapped.

Instead of white flour I use half white and half whole wheat. I use half Splenda and half sugar for most muffin recipes. The muffins are virtually fat free because I use sugar-free applesauce instead of shortening. I also swap skim milk for whole.

All of these recipes get a five-star rating, according to my family members. Eat them right from the oven and you won't need butter or margarine. The Apple Cinnamon Muffins will make every breakfast special. For another breakfast treat pair Sweet Corn Muffins with sugar-free strawberry jam. These corn muffins also taste good with chili. And the Orange-Blueberry Muffins are so tasty you may find yourself eating them for dessert.

APPLE CINNAMON MUFFINS

Dry ingredients: 1 cup white flour, 1 cup wheat flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup Splenda, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients: 2 eggs, 3/4 cup sugar-free applesauce, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 medium apple (grated), calorie-free brown sugar

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients with a whisk. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredents together with a whisk. Add wet ingredients to dry, being careful not to over mix. If the batter is too stiff at a little skim milk.

Spoon batter into paper muffin cups. Sprinkle each muffn with calorie-free brown sugar. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Yield: 1 dozen muffins.

SWEET CORN MUFFINS

Dry ingredients: 1 1/4 cups flour, 3/4 cup corn meal, 1/4 cup Splenda, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients: 2 eggs, 1 cup skim milk, 1/2 cup sugar-free applesauce, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients with a whisk. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients with a whisk. Add wet ingredients to dry, being careful not to over mix. If the batter is too stiff add a little more milk.

Spoon batter into paper muffin cups. Sprinkle each muffin with a little sugar. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Yield: 1 dozen muffins.

ORANGE-BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Dry ingredients: 1 cup white flour, 1 cup wheat flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup Splenda, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Wet ingredients: 1 egg, 1/2 cup sugar-free applesauce, 1 tablespoon cooking oil, 1/2 cup fresh orange juice, 1 teaspoon orange zest, 1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients with a whisk. Gently fold blueberries into dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients with a whisk. Add wet ingredients to dry, being careful not to over mix. If the batter is too stiff add a little more orange juice. Spoon batter into paper muffin cups. Sprinkle each muffin with a little sugar. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Yield: 1 dozen muffins.

Harriet Hodgson

Harriet Hodgson has been a nonfiction writer for 27 years. She is a member of the Association of Healh Care Journalists and the Association for Death Education and Counseling. A prolific writer, she is the author of 25 published books and hundreds of print and electronic articles.

Hodgson has written about parenting, recycling, sexual harassment, aging, Alzheimer's disease, caregiving, communication, nutrition, physical activity, weight management, anticipatory grief, and many other topics.

She started out as a teacher and earned a B.S. with honors from Wheelock College in Boston, MA. She went on to earn an M.A. in Art Education from the University of Minnesota and did additional graduate work. After spending a dozen years in the classroom Hodgson changed careers and turned to writing.

All of her writing comes from life experience. Hodgson has talked about her experienes on some 150 radio talk shows, including CBS Radio, Minnesota Public Radio, WCCO Radio and "Coping With Caregiving," an Internet-only radio program broadcast worldwide. In addition, she has appeared on dozens of television programs/stations including CNN.

Hodgson is a Past President of the Wing of the Aerospace Medical Association. A past president of the Minnesota Medical Association Alliance (MMAA), she represented MMAA members on the Minnesota Medical Association Health Care Reform Task Force. She is an active community volunteer and all of her volunteer efforts focus on health.

Hodgson is cited in "Something About the Author," "Who's Who of American Women," "Who's Who in America," "Who's Who in the World," "The Dictionary of International Biography," and "Contemporary Authors," published by Gale Research.

Hodgson lives in Rochester, Minnesota with her husband, C. John Hodgson. She enjoys learning, travel, antiques, singing, and spending time with her twin grandchildren.

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