I have a feeling you guys are going to relate to me on this one — how often do you feel bad tossing out food you can’t finish? Especially if you live alone, it can be hard to eat up all the good stuff you buy. Bananas seem to go bad at warp speed in the summer. Today, instead of throwing them out or adding them to my stockpile in the freezer (yes, I love green monsters but I can only drink so many darn smoothies!), I decided to whip up a batch of muffins.

I’ll admit it — I’m not a big banana bread/muffin kind of girl. But I am big on feeling guilty for throwing food away and I decided that I should stop feeling guilty and do something about it instead. So I did, and my massage therapist benefited from it in the form of warm muffins. And I had a great massage! If you’re seeing me in the next little bit, just know there could be muffins in your future.

But also know that I took some liberties with the rough recipe I found in my Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook –  this is the one where I go when there’s something I SHOULD know how to make but am not sure about. It’s my basic bible and I know my mom has an old copy and my grandma has an even older one. I’m sure it’s also on my sister’s shelf, and the cover is falling off of mine. Anyways, I put on my experimental hat and my apron and got mixing!

Blueberry banana nut muffins 

Ingredients:

1 3/4 c. flour – I used whole wheat flour from Arva (check off the Summer Bucket list!)
1/3 c. sugar – I used raw demera sugar because it was all I had
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 beaten egg
1/2 c. milk
2 mashed ripe bananas
1/2 c. chopped nuts – I used walnuts, almonds, and pecans
1/4 c. cooking oil
1 tsp. cinnamon (optional – I added this in myself)
1 tbsp flaxseeds (again, optional and something I chose to toss in)
1/2 c. blueberries (another addition randomly chosen by yours truly to save blueberries from the garbage bin!)

Directions:

Grease 12 muffin cups. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Make a well in the centre. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combing egg, milk, and oil.

To dry ingredients, add the wet mixture as well as the bananas, nuts, seeds, and blueberries.

Mix just ’til moistened–the batter will be lumpy.

Spoon into the prepared muffin tin.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for ~18 minutes or ’til a toothpick inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out clean.

Yum! I did sample one to make sure they were good — and it’s confirmed: they’re tasty. Give me some nut butter and I’d be set with a tasty snack or breakfast.

My snack this afternoon, however, was one I’ve had a hankering for but sadly couldn’t find alfalfa sprouts for the life of me. Remark to the rescue and my cravings have been squashed!

Now it’s time for some playlist making and what’s sure to be a sweaty spin class before my London bootcamp debut! Wish me luck.

Do you like muffins?
What’s your favourite way to use up ripe bananas?