Banana Nut Muffins

Happy Valentine's Day! This morning my 2 1/2 year old friend, Jasper, and I enjoyed baking these muffins together. Baking is a great activity to share with young children-it teaches them math, how to follow directions, & develops their fine motor skils and eye-hand coordination. (Yes, in my other life I am a Child Development Specialist!) We had a great time together and the baking muffins made the house smell yummy delicious.

I try to bake a batch of muffins every week to enjoy as a snack. I bake this recipe when I have a few bananas turning brown and really ripe. Today I was using all ingredients that I already had on hand, so the entire muffin recipe cost me nothing out of this week's food budget. You can't beat that! I like to make large muffins, so this recipe yields 6 large muffins or 10-12 smaller muffins. 6 muffins is a perfect amount for me. I can eat one a day for the week before they start going hard and stale. ( I store my muffins in a sealed container in the fridge) If you are preparing banana nut muffins for a family or a brunch just double the recipe to make a dozen.

In health,
Miss Jolie Ann

Banana Nut Muffins
This recipe makes 6 large muffins or 10-12 small muffins

2 very ripe organic bananas
1/3 cup organic canola oil or organic melted butter
¼ cup organic honey
2 organic brown eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon alcohol-free pure vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 cups organic whole wheat flour
1 cup organic walnuts, chopped
organic canola oil spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Peel and mash bananas in a large mixing bowl.

2. Mix in the canola oil or melted butter, beaten eggs, honey and vanilla.

3. In another bowl combine the baking soda, sea salt and flour and mix well.

4. Pour the banana mixture into the flour mixture and stir until it is just incorporated.

5. Fold in the chopped walnuts.

6. Spray the muffin pan with canola oil until very lightly greased.

7. Pour mixture into prepared muffin pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes. You'll know they are done with they are lightly browned, big and fluffy, and when you insert a toothpick into the center of one it comes out clean. Let cool (or not) and then devour!