Go bananas!

So I have an odd relationship with bananas. The potassium powerhouse and I do not always get along. See I love bananas straight up but do not think they play well with anything else. I think they make smoothies slimy and generally overpower anything they hang out with food wise. 

I also don't like ripe bananas, they have to be a little green for me to eat them, by their lonely self. 

The above pictures bananas? Too ripe. 

Since I wouldn't eat them as is I had to figure out something to do with the suckers. It has been years since I have even tried banana bread because I didn't like it. So what did I choose to do with the banana? 

Make banana bread muffins! Hey if I still hate them either Chad will eat them or I can take them to work (people in the medical field love free food, it's a fact).

Banana Bread Muffins

Yields 12 muffins + one shallow loaf

5 ripe bananas (mine were on the small size, had they been full size I would have used 4)

1/2c brown sugar

1 egg

1c unsweetened apple sauce 

1tsp vanilla

2c flour

1tsp cinnamon 

1.5tsp baking soda

1/2tsp salt

1/4c ground flax seed

1c thawed frozen blueberries

In a bowl mix brown sugar, egg and apple sauce until thoroughly combined. 

In seperate bowel smash bananas with a fork. 

Add bananas to the apple sauce mixture, add vanilla and stir to combine being careful to not over mix the batter. 

Slowly add four, baking soda, flax seed, salt, and cinnamon. Fold in blueberries. 

I used a light spray of olive oil and then dusted the muffin pan and loaf pan with flour to prevent sticking. Fill muffin pan cups about 3/4 full and pour remaining batter into loaf pan (or another muffin pan if you have one!).

I had some left over honey almond slivers from making granola bars and sprinkled them onto half the muffins before baking. 

Bake at 350 degree for approx 20 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean. 

Cool on a wire rack or enjoy nice and warm from the oven! 

I wrapped about 10 of the muffins in Glad Press and Seal and then threw them into a large ziplock and froze them. They thaw out pretty quickly at room temp but can be popped into the microwave for a few seconds to speed up the process. 

Overall verdict?

I liked them! They aren't overly sweet which I think is one of the things I don't like about very ripe bananas and most banana breads. The small amount of sugar and use of apple sause came out just right for my taste. Chad likes them too. 

Now I can't wait to make zucchini bread muffins which are my absolute favorite! 

Does anyone have any other muffin recipes they like? I find having frozen muffins is a great go to for rushed breakfasts. 

 

Summer garden

In the place we currently live there is no real place for a garden without ripping out landscaping which unfortunately we cannot do. 

I really wanted to plant a veggie garden this year, especially because so many of the veggies we use are easy to grow! 

Living in wine country many people do small project gardens in half wine barrels but that can get expensive with half barrels costing up to $35 a piece! 

Enter the humble kiddie pool! Although not an ascetically pleasing it gets the job done for a faction of the cost and really who cares what the garden looks like!?

I went and picked up the supplies needed at Walmart for under $40. That got me the kiddie pool, red mulch, 2x 2 cubic feet of Miracle Grow garden soil, 2x tomato cages, bamboo poles for support of vinong veggies, and garden twist tie to hold up the vines. 

Our local hardware store was running a 20% off special on plants so I wound up getting 2 tomato plants, 2 jalapeño plants, a tomatillo plant, 4 pole bean plants, a habenero plant, and a peperoncini! My garden is probably over crowded but I am hoping for the best!

Anyhow here's the basic how to!

Add drainage holes to the bottom of the pool so your plants won't be sitting in standing water. I used a 1" drill bit and it was easy. If you don't have that I think you could get by using kitchen shears to cut out holes, the plastic isn't very thick. 

Add a thin layer of mulch or hay, whatever you can get for cheap. It just helps with drainage and the overall cost because you need a little less soil which is more expensive. 

Throw in the dirt and the plants! Couldn't be any easier ;) 

I purposefully choose veggies that grow up (pole beans) and bush (pepper and tomatos) rather then things that vine along the ground (squash and zucchini) due to limited space. 

Make sure and give the plants that vine up something to climb and support them and cage those crazy tomatos! I am anticipating some fun times ahead cooking with and potentially pickling and canning my summer veggies! 

I'm not trying to decide if I need a second kiddie pool garden ;)

Charlie's vote is yes!