Pauline Armstrong shared her healthy banana chocolate chip muffin recipe with me. When she makes them, she doesn’t add the brown sugar and she uses butterscotch chips instead of chocolate ones as that is what her husband prefers. She also adds ½ cup of chopped nuts and ½ cup of mixed dried fruit or raisins. She has also added chopped dates with good success.
Pauline shared some of her Mexican fruit cake with me and it was delicious. She says that it freezes well and also keeps well in the refrigerator. It can be glazed or iced if you prefer.
I recently made these cornmeal muffins and I really liked them. They reminded me of my Grandma’s Johnny Cake that she often made. These can certainly be eaten on their own, but I warmed them slightly in the microwave and drizzled maple syrup over them. I have also added a list of things that can be added to the recipe.
I received some more acts of kindness this week – Kaitlyn’s cousin Stephen went to Dunn-ville from Hamilton to help her out with a plumbing problem.
Nine-year-old twins Sophie and Izzy found a dog named Ollie in front of their house. Their dad went to help them because they didn’t have a dog leash and called the telephone number on the tag, but he had read it wrong as he didn’t have his glasses on. Sophie and Izzy checked the tag again and, rereading the telephone number, their dad was able to get hold of the owners. Ollie got home safely thanks to these two caring girls.
Healthy Banana Chocolate Oatmeal Muffins
- 3 cups old fashioned oats
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 bananas
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a muffin pan and mash bananas. In a large bowl combine the oatmeal, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. In a medium bowl combine the eggs, honey, banana, vanilla, milk, and oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined but do not over mix. Fold in the chocolate chips. Scoop batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until set and the tops are slightly brown. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then remove them to cool completely.
Mexican Fruit Cake
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 (19 oz.) can crushed pineapple, with juice
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup candied mixed fruit
- ½ cup coconut
Preheat oven to 350. Beat eggs, add sugar, beat well. Mix the dry ingredients together with the walnuts, coconut, and fruit. Add to egg mixture alternately with the crushed pineapple. Pour into a prepared baking pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.
Cornmeal Muffins
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp. baking powder
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup melted butter
- ¼ cup honey
Preheat oven to 400. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients. In another bowl mix the rest of the ingredients, stirring to blend well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed together. Evenly divide among the muffin cups and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden.
Additions to cornmeal muffins
- Chopped cooked bacon
- Chopped sundried tomatoes
- Chopped spinach and feta cheese
A combination of 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 3 chopped green onions, and ½ cup of finely chopped cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle some of the cheese over the top before baking.
HINT: If you need buttermilk and don’t have any, simply use ¾ cup of plain yogurt and ¼ cup of water stirred together well.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Do something every day that makes your heart sing.
