Banana muffins

  There were some thoughts this summer that having one at home would have some difficulties.  Ava would need a buddy to play with and the only other one around would be me.  We haven't done this long yet, so I know this could change, but WHAT was I thinking?!  Having one at home has been nothing short of amazing!!  Haha!  I miss the big kids, and boy, little miss Ava sure does too!  ("Where are the kids, mom?  Wait, where's Joel?")  However, my buddy and I have been having some great times together.  And last week we did errands all week long trying to catch up, but it was so nice having only her.  No one to pull on her feet in the cart, no one she can kick in the face, no one to argue about the smallest little thing with her about, so wonderful!  She has tagged along her entire life, I'm so thankful I get this time to focus on her and she gets this time to hang with me.  When all is not chaotic and busy and infinite demands from multiple sources, I can be pretty fun.  ;)

  We've been doing some baking.  Today, I strayed from the normal banana bread and made brown sugar banana muffins without the streusel.  She loves to peel and mush bananas, mix the ingredients, and insert the parchment cups in to the pans.  When was the last time I leisurely baked in the middle of the week?

  She gives me grief when I pull out the camera.  Lately, I've been asking her to laugh instead of fake cheese face.  This time she asked me if I wanted her to laugh before I even asked her to smile.

  She is always snacking.  She is always stripped down to her undies.  She is also always touching me.  ALWAYS.  I have my moments, but I sure love it.  So grateful for this time with her, my buddy.

Brown Sugar Banana Coffee Cakes

(recipe from my grandma, not sure where she got it)

Streusel (optional)

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup butter

Mix flour, brown sugar and salt.  Cut in or with stand mixer mix in butter until mixture resembles coarse sand.

Muffins

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 Tbls. vanilla

1/2 cup ripe mashed banana (~1 banana)

1 1/2 cups flour**

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup sour cream or whole yogurt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until smooth.
3. Add in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated.  Add vanilla and then banana and mix until smooth.
4. Combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Add to banana mixture.
5. Fold in sour cream.
6. Place in muffin liners and add streusel to top.  The recipe makes a lot of streusel!
7. Bake at 350 until streusel is golden and muffin is baked through, about 18 minutes.

  I freeze the muffins to give them to the kids for a later breakfast and they are less messy without the streusel.  My kids like them fine without the extra sugar, so doing them less fancy is a good option.

**I also almost always do half all purpose and half white whole wheat flour.