This morning I’m spending my last day of vacation checking everything off my to do list.

• Social Security Office for official name change round #3
• DMV
• Returning a few items to Macy’s Herald Square and J Crew
• Writing and mailing holiday thank you notes
• UPS
• 4 mile run

While I have fun trekking around Manhattan  , I thought I’d leave you with a delicious new recipe I made my last day in Savannah. Enjoy!

Upon returning to my parent’s home for our last night in Savannah, two very ripe bananas greeted me from their place in the fruit bowl.

Growing up, there was nothing I loved more than a warm slice of banana bread as a breakfast treat, afternoon snack, or even dessert. The ripened fruit’s sweetness is my favorite flavor and still today is one of my favorite comfort foods. Banana bread is the only bread I grew up baking on a regular basis, using my grandmother’s age old recipe. Every time, we’d forget her recipe required buttermilk, and we’d always turn to our trusty substitute recipe of lemon juice and milk.

Yesterday, however, I thought that banana muffins would be more apt for my family’s lifestyle. I knew my mom would appreciate the gesture as she has been quite stressed lately due to my grandmother’s illness. These delicious, healthy muffins are perfect when toasted for a breakfast treat at the table or packed in a Tupperware for a breakfast on the go or afternoon treat.

I made some adjustments to the Better Homes and Garden cookbook’s banana muffin recipe yesterday, adding a few of our favorite flavors and improving their fiber by substituting whole wheat flour for half the flour quantity.

Whole Wheat Banana Walnut Muffins- Adapted from Better Homes & Garden Cookbook

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 beaten egg

1/2 cup skim milk

1/4 c cooking oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions

1. Spray 12 muffin cups with Pam (I used Baking Pam) and preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Make a well in the center of the dry mixture with the back of a large spoon or a measuring cup.

3. In another mixing bowl combine egg, milk, oil, bananas, and nuts. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture in the well. Stir or mix just until moistened. Do not worry if the batter has some lumps remaining, just insure all the flour is well mixed.

4. Use a large spoon or small measuring cup to transfer batter into the muffin tins, filling each 2/3 full. Bake in the 400 degree oven 20 minutes, or until golden rown. (It only took 18 minutes to bake in our oven.) Cool in muffin tins on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin tins and serve warm. Makes 12 muffins.

I think these delicious muffins would pair perfectly with a mug of tea for an afternoon snack in the office this week.

What is your favorite type of muffin? Do you prefer muffins or breads?