Not-so-boring Banana Muffins with Mascarpone Cream Frosting, from Giada Di Laurentiis

I am on a quest to cut back on my grocery shopping budget. I'm feeling some fun in that challenge, so I spent a lot of time in my kitchen on Sunday. I had three ripe bananas that I wasn't going to throw away. Usually I freeze them, to make fruit smoothies. But, my freezer already has an arsenal of frozen bananas... I wanted to make a banana pudding, but every recipe required vanilla wafers. I don't like vanilla wafers! Sorry.

I spotted a lovely recipe for a Chocolate Banana Cake, from The Caked Crusader. I'll make that one of these days, but I am in chocolate detox, from my eating frenzy with a bag of M&M's a few days ago!

I don't, particularly, like banana bread. I think it's boring-- unless it's slathered with cream cheese and fresh strawberries. I decided to make my tried-and-true recipe for banana muffins, from from Giada De Laurentiis (Food Network), and I have to say that it's moist and very good. The frosting sounds delicious, but I have a confession to make. Shhhhh-- I have never made the frosting! Truthfully, I find that the muffins are sweet enough and that I didn't need the frosting.

These come together really fast. I also experimenting with my potato ricer. I wondered if smashing the bananas would be easier this way... know what? I think it did!


I whisked together the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg:

Then got the wet ingredients together:
Combined the dry to the wet:


...and then realized...WHOOPS, I forgot to add the banana puree!

Just stir till combined, but don't overwork it!

If you look in the background, you can see another batch baking in my oven.

The cinnamon and nutmeg give such a wonderful aroma. I have, yet, to make the frosting. In fact, I almost dusted these with powdered sugar...but, the men ate these with relish.


Reheated for 20 seconds, with a hot cup of coffee, these make a nice morning snack.

I'll have to bring my camera to work, and share the yummy lunches that I enjoy packing. I have saved a LOT of money by packing my lunches. I especially enjoying driving 3 miles to Asilomar Beach, overlooking the Monterey Bay and watching the waves crashing while I enjoy lunch-- with the smell of the ocean breezes.

If anyone has a recipe for banana bread, that they think is "the best"-- please... I'm wide open to trying it. Oh, and if you have a banana pudding recipe (with a crust, from scratch), I'd love you for sharing it. Please and thank you.

Coming this week-- more grilled meals, pork fried rice (from leftovers), Lemon Cake or Chocolate Bundt cake. Reading so many wonderful food blogs leaves me on food sensory overload, but I love the inspiration from all of you!