Banana Blueberry Muffins

I try a lot of muffin recipes. My kids love them, they are super fast and oh so delicious. But, the big problem with muffins is you are eating cake for breakfast. Which, on occasion, (and if it's chocolate with chocolate frosting) I can succumb to. But, for the most part, I try and start my day out right. So, I try a lot of muffin recipes. I always substitute whole wheat flour and add wheat germ or flax seed or oats; I also trim the sugar and fat and such. Some of the muffins don't turn out so fantastic. These ones did. Make them.

Banana Blueberry Muffins
makes 2 dozen

1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup wheat germ (or flax or 1/2 cup oats)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 ripe bananas
1/3 cup low-fat milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup blueberries


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a bowl, whisk together flours, wheat germ, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In another bowl, mash bananas with a fork (you should have 3/4 cup); stir in milk and vanilla.

With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture and banana mixture to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined. Fold in blueberries.


Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 18 - 22 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Let cool in pan 5 minutes; transfer muffins to a rack to cool 10 minutes more.

Buttermilk Chicken

Raise your hand if you have ever marinated chicken in buttermilk! If your hand is not up, then you are truly missing out on easy goodness. Buttermilk is so fabulous. Endless number of uses. What is ranch dressing without buttermilk? Out of yogurt but want a smoothie? Use your buttermilk. Want to add the richness of cream without the fat? Open up some buttermilk. Soups, sauces, dressings, whatever. Try it out, I promise you won't be disappointed. So what makes it so great? First off, it's low in fat, but thick. It has a slight tang and works wonders for lean proteins like chicken and fish. It's made by adding a bacteria to low-fat milk and then heating it up so the bacteria turns the sugar in the milk into lactic acid. The lactic acid is what tenderizes your meat and gives it that characteristic tang. Chicken stays tender and juicy and oh so delicious. Pancakes made with buttermilk are lighter and fluffier because the acid reacts with the baking soda and acts like yeast. And who doesn't love light, fluffy pancakes?

Herb Buttermilk Chicken

1 whole chicken, cut up into 8 pieces (or you can use just drums, or thighs or breasts, whatever combo you want)
1 1/2 -2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup fresh rosemary or thyme or combo
4 cloves garlic, smashed* (if you love garlic, add some more):)
2 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper

Rinse and pat dry your chicken pieces. Place in a gallon sized ziploc bag. Add buttermilk, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper. Shake to combine. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Pull out 30 minutes prior to using.

For grilling: Heat one side of grill to medium (direct heat). Brush grates with oil. Remove Chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Grill meat skin side down over direct heat for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken, move it to indirect heat (part of grill with no flame directly underneath) and grill, covered, until thickest part reaches 165*, about 10-15 minutes

* To smash garlic: Tear off cloves from head of garlic and place on cutting board. Hold your knife flat with the sharp edge facing away from you. Using the base of your knife blade, smash the cloves. The skin should peel right off.

And because I am on a buttermilk kick right now....

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 large egg white

Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine buttermilk, oil, egg, and egg white, stirring with a whisk; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

Heat a nonstick griddle or nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto griddle. Turn pancakes over when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Serve with syrup and butter.

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

Is it June already? Oh my, time is going too fast. Strawberry season is almost over and I almost blew it. Hurry! Run to the store! Buy some delicious strawberries from the guy on the corner or from your local farmers market. Then, MAKE THESE COOKIES. They are one of my all-time favorites. If you love Strawberry Shortcake (like real shortcake, not whatever oily sickness that supermarkets try to sell you next to the strawberries), then you will love these cookies. The cookie itself is not too sweet, and then you get a little chunk of delicious strawberry and it is oh so good. And if you don't have the sanding sugar to put on top it is ok - just use granulated, but the sanding sugar is best. And a little tip, don't go crazy and add tons of extra strawberries thinking it will be better. If you get too many berries and not enough batter in each individual cookie it is a soggy mess. And really try your best to get 1/4" dice on your berries - it is the best size for the cookie. Enjoy!

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies
about 3 dozen

12 ounces strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (2 cups)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup heavy cream
Sanding sugar, for sprinkling


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 7 tablespoons granulated sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, or rub in with your fingers, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cream until dough starts to come together, then stir in strawberry mixture.

Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment, spacing evenly apart. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, and bake until golden brown, 24 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool. Cookies are best served immediately, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.