Gone Bananas

I have been making Dylan muffins and serving them to him either for breakfast or as a afternoon snack.  I have to admit that I have been cheating a bit and using the Trader Joe's Banana Bread Mix as a base for my muffins.  I am not usually a big fan of box mixes but this one is so yummy!  I usually doctor up the mix by adding Gerber Oatmeal Cereal...or you can use whole oats.  I also add real bananas and raspberries.  

The Banana bread mix comes in a yellow box. It is called Trader Joe's Banana Bread Mix.  It is very simple to make. You will need two large eggs, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil, and ¾ cup of water.  Add additional ingredients to taste.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Mix the eggs, oil and water and blend well. Grease the pan, and then pour in the batter. Bake for about 40 minutes.

Now you can use fresh bananas but ripe bananas always make sweeter, moister muffins or bread.  My sister's tip is that if you have some bananas that are getting too ripe, but you are not ready to used them, place them in a Ziplock bag and stick them in the freezer.  They turn brownish-black, but when you are ready to use them just pull them out and let them defrost a bit.  You can peel them and mash them and add them to any muffin or bread recipe.  When I make a batch of muffins I put them in the freezer and pull them out one by one.  Just pop them in the microwave on level 10 for 10-15 seconds.  Enjoy!