rainy day to-dos

don't know how the weather is where you are, but today is gray and rainy here in the northeast.  unlike many, i've always been a fan of rainy days.  there's something about the gray skies that makes everything feel cozier : )

in case you're under cloud cover too, i've pulled together some rainy day essentials to keep you smiling no matter what the weather's doing.

drink this: nothing is homier than hot tea on a gray day.  my personal favorite is chai.  i love the spiciness of it.  i let my tea steep for a few minutes, then add 1 tsp of sugar in the raw & 1 tbsp half & half.  (much tastier...and healthier...than starbucks' super sugary chai tea latte)

watch this: your favorite movie from when you were younger.  on my list would be father of the bride (with steve martin), only you or an alfred hitchcock flick

eat this: comfort food!  rainy days call for some old-fashioned staples.  like chicken soup, mac & cheese or some kind of yummy baked good.

do this: give yourself a break and indulge a bit.  read a book, take a bath or listen to some soft music.  rainy days are a great time to embrace the quiet and slow down.

rain, rain (don't) go away : ).

banana muffin yumminess

banana muffins!

banana muffins/cake/bread are some of my all-time favorite things.  every year, i have a banana cake with homemade cream cheese icing for my birthday.  the recipe my mom uses was passed down from her mom and has been a family tradition for years.  this past weekend, i found myself with a few over-ripe bananas, so what did i do?  made banana muffins, of course!  i tweaked the family recipe just a bit - a tad less butter and sugar, a little extra banana - and added an oatmeal streusel topping.  fabulous!  seriously...this recipe will change your life...

ok, so here's what i did...

banana muffins

2¼ cups flour
1½ cups sugar
1¼ teaspoons baking powder
1¼ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup shortening or softened butter
⅔ cup buttermilk (or 1½ tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar in ⅔ cup milk)
1¼ cups mashed bananas (about 3)
2 large eggs
dash of cinnamon & nutmeg

streusel topping

4 tbsp butter, chopped
1/2 cup quick oats
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup brown sugar

amazingness...

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees. grease 18 large muffin cups.

2. sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

3. put dry ingredients in a mixer and add butter, buttermilk and bananas.

4. beat for 2 minutes then add eggs.

filling muffin tin

5. beat for 2 more minutes then pour batter into 18 large muffin cups.

6. while muffins are baking, mix together streusel topping ingredients with back of fork until crumbly.  when muffins are lightly browned (after about 20 minutes of baking), top each muffin with a spoonful of the topping.

streusel topping

7.  bake muffins for another 10-15 minutes (so 30-35 minutes total) or until cake tester comes out clean.

7. allow muffins to cool completely before removing from tin.

8. enjoy with a cup of your favorite tea : )



banana muffin & chai



want to know something wonderfully fabulous? i calculated (and then recalculated because i didn't believe it...) the caloric value of each muffin (including the streusel topping), and they're only 220 calories each!!! how delightful is that?!

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