Banana - Chocolate Chip Muffins

I've posted a few times previously about ways to spruce up out-of-the-box quick bread mixes (here and here) - today I'm adding the recipe for a batch of banana-chocolate chip muffins that can be made using banana quick bread mix as the base. Eat these plain or serve with peanut butter (or another topping of your choice).

Banana - Chocolate Chip Muffins (approx. 18 muffins)
1 box Pillsbury Quick Bread mix, banana flavor
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 400F and grease (or line with baking cups) approximately 18 muffin cups.

2. Stir together quick bread mix, milk, eggs, applesauce, mashed banana, and chocolate chips.

3. Pour batter into muffin cups, about 1/4 cup batter per muffin cup. If any muffin cups are not filled with batter, fill about halfway with water (this will even out baking).

4. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out cleanly. Remove muffin tins from oven and cool for about 30 minutes, then remove muffins to wire rack to finish cooling.

Bananas

Perhaps the worst food news of the day...the month...or my entire life was delivered in this Op-Ed from yesterday's New York Times: Yes, We Will Have No Bananas (see picture at left).

Looks like we'll soon be forced to explore other varieties of banana - and I'm all for it! While in India this past winter, I had some wonderful small, sweet bananas that had a slight honey flavor and were very smooth. I wonder what else is out there?

Banana Dogs!

A couple of years ago my mom and I were pondering that age-old question...What can we do with these left-over hot dog buns? Both of us start our mornings with a banana, love peanut butter, and voila! we dreamt up the banana dog. [Yes, I realize that many people think that they invented the banana dog...but within our family, my mom and I were the innovators.] My dad was a bit slower to warm to the idea, but I've received intelligence that he does occasionally partake of a banana dog.

One of the best things about the banana dog is that it makes a tasty, healthy, and portable breakfast or snack. Peel the banana, pop it into a hot dog bun, add your favorite toppings, and you are good to go - just don't try to carry it onto the Metro, where you might get fined for trying to eat and commute. Also, the banana dog is fully customizable, and if you have many mouths to feed you can create a banana dog toppings bar (late night movie marathon with friends? breakfast for a kids' sleepover party?).

Banana Dogs
Basics:
hot bog bun (whole wheat preferred)
medium-sized banana

Toppings: (add as many or as few as you would like)
peanut butter (or almond butter, sunflower seed butter, etc.)
cream cheese
marshmallow fluff
jelly (or jam, preserves, etc.)
honey
chocolate sauce (or caramel sauce, etc.)

1. Toast hot dog bun, if desired. While bun is toasting, peel banana and cut to proper size (eat the ends that don't fit on the bun).

2. Spread toppings on the bun, or put banana in then add the toppings - your choice!

3. Enjoy!