Healthy Banana-Blueberry Muffins

[Composed on Sunday, the day before going back to school after Christmas break.]I know, right? This muffin looks incredible! And yes, as a matter of fact, I did take this fabulous muffin photo! [Figured out how to change the exposure on my camera!!]

Looks good enough to eat, doesn't it? I don't often bake for breakfast, but to soften the blow of having to go back to school tomorrow, I thought I'd make these muffins. I got the recipe from my Everyday Food magazine (Martha Stewart, Terri!!) They are all gone as I type this...12 muffins inhaled in 20 minutes. (And yes, I did give Mr.4444 and the kids each one.)

Ingredients:

1 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (we used regular since they pound I bought the day before disappeared)
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar (any shade will do, really)
2 large eggs
2 ripe bananas
1/3 cup reduced fat milk (I used skim)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup frozen blueberries

First, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. (Never mind if it smells like something's burning; you can clean the oven later. It will not effect the taste of your delicious muffins! Just in case, though, keep a fire extinguisher handy!)

Line a muffin pan with paper liners. In a bowl, whisk together the flours, wheat germ, baking soda, and salt. Because I am all about keeping it real, you're now going to see what I look like at 9am Sunday morning, before a shower and make-up (shield your eyes, please)...





I know; scary, right?!

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars with a mixer until it looks like this:Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. It will look like this: [Here's where I have to offer you some important advice: While taking photos of your left hand adding the eggs, (no, I'm right-handed), do NOT keep the mixer running, because you might drop the egg into the revolving blade and mix a frajillion pieces of egg shells into your batter, forcing you to start all over. I'm just sayin...]

In another bowl, do this: You should have 3/4 cup, and since I'm pretty anal about measuring (insecure, I know), I have to always do the measuring. Perfect!Stir with milk and vanilla. (Thanks, Liz for catching my mistake on the milk!)With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture and banana mixture , beginning and ending with flour mixture.; mix just until combined.

Fold in blueberries. Here's how:Divide batter among muffin cups. Look who's here! Clyde was visiting us this weekend. Because I am not a pushover, he got nothin'.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 28 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through (oops. Just realized I didn't do that; horrors! I'll have to make some more!)Allow them to cool ten minutes in the pan on a counter. The move to cooling rack.And they were as good as they looked; no butter needed! Yummm........