Best Banana Muffins

These banana muffins are a just about perfect. They are moist, sweet, tender, light, banana-y… With a cup of coffee in the morning, they can even brighten up a dull rainy day. Yeah, I really like these muffins! If only I could find the perfect blueberry muffin…
The first trick is that you want 2 cups of wet ingredients. I measure them into my 2 cup Pampered Chef measure-all cup.
These are the things you MUST have:
1/3 cup melted butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons water
Then add 2-3 mashed ripe bananas.
Fill the rest of the measuring cup with sour cream.

In a large mixing bowl add:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredient in the bowl. Stir only until combined. (Think of it more as folding the ingredients into each other) You don’t want to overmix quick breads! Don’t worry if the batter isn’t smooth.
Grease and sugar muffin tins (about 15-18) or use muffin papers. Fill 2/3 full. Sprinkle tops with sugar.
Bake for 5 minutes at 425. Without opening the oven, turn the temperature down to 350 and bake for about 10 more minutes or until pick comes out clean.

Slow Cooker Apple Cracked Wheat

What’s better than hot breakfast on a cold winter morning? Hot breakfast waiting for you in your slow cooker!

This is a rather sweet and fruity way to enjoy cracked wheat, but is so lovely with a cup of hot tea or coffee.

This recipe makes 2-3 servings. I make it in my really small 1.5 quart crock pot. Cracked wheat is pretty filling, you don’t need much to fill you up!

1/3 cup apple, chopped

1/3 cup cracked wheat

1/8 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup apple juice

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon butter

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

splash of vanilla

Stir everything together in your crock pot. Turn it on low before going to bed. Do not cook longer than 8 hours. Give it a stir and let sit for a few minutes before serving.