Muffin Morning! Banana Nut

Had a banana that needed using and I was wide awake at 3AM so I decided I'd get up and make muffins. Mmmm there's nothing like starting the day off with the smell of baking bananas and cinnamon. Insomnia has its benefits.

I made a Banana Nut Muffin a while back with Almond, Soy Flour, and Oats which were yummy but I think I like this version with Spelt Flour even better. Oooh looks like I'll have to do a banana nut muffin side-by-side taste test. Yum!


Shelly's Banana Nut Mini Muffins (version 2.0)

3/4 cup Spelt Flour
1/2 cup Vanilla Protein Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
dash of Salt
1/4 cup Walnuts, chopped
2 Tablespoons Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
2 Eggs, beaten
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
4 Tablespoons Sugar-Free Torani Syrup (I used SF Vanilla)
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 cup (1 large) Banana, diced

Topping
2-3 Tablespoons Unsweetened Banana Chips (or Unsweetened Coconut)
dash Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Sugar Free Torani Syrup (I used SF Vanilla)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray mini muffin tin with Pam and set aside. Mix all ingredients (except topping ingredients) together till combined. Spoon into muffin tin. Crush topping together in a snack size Ziploc. Sprinkle a little on the tops of each muffin.

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or until a tester inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Remove pans from the oven.

Allow to cool in the pan for 3 minutes. Transfer to wire cooling rack to cool completely. Store in a sealed container to keep them soft and moist. Makes 24.

A couple of these babies split open and smeared with No Sugar Added Strawberry or Blueberry Jam = Heaven.

I always freeze half the batch. I wrap them in plastic wrap and toss them in a gallon freezer Ziploc bag then take them out an hour or so before I want to eat them. To reheat: you can nuke them to warm them up but I love to slice them in half and toast them. They get yummy crispy edges. Nom nom nom.

It's a good morning. Hope yours is too.

Who's Bad?

Watched the Michael Jackson Memorial this morning. Very moving. Whether you thought he was a misunderstood genius or a monster one thing is for sure his music is part of the soundtrack of our lives. I tend to believe (hope) he was just misunderstood.

Oh and I had to share these...

Eggface circa 1982 (11 years old) sporting my Michael Jackson pins
Well and errr ummm I might have danced "Thriller" on stage once or twice too...


"If you want to make the world a better place take a look at yourself and make a change." ~Michael Jackson

Leftovers Rock

Went to a restaurant last night and ordered a steak. 1/2 the steak I boxed up right away to bring home. My leftover steak became this yummy lunch. I had two slices with a fresh from the garden Tomato & Cucumber Salad.

Mmmm sometimes leftovers are even better than the original.


Shelly's BBQ Beef Tortilla Pizza - Mission Carb Balance Whole Wheat Fajita Size Tortilla topped with BBQ Sauce, Sliced Steak, Sauteed Onions, Shredded Colby Jack Cheese and a sprinkle of Steak Seasoning.

How to make them: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. I put 1 drop literally of olive oil on the cookie sheet and spread it around. Place tortilla on cookie sheet. Spread the sauce on the tortilla (pesto, marinara, alfredo, bruschetta sauce, whatever.) Put a slice of cheese on top of that and then any combination of toppings or leftovers I can find bumping around the fridge. Sprinkle with grated parmesan if desired. Pop in oven. 10 minutes exactly. Have the oven hot before you do the toppings **Do not let them sit. Pop them in the oven right away or the toppings will make the tortilla soggy versus the yummy crispy porn pictured above.

Some Tortilla Pizza FAQ's

More Eggface Pizza Porn:

Our 4th

Hope everyone had a HAPPY & SAFE 4th of July!

I BBQ'd Zucchini Weenies for lunch and steaks for dinner and hung with my Mum (it's her Birthday today!) We luckily have a peek-a-boo view of the town's local firework display from the backyard so no battling traffic or parking. We watched those then came in and caught the NYC and Boston Pops firework shows on TV with a big bowl of Protein Ice Cream for dessert. Nom nom nom.


For dinner I BBQ'd steak topped with mushrooms sauteed in garlic and a sprinkle of thyme and made this experimental Scalloped Crab and Corn Bake on the side. It was soooo good! It would be perfect for a Brunch too and it is a great use for leftover corn...


Shelly's Scalloped Crab and Corn Bake

4 slices Bacon, cooked & crumbled
1 Maui Onion, diced
2 cups Cooked Corn Kernels (fresh, frozen or canned doesn't matter)
1 (2 oz.) jar Pimentos, drained
1 (6 oz.) can Crab Meat, drained
1 (12 oz.) can Evaporated Milk
1 cup Colby Jack or Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning (Oregano, Basil, Garlic Blend)
2 Tablespoons Multigrain Pancake Mix, dry (I use this)
2 Large Egg Whites, beaten
1 Large Egg, beaten

Cook bacon, set aside to cool. Saute onion till golden.

Mix onion, crumbled bacon, corn, pimentos, crab together.

Combine cheese and pancake mix in a small bowl. Heat evaporated milk till small bubbles form on edge. Add cheese mixture stirring constantly. Heat till thickened. Remove from heat and add eggs and egg whites stirring constantly till combined. Add seasonings. Mix.

Pour cheese sauce over onion mixture and stir to combine. Pour into a greased 2 qt. rectangle Pyrex casserole dish (Pam works great) Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.