Barbara Kingslover is one of my favorite authors so I naturally picked up her last book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - A Year of Food Life, eager to read. To my surprise, her story is part memoir about how she and her family make a promise to only buy food raised in their own neighborhood, grow it themselves, or learn to live without it.
As I read, I sometimes felt this premise seemed plausible but at other times, absolutely ridiculous. I did actually wonder living a life where our family could pre-pare (i.e. store, freeze, can, preserve) in season fruits and vegetables to eat in the deep freeze of winter.
While I did imagine this feat as doable, I also was drawn back to reality by the simple fact that preparing food for my family sometimes seems next to impossible. Jake still verges on not wanting any of his foods to touch on his plate, Shaye hates Chicken, a staple in any household, and Steve would simply love to eat take out if he had his choice. Myself, well, I have the fantasy of eating well but coming home after a long day on my feet, making a turkey and cheese sandwich on toasted rolls is a feature menu items for us. But I try. I love to make new seasonal recipes from Bon Appetit, my favorite magazine. I try to make dishes on the weekend that can take me into the week...Spinach Quiche, soup - I recently made a great Creamy Tomato, last night, to my surprise, a Stir-fry Steve and Shaye loved - Jake was at a Student Council Meeting -he would not have liked it.
So, I fall back on family favorites often and am grateful the food store is around the corner to offer a world of variety any season of the year. Here is one of our favorite family recipes filled with some nutritional extras the kids know I sneak in but don't seem to mind. If you make them for your family, I think they will enjoy them as much as ours.
Bon Appetit!
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins - A Northern Alviene Favorite.
1 stick butter - room temperature
3/4 cup sugar - I use raw cane sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups of flour - I use whole wheat white
2 tablespoons wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed, very ripe bananas
1/2 cup yogurt-sometimes I'll use probiotic keifer
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup ground walnuts
1/2 chocolate chips
Pre-heat oven to 350. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs (in a stand mixer if you have). In separate bowl sift dry ingredients. Mash banana is separate cup, add yogurt. Add dry ingredients with butter mixture till just mixed, add bananas/yogurt, vanilla and nuts and chocolate chips. Blend just slightly, add nuts. Spoon into lined muffin tins. Bake approx. 35 mins.
3 comments:
I love the personal glimpse into 'Susan' and the details of cooking for a family with different tastes. Let's include a few healthy choices this summer. Do you ship the yummy muffins? :)
I'm hungry.
Patti, I could seriously try to ship them. They wouldn't be those perfect warm ones just out of the oven but I can give it a try. I have some ripe bananas ready for baking.
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