Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Description:
The girls got a banana bread recipe once upon a time when they took a summer class at the farm (Martinez Park). It was a wonderfully yummy recipe which we seem to have misplaced since the remodeling. So we found this one online and it seems to be pretty darn close to (if not exactly the same as) the one we lost.

I'm posting it here so we don't lose it again.

Be careful to measure out the sour cream and buttermilk. I speak from experience in saying that too much liquid leads to a squishy center that won't cook up until the outside is too done.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sucanat
2 eggs
3 or 4 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups flour (either hard red or hard white wheat will do)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:
Mix the butter and sucanat (or sugar) until well blended. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the chocolate) and mix until combined. Toss the chocolate chips in, mix a bit more, and pour into two greased bread tins. Cook at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 40 minutes (more or less -- watch for browning edges vs. mushy centers).

I've used the same recipe to make muffins -- 17 regular sized and 12 mini.

Not Too Sweet Blueberry Muffins

Description:
On occasion people offer me muffins that I bite into only to find that what they've really handed me is a cupcake with fruit inside. I don't have anything against cupcakes. It's just that when I'm expecting a muffin, I want a muffin.

The following is a blueberry muffin recipe that does not consist mostly of fat and sugar with an extra sprinkling of fat and sugar on top. In fact, from Nathan's point of view, these muffins are more like bread with blueberries inside. That's not quite right because there is a bit of sweetener in them, but not so much that the sugar hits you between the eyes.

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (Hard red wheat will provide a muffin with more flavor. Hard white wheat will provide a muffin that *looks* more like what you might find in a standard bakery or among friends that use white flour when baking.)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup honey, agave nectar, cane syrup, molasses or brown sugar (a sweetener, in other words)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 1/2 buttermilk (or powdered buttermilk and water)
1/4 butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin tin or use silicone or paper cups.

Mix all of the ingredients (except the blueberries) together gently until just combined. Don't overstir. That'll make the muffins come out with a bit of a hockey puck nature. Fold in the blueberries and pour into muffin tin.

Cook for 25 minutes or until light brown on top. If you use a mini-muffin tin, check the muffins after about 10 minutes. It's likely they'll be done.