Banana Quinoa Muffins!

Hello, my friends! Geez, how time flies. I sound old saying that, but it is true (and perhaps I am getting old...nah.)! One moment I'm impatiently waiting for Thanksgiving week, the next I'm fighting my way through what I've heard is called "dead" week (a term I've never understood or experienced). But forget the complaints of grad school (who wants to hear those anyway!?); this means its Christmas season! As in homemade hot cocoa (don't hate on my flaxmilk, dutch cocoa and agave remix), shoveling driveways (hello, homeownership) and putting off productivity by staring at the snow and daydreaming of watching Elf without trying to write proposals. Cheers to that, eh? :)

from http://www.quinoa.net/145/154.html

Though I'm sick of writing, I feel the opposite about blogging! I've been wanting to share this recipe with you since Saturday night when I tried it out, so it is finally happening. One of my lovely sister-in-laws gave me her box of quinoa flakes and I was thrilled!  I had held out on buying any because I was unaware of their difference from quinoa. Alas, I was missing out! Quinoa is steam-rolled into the flakes and as a result they cook much quicker than quinoa itself. They also come in super handy for gluten free baking. They sounded right up my alley-and they were! I saw this recipe on the box and made a few variations-surprising, right? ;) These were the first muffins I've made in awhile (clearly the everything-free diet dried up my baking for a bit there...) and I thought they were quite tasty! This is all that was left of my batch as of this morning; before I ate them, of course. :)

Banana Quinoa Muffins 
adapted from www.quinoa.net/1963.html (same as on the Ancient Quinoa Harvest Quinoa Flakes box)

Makes 10-11 muffins (awkward amount, right? I say double it!)

1/2 cup Quinoa Flour (make your own!)
1/2 cup Quinoa Flakes
2 Tbsp Honey (or agave nectar)
2 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
2 Very Ripe Bananas
2 Eggs (I made 2 chia eggs with black chia seeds-you don't notice them in the muffins)
Optional: 1/3 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries, walnuts if you're cool with them, pomegranate seeds, 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder + chocolate chips if you're all about the chocolate option; there are tons of options!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix flour and flakes with dry ingredients. In separate bowl mix together bananas, eggs and honey, add to dry ingredients. Pour into greased muffin tins. Bake 18-22 minutes at 400 degrees. Note: fill muffin tins 1/2 full.

Eat for breakfast; morning snack; lunch; afternoon snack; evening snack...just eat them whenever it feels right, okay? ;)

My Wednesday is looking wonderful-my mom is coming for a visit!! :) I hope yours is splendid too!! Peace and peppermint hot cocoa.

--KQ