Banana Blueberry Muffins (Whole Wheat)

I am always looking for new muffin recipes. Oh, and I am always looking for ways to use up bananas. Seemingly endless amounts of bananas.

You are probably wondering why I have so many bananas. It's not like I grow them in my backyard. I actually buy 2-3 bunches of organic bananas each week and always seem to have some overripe ones left over in the end. Why not buy less bananas you ask? Because my biggest pet peeve is not having ripe bananas around to eat and send to daycare, and we all know that the bananas in the grocery store are usually far from ripe and they ripen at varying speeds. So, I buy lots, using what we need throughout the week, and baking with or freezing the ones that ripen quicker than we can eat them. And this means that I always have bananas in the freezer for smoothies, baking, and popsicle making!

This week in particular, I was confronted with a ton a overripe bananas and a massive harvest of blueberries from our garden. So, off I went in search of a muffin in which I could use both. Of course, for those of you who follow my blog, I also like to make my food child friendly, which means less sugar and whole wheat flour or oats where possible.

And so this muffin came to be :) A banana blueberry whole wheat muffin with a tiny bit of citrus to kick things up. Yum yum!

Creamless Zucchini Soup

As the summer winds down (sigh), we are reminded that this is also the season of amazing squash! With zucchini galore, I have found myself trying to preserve the flavours or summer by turning this bounty of zucchini into soup to enjoy all winter long.

My almost 2 year old daughter just adores soups, and this one is no exception. Using very few ingredients, this soup's flavour really speaks to the season, with the taste of fresh zucchini really shining here. It's easy to make in huge batches, so you can enjoy some now and freeze for later, when your body and soul are craving a little taste of summer!

Ellie's Pineapple Salsa

I was introduced to this amazing salsa about a year ago. My friend Ellie brought it over as a part of a potluck playdate we were having and I haven't been able to get it out of my mind!

I have made it several times since then, usually opting to serve it as a variation of chips and salsa with corn tortilla chips, but have also served it alongside baked white fish fillets and have it on my list to try in fish tacos too.

Whether served to my family or to guests, this salsa has definitely been a crowd pleaser. It is a unique and flavourful alternative to regular chips and salsa or accompaniment to fish or grilled chicken. Regardless of the season, this salsa is guaranteed to please your palate! Thanks Ellie for introducing me to this one :)

Meaty Coconut Kale Soup

Our daughter loves soup. Particularly pureed soups. But today I decided to take a chance on a chunky, meaty soup with chopped kale.

I was fairly certain that she would spit out the kale. Even chopped relatively small, it has a particular texture that doesn't fare well with 18 month old children. The other thing I wasn't sure about was the ground meat in the soup. Our daughter likes meat, but I wasn't sure she would like having to chew a lot while eating the soup. Lastly, the red pepper flakes. Our daughter loves food with good flavour, and I wanted to add enough to bring good depth of flavour without actually making the soup spicy. (If it was just me eating it however, I would have added more).

On the other hand, I knew the chunks of potato would be a hit. And the rich and creamy coconut milk I figured would be a no brainer.

Given all of this though, I really wasn't sure how this soup would be received in our household. So I made the soup, crossed my fingers, and hoped for the best.

Cheesy Sourdough Bread

So at dinner last weekend, my sister started talking about her favorite grocery store sourdough cheese bread and how good it was. However, she said that not every grocery store in the chain seemed to make it the same way and she was often disappointed by the lack of cheese. The best she said, was the one that not only has cheese melted on top of the bread, but also has cheese melted throughout. Yes, that's the most important part about this bread-- lots and lots of cheese.

As she talked about it, I mentioned that I have a sourdough starter in my kitchen and could make her some sourdough cheese bread. And since my sister is about 6 months pregnant, I figured it wasn't really fair to talk about this bread, then no somehow produce her some.