monkey muffins.

I know what you're thinking.



Banana bread, right? The perfect solution for overripe bananas.

I couldn't agree more. I love a good ol' wholesome banana bread. But this time I wanted to try something new. My bestie Sarah showed me this recipe on Sunday and I had to try it. The shining stars of these muffins are:

1. Bananas
2. Peanut Butter
3. Chocolate Chips

Raise your hand if you can think of a better trio to cram into a little muffin...

Yeah.

That's what I thought.



Mmmm... so delectable. These muffins are not messin' around. They are deceptively rich, so have a glass of milk handy. It's so worth it.



Monkey Muffins (from Taste of Home)

Prep Time: 20 min.  Bake Time: 15 min./batch (or 20 min. for regular-sized muffins)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 2/3 cup peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the bananas, peanut butter, milk and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture just until moistened. Fold in chips.
• Fill greased or paper-lined miniature muffin cups three-fourths full. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake at 350° for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Serve warm. Yield: 6 dozen.

I didn't have a mini muffin pan, so I made regular-sized muffins. I don't mess around with mini muffins. They're just an excuse to eat more. Instead of having just one normal muffin, I'd have to eat about 6 mini muffins. And then I feel bad about myself...

Note: If you make normal muffins, add about 5 minutes to the baking time. No big deal. Made about 2 dozen.





Hungry now? Mouth watering? I figured. Go make yourself some monkey muffins. You deserve it.

taco night. nothin' fancy.

I learned a new skill today.



This changed my life. You have no idea. You see, Old Amy used to chop the whole tomato and place the pieces in a bowl for taco toppings in this seedy, watery mess that made taco eating about a 6 on the Messy Scale (which, as we all know, is a scale of 1-10).

Those days are over. BEHOLD!



Please note the jolly seed ball. And the fresh, whole tomatoes waiting to be cut so nicely in the same fashion.



Yes. This is the way it is meant to be.

If you're wondering how I achieved this greatness but have yet to watch the video above... WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR??? Sorry for the poor quality... I didn't make it. And I was still able to learn something.



Amazing. Taco Night can now be a little less messy (maybe a 3??). Let's hope.

i've got a food baby

So, you're probably wondering, "What the French toast is a 'food baby'?" 

Well, it's the title of my blog. And it has dual meaning.

1. A "food baby" is that feeling you experience when you've eaten too much. For example, you devour heaps of dinner and dessert at The Cheesecake Factory (of course you had the Kahlua Cocoa Coffee Cheesecake), and then you head to the mall (walking is a little uncomfortable) and go into your favorite store because they're having a killer sale on jeans. You head into the fitting room with a stack of these jeans and have to suck your belly button into your spine to button those bad boys. Never mind the fact that this is the size you always wear in this particular brand of jeans. No, it doesn't matter. You have a FOOD BABY.

2. I am a "food baby" so to speak. I love to cook and bake delicious food for my family and friends, but I have a lot to learn. I'm teaching myself as I go, picking up little things here and there. But do not ask me what fennel is. Or what to do with it. And I don't know what a "confit" is, but I do know that it's not pronounced how it looks. 

So my hope for this blog is to share with you my journey of cooking: the tips and tricks I pick up along the way, the recipe FAILS and triumphs, and anything else that's interesting. 

Cook with me!