Real Bananas.

It's funny how the littlest things in life can really irritate you, but (there is always a but) then you realize that there are greater things in life to focus on. Like yesterday, when I accidentally deleted the most gorgeous photo of mashed bananas on my camera. OMG. Like, I was totally going to show you how scrumptious those mashed bananas looked. As if! But wait...they were mashed bananas! Calm down, Chels. 

Mashed bananas are no biggie. Now, deleting pics of your cousins wedding shower might have been drastic...luckily, I manage to do some things correctly. Winning! Also, I have settled with talking about the mashed bananas because I will not talk about The Bachelor on this blog. I will not talk about the bachelor, I will not talk about the bachelor, I will not talk...Truth is...I don't know how I get sucked into these "reality" shows. 

The fact that they are more entertaining than my life and that I can watch from the comfort of my own couch while eating a stack of peanut butter cookies is just irrelevant. Totally. I'm pretty sure I have a problem. Like reality t.v. addicts anonymous. Oh, praise the lawd I have weened myself off of anything Kardashian. Seriously, those guys were taking up air space inside my head. 

Let's talk about muffins. Muffins will make Tuesday look a whole lot better. Is whole lot even a word? Gawd I have no attention span this morning. My family and I lived in Folsom, California for 1 year while I was in high school and every morning on my way to my all-girls Catholic high school (yes, I was in hell...or something like it) my dad and I would stop for breakfast. Now, this was not just any breakfast place...it was a breakfast gem nestled in a lavish Sacramento neighborhood. 

Milazzo's was a pizzeria/cafe where my dad and I would go, not only to share a delicious bran muffin, but to engage in great conversation with Mr. Milazzo and his daughter. The bran muffin was seriously the icing on the cake, so thick and fluffy. Great with a tall glass of milk and coffee. It was also chock full of raisins and walnuts. I love me a muffin chock full of things and truthfully, I haven't come across a muffin like that in well...years. Until yesterday, that is. 

Thank goodness I didn't delete this photo. 

This muffin is a banana muffin...but chock full of cacao nibs

and finely shredded coconut.

Cacao nibs are the new chocolate chips...just go with me.

It was extremely difficult to not lick the bowl clean. 

That is a fantastic problem to have. 

These muffins are perfect for a rainy day, which was also one of my favorite times to share a muffin at Milazzo's with my dad. 

That may have been every day, seeing as it rained constantly during the winter months in Sacramento.

These muffins are absolutely delicious, with a subtle chocolate flavor from the rustic cacao nibs.

And oh-mah-gawwwwd the coconut just takes these babies off the charts. 

Seriously. 

What are you waiting for? Let's eat breakfast. 

Coconut and Cacao Nib Banana Muffins (GF/Paleo Option):

Ingredients:

1 c. almond flour

1 c. oat flour (for completely paleo...use almond flour here)

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. fine sea salt

3 ripe bananas, mashed

3 large eggs

1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil

1 T. raw honey

1 T. pure vanilla extract

1 c. finely shredded unsweetened coconut

1 c. cacao nibs

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper liners.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, and salt. 

3. Mix in the mashed banana, eggs, evoo, honey, and vanilla until the batter is smooth and evenly distributed.

4. Fold in the coconut and cacao nibs.

5. Use a cookie scoop to scoop the muffin batter by 2 teaspoons into each muffin cup.

6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of each muffin comes out clean.

7. Serve warm with a drizzle of honey and a good slather or butter.

Makes 18 muffins.

MANGIA!!!