Happy Valentines Day + Banana Cherry Muffins

Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope you have a day full of love from yourself and people in your life – whether it be your friends, family, significant other, or children. I’m sharing a short list of things I am loving this week in honor of the day, including a new healthy muffin recipe – Banana Cherry Muffins. K and I are celebrating by going out to dinner tonight at a new ‘farm to table’ restaurant in a neighborhood we don’t visit often.

Love #1: A funny valentine. I love a good farm joke.

Love #2: This stir fry tutorial from theKitchn – How to Stir-Fry Chicken. This recipe made a quick and delicious weeknight dinner this week.

Love #3: The song Ho Hey by The Lumineers. Because it’s my wedding first dance song, and I still can’t listen to it enough.

Love #4: 10 Smart Food Swaps for a Healthy Heart. Sharing since this month is the 50th anniversary of American Heart Month.

Love #5: A new healthy muffin recipe with no butter or oil – and tart cherries frozen from last summer in Door County. I can’t wait to be back in the orchard again!

Banana Cherry Muffins
Yields: 1 dozen muffins

Ingredients~
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup apple sauce
1 cup tart cherries
2 ripe bananas
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

How to~
*Mix dry ingredients in a bowl – flours, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
*If your cherries are frozen {like mine were}, make sure you drain them of extra liquid before adding to the muffins. {I added mine to a pan on medium low and cooked them for ~5 minutes until they were no longer frozen}. Drain and discard the juice from the cherries and set aside.
*Mix the wet ingredients in a mixer on low – eggs, bananas, vanilla and applesauce.
*Add the dry ingredients slowly, mixing only to combine. Stir in the cherries.
*Bake at 350 degrees in greased muffin tins or cups for ~20 minutes, until a knife comes out clean.

{Adapted from Peanut Butter Runner’s recipe for Easy and Healthy Banana Muffins}