Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins and Reflections on Turning Fifty

PUBLISHED ON: 11.23.2014

They tell me that 50 is the new fabulous…..Do I believe them?  Maybe.   I know that I am closer to death than I am to birth.  A reminder that life has a finite span.  This thought both sobers me and liberates me.  Makes me stop and think often of what’s important, what’s not.

I used to be able to eat whatever I wanted to eat, HELL NO, not anymore.  DITTO on eating after 9:00 p.m.   Love jalapeno poppers, ate six of them recently, had a burn for six days.

This new decade has given me the freedom to make new choices and the courage to do them.  I prefer the “complex” to the “complicated”  complex is so much more interesting.  I am a bit more daring, more adventorous and more loving.  I believe now I have experience and wisdom to share….Whoa, when did I arrive there (laugh).  I am hopeful that I will take my new decade to continue to explore and discover the world around me with a focus on making a difference.

So, my first fifty-year old blog post is going to start with ridding myself of the frozen overripe bananas in my freezer.  I am in a vicious cycle.   I buy them, they sit to long on my counter, and I throw them in a ziploc bag in my freezer, and before I know it, I am being over run with mystery date bananas.  A experienced fifty year old might simply unload her freezer full of bananas into the waste can and be done-but, I am a young fifty year old still exploring her options.

The recipe calls for using a 12-count muffin pan.  Hey, I am fifty and I used a 6-count mini-bundt pan.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Makes 12
Recipe from Epicurious

 
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large)
1 large egg
1/2 cup unslated butter, melted
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line twelve 1/3 cup muffin cups with muffin liner.  Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.  Mix mashed bananas, egg, melted butter and milk in medium bowl.  Stir banana mixture into dry ingredients just until blended (do not over mix).  Stir in chocolate chips.
Divide batter among prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full.  Bake muffins until tops are pale golden and tester inserted into center comes out with some melted chocolate attached but no crumbs, about 25-30 minutes.  Transfer muffins to rack and cool.
Enjoy!

 

  • Happy Birthday and 50 is the new 40, trust me. I went through it and survived – in fact I thrived.Your holy muffins are perfect to celebrate a birthday with. Fill the centers with diamonds. 🙂

  • ♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪ Happy Birthday To You ♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪ Happy Birthday To You ♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪ Happy Birthday Dear Velva ♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪Happy Birthday To You ♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪By the time I was 50 dear Velva I hadn't even learned the secret of over ripe bananas. And now some 10 years later not only do I buy them so I can freeze them, I relish the thought that they are sitting in my freezer waiting to go into my metabolism improving smoothie!!!Oh yes, there's lots to learn, complex is so much better than complicated and the challenge of finding jalapeno poppers replacements offers more freedom than I would have ever imagined!I toast your Banana Freedom and those Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins too!!! I hope you have a wonderful birthday and the journey of a lifetime! P.S. Marion swears 95 is the \”new\” 85, lol…

  • HAPPY BIRTHDAY and 50 is fabulous. A few days ago I just turned 65 and still feel fabulous. Loving this recipe.Carolyn

  • Happy Birthday!!!!! These mini banana bundt cakes look fabulous, Velva.

  • Big happy birthday wishes Velva. 50 is considered very young these day. I well remember 50. It was one of the best years of my life and believe me, there's a lot of fun ahead. I'm loving your mini-bundt muffins. Sam

  • Happy Birthday!! Totally agree about how fast time goes and how 50 can remind us of our mortality. However, it's also a wonderful new chapter in our lives. Some of the best times are ahead!!I have a mini bundt that I never use, this looks like one to try but I have no bananas in the freezer. Too bad we aren't closer!!Happy Thanksgiving!

  • Happy birthday, my friend ! You always have a positive attitude so not surprised you are embracing the 50s with enthusiasm. Nice use of bananas. Like Louise. I usually make smoothies but your muffins are inspiring.By the way I can't eat all the goodies I used to either

  • Happy birthday! And yes, things begin to shift at fifty, and healthy meals become more important. You'll be so busy though that you won't notice much of a difference.

  • Happy 50th! The view is great from this side. Hope you enjoyed your muffins.

  • Fifty was a good year for me. I swear, that on the inside, I'm still a 30-year old. I just avoid full length mirrors when I'm in that frame of mind. Happy Birthday!

  • These min bundts look so amazing! I love the flavors!

  • Happy, happy birthday!!!!!!!

  • Hi Velva, just found your blog through Robyn's. Happy Birthday to you! Life just keeps getting better and better!

  • They look delicious !!!

  • Belated birthday wishes. I know what you mean I used to be able to eat what I wanted and never put on weight, now it is a constant battle to keep my weight down. You are still young and way behind me so you have a lot of 'better life' before as my mother used to say \”The golden years are somewhat tarnished). The memory fades and aches and pains arrive! Take care and enjoy life while you can. Diane x

  • Happy Birthday, Velva – hoping I was a fabulous 50 for you!These are the best looking muffins ever! Chocolate and banana are two of my very favourite ingredients and when you mix them together you can only get heavenly results. I will be making these over the winter months because starting the day off with one of these is going to be perfect!Thanks for a great recipe 🙂

  • Happy Birthday, Velva! 50 is young, I remember it well. Your muffins look and sound delicious and are perfect for any birthday!

  • Love your outlook on turning 50 Velda! Happy Birthday…………..Just hit 64 yesterday and although my mind wants to do one thing, this older body tells my another! Just gotta laugh as life is too short to do anything else! Always have over ripe bananas in the freezer, looks like time to get some out!

  • 50! No way! You are just beautiful my friend and happy birthday! what a wonderful way to celebrate with this amazing and delicious looking muffins!

  • Wonderful post. I'm turning 70 in a few weeks and have had the same feelings as you… and the overripe banana in the freezer is a cold reality. We cannot preserve ourselves forever. So, make muffins and love life. It's the best revenge.

  • Dear Velva, A Very Happy Birthday!! Your post was very thoughtful and I enjoyed reading it. I wish you the very best for this new year and all the birthdays to come.It looks like these delicious bundt cakes are a tasty way to begin. xo Catherine

  • Happy birthday to you!! The same thing happens to me with bananas, too. I always buy them thinking my kids will eat them but I am starting to think they don't eat them on purpose so that I can eventually make a recipe like this one. 😉

  • Happy Fiftieth and many, many more. I like your wise thinking and your mini bundt muffins.

  • Hope you had a wonderful birthday, Velva! So true about the calories later in life. Easy to take in but so hard to take off 🙂 I love a good banana recipe and your little cakes are so cute too!

  • Happy Birthday. Mine was the 11th and I am coming to terms with many of the life affirming issues you mentioned. Because even \”the burn\” reminds you that you're alive! GREG

  • Happy birthday to you Velva!!! These Banana muffins look delish!! Anything with chocolate in it!!! On the 5th, I'll be a decade + 1, older than you!!! I have stopped at 60. At 60 I could retire if I wanted – but now I think I'll try one more year at a time!!

  • Oh how I laughed while reading your thoughts on turning 50, Velva! Enjoy the next decade, I'm turning 60 in April and freaking out! After reading about what you cannot do anymore regarding food, I now understand what's wrong with my tummy when I go to bed . . . hell, I thought it was an ulcer. I'm relieved to know that it's an age thing! Hope you enjoyed your special nifty at 50 birthday and these delicious muffins ALL DAY!xoRozPS: I, too, am looking forward to all of your recipes, thoughts, travels, etc on your wonderful blog in 2015. I am so happy to have been blogging friends since 2008!

  • Hi Velva, I jumped to your site from mine and this post popped out at me, as I’m in my early fifties. I can very easily relate to your first couple paragraphs. 😀 And my bananas go through the same cycle, so I love this recipe. Cheers! ~Valentina

  • You are ONLY 50!? gosh, that’s when I started my exciting life, traveling. Now I just turned 65, and starting a new life in Mexico!
    Enjoy your fifties, sixties, and beyond, life is at once Fun and Fragile. Best!

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