Banana Nut Muffins

Being an adult is hard. It's not fun. It's full of not fun stuff that you HAVE to do whether you want to or not.

I am just getting used to this (at 27!).  The past year and a half, adulthood has hit me like a ton of bricks. Ever since Dan and I got married.  We immediately bought a house (that needed some work), got a puppy (who wound up being crazy), and I got pregnant (an absolute blessing, but also a terrifying, uncertain whirlwind).  I joked with my mom just this morning that the only time during this pregnancy that I am going to get to relax is when I check in to the hospital.
Life has been full of renovations, puppy training, insurance, cars, paperwork, phone calls (with voice services who REFUSE to let you talk to actual humans), and just a bunch of "stuff" that does not include relaxation in any way/shape/form.

This afternoon, it stopped. After being in tears (I half blame "pregnancy crazy" for that) with the BMV this morning, I said no more. I sat on the couch and turned on the Food Network and let the dog bark at nothing while I watched my 2 and a half hour block of Giada (forget reality or soaps...Food Network is my guilty pleasure).
Almost in tears again, (the happy kind) I texted my husband letting him know that I felt HUMAN again! Just that little bit of "me" time really did a number on me.  I feel rejuvenated. Refreshed. It is glorious!
I sat and pinned bagel recipes, researched the best way to pot herbs and even subscribed to Better Homes and Gardens.
The difference one afternoon makes.

Now, instead of throwing something together for a weeknight dinner...I'm back on point and excited and wanting to create something fabulous.  Cooking is not a chore for me. It's a fun hobby that I really enjoy.  But somewhere in this adulthood, that got lost.
Life is wild and fast.  We all knew this going in. But that absolutely does not mean that your sanity needs to go out the window.  Sometimes you just need an authentic deep breath on your couch to be reminded of that. A deep breath, and banana nut muffins.

Uhm...can everything in life come streusel-topped? I think I'm going to make that a requirement for my life...

I got this recipe from this blog (which I, of course, pinned).  This lady seems to be something of a muffin wizard. 
The only alterations I made was using almond milk rather than any other kind.  No particular reason besides the fact that almond milk is what I had on hand. Also, I only had 2 bananas on hand that were used in the making of these muffins.  The recipe calls for more to add to the streusel.  Today, my streusel is banana-less.
Also, she suggests this magic trick of cranking your oven to 475 for 5 measly minutes before reducing to 375.  I followed this step and couldn't believe the HEIGHT my muffins had after those 5 minutes! Definitely a step worth taking.

The recipe says bake for 25+ minutes. These guys were in for 20 and were PLENTY done. The streusel actually began to caramelize and drip and burn. So keep an eye on them!
 I happen to have 2 men here installing windows and even they couldn't help but comment on the amazing cinnamon-y banana smell.  They each made out with a muffin (plus a hefty check for windows).