happy banana bread day muffins

I've been dog-sitting for the past few days and noticed more than a few of these:

Since reading this book, I no longer mix a banana into my every morning oatmeal. I even hardly ever buy them. Why? Barbara Kingsolver's words got to me. 

"Should I overlook the suffering of victims of hurricanes, famines, and wars brought on this world by profligate fuel consumption? Bananas that coast a rain forest, refrigerator-trucked soymilk, and prewashed spinach shipped two thousand miles in plastic containers do not seem cruelty-free, in this context. Giving up meet is one path; giving up bananas is another."

But, this is my parents' house, and they happened to purchase a bunch of bananas before they went away, so I thought I'd make banana muffins... then I found out today is National Banana Bread Day. Two fun, festive facts: 

• Bananas arrived in the United States in the 1870s and quickly became one of the most popular fruits on the market. 
• The first cookbooks mentioning banana bread were published during the Great Depression. Culinary historians believe that a resourceful housewife (who didn't want to throw away over-ripe bananas) may have invented the original recipe. 

And in the spirit of the holiday, I banana-bread-muffin-baked this morning :).

Banana Bread Muffins

2 cups whole grain pancake & baking mix

1 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1/4 cup agave nectar

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup melted butter

Ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. 
2. In medium mixing bowl, blend dry mix with baking powder.
3. In small mixing bowl, combine all remaining ingredients.
4. Add liquids to dry ingredients, stirring only until lumps are gone.
5. Place cupcake liners in muffin pan. Fill until 3/4 full and sprinkle each one with cinnamon.
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until done.
7. Remove from oven and allow muffins to cool for about 10 minutes.
8. Choose one, remove the cupcake liner, place on a plate, add a smear of almond butter, cream cheese, or butter. Finally, enjoy!