I accidentally blinked and Meghan went from this:
How, exactly, did that happen? I know every parent says this, and it’s become a bit of a cliche, but I can’t help but wonder where the time went. It goes by so fast.
My tiny, swaddled newborn became a little girl who started preschool today. She was excited to start school. Absent was any misgiving about leaving Mommy or tears brought on by separation anxiety.
At least from Meghan.
I am pregnant, you know. As if I need an excuse for getting emotional about sending my baby girl to school.
I thought it would be fun to start a first-day-of-school tradition of making a special breakfast. Last night Meghan requested muffins, so I put muffins on the menu. With some ripe bananas on hand, I decided on a banana muffin. I made them extra special by adding in chocolate chips. Every kid needs to get treated to chocolate chips for breakfast once in a while.
The chocolate just added to her first-day-of-school excitement.
I have a feeling she’s going to be asking for these muffins again soon. The good news is, even with the chocolate chips, these are a healthy muffin. They’re made with whole wheat flour and sweetened with the bananas and agave nectar. I used apple sauce instead of oil, just to keep the calories in check for me and Tim. 😉
Now the rest of the muffins will be eaten as dessert over the next few days. Can’t go wrong with a muffin that doubles as dessert!
First Day of School Muffins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
Description
A tasty make ahead grab and go breakfast
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or try 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 all purpose flour)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/3 cup mashed banana (3 medium/large bananas, mashed with a fork)
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup apple sauce (unsweetened, preferably)
- 1/3 cup agave nectar (you can also try honey or maple syrup if you don’t have agave nectar)
- 1/2–1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil and flour twelve muffin tins, or line with paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, egg, apple sauce, and agave nectar. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined. Do not over mix. Stir in up to one cup of chocolate chips.
- Drop the batter into the muffin tins to almost the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick or paring knife comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing from the pan.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 228
- Sugar: 12.75g
- Sodium: 248mg
- Fat: 3.8g
- Carbohydrates: 46g
- Protein: 4.5g
These were a perfect way for Meghan to start her morning. She could hardly contain her excitement before we left for school.
And she was still grinning when I left. 
Someday I’ll look back at these pictures and say, “Where did the time go?” just like I’m doing today. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy every moment with my little girl and the fun of starting new traditions like the one we started today.
Question: Do you have any first-day-of-school traditions with your children? Or did you have any growing up?
I have been reading that agave nectar isn’t safe for pregnancy. I am pregnant so I think I will try stevia instead. I think it would be awesome in the quinoa. Also honey is always good. I really like your blog I think I will do the same thing for my kids first day of school. And maybe for his first day of life outside the womb. Happy birth muffins! Even though he can’t eat any I would enjoy it.
I have read contradictory reports about whether agave nectar is safe for pregnancy. Some claim it is and some claim it isn’t. I hate when there’s nothing conclusive. I’ve had it only in moderation during this pregnancy. Let me know how stevia works in this recipe! I rarely have good luck baking with stevia.
I love the idea of making something special for first day of life outside the womb. 🙂 Although I may have to make and freeze something as I doubt I’ll be doing too much baking on that day!
what a cutie – she looks SO excited! (and I ALWAYS love photos of babies bundled up like that first photo – so so sweet!).
Meghan is super adorable! I love her little pink skirt. It’s something I would have loved as a little girl.
My mother always took pictures of us on the front porch, completely dressed with our backpacks. She actually made me pose for a picture on my first day of work after I graduated from college.
I love that you posed for your first day of work! 🙂
The muffins do make everything so much better! You little girl is precious 🙂
Please join me to bake & remember lives lost in 9/11. I am hosting a link up called *Remembrance Cakes* Would love to have you. We are baking cakes, muffins, cupcakes. Anything is great! You can also share posts you have all ready published like this one. Just add the badge to show your support.
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Thanks for letting me know about this, Marla. Great idea.
I hope Meghan had a great first day of school! It has been surprisingly difficult for me with my youngest starting kindergarten this year. Where *did* the time go?! Funny, I made muffins for the first day of school too. 🙂
Awww I was just saying the same thing to my husband… where did the time go?! I can’t believe my oldest (41/2 yrs) Starts preschool next week. 🙁 He is so excited and I am not so much…. I’m going to be a mess on his first day!
So cute. I hope she had a great first day.
My mom used to take a picture of my brother and I outside our house every year on the first day of school.
It a cliche but I too have been lamenting how fast these little munchkins grow up. It’s amazing. Going to make these muffins. Love the use of agave and apple sauce
She is adorable. I just made banana nut muffins last night! we are twins:)
Such a cutie!!! I hope she had a wonderful first day 😀 You’ll have to tell us what she thought of it!
Aw, she is just so cute! I was just thinking about my son going to kindergarten next year! Ahh, that happened way too fast and I still have a year left to get used to the idea before he goes! Loooooved the pictures – Meghan looks like she was so excited!
The muffins look great! The ingredients list is perfect. We haven’t been eating as many bananas as usual so I’ll try this at the end of the week when we have extras left over when I buy fresh ones 🙂
Meghan is too cute! I was home schooled when I was younger so no fun going to school traditions I can think of. I definitely want to start some when I have my own kiddos! Great muffin recipe!
Ah, you made so many memories today! 🙂 So sweet! Hope her first day was amazing and that she loved every minute of it! …As for these muffins, the ingredient list couldn’t look more fantastic! Mmmm! (and so healthy too!!!)
I feel the same way with Makenzie!!! Bam! They’re in preschool. And those muffins look like a great first day treat. 🙂
o my gosh, whattt a cutie 🙂
Awe she is so adorable. I hear you though. I cried like a baby when I dropped my son off for his first day of first grade. I don’t think it gets any easier but maybe with a couple of chocolate chips muffins I might feel a tad bit better. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!