McGuyvered Meals

Below you will find recipes reinvented from leftovers or revamped ways to improved "boxed" items and make them more nutritious and healthier options.

Trader Joe's Banana Bread-Reinvented

I adapted the recipe on the back of the Trader Joe's (boxed) Banana Bread

Instead of 1/3 c of oil (why add all that fat?), I substituted an equal amount of Trader Joe's low fat vanilla yogurt. I also mashed two large ripe bananas,  then follow the recipe as directed. Make sure you just fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients (egg, water, and yogurt), until it all just comes together (over mixing will cause the muffins/bread to be too dense and tough). The muffins were so moist and tasted just like the banana bread my parents used to make, in about a third of the time.

A note about saving money: A box of of this mix was less than $3.00 and the recipe made 18 muffins. I already had the low fat yogurt and egg. If you prefer a super-sized muffin. The recipe would probably make a dozen. I have to admit, I like the calorie and portion control of spreading the calories out over 18 muffins, instead of 12. This is a great alternative to purchasing that morning muffin from Starbuck's every morning at $3 or more each day.

A note about storage: These muffins contain no preservatives, so store in an airtight container, for 1-3 days (away from heat or direct light), if you live in a humid place, store in an airtight contain in the fridge, or place them in a bag and pop them into the freezer. When ready to eat (from freezer) either let them thaw overnight in the fridge or pop them in the microwave for 15-30 seconds (depends on strength of your microwave).