Breakfast is a Competitive Sport

Our office has a fun little activity each Friday called Breakfast Club. Several years ago, a few employees decided it would be nice to bring breakfast to share each week. We all take turns, signing our names on a posted list in the kitchen. The only rules are:

1. You don't eat breakfast if you don't take a turn bringing breakfast and
2. If you forget to bring breakfast on your day, you will be publicly mocked.

We've had breakfasts of every type imaginable - from donuts to egg casseroles to Ukrainian treats to homemade breakfast breads to Chick-Fil-A mini biscuits and everything in between.

And my day to provide breakfast? I've never brought the same thing twice, and every time it's a work of art. For me, breakfast club is a competitive sport.

I can't help it. I am a competitive person and I believe in being the best. I blame my mother (Why not? It's the trendy thing to do!) because she encouraged our involvement in 4-H. There I not only bought wholeheartedly into the organization's motto, "To make the best better," but also learned to cook and entered table setting competitions.

That is, I've always believed in being the best until this week, when I was just too busy to really care. Yesterday I had a complete panic that this was my breakfast week and I wasn't prepared. I didn't have time to go to the store, and I didn't have energy to do anything fancy (shocking!). What to do??

I thought about what I had at home - all sorts of dry staples, milk, eggs, turkey bacon and ham in the freezer and slightly overripe bananas on the counter. A-ha! A solution! I would make muffins. In fact, my breakfast theme would be Muffin Madness.

I provided two different savory muffins - ham (made with cornbread and chives), turkey bacon (with a touch of pepper) - and two different sweet muffins - blueberry and banana oatmeal pecan.

While everything disappeared, the overwhelming favorite of the day was the banana oatmeal pecan. It's a quick and easy recipe.

Oatmeal Banana Pecan Muffins

• 1 c. flour
• 1/2 c. rolled oats (quick or old fashioned, but not instant)
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1 t. baking soda
• 3/4 c. white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/3 c. butter, melted
• 1 1/2 c. mashed bananas (approx 2 bananas)
• 1/2 c. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325F. Mix dry ingredients together. Add all remaining ingredients, stirring until just moistened. Do not over stir. Place in either muffin liners or greased muffin tins. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.