The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place.

The tsunami in Japan has me a little shaken. I have friends in school with families over over there, and I can't begin to imagine what they're going through. It's weird, because people on one side of the world could be completely oblivious to the suffering going on on the other side. 

It just puts everything in perspective for me. Makes day to day problems seem so petty. I think people need to stop focusing on themselves so much (hey, it's something I'm totally guilty of doing myself). Instead of complaining and wallowing in self pity, stop, think about what you're doing, and then focus your energy on something productive you can do for someone else. 

Why do I bake? Why is this trivial little thing so important in my life? I enjoy creating something out of nothing, but more so, I like making people happy. There are different ways to change the world. When someone is having a bad day, going out of your way to offer someone a warm cookie and a kind word can mean a lot. Speaking from experience.

I stayed at a friend's house this weekend, getting supplies for our upcoming community service trip this spring break. I was so grateful to his parents for opening their house to me, and letting me use their kitchen to make some muffins. They never fail...so if you need a self esteem boost, or know someone who does, these are the way to go. You may notice some changes over here at A Dusting of Sugar. More words, more thoughts. Hope you enjoy. 

Best Banana Muffins Ever

adapted from All Recipes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 peanut butter chips (optional) 
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg, vanilla and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Stir in chips. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.