After dealing with the challenges of food in an interfaith family during the Passover and Easter season, it’s nice to come back together at Mothers’ Day to celebrate without the pressure of not serving meat on Good Friday when it also happens to be the first seder or how to have a traditional Easter dinner without a ham.

I also love Mothers’ Day because it’s another great excuse for BRUNCH! My favorite meal.

When I got married my mom’s friends threw me an amazing bridal shower and put together a recipe book with favorites contributed by all of the guests. I treasure these hand-written recipe cards, which have a place of honor in my kitchen, and they have become even more special as many of the recipes were contributed by my grandmother (bubbe) who passed away in the fall. I know I’ll be missing her as we sit down together for Mothers’ Day, so I’ll do my best to evoke her memory by baking one of her recipes.

I love my grandmother’s banana bread, and whenever my bananas are turning brown, I toss them in the freezer to be used later. The original recipe calls for margarine (which I don’t like to use), LOTS of sugar and sour cream. I switched it up a little bit here, and prepared it as mini muffins instead of as a loaf, since my kids will eat nearly anything if shaped like a mini muffin (think: meatloaf muffins, egg muffins … you get the picture).

This recipe is also great because it requires no fancy equipment. You don’t need a stand mixer or even a hand mixer; you really can do the whole thing with just bowls and a fork!

If you’re serving this dish at a meal that involves meat to people who keep kosher, you can easily substitute the yogurt with soy yogurt.

Bubbe’s Banana Bread Muffins

Yields 48 mini muffins (or 24 regular sized muffins)

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 eggs
• 3 very ripe bananas
• ½ cup coconut oil
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup honey
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• ½ tsp. salt.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Liberally grease 2 mini muffin tins.

3. Combine baking soda and yogurt in a large bowl.

4. Cream together coconut oil, sugar and honey in a small bowl until well mixed. Add to yogurt mixture.

5. Use a potato masher to mash the overripe bananas into the batter.

6. Add smashed bananas and beaten eggs to mixture.

7. Combine flour, baking powder, vanilla, lemon zest and salt in a medium bowl.

8. Add dry ingredients to wet in two batches, mixing as you go.

9. Using a medium sized scooper, fill the tins to just under full.

10. Bake for 20 minutes (25 if you are making full size muffins), turning the pan once. Use a toothpick to check for done-ness: If it comes out clean, they’re ready! They should be just slightly golden brown on the edges. Let the muffins cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack.

I like to round out this meal out with a baked egg casserole, breakfast potatoes a big fruit salad and a Bloody Mary.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the special women in our lives! What are some of your Mothers’ Day favorites?