Lemon Poppyseed Banana Muffins

Craving something fresh and lemony for breakfast? Whip up a batch of these deliciously citrus muffins!

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As I sit here typing away on my patio in the lovely 72 degree weather and it is hard to believe it is still January. While many places in the U.S. are still covered in snow, it is already feeling like springtime here in Arizona.Even after nearly 10 years of living in the desert, I am still used to thinking of January as a “winter” month. Growing up in the Northwest does that to you I guess.

For weeks I have been day dreaming about lemons and fresh lavender, heirloom tomatoes and avocados. The citrus trees around the city are fat with gorgeous fruit. I am fortunate enough to have several friends share their bounty with me and now I have piles of lemons in my kitchen.

Today I am embracing this feeling of spring fever and have been preparing for playing in the dirt! I have been researching the growing seasons in Arizona. I grew up in an agricultural community, but it was very “four seasons” and growing things here in this desert city is a completely different story. We have two growing seasons here and we have to worry about frost AND scorching heat. It is neat, but definitely a new concept for me.

I have been tossing around the idea of planting a garden for a few years now. Apparently Arizona has an amazing climate for many fruits and vegetables. But I just haven’t been able to commit to the time of tending to a full garden, as much as I would love to.

I have tried heirloom tomatoes on my patio the past two years but have not had any luck in actually getting to enjoy the fruit. The first year they were overwatered and the fruit was ruined and the second year I planted them too late in the season that it got too hot before the fruit could fully ripen. So I am hoping to get ahead of the game this year. Maybe third times the charm?

I am starting small with a few patio planter boxes and herb gardens and hopefully I will have something to show for it this year.

I would really love to plant some citrus trees and we have plenty room in our backyard. Our yard is basically a blank slate at the moment (just rock trim and grass) and I am not quite ready to commit to any permanent fixtures just yet. Instead I am thinking about trying a dwarf citrus or “patio citrus” to start and see how that goes.

After all this thinking about planting and citrus fruits I was in the mood for something fresh and lemony for breakfast. I had some over ripe bananas sitting on the counter next to my lemon piles so I decided to whipped up a batch of lemon poppyseed banana muffins. I was happily satisfied with my decision. Yum, yum.

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