Ben's Banana Burrito

In 2nd grade we had to memorize a poem and recite it for the class. This was mine:

BANANANANANANA, by William Cole. 

I thought I'd win the spelling bee 

And get right to the top

But when I started spelling Banana

I didn't know when to stop. 

I know that is a random tangent to start with, but anytime I type out the word "Banana" I think of this poem and it makes me smile.

To get to the point, I like bananas, but I like them a whole lot more when they are paired with probably the best food ever created NUTELLA!!! Ben think's I am crazy for how much I love nutella because I"ll just eat spoonfulls of it sitting on the couch or while studying. What can I say, it's delicious.

Anyway, Ben makes really good breakfast and even though this one is super simple it is sooo good! Melty and warm on the inside but crispy on the outside!

He just spreads the peanut butter or Nutella (using both is the best) on the inside with the sliced banana and wraps it up. Then he toasts it in a hot, dry pan to brown the outside and warm up the inside so it is all gooey and crispy.

Really simple, execution is super easy, but it is the genius idea that counts!

Basil Lover's Lunch

Basil, Basil, Basil. Who doesn't love basil? I got some fresh basil and honey wheat bread at the farmers market and put those into one of the best sandwiches that I've ever eaten!

Sandwiches are so easy, and quick, and the options and variety are unlimited! Other than the basil and bread that I got at the market, I just looked through the refrigerator to see what I had (and as a college student, in the summer, sometimes the options are limited)!

The combination of flavors that I was able to scrounge up was pretty great, though! I found a great, nutty pesto sauce that I had made a few weeks prior and had in the refrigerator! I slathered one side of the bread with some of the garlicky, nutty, basily pesto sauce, smells great already!


Munster cheese is one of my favorites for sandwiches, and turkey is my all time favorite sandwich meat, so its no surprise that those were two of the things I scrounged up.

Sliced some apple to add some sweetness and layered some basil leaves on top... smoked turkey gives the last essential ingredient!

...and a sandwich like this gets exponentially better when grilled panini style! The Foreman grill works great if you don't have a panini griller, but the classic skillet will work as well.

When finished, this sandwich was pretty close to perfect. The apple was sweet, and crunchy, the pesto gave a nice, moist garlic and basil flavor, the melted cheese adds a little tang and blends the flavors together. And when you get a bite of the fresh basil with the sweet toasted bread and the savory turkey...perfection.