This is the beginning of a 2-part series. I’m sharing some of my favorite memories related to the special fruits included in the tutti-frutti banana oat muffin recipe that follows. This orange blueberry recipe happens to be my personal favorite, BUT! I’ve had a real craving for strawberries lately and decided to share a second tutti-frutti recipe (and more fun stories) in Part 2!
If you want to see more, check out my Cinnamon Raisin and Maple and Brown Sugar BOMs (also vegan and gluten free and only require 6 ingredients!).

(vegan and gluten-free)
Fruits of the Day
Oranges Trees in Texas
After I moved north for grad school, my parents finally bought their dream home and moved to the next town over from where I grew up. My dad has a real green thumb, and early on he planted several orange trees in their backyard. Boy, do those trees thrive in that area!
Mike and I love going down south to visit during the winter months. We will literally wake up, start brewing our morning coffees, and stroll outside to pick a fresh orange or two right off the tree for breakfast. It is truly a great experience and the best tasting oranges!
I remember stories from my parents where, at the end of the season, they pick all the remaining fruit off the trees and will literally pack shopping bags full of oranges to share with family, friends, and neighbors. It’s amazing how much fruit is produced from just those few trees in the Houston suburbs.
If you’re like my parents (or their family, friends, and neighbors) and ever find yourself with too many oranges than you know what to do with, keep this tutti-frutti banana oat muffin recipe in mind! (And use the zest! It truly makes all the difference. The muffins won’t be the same without it.)
Wild Blueberries in New Hampshire
When Mike and I first moved to New Hampshire, we bought our first house. (We built it new on the Raymond-Epping town line). Our property abutted conservation land and had walking trails that ran in multiple directions from our backyard.
We used those trails a lot in the five years we lived there. One day Mike took Sammy out for a walk and came back with some wild blueberries that he picked while they were out. The blueberries were so tiny and sweet and delicious. I remember saying for days how excited I was to go blueberry-picking in my own backyard!
Well…the weekend finally came. We took a stroll together for me scope out what was going to be my afternoon plans, but found that the birds (or other wildlife in the area) had enjoyed the blueberries first. I can’t say I blame them. I can’t even remember what kept me from going out sooner. But in any case, we only got to enjoy the handful of blueberries picked on that first day.
That was when I learned of my personal love for wild blueberries. Now, I look for every opportunity to buy more (since we moved and no longer have blueberries in our backyard).