Chocolate Chip Sweet Potato Bread

Ingredients 

2 cups oat flour 

1 large sweet potato, peeled 

1 tsp vanilla 

1 tsp baking powder 

1 tsp baking soda 

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice 

1/4 tsp salt 

1/4 cup coconut oil 

1/2 cup egg whites 

1/4 cup maple syrup 

1/2 cup Chocolate chips * dairy free, if needed

Directions 

Preheat oven 350 F. 

Prepare /line a 8 x 5 loaf pan

Cut sweet potato into chunks. Place in a microwave safe bowl. Add a little water to bowl of sweet potatoes and microwave 5 min. 

When cooked, add to a stand mixer. Blend until mashed. Add egg whites, vanilla, maple syrup, and coconut oil. Blend until combined. 

In a separate bowl add oat flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin spice and cinnamon. Stir to combine. 

Add dry ingredients to wet. Blend together. 

Fold in chocolate chips. 

Pour mixture into loaf pan. 

Bake 35-40 min. Until knife comes out clean. 

Let cool. 

Enjoy! 

Glazed Zucchini Lemon Loaf- Take 2

I'm Back!

Yes, I know, my last post was in Nov. 2016. 😲

But a lot has happened since then! My son is now almost 2, I have another little one on the way AND we moved back to California!!!! (I'm going to have to change my blog blurb hahaha).

Another big change is I am now a stay at home mama! This is a new adventure for me --my amazing husband worked part time and was a stay at home dad for over a year with our son-- but it has been such a wonderful experience to be with my son every day. Don't get me wrong, I'm exhausted, sometimes bored, and force us to get out every day for my own sanity but truly, seeing my son grow has been a gift. I'm not sure how long it will last but I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

So since I have all this time on my hands (sarcasm my friends) I wanted to pick this food/health blogging thing back up.



So here goes:

Zucchini Lemon Loaf --Take 2.
You can read and make my first version HERE but this one was a little different so I thought I'd share.

Makes 1- 9x5 Loaf

Ingredients: 
2 cups AP flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup applesauce
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
2 tbs lemon juice ( ~1/2 of a large lemon's juice squeezed)
1 cup grated zucchini - patted dry.

Lemon Glaze 
1 Cup powdered sugar
1 tbs lemon juice
milk drops as needed ( to get desired consistency.) 

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix your flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
Wisk your applesauce, sugar and butter in a small bowl until well combined. Blend in eggs and lemon juice.
Fold your wet ingredients into your dry and add in the grated zucchini.
Gently and evenly pour mixture into a greased loaf pan and bake for 45-60min until a knife comes out clean.
Let cool for 15 min out of pan.

Blend the powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. If not liquid enough, add in a few splashes of milk until you reach your desired consistency.
Gently pour glaze over your cooled loaf and let sit for another 15-20 min.

Enjoy!

Store in a refrigerator for up to a week.

Pumpkin Banana Bread

This Pumpkin Banana Bread is a perfect treat for your fall gatherings. It's very moist and full of flavor. Plus, who doesn't love pumpkin and banana bread? Put them together and you get awesomeness.

The best part? All of the ingredients can be found in your home and it's so easy to make.

So gather them up and bake away!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 15 oz can pumpkin (not filling)
1 tsp baking soda
1tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
3 very ripe bananas
1 cup packed brown sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven 350 degrees
Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix all the wet ingredients, except the bananas, in a small bowl. Gently mash the bananas into the wet mixture, but don't over mix.
Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until combined. Do not over mix.

Pour badder into a large 9x5 pan.

Bake for 50-60 min or until knife comes out clean.

Remove from pan and let cool for 10 min before serving. 

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Loaf

All you need is one hour. 

Then this bread is yours to devour. 

Alright, done with rhyming but hey, can't beat 60 minutes for a fresh baked loaf of sweet pumpkin bread.

 

Admittedly, this my first attempt at baking pumpkin bread, and if I do say so myself, it was a success.
Simple ingredients, quick mixing, and some time to pass while your home begins to waft with the smell of sweet  pumpkin while it bakes, and your done.


Ingredients:
1 15oz can of pumpkin
½ cup oil or applesauce
½ cup sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1½ cup flour
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking soda

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Prepare a large loaf pan with non-stick spray, set aside.
Beat pumpkin, oil or applesauce,sugar, and eggs together until smooth. Add in flour, salt, pumpkin spice, and baking soda until well combined.
Pour batter evenly into a large loaf pan.
Bake for 60 min or until knife comes out clean

Let cool for 10 min on a cooling rack.

Enjoy!!!!

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

Ready for your house to smell like a Cinnabon?  

This bread will do the trick. 

I've wanted to make this bread for so long.
I've had it pinned on my Pinterest board for almost a year and thanks to a snow day, I finally had to time to make it and am I oh so glad that I did.

Plus it looks so cool when you cut into it!
How can you resist?

Simple ingredients, minimal work, delicious bread.
Can't get much better than that.

Recipe adapted from Pinch of Yum

Ingredients:
2 tbs sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 tsp yeast
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tbs vital wheat gluten
1 tsp salt
2 tbs olive oil
2tbs cinnamon
1/2 cup  white sugar
1/2 cup raisins,  plumped*

*boil water let raisins soak in it for about 5 min.

Directions: 
To warm water, place in microwave for 1min.
Add 2 tbs sugar and yeast and let sit until frothy, about 5 min.
Add in flour, salt, oil, and raisins and knead by hand, mixer, or bread machine* for 5-10 min until dough is comes together to form a soft, slightly  sticky ball. You may need to sprinkle in more flour if it's  too sticky. Place mixed dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour.
*I let the yeast froth in my bread machine pan, added the rest of the ingredients, and then set my machine to "Dough" cycle and let it run the first knead cycle, then stopped it and let it rest for the 1 hour).

Remove dough from the bowl/pan and place on lightly floured surface.
Roll out dough into a large rectangle.
Mix together 1/2 sugar and cinnamon  and sprinkle it over the top of the rectangle.
Carefuly roll up dough width-wise, to form a loaf. Then pinch together the two ends and the seam.
Place loaf in lightly grease pan, cover, and let rise for 30 min until loaf fill the pan.

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Bake loaf for 30-35 min. Until top is nice golden brown* 
* I baked mine for the full 35 min just to make sure it was fully cooked in the center.
* I also placed a piece of foil over the top of the loaf around 15 min to keep the top from browning too much.

Let cool all the way before you cut into it, otherwise it tends to sink in.

Butter it up and enjoy!

It toasts wonderful! And makes fantastic bread for french toast!

ENJOY!!!!

Good Ol' Healthy Banana Bread

Sweet breads are one of my favorite things to bake. They are so easy and they are easily adaptable to your personal dietary needs. For this banana bread I was looking for sweet without the calories and low in fat because I don't need any more of it.

 

For extra sweetness (besides the brown sugar) I used 3 very ripe bananas and applesauce. They pair well together as both add moisture and natural sweetness as well as help hold the bread together.

I also used whole wheat flour, actually stone ground wheat flour. Now, honestly I didn't know what the difference was between regular whole wheat flour and stone ground, but now that I've cooked with it a few times I have found they are very different. Stone ground is not a "fine" flour, its actually quite rough and absorbs moisture like the dickens. It's terrible for making tortillas but fantastic for breads!

I found the best way to use this flour when I don't want a super dense bread is to blend it with my cup blender--similar to a magic bullet. I blend a cup a time and viola! soft, sifted, fine flour.

Anyways, this banana bread was perfect for breakfast and also dessert. I hope you enjoy.

Ingredients:
Makes 1 large loaf or ~ 2 small loafs
2 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup apple sauce
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 ripe bananas
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
4 large egg whites
handful of chopped walnuts

Directions: 
Preheat oven 350 degrees F. 
Mix whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon,  and brown sugar  together in a large bowl. whisk together egg whites, vanilla, and apple sauce in a smaller bowl. Pour wet ingredients into the large dry ingredient bowl and stir until well combined.
Smash 3 very ripe bananas in a bowl with a fork--don't over smash, you want it to still have chunks of banana throughout the mush.
Blend the smashed banana into the mixture. Add in walnuts if desired.
Pour into 9x5 bread pan.

Bake for 1 hour, until knife come out clean.

Let cool for 10 min before serving.

Enjoy!

Nutritional Information w/ nuts:

Servings ~15 slices. Serving size: 1 slice

110 calories * 17 carbs* 1g Fat* 4g protein * 3g Fiber

Strawberry Lemon Loaf

 

I was super surprised when my husband, just out of the blue, asked for a lemon loaf. 

The first and last time I made that for him was last September.
But hey, when they remember and ask for it, it's a huge compliment, so make it!

To turn it up a notch I added strawberries a wonderful sweet pairing for this lemon treat and also my husbands favorite fruit. 

Let's just say the love was spilling over when this loaf was done; He didn't even  wait for the frosting to harden before he had a slice.

 Winning.

It's a wonderful treat anytime of the day. 



Ingredients: 
Makes one 9×5″ loaf

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbs  coconut oil
• 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (or 2 tbs vinegar and and the rest milk to  equal 1/2 cup)
• Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 Tablespoons lemon juice)
• 1 cup strawberries, chopped

 Lemon Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tbs lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Non-stick a 9x5" pan with whatever you'd like; set aside.
In a large bowl mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a smaller bowl mix eggs, sugar, yogurt and oil. Then mix in butter milk, and lemon juice until well combined. 
Slowly mix in wet ingredients into dry and stir till well combined. 
Chop strawberries  and then toss strawberries in a little flour (keeps them from sinking in dough)
Gently fold in strawberries, but don't over mix.

Pour batter evenly into pan and bake for 45 min or until toothpick comes out clean. (mine took about 50 min)

Take out of pan and place on a cooling rack. Now make the glaze.

Whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. 

Once loaf has cooled to touch place loaf on a plate and pour glaze over loaf. Let sit for 1 min then scoop gathered glaze on plate and re-pour over loaf. Repeat until glaze is thick and hardened on loaf.  You may refrigerate for best "hardening" results. 

ENJOY!!!

 

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

I love my bread machine. 

I love it. 

Did I mention, I love it? 

Yes. 

It's true. 

I love bread, and my machine makes it for me. 

What more can I ask for? 

So here is a wonderful, pretty healthy, delicious for breakfast, snacks, and dessert, cinnamony sweet raisin bread; for your bread machine!

Recipe adapted from food.com and 100 days of real food

Ingredients: 
yields 1.5lb loaf 
1 cup warm water *
1 1/2 cup bread flour**
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbs honey
2 tbs sugar 
1 tbs brown sugar 
2 1/4 tsp bread yeast/Fast acting yeast.
1 cup raisins, soaked**

 Directions: 
 * I microwaved the water for 1 min.
**Bread flour is the best for bread machines and almost always generates wonderful, RISEN, bread; however, the original recipes use all-purpose flour.
** Soak your raisins for 5 min in boiling water to make then large and full.  Then toss in some flour before adding to the machine.

Follow the instructions for your bread machine the order the liquids and dry ingredients go in. My water goes in first, then flour, then the rest. 

Make sure that none of your ingredients touch each other before you start. Add yeast last, by making drilling a small whole in the flour with your finger (preferably the middle of the bread pan) and fill with yeast. 

Set machine to "Sweet" and "Light Crust" (Mine was 3:00hrs).

***I made this overnight, meaning I set the timer to delay until 3 hours before I woke up, that way, when I woke up, I woke to the smell of sweet cinnamon!****

When done, cool on rack for 15 min. 
Enjoy plain or toasted; My husband and I loved both!
 

Strawberry Bread

This is a wonderful sweet bead. 

Light & Fluffy & Fruity 

Great for Breakfast, a light afternoon snack, or even dessert!

Bake away!

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup agave

3 eggs (or 2 eggs + 1tbs ground flax seed and 3tbs water mixed until gummy)

1 tsp vanilla

2 cup diced strawberries (my husband likes to puree some into the batter...but this is optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven 350 degrees. 

Mix flour, baking soda,baking powder,salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.

Mix greek yogurt,agave,coconut oil,eggs and vanilla.

Blend wet ingredients into dry ingredients bowl. Mix very well (If you have some puree add in now)

Gently fold in diced strawberries with a spatula.

Pour batter into 2 bread pans. 

Bake for 45-50 min or until toothpick comes out clean. 

Let cool for 20 min. 

ENJOY!!!!

***You CAN freeze a loaf***