Top 5 Reasons for Banana Bread

#5 It is an excellent use for the lonely left over "turning a little to ripe too eat" banana(s)
#4 You can prepare this and have it in the oven is less than 15 minutes
#3 It makes your house smell unbelievable for hours
#2 With or with out nuts it's DELICIOUS!
#1 It take only 1 bowl to make this!

Fresh from the oven!

As I've mentioned I work for an Advertising Agency with a bunch of really great people.  We have a team who manages our Facebook page, and they asked me if they could post a pole on what I should bake for Friday.  I gave them a few options and the winner was Banana Bread.

Served in the office.

I know this recipe by heart as I made it hundreds of times. You make it in one bowl! It is by far the easiest of things you can make...even you non-bakers out there could do this ;) You literally dump everything in bowl, stir with a spoon and pour it into a loaf pan.  Don't have a loaf pan you can by a disposable one in most any grocery store.

It bakes up a beautiful golden brown color every time!

To Print Recipe Click Here

With Nuts

     

Without Nuts

It slices so well.

A few banana tips:
Take that one left over lonely banana that has gone to the "I don't want to eat you" place and stick it in your freezer, with the peel on and all.  Leave it there.  The skin will turn black.  Once you get 4-5 bananas in the freezer, take them out let them defrost on  a plate, they will be ready to use in a few hours.

In the back of your supermarket where the produce is there will inadvertently be a "reduced for quick sale" cart/display.  Great place to pick up a few bananas that were are not perfectly saleable, but quite frankly nothing is wrong with them

The day after V-Day 2/15/13

Happy Fridays come in the shape of a heart today.

I usually bake for Fridays in Food, Thursday night after yoga class.  On a rare occasion I have baked in the morning.  Since it was Valentine's Day yesterday I felt inspired to bake some loving breakfast items inspired by fruit & chocolate.

The first being a Chocolate Covered Strawberry Muffin.  There was no way 12 muffins would cut...

Printed Muffin Recipe Here

Look at the lovey pieces of strawberry peaking out of the muffin dotted  with mini chips!

So I also baked Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Scones with an orange glaze...heart shaped <3

Printed Scone Recipe Here

My awesome co-worker Lisa (who BTW has a great blog of her own) check it out here Crunchy Marketing Nuggets, made this cute video using vine staring #heartscone, #lil' lisa & #yoda!  #sconewars.

These heart scones baked up beautifully and rise up nice and tall.

The tray of treats ready for Fridays in Food.

February 8, 2013

This has been an exciting week...

My dear friends Paul & Lisa welcomed into the world a new life, their baby girl Jordyn.  She was born on 2/7 and was 7lb 7oz.  777 lucky numbers?  Perhaps...

February 8th also happens to be my dear friend Genevieve's Birthday. I had a grand theme all planned for her special day...Surprise & Delight but that was partially foiled by the blizzard that is attacking the northeast...alas the celebration will continue on Monday as will the surprise and delight.

Today's baked delight comes from the recipe archives back from the original breakfast club days when I worked for a hotel company.  This was so popular back then one of my former co-workers is still baking this for her family 10+ years later. The Chocolate Apple Bread

The aroma while this bakes is absolutely intoxicating.

 Print Chocolate Apple Bread Here

The beautiful loaf

A wonderful cinnamon crust

It slices so well

Maple Espresso Cake

I love maple syrup for my pancakes, french toast, oatmeal...and any other breakfast treats I can think to put it on.  I also LOVE coffee.  So I was thinking how can I bring 2 of these awesome items together?  Alas a Maple Espresso Cake was born.

Click here for the printed recipe



The inspiration!

I think this is an ideal breakfast treat, its not overly sweet and pairs well with a cup of coffee.  I did make a maple glaze for a hint of sweetness.  That is the drizzle you see in the pictures.



The beautiful cake...

I used Espresso Beans in this cake which gave it a wonderful coffee flavor, feel free to experiment with a regular bean, or a flavored bean like vanilla hazelnut as well.

You can see the flecks of ground coffee in the wonderfully moist cake.