Peach Zucchini Bread

Here's my take on a different kind of zucchini bread. A fruit and veggie combo. I usually make chocolate zucchini bread but I thought why not think out of the box. I had two zucchini's just sitting there on my kitchen counter and several peaches in the fridge and I had an hour because some cute girls in our new neighborhood came to pick up the twins and take them to the park to play. So I whipped together this bread while listening to the latest GOP Presidential Debate (ugh!).  I actually combined two recipes and here's how I made the bread.

Peach Zucchini Bread

1 cup Oil
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 cup zucchini (shredded)
1 cup fresh peaches diced
3 cups flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Beat oil, sugar, vanilla and eggs together. Add dry ingredients. Stir in zucchini and peaches.

Bake in 2 well greased (pam and flour) 9x5’ loaf pan for 50 - 60 minutes. Cool in pan 15 - 20 minutes and remove from pan and cool on rack.

Clearly my almost 2 year old loved the bread because she helped herself to not one but two loaves. She climbed up onto the counter (while I was in the garage answering my husbands question) opened up the twist tie and helped herself to the zucchini peach bread (sorry to my neighbor Stephanie who was supposed to get one of the loves... it was eaten and destroyed.)

Apple Cinnamon Bread

I had some applesauce in my fridge. It needed to be used. So I made this Apple Cinnamon Bread. I liked it so much that I made it again right after the first loaf came out of the oven!!

2 large eggs

1 cup cinnamon applesauce (I used non-sweetened applesauce and added extra cinnamon)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup sour cream

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

pinch of salt

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350F. 

Spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray I also flour my pans. I hate it when the bread gets stuck to the bottom of the pan.  I so hate this!!

In mixer combine eggs, brown and granulated sugar, oil, and vanilla extract. Mix mix mix. Then add applesauce and sour cream.

Now add all the dry ingredients to mixer. But don't over mix. Some lumps are fine. 

Turn batter out into prepared pan and sprinkle granulated sugar on top. I love to do this to all my sugary breads and to muffins!

Bake for 45 minutes. Check to make sure it's done by inserting a toothpick. If it comes out clean it's done.

Allow bread to cool in pan and then take it out of  the pan and cut and eat!

  

Molasses Honey Granola

It’s a rainy day and my husband has been begging for granola.  So why not! And I had the ingredients.  I have tried a bunch of granola recipes and combined a few.  Here’s the one I use. I’m convinced molasses is they key to the best granola!!

 Molasses Honey Granola

8 cups rolled outs

1 ½ cups wheat germ

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cups slivered almonds

1 cup craisins

1 cup cup raisins

1 cup coconut

1 cup chopped up dried apricots/prunes/dried apples

1 ½ tsp salt

½ brown sugar (dark brown sugar is great too!)

¼ cup molasses

¼ cup honey

¾ cup canola oil

½ cup water

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F

In a large bowl stir together oats, wheat germ, coconut, sunflower seeds, almonds, craisins, chopped up dried fruit.

In separate microwavable bowl mix together oil, salt, brown sugar, molasses, honey, water, vanilla and cinnamon.  Microwave for one minute stir and cook longer if needed.

Pour liquid over dry ingredients while mixing with spatula. Stir until liquid is evenly distributed. 

Spread thin layer of granola on greased cookie sheet.  Use two cookie sheets if needed, it will cook more evenly.

Bake for 60 to 90 minutes. Stir granola every 30 minutes. Its done once it’s toasted and crisp. Enjoy that sweet cinnamon smell!