B. Bread

I have been through the ringer and back.  I feel torn down and beat up.  I woke up needing a little somethin' somethin' to get me through this day. I think that baked goods might do the trick.

I am naming this little treat B. Bread not just because it is made with delicious blueberries and bananas, but also because the boyfriend and I broke-up.  I've got the blues, but it's bittersweet, because his sister and brother-in-law had their beautiful baby girl last night. (Congratulations you two! She's perfect.)

A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on. -Carl Sandburg

Isn't this quote perfect for the occasion? So go on I must.  On to baking healthy and delicious B. Bread!

First, round up all your ingredients.

• 2 C Whole Wheat Flour
• 3/4 C Organic Raw Sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt-Sense
• 3/4 C Orange Juice
• 1 Banana, mashed
• 1 Tbs Ground Flax
• 3 Tbs Water
• 1 C Frozen Blueberries

As you can see, this is a Vegan Recipe - No need for Eggs or Butter!

Pre-heat your oven to 350 and prep your 9x5 Loaf Pan. Spray the pan with a little PAM and cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom.  This allows the bread to release nice and easy once it's baked.

Next, in a large bowl combine your flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

King Arthur 100% Whole Wheat Flour

Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Turbinado Raw Sugar

Add your blueberries and toss gently to coat.

In a smaller bowl combine the ground flax and water and wisk until mixture becomes somewhat unified and gelatinous.  Add in the mashed banana and orange juice.

I like to make big messes when I bake. :)

Now take you orange juice mixture and add it to the flour mixture and stir until just combined.  Be careful not to overmix!

Mmmm! :)
The best part about Vegan baking is you can eat the dough without any worry of getting sick!

Spoon the batter into the loaf pan and spread evenly.  

I sprinkled a little extra sugar on top, too!

Now comes the easy part: Pop it in the oven for 60 minutes.

Once your timer goes off, remove the pan from the oven and let set (in pan) for about 10 minutes.

Oooh, Ahhh! 

Looks pretty, doesn't it?

After 10 minutes, flip your loaf pan and the bread should easily slide out.  If you have any difficulty, place a plate over the top of the loaf pan, flip the entire thing as a unit, and tap the bottom of the loaf pan until the bread pops out. 

Let it cool completely before you dig in.  Trust me.  The longer you let quick breads set, the better.

 

A nice crispy crust and a delicious, dense, moist inside.  Just what the doctor ordered.

It seems like baking B. Bread has brightened my day.  I hope it does the same for you!

Back to School

Yesterday was my first day back on campus after our break between quarters.  The day kicked off bright and early with Restaurant Operations at 8am.


I have been a little concerned about this class.  Restaurant Ops is a class where the students run a real life, fully functional restaurant called Henry's.  It is a six hour class, twice a week.  Now, I like to cook, but I hate being rushed.  I guess we shall see how it goes... 

I am excited to look up recipes, though!  The class gets to create their own menu to serve.  So far I have found recipes for a lemon-cornbread-pound cake with berries and cream (of course, I found dessert first), a colby and pear panini, and stuffed goat cheese turkey burgers topped with an apricot soy glaze.  Oh boy, oh boy! Don't they sound absolutely divine!  I hope at least one of mine gets chosen!


In other news...

HAPPY RD DAY!!!

A big shout-out to all the RDs out there! THANK YOU!

Now, back to my school day.  


I had my first Safety and Sanitation class following Restaurant Ops.  We took a mock-exam to see if we could pass and receive our Safeserv Certification. Oh yeah, I would have passed, but just barely. 

After class got out, I volunteered with a couple of the members of the RIT Student Dietetic Association at an exhibition called, "What Women Ought to Know."  Our table was all about eating disorders and healthy eating for college students.  There wasn't a huge turnout due poor planning by the exhibition sponsors, but a couple of girls seemed to have left our table with a little more knowledge. That's what counts, right?

Here is our beautiful poster, created by the talented Miss Ilissa Palmer.

And our Presidents, Brianna and Ilissa, who circled the wagons and allowed the SDA to take part in the exhibition.  

Rockin' the latest ADA Journal.

Last night, after taking me to my favorite restaurant for gourmet burgers (we did Mardi Gras up right!), my wonderful boyfriend helped me create the SDA t-shirt in honor of NNM.  Well, he did the creating, I basically just bossed him around. ;)


Here he is hard at work.

Such a sweetheart.

Pretty cool, huh?  He's amazing.


On a completely different note, I can't decide what to give up for Lent.  Something to think about...


Have a great day!