Now We're Cooking w/ Gas

My parents came to visit this weekend (post to come, I know you’re waiting w/ baited breath). They got in Saturday morning and I wanted to have some breakfast snacks ready and waiting (b/c what does their continental breakfast have on me?)

I originally planned on making two different kinds of bread, but that plan was shot when I rummaged around my cupboards and saw that I only have one bread loaf pan. First I panicked. Then I pouted. Finally, I threw on my thinking cap and Googled “making muffins from a bread recipe.” I’m quick on my feet like that. 

Fresh summer fruit in recipes pretty much guarantees that at least some part of the food will be enjoyable. So I went w/ strawberry pineapple and banana blueberry. I didn’t see any pineapple in my supermarket, but the can stuff worked just swell (it was probably better than me wielding a chef’s knife over the most dangerous looking fruit imaginable).

Both the bread and the muffins turned out really well. Moist and flavorful, the only remnants  left are a few slices of the bread. These marked a new chapter for me, seeing as it was the first time I felt moderately competent in the kitchen. Usually I’m quadruple checking the recipe and pouring out my measurements five times before being satisfied it’s the correct amount. This time I was going w/ what looked right to me and basing it on the taste buds of Brent and my parents.

Banana Blueberry Quick Bread (modified from allrecipes.com)
(makes one 9x5 inch loaf)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1.5 cups flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup applesauce
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 mashed bananas

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, pour blueberries in 2 tablespoons flour. Gently stir blueberries together with oats, flour and soda.

In a separate bowl, pour applesauce. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in mashed bananas. Add blueberry mixture to creamed mixture, and stir just until moistened. Spoon batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 


Strawberry Pineapple Muffins (modified from allrecipes.com) 
(makes 12 muffins, or one 9x5 loaf of bread)

Ingredients 

5-6 large strawberries, sliced 
1/2 (20 ounce) can cubed pineapple, drained
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup applesauce 
1.5 cups flour
1.5 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degree F.

In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, applesauce, oil and sugar. Add in the strawberries and pineapple.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour(s), baking soda and cinnamon (I was on the phone w/ my mom and not really paying attention to the cinnamon measurements, whoops. No such thing as too much cinnamon ; ) 

Mix the flour mixture into the bowl with the fruit until evenly moist. Pour batter in your muffin tin (or loaf tin).

Bake 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.


I even forced got Brent to take some "artsy" food pictures for me. And then I did my excited dance.


Just kidding, Brent was taking my picture and I was all "get out of here" and he was all "Brig, Brig," and then I was all "haha, it looks like I'm dancing. And I look skinny!" So obviously I had to post it. 

Comments

Sarah said…
Things I am laughing about on this post:

1. You haphazardly shaking that ginormo container of cinnamon while Mooze asks if they will need to bring sweatshirts and/or rain ponchos.

2. Your description of Brent taking the pictures.

3. Your picture, including dancing and that pint glass you lifted from somewhere, probably because it was orange and at the time it reminded you of SU.
Michele said…
you are awesome!!!
Brigid said…
haha, Sarah, the haphazard cinnamon shaking happened exactly like that.

Michele, you are awesome!!