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.