chocolate chip banana

Strawberry Bread with Greek Yogurt

Posted on May 3, 2015

Hey Everyone! Happy May! How did this happen?! Sometimes it feels like the days and weeks just drag on, and other times, it feels like life is speeding ahead at a thousand miles an hour. It definitely feels like the latter is happening around here these days, and I can’t believe that the summer is almost here! I wanted to stop by and share this Strawberry Bread with Greek Yogurt recipe with you today, since it’s the perfect “almost summer” quick & easy recipe, and with strawberry season coming up soon, it’s a great seasonal quick bread to make! Greek yogurt is one of my favorite things to bake with, because it always keeps cakes and breads so moist. I always use it in banana bread, and it works great in other quick breads too! You could of course use other berries, like blueberries, raspberries or blackberries in this recipe instead, and even do a simple confectioners’ sugar glaze on top… that’s the great thing about quick breads, you can add whatever looks good in your fridge or pantry! Here’s how to make this strawberry bread…

STRAWBERRY BREAD WITH GREEK YOGURT
*Makes 1 loaf*
(Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen)

YOU WILL NEED
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup plain Greek yogurt (I use fat free yogurt)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 – 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries + 1 tbs all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS

1. First, preheat your oven to 350 deg F, and grease (or line with parchment paper) a standard sized loaf tin. In your electric mixer bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, pure vanilla extract, vegetable oil and Greek yogurt. Once you have a smooth, creamy mixture, sift in the flour, baking powder and salt, and mix until you have a smooth batter.

2. Chop your fresh strawberries into small pieces (about the size of blueberries), then gently toss them with the tbs of all-purpose flour (this will prevent the strawberries from sinking to the bottom of the loaf as it bakes). Using a spatula, gently fold the strawberries into the batter (reserving a couple to sprinkle on top of the loaf), then pour it into your prepared loaf tin. Sprinkle the remaining strawberries on top, then bake the bread for 50 minutes to an hour, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean! (If the bread browns too much as it bakes, simply cover it with some foil to prevent burning.) Let cool before slicing.

Happy Baking, Everyone!
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Bake

Posted on December 27, 2014

COOKIES & BARS

BAKING WITH YEAST

QUICK BREADS & MUFFINS

BAKING WITH FRUIT

SAVORY BAKING

OTHER SWEET TREATS

SWEET BEVERAGES

“A party without cake is just a meeting.” – Julia Child

Summer Baking

Posted on July 5, 2014

Hi Everyone! I just wanted to stop by and wish you all a great weekend, and to share some of my favorite summer dessert recipes with you! I love baking in the summer because of all the great fresh fruit that’s available, it makes such a difference! The ripe, juicy berries and fresh, fragrant plums, peaches and apricots… they add so much flavor (and vitamins, I like to think!). It’s such a great time to bake and make the most of the fresh ingredients at this time of year. The only problem I ever have is that at this time of the year the kitchen can get VERY hot with both of the ovens and the hob on. Even with the doors and windows open, baking can be a sweaty ordeal. If you have the same problem, try WireNut Home Services or someone similar to have air conditioning installed in your kitchen. Having an icy breeze blow over you as you stand over a hot oven is a welcome relief, and it can help you to enjoy the experience. Sometimes getting too hot in the kitchen can be overwhelming, making you can lose your appetite. Instead, it’s better to be cool and breathe in all of the delicious smells, helping every kitchen creation become an enjoyable one.

I’ve been baking for a good while now (longer than I care to admit!), so I have a good range of equipment at my disposal. Summer baking is a little different to winter baking, so you might need a few new things. Don’t forget you can always add to your baking collection from websites such as PromoCodeWatch.com to get discounts on your baking equipment! I hope you enjoy these recipes I’m sharing with you, and that you have fun baking for your friends and family this summer! But first, how cute are these mugs that my mom got me from Whittard?! Pretty much a baker’s life motto and some solid good life advice!

Ok, now let’s eat cake!

These Blueberry Crumb Bars (Left: recipe HERE) are one of my summer favorites! They are a great way to use fresh blueberries, or any other summer fruit actually! The sweet crumb topping really makes these, I can’t wait to make another pan of these soon! Or if you prefer using something other than blueberries, you can make these Apple Crumb Bars (Right: recipe HERE) which are also really tasty! The tart apples, the crunchy walnuts, the buttery topping and the sweet glaze…. oh so good!

For another berry, strawberry, recipe, try this Strawberry Layer Cake (Right: recipe HERE)! I love love love layer cakes like this because they look impressive, yet are one of THE easiest desserts to throw together! All you need is three things: cake, whipped cream and fruit! I know these Sour Cream Pancakes with Blueberries (Left: recipe HERE) are technically breakfast, but they are so good they might as well be dessert for breakfast! As far as I’m concerned, sour cream makes everything better, including these pancakes! And the fresh juicy berries make this a great summer breakfast!

If you love fruit crisps, this Plum Oatmeal Crisp (Left: recipe HERE) is a great one to try! I love Italian plums, and they work so well here! The tart, juicy filling is so good paired with the crunchy oatmeal topping! For a similar recipe, try this Summery Peach Cobbler (Right: recipe HERE) which is a great way to use fresh peaches!

To cool down on a hot day, try this Strawberry & Mint Flavored Water (Left: recipe HERE) which is so refreshing! And if that doesn’t cool you down, these Homemade Ice-Cream Sandwiches (Right: recipe HERE) definitely will! I LOVE making these, because what could be better than ice-cream sandwiched in between two homemade chocolate chip cookies, coated in chopped nuts and candy bars! YUM!

And lastly, here are some s’mores inspired summer desserts! Oven Baked Banana Boats (Left: recipe HERE) that can either be made at home in your oven, or outside on your campfire! The best part is, you can stuff them with any delicious treats you can think of, wrap them up in some foil, and a couple of minutes later, you have the most delicious ooey-gooey summer treat to enjoy! Or try these Summery S’mores Treats (Right: recipe HERE) which are super quick and easy to make, and great to share with friends!

I hope this has given you some summer baking inspiration, and that you are all enjoying your summer so far! If you are cooking with fire, you might to keep a fire extinguisher on hand. Campfires can sometimes get out of hand and you might want to read on here about how to handle an out of control fire. I’ll see you again soon with some more recipes and ideas! Until then, have a great weekend!

Happy Baking, Everyone!

I will be linking to THESE wonderful blogs!

Our Trip to Ecuador – Part 1: Food

Posted on July 11, 2013

Hi, Everyone! Since we just got back from spending a couple of days in Ecuador, I wanted to share a little bit about our trip with you today! This was my first time visiting South America, and it was such a fun adventure! I would love to go to South America again, I’ve seen the cruises on https://www.voyagers.travel/river-cruise/ and will defintely be looking into that! But first, let me tell you about the trip. In this first part, I want to tell you about all the different kinds of food we had in Ecuador! I love trying new things whenever I travel, and since food is such a big part of a culture, you can learn a lot from it about the country’s history and its people. The cuisine in Ecuador is pretty diverse, and includes lots of different kinds of meats (including guinea pig, which we did try!), seafood, rice and a huge variety of fruits. Let me tell you a little more about it…

One of my favorite places that we went to was a trout farm and lodge in the El Cajas National Park called Dos Chorreras (you can find out more about it HERE!) The lodge is in the Andes mountains and the scenery around it is just breathtaking! It was very cold and foggy up in the mountains, and this lodge was so beautiful and cozy, decorated in a traditional style with bright colors and comforting warmth coming from the fireplace!

The cozy interior of the lodge restaurant. What’s special about this place is that they have their own lakes and you actually see them catch your trout! Then they take it back into the kitchen and prepare it for you depending on how you order it!

The first course was a traditional Ecuadorian potato soup with egg and avocado. It was deliciously creamy! We discovered that soups are very popular in Ecuador and are usually served to start the meal off. We tried a couple of different versions of this potato soup, some were more creamy, some were more of a broth, served with different toppings.

To start the meal off, we got this warm, cider-like drink. It was sweet with a hint of cinnamon, and the perfect thing to warm us up on a very cold day!

We tasted so many different kinds of fresh fruit juices, like pineapple, mango, orange, lime, and papaya, but this mulberry juice was my absolute favorite!

This was my dinner at the trout farm – trout with shrimp and bacon in a creamy sauce with yucca and vegetables! It was definitely the freshest fish I have ever had, since we saw them catch it just a couple of minutes before it was served to us!

And the sweetest part of the meal – Flan with raspberry sauce.

I loved how there was so much fresh fruit sold on the street. There were lots of people like this lady, pushing carts with cut up pieces of pineapple, coconut and other fruit like strawberries and apricots selling them to people passing by. There were also lots of people carrying big baskets selling different little pastries and sweets.

One of our many stops at the bakery! There were lots of little bakeries on the streets of Cuenca (the town where we were staying) selling different cakes, sweet pastries, and sweet and savory breads. The empanadas stuffed with cheese were my favorite! There was also lots of dark chocolate being sold everywhere. The dark Ecuadorian chocolate was delicious, and it was so cool to see all the cocoa beans growing along the streets on many of our drives through the country!

I had never seen plantains served like this – with rice and beef! Plantains are like bananas, and are often used in cooking. They are sweet and soft, and we had them served alongside meals like this, with queso fresco (cheese) and saw them sold as chips on the streets.

A little coffee shop selling bags of Ecuadorian coffee. You could either buy it ground or buy the beans (which we did). This place smelled AMAZING, and was definitely the freshest coffee I have ever seen – they told us the beans had been brought down from the mountains that very morning!

I hope you enjoyed this little food tour of Ecuador, come back again soon to hear more about our time in Ecuador! Have a great rest of your week, Everyone!

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Strawberry Bread with Greek Yogurt

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Summer Baking

Our Trip to Ecuador – Part 1: Food

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