Aunt Thelma's Banana Bread Recipe

Warm fresh baked banana bread is good, however, Aunt Thelma's banana banana bread recipe is excellent, moist and so easy to make. Bananas are great sources of vitamins, such as B6, C and Potassium, and loaded with fiber too. According to world’s healthiest foods, “Bananas are one of our best sources of potassium, an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. Since the average banana contains a whopping 467 mg of potassium and only 1 mg of sodium, a banana a day may help to prevent high blood pressure and protect against atherosclerosis.”
As long as you do not get crazy and eat the whole loaf of banana bread, you are adding goodness to your diet. Consider making Bake Aunt Thelma's Banana Bread recipe.

Ingredients to make Aunt Thelma’s Banana Bread:

• 2 cups coconut sugar
• 1 cup butter or olive oil
• 6 very ripe bananas mashed
• 4 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 loaf pans

Instructions on how to make Aunt Thelma’s Banana Bread:

1. Move your oven rack so it is in the center. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If your oven does not have a timer, 20 minutes will suffice.
2. Sift dry ingredients; salt, baking soda and flour, 3 times and set aside for later.
3. Mash the bananas, mix in the sugar, softened butter and eggs. Beat it well.
4. Add in flour mix little by little and mix well.
5. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans and bake in the preheated 350-degree oven for 55-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Slice it up warm and enjoy!

Tip: I got the banana bread recipe from my aunt however; another person shared with me how she simply swirls a fork through the mixture to make it light and fluffy. Great idea to keep in mind and share with others in case they do not have a sifter.

Hawaiian Rolls: Copy Cat Recipe

I am not sure where I found this copycat recipe for the Hawaiian Rolls a couple of years ago; however, no matter the occasion, whether Thanksgiving, Christmas or an everyday dinner they are fantastic and will not last long.

 

Ingredients for Hawaiian Rolls:

• 1/2 cup pineapple juice; room temperature 
• 1/2 cup warm milk (100 – 110°F)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Himalayan salt; my preference
• 2 1/4  teaspoons instant yeast
• 4 1/2  cups bread flour

For baking:

• 1 large egg plus 2 tablespoon of water for the egg wash

Directions for making Hawaiian Rolls:

 

I use a bread maker for making all my breads. At one time, my younger years, I mixed and kneaded it all by hand. I do like my bread maker, however, you use the method most comfortable for you.

1. Combine the pineapple juice, warm milk, melted butter, eggs, sugar, salt, and yeast.

   

   Egg washed and ready for the oven

2.  Add the flour little by little and stir and mix until it's a ball.  Keep kneading the dough until it becomes a smooth ball of dough. (See why I like my bread maker)
3. Place the dough in a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until puffy and doubled in size, about 1 hour. In the bread maker this step is not necessary, on the dough setting it will mix, heat and rise automatically.
4. Preheat the oven to 375 Degrees Fahrenheit. 
5.  Spray a 13-inch×9-inch glass baking pan with baking spray. Punch down the dough and divide to 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place in the prepared pan, brush each roll with the egg wash and allow them to rise once again.
6. Bake the Hawaiian rolls for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread

Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread

Oh my, I thought I had written about making gluten free Zucchini Bread just to realize I had not. Well this is an even extra special Zucchini Bread as it is taking the old Teegarden Church ladies recipe and adapting it gluten-free for my sisters in which I love with all my heart.

Ingredients for Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread:

• 2-cups fresh tender zucchini; shredded
• 2-cups coconut sugar
• 1-cup olive or coconut oil
• 1 Tsp cinnamon, ginger and cloves
• ½ tsp Himalayan salt
• 1 tsp soda
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½  tsp xanthium gum
• 3-cup of all-purpose Gluten-Free flour; use your favorite blend (I prefer Bob Red Mills all purpose or Bob Red Mill's 1 to 1 blend)
  
• 1-1 ½-cups nuts; chopped and optional
• Dark chocolate chips; optional
  
• Lemon-sugar glaze optional

Instructions to make Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread:

1.     Preheat the oven to 350 degrees if you do not have a timer 10-15 minutes will suffice.

2.     Using a big mixing bowl add the ingredients in the way they are listed making sure to add the flour last. A one-bowl method saving clean up time is always the best.

3.     Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 60 minutes.

Since my sisters and I love quick bread such as banana and zucchini, I have adapted this gluten-free recipe to have strawberries in one, lemon and sugar glaze for another and plain zucchini bread.

Black Bean and Pumpkin Veggie Burger

Black Bean and Pumpkin Veggie Burger

I am not sure how I found the butternut black bean burger, but as usual, I had to revamp it a little to suit what I had on hand and to suit our taste buds.  After using the homegrown pumpkin puree, I can understand how the butternut squash or even a sweet potato could be used in its place. Making this one very vitamin packed veggie burger recipe.

Now days I also rarely purchase buns as I make wheat or herbbreads to reduce the chemicals and preservatives we are consuming, however, place your black bean and pumpkin veggie burger bread or bun of choice. Build your burger to suit your taste buds as I did ours.

 

Ingredients to make black bean and pumpkin veggie burger:

•  1 egg

• 1 cup mashed black beans
• 1 cup pureed pumpkin or butternut squash
• ½ onion; diced
• ⅓-cup celery; diced
• 1 red or orange pepper; diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
• Olive oil; for sautéing vegetables
• ¾ tsp favorite Italian seasoning blend; oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, garlic
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp dried parsley
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats [not instant]

  
Instructions to make black bean and pumpkin veggie burger:

1. Using a large bowl mash the black beans and set aside. The original recipe said using refried black beans was acceptable. Add the pumpkin or butternut squash to the beans and set aside.
2. Sauté the onion, celery, red pepper and garlic in olive oil and cook until the vegetables are tender. Add the minced garlic towards the end to prevent burning.
3. Add the Italian seasoning blend, salt, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and parsley and stir to coat.
4. Combine the freshly sautéed veggies to the beans and pumpkin, stir in the egg and oats and mix.
5. Pour a tablespoon or two of oil in a skillet and heat to medium-high, add the burgers and cook for a few minutes on each side until you have a golden crust.

  As with a hamburger or turkey burger; top with your black bean and pumpkin veggie burger with your favorite cheese and toppings. I like to use lettuce tomato and onion to all my sandwiches. On occasion I treat myself to a little avocado too.

Herb Bread Recipe: High Gluten and Delicious

Herb Bread: High Gluten and Delicious

Last year I made assorted breads for the craft show at our church and one of them was this Herb Bread. I do find it ironic that the Herb Bread Recipe is high gluten, and others I made was Gluten-Free Breads and yet all sold very well.

I have tried to make the Herb Bread Gluten-Free but it did not turn out fluffy at all. It tasted good but was very dense.

If you desire sandwich bread that is fluffy and delicious, this Herb Bread Recipe will do the trick.

Ingredients for Herb Bread:

• 2 tbsp active dry yeast
• 2 cups warm water
• 2 tbsp sugar
• ¼-cup oil
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp basil
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 Egg
• ½ cup Romano cheese, optional
• 6 cups bread flour

Instructions to make Herb Bread:

If you prefer to make your bread the hard way by kneading and punching down that is your choice. I prefer to use the bread maker.

1)    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, if you do not have a timer 20 minutes will suffice.

2)    Using a bread maker, place the ingredients in the bread maker in the order listed.

3)    Set the bread maker to dough setting, it will do the mixing and the resting to rise all by itself.

4)    Upon the sound of the buzzer, remove the dough from the bread maker and shape the loaves and place into two greased 9-in x 5-in loaf pans. Allow to rise until doubled in size, and place in the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes.

Tip: 

• Since then I have made this same herb bread 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 high gluten bread flour. It is equally delicious.       

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

 I have been baking for Christmas and wanted bread or something easy to grab for breakfast. I had originally thought I would make Challah bread either in a round pan or the braided version.

 As I was searching for that recipe I found the recipe for Cinnamon Raisin Bread. It smelled so good and I wanted to cut into it but I haven't. Instead I froze it so break out next week. My husband mentioned icing for the bread so I may do that too.  Either way this bread will definitely be good with apple or peach honey.

Ingredients to make Cinnamon Raisin Bread:

• 2 eggs at room temperature and enough warm water to equal 1 cup
• 2 ½ tsp yeast
• 2 tbsp Oil
• ¾ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 3 to 3 ½ cups bread flour
• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup nuts; optional

Instructions to make Cinnamon Raisin Bread:

1. I use a bread maker to mix; as it is mixing, you can see if the 3 cups of flour is enough or if you need to add a tad more. Let the bread rise, it will be double the size.
2. Spray one loaf pan with a vegetable spray, and let the bread rise again.
3. In a preheated oven, bake the cinnamon raisin bread at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes.

Technically it is not even winter, however, the weather has been so cold, trying a new bread recipe and heating the oven sounds good. Keeping out of it while hot will be the toughest part.

I love watching The Chew, they have such good recipes. The whole Chew crew is fun to watch while they show the world how to make fantastic recipes.