Gluten Free Rhubarb Banana Bread

This gluten free rhubarb banana bread recipe was created out of the need to not only have something gluten free, but use the ripe bananas on the counter. I however wanted to make rhubarb bread so there in the dilemma started. 

I searched and searched for a gluten free rhubarb bread that didn't demand a special blend of gluten free flour and came up empty handed. I like the comfort of the all purpose gluten free flour from Bob Red Mills. In baking my quick breads it does a wonderful job.

Keeping in mind my hubby is not picky, he just wanted some sweet bread to take to work, therefore I took a chance of combining the 2 flavors and it worked.

Ingredients to make Gluten Free Rhubarb Banana Bread:

• 2 cups raw sugar
• 6 very ripe bananas
• 2 cups rhubarb; finely chopped 
• 4 eggs
• 3 cups gluten free all purpose flour; I prefer Bob Red Mills All Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Himalayan salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 1-2 tsp pumpkin spice; too much will over power the banana flavor
• 3 loaf pans

Instructions on how to make Gluten Free Rhubarb 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, 15 minutes will suffice.
2. Sift dry ingredients; salt, baking soda and flour, 3 times and set aside for later.
3. Using ripe bananas, mix in the sugar, rhubarb, eggs, xanthan gum and pumpkin spice. Beat it well.
4. Add in flour mix little by little and mix well.
5. Pour into 3 greased loaf pans and bake in the preheated 350-degree oven for 60-65 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Slice it up warm and enjoy!

Gluten Free Banana Bread_No Added Sugar Recipe

Eating gluten free is tough enough, however, having the herbalist tell me I really needed to give up sugar was even harder.  My gluten free banana bread is seriously delicious and contains no gluten. Start reading labels, there is a lot of sugar added to gluten free foods; therefore, I tried using cane sugar or raw sugar and now no sugar added.

According to Dr Axe; "Pineapple is a delicious tasting, nutrient-dense tropical fruit that provides a ton of health benefits, yet it’s still low in overall calories. It is used widely around the world as a natural remedy to treat everything from indigestion to being used as a natural allergy cure."

Hearing Dr Axe on Facebook, I decided to try pineapple in place of the sugar. My honest opinion; it is good, however, the texture of this banana bread verses a sugary banana bread, is a lot different. It was looser, even though the batter itself was quite creamy and a normal texture. Therefore next time I might do 1/2 crushed pineapple and 1/2 cane sugar. 


I do have family members with even a tougher diets than mine, where no sugar desserts are required or no desserts can be consumed, therefore; this weekend I will take and share.

 Ingredients to make Gluten Free Banana Bread_No Added Sugar:

• 1 can of crushed pineapple;drained
• 1 cup olive oil
• 6 very ripe bananas mashed
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 2 1/2-3 cups all purpose Bob Red Mills Flour; preferred
• 1 tsp Himalayan salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 glass loaf pans



Read all Dr Axe says about pineapple

Instructions on how to make Gluten Free Banana Bread_No Added Sugar:

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, 15 minutes will suffice.
2. Mash the ripe bananas, crushed pineapple, olive oil and eggs. Beat it well.
3. Add in the baking soda, salt, xantham gum and gluten free all purpose flour mix little by little and mix well. Start with 2 1/2 cups of flour, however, with the pineapple you may need a tad more to have it the correct consistency.
4. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans and bake in the preheated 350-degree oven for 55-65 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Slice it up warm and enjoy!

Gluten-Free Applesauce Bread Recipe

I made fresh applesauce from our neighbor’s un-sprayed apple trees to take to a family gathering. When the gathering was postponed, I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it all, it was far too much for me to eat by myself, therefore, Gluten-Free Applesauce Bread was made.

I had used Taste of Home recipe for applesauce bread before, however, now that I need gluten free things as well as many family members, I adapted this recipe to suit all the no dairy, no gluten ingredients needed in the families diet and have been told it was fantastic.

 

Ingredients to make Gluten-Free Applesauce Bread

• 2/3 cup coconut oil; softened
• 2 cup sugar
• 2 egg
• 2 ½  cups unsweetened applesauce
• 1 ½  teaspoons baking soda
• 1 ½  teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons of xanthan gum or ground flax seed 
• 3 cups All-purpose gluten-free flour; I use Bob Red Mills
• 1 cup raisins; optional
• 1 cup chopped walnuts; optional

 

Directions to make Gluten-Free Applesauce Bread

1. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.
2. In a large  bowl add ingredients as listed, mixing well adding flour a little bit as a time until combined thoroughly.  If using raisins and nuts fold them in.
3. Pour the batter into 2 greased 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans. Bake for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
4. Cool before removing from pan, slicing and enjoying.

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.

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.

Lemon Zucchini Bread: Topped with Lemon Glaze

Lemon Bread with Lemon Glaze

I started out years ago with making banana bread and then zucchini bread, which my family liked. Growing pumpkins, I then added pumpkin bread to my line up of bread recipes.

When many of my family members learned they could not eat gluten, I started experimenting with recipes and the gluten-free banana bread with lemon glaze was a hit.

My grandson’s favorite cake of all time was Aunt Pete’s lemon cake, which, until April 2015 thought was a homemade cake. I learned it was just a fantastic box mix with lemon pudding added. The grandson called it lemonade cake.

 

Thinking off all the other breads and actually having lemon bread with lemon glaze requested by one sister, I then started making searching for lemon bread recipes, which I found one that was a hit. 

When another sister saw Lemon Zucchini Bread with lemon glaze on Facebook, I knew I needed to try it, well of course with my own spin. The biggest being that I do not believe in using more than one bowl, therefore I simply add the dry ingredients last, second I like using olive oil and regular milk and lastly since it is lemon bread and we have yellow squash in the garden right now I used it.

Ingredients for Lemon Zucchini Bread:

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup olive or canola oil
• 2 ½  cups sugar
• 6 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp Himalayan salt
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 4 cups high gluten flour
• 2 cups fresh grated zucchini or yellow summer squash; patted dry

Licking the lemon glaze off his fingers

 

Glaze ingredients:

• 1-2 cups powdered sugar
• 2-4 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1-2 Tbsp milk

 

 

Instructions for Lemon Zucchini Bread:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Using a large bowl beat the eggs, oil and sugar.
3. Add in the lemon juice and milk and continue to beat.
4. Mix in the salt and baking powder, adding the flour a cup at a time until blended.
5. Stir in the zucchini or yellow summer squash until mixed well.
6. Pour the batter into 2 greased 9x5-loaf pans.
7. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. While still warm, make the glaze and spoon it over the bread. Let the glaze set up before cutting and serving.

Quick breads are a favorite of all family members, therefore making one loaf is just a waste of time. While you are baking, simply double the recipe just as I did.

Cherry Nut Bread like Bob Evans

Many restaurants, such as Bob Evans Restaurant, make their own signature quick bread, using the fruit that is in season. Bob Evans cherry nut bread is one of those of breads, if you like theirs, you will love this easy recipe.

Cherries from the neighbors tree

My cherry nut bread recipe is a very easy bread recipe, it is so light and fluffy, and for me eating just one piece is impossible. 

The little red fruit called a cherry has many health benefits as well as making great tasting bread. According to NBCNEWS.com, Tart cherries contain melatonin, which helps provide a good night’s sleep, as well as being high in antioxidants and fighting arthritis pain.

Wow would have that one little cherry could be so good for you? What are you waiting for; bake a loaf or two of cherry nut bread for your friends and family.

Cherry Banana Bread

Ingredients needed to make cherry nut bread like Bob Evans:

 

• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 16 oz sour cream
• ½ cup maraschino cherry juice
• 4 cups sifted flour
• 1 cup cherries; tart cherries have the best health value
• 1 cup walnuts; chopped

Instructions to make cherry nut bread like Bob Evans:

 
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, if you do not have a timer on your oven, 20 minutes will suffice.
2. Combine the sugar, eggs and olive oil. *The original recipe called for brown sugar and I tried it that way however I liked the results of the cherry bread better with white sugar.
3. Add the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix well.
4. Pour in the cherry juice along with the sour cream and continue to mix. Little by little, add the sifted flour. * If you do not have a sifter, you can simply run a fork through the flour to fluff it up. In addition, it does.
5. Cutting your cherries up ahead of time is how the original recipe said to do it, however, I did that the first time I made the bread and the pieces were just too small. *On the second attempt to make the bread I put the cherries in the batter and used the beaters to chop them up a bit.
6. Add the walnuts and stir.
7. Pour the batter into 2 greased loaf pans.
8. Bake for approximately 50-60 minutes, depending on your oven, or until the cherry nut bread is golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.                                                  

Gluten-free Zucchini Pineapple Bread

Zucchini from the garden

When it comes to making breads and or meals, it is great to have an organic garden to get your supplies. For our family, the garden ends up in canning jars or freezer bags to use all year long. Since I have many family members either gluten or wheat intolerant I use zucchini for bread recipes.
Gluten-free zucchini pineapple bread is yet another quick bread people with gluten intolerance or celiac disease can enjoy. Gluten-free zucchini pineapple bread, because of the low calorie pineapple, is very high in vitamin C and Manganese. Pineapple is also a great source of vitamin B6, Copper, B1, folate and fiber.

According to the Worlds Healthiest Foods, “Excessive inflammation, excessive coagulation of the blood, and certain types of tumor growth may all be reduced by therapeutic doses of bromelain when taken as a dietary supplement. Studies are not available, however, to show these same potential benefits in relationship to normal intake of pineapple within a normal meal plan.”

The summer squash zucchini provides in 1 cup, a mere 18 calories yet contains 32% of your daily vitamin C. Zucchini also provides a variety of other nutrients right down to omega 3. WHF also explains, “No category of health benefits from summer squash is better researched than the category of antioxidant benefits. As an excellent source of manganese and vitamin C as well as a good source of vitamin A (through its concentration of carotenoid phytonutrients), summer squash provides us with a great combination of conventional antioxidant nutrients.”

Therefore, making gluten-free zucchini pineapple bread for the gluten intolerant in your family is necessary.

A popular blend of gluten-free flour is Bob Red Mills, the all-purpose flour contains; garbanzo flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, sorghum flour, and fava. I think that is why it is so good for breads and cookies. Most prepackaged gluten-free cookies and such start with the gritty rice flour.

Ingredients for making gluten-free zucchini pineapple bread:

• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt 2 cups rice flour
• 2/3 cup potato starch
• 1/3 cup tapioca flour
• 3 tsp xanthan gum

 *I prefer to use Bob Red Mills all-purpose flour instead of purchasing all the individual flours.

Directions for making gluten-free zucchini pineapple bread: 

Gluten-Free Zucchini Pineapple Bread

Mix the following in a large bowl:

• 3/4 cup oil
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 eggs, large
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Add :

1. 2-cups zucchini, shredded
2. 1-20 oz can crushed pineapple drained completely
3.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture.
5. Pour the mixture between 2 greased loaf pans.
6. Bake approximately 55-65 minutes, until golden brown and when a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Let the gluten-free zucchini pineapple bread rest in pans for 5 minutes.
8. Cool on a rack or cutting board, slice and enjoy.

Gluten-Free Banana Lemon Loaf Recipe

Learning to bake gluten-free required many changes in our family’s lives. However, a recipe as Gluten-Free Banana Lemon Loaf eases the challenge and my recipe is one my sister’s love. As far as I can tell, the biggest adjustment will be felt in your wallet, as everything costs so much more.

Ingredients needed to make gluten-free banana lemon loaf:

·       1 cup  olive oil

·       1 ¼ cups sugar

·       3-4 ripe bananas

·       4 large eggs

·       3 tsp baking powder

·       ½  tsp Himalayan salt

·       1 ½ tsp xanthan gum

·       2 cups of All-purpose Gluten Free flour; I prefer Bob Red Mills

·       4 tbsp sugar

·       1 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions to make gluten-free banana lemon loaf:

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit, if you do not have a timer 20-30 minutes will suffice.

2.     I do not believe in making any more dirty dishes wash than possible, however if you choose to sift the flour, baking soda, salt and xanthan gum you can.

3.     Beat the oil, sugar, bananas and eggs together until smooth.

4.     Add the baking soda, salt, xanthan gum and flour, mix on low until blended.

5.     Pour into a large loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.

6.     Mix the sugar with the lemon juice and drizzle over the top. (I like it lemony so I used a tad more lemon juice)

7.     This banana loaf is moist and lemony, it will stay fresh for a couple of days, however, without any preservatives in the bread it would be best to refrigerate.

Jell-o Cheesecake an Easy Recipe

This Christmas won't be the same without mom, but to make it seem a little closer to normal we've decided to make a meal that reminded us of her and her fabulous cooking. It won't be ham or turkey on Christmas for us, instead the menu will consist of sloppy joe's, chili and potato Soup. Just like mom would do it, there will be a lot of food and plenty of desserts. Among the favorites for all generations are banana and pumpkin and zucchini breads, blueberry cobbler and lime and cherry Jello cheesecakes.
Christmas isn't all about gifts; Christmas is about Jesus' love. Family, good food and fellowship equal love for me. Try this recipe on your dinner table this holiday, and you may just end up with a new family tradition of your own.

Ingredients to make Jell-O Cheesecake:

• 2 cups graham crackers; crushed
• 1/4 cup butter;melted
• 9-inch X 13-inch glass cake pan

 

• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1 can Milnot; chilled
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 small box of Jell-O; any flavor
• 8 oz cream cheese 

Instructions to make Jell-O Cheesecake:

1. Crush the graham crackers and then add the melted butter.
2. Mix well and press into a 9-inch X 13-inch glass cake pan.
3. Taking the chilled milnot whip it with one cup of sugar, add the vanilla and refrigerate.
4. Dissolve the Jell-O in one cup of hot water. Let cool.
5. Whip the cream cheese and add the cooled Jell-O. Slowly add the chilled milnot and pour into the crust. 
6. Allow it to set up, cut and serve.

Zucchini Blueberry Bread Recipe

Delicious Zucchini Blueberry Bread

Zucchini plants growing in the garden produce many fruit, which are wonderful to use in breads, grill, use in soups or stews. With the health benefits of zucchini as well as blueberries, doesn’t it simply make sense to use them together for a super healthy loaf of bread?

According to the World’s Healthiest Foods, “No category of health benefits from summer squash is better researched than the category of antioxidant benefits. As an excellent source of manganese and vitamin C, a very good source of beta-carotene, and a good source of zinc, summer squash provides us with a great combination of conventional antioxidant nutrients. But it also contains an unusual amount of other antioxidant nutrients, including the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. These antioxidants are especially helpful in antioxidant protection of the eye, including protection against age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. While we often think first about carrots as providing us with antioxidant-related eye health benefits, we also need to start including summer squash in our list of antioxidant-rich foods that can provide us with health benefits in this area.”

According to US Highbush Blueberry Council, “With just 80 calories per cup and virtually no fat, blueberries offer many noteworthy nutritional benefits. Here’s the skinny on blueberry nutrition: Blueberries are packed with vitamin C. In just one serving, you can get 14 mg of Vitamin C – almost 25 percent of your daily requirement. Vitamin C aids the formation of collagen and helps maintain healthy gums and capillaries. It also promotes iron absorption and a healthy immune system.” They go on to say that, blueberries are full of dietary fiber, manganese and antioxidant activity. “Antioxidants work to neutralize free radicals — unstable molecules linked to the development of cancer, cardiovascular disease and other age-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s. Substances in blueberries called polyphenols, specifically the anthocyanins that give the fruit its blue hue, are the major contributors to antioxidant antioxidant activity.” 

Things Needed to make Zucchini Blueberry Bread

• Mixing bowl

• 3 eggs

• 1 ½ -2 cups sugar

• 1 cup coconut or olive oil

• 3 tsp vanilla

• Mixer

• 2 tsp cloves

• 2 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp salt

• ¼ tsp baking soda

• ¼ tsp baking powder

• 2 cups shredded zucchini, fresh not frozen

• 3 cups flour

• Rubber spatula

• 2 cups blueberries, fresh not frozen

• 2 loaf pans

 Instructions to make Zucchini Blueberry Bread:

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. If your oven doesn’t come with a built in timer for this 30 minutes will be sufficient. Grease two loaf pans.
2. Shred the zucchini and set aside until needed.
3. Taking your mixing bowl beat the eggs until light and fluffy. Add to the eggs, the sugar, oil, vanilla.
4. Mix in the cloves, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, baking powder and the shredded zucchini.
5. Beat in the flour, a little at a time, until combined.
6.  Using a rubber spatula, stir in the blueberries. Avoid over stirring the berries.
7. Bake 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Now after reading all the health benefits of zucchini and blueberries what are you waiting for, try making Zucchini Blueberry Bread for your family.