{Recipe} Coconut Lemon Poppyseed Bread

When I saw this recipe...
I immediately pinned and craved it!
Coconut and Lemon are two of my favorite flavors.

Matt, who is NOT a lemon fan...
Really liked this bread because the lemon is very muted in this recipe.
The bread is super moist,
And the BEST part is the coconut on top that slowly toasts as the bread bakes.

I followed the recipe exactly as stated over at Ambitious Kitchen...
With the exception that I added a more liberal amount of coconut to the top,
That addition is entirely up to you, though HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!:)
Click HERE for the recipe.

{Crazy Cooking Challenge} Easy Red Sauce and Whole Wheat Pasta

This month I joined up with the Crazy Cooking Challenge. 

The theme was Red Sauce and Spaghetti

I found the the recipe I wanted to use for the challenge over at Budget Bytes...

It truly is thick and rich,

It was simple to make, and has the potential to be very adaptable to experimentation:)

I served this with whole wheat spaghetti noodles, homemade wheat bread garlic toast, and Lemon Pepper Asparagus.
It was a very filling and yummy meal.

Thick and Rich Pasta Sauce

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Garlic, minced

1 (28 oz) can Crushed Tomatoes

1 (6 oz) can Tomato Paste

1/2 Tablespoon Sugar

3/4 Tablespoon Salt

1 teaspoon Basil
1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano

20 cranks Fresh Cracked Pepper

Pinch Crushed Red Pepper

Add the oil and garlic to a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.

Add the two cans of tomatoes and stir until combined.

Add the rest of the ingredients and adjust to preferred taste.

Simmer the sauce, then cook on low for 10-15 minutes.

This was easy to make, and I look forward to making it again in the future.

Reality Check-

Next time I make this, I am adding more garlic, more cracked and red pepper, less sugar, and fresh basil if I can find it.

I accidentally had the stovetop set at too high of a temperature, it cause my garlic to brown sooner than I would have liked.

I should have had everything measured and ready to go so that I didn't have to keep pulling the garlic and oil off of the heat.

{Recipe} Italian Cheese Bread

Homemade Italian Cheese Bread

1 batch Pizza Dough

1-2 c Mozzarella Cheese, grated

1 t. Italian Seasoning

1 T. Butter, divided

1 clove Garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Roll out dough to desired thickness and shape, place on cookie sheet.

Take 1/2 T. butter and melt on medium heat.

Saute the minced garlic.

Melt the other 1/2 T. of butter, then add the sauteed garlic and mix.

Lightly brush the garlic butter on the dough.

Place the desired amount of cheese on the dough until it is covered.

Sprinkle the seasoning on top of the cheese.

Bake for at least 12 minutes, to make sure the cheese isn't browning to quickly.

Watch it over the next 5 minutes until it is completely baked.

Enjoy with the dipping sauces of your choice,

or by itself (our favorite).

{Recipe} Barbecue Chicken Pizza w/ EASY Homemade Dough

Barbecue Chicken Pizza is so simple to make... and SUPER yummy!
These two elements are the key to not living on noodles and cereal the rest of the semester:)
 (Plus, the kids eat it so that makes it even better)

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

1 lb. Chicken- cooked, shredded
1/2- 3/4 c. Fiesta Blend Grated Cheese
approx. 1/2 c. Barbecue Sauce (We use Sweet Baby Ray's Original)
1 batch Homemade Pizza Dough

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Roll out dough on a pizza pan, then add and spread the barbecue sauce.
Top with shredded chicken and sprinkle with cheese.
Place pan in the oven and bake 15-18 minutes.
Check pizza to make sure it is cooked through in the middle.
ENJOY!

This is an easy pizza to add to... thinly sliced red onion, green onion, pineapple, cooked brown sugar bacon, banana peppers... it's up to you:)

Pizza Dough

2 1/4 t. Active Dry Yeast (one packet)
1 T. Sugar
3/4 c. Warm Water
2 1/4 c. Flour
2 t. Salt
3 T. Oil

Mix yeast, sugar, and warm water; then set aside for 10 minutes until bubbly.
Mix in other ingredients.
Roll out on floured surface until it is the size of the pizza pan.
Place on greased pizza pan and add desired toppings.
Bake at 400 for approx. 15-18 minutes.

{Recipe} Zucchini Bread



Zucchini Bread

3 Eggs

1 C Oil

2 C Sugar

2 C Zucchini- peeled, seeded, grated

2t Vanilla

3 C Flour

1t Salt

1t Baking Soda

3t Cinnamon

1/2t Nutmeg

1/2t Cloves

1/4t Baking Powder

Beat eggs until foamy; add the oil and sugar gradually.  Beat well

Add zucchini and vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients.

Pour into 2 well greased loaf pans.

Bake at 350 for approx. 1 hour. Ovens and temperatures vary. If the top is getting too brown, too quickly... lower the temperature 15-25 degrees and bake longer.

It is ready when inserted knife comes out clean.

Enjoy warm with some melting butter:)

{Recipe} Moist Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

I tweaked my mom's recipe to yield my version of perfect banana bread... just how I like it:)

I have played around with this recipe before, but they yielded mediocre results... well no more!

I decided to not be stingy with the recipe, since our little family was stingy with the actual bread.

Poor little loaf didn't even make it twelve hours:)

{Banana Chocolate Chip Bread}

1 3/4 c Flour

1/4 t Baking Soda

2 t Baking Powder

1/2 t Salt

1/3 c Shortening

2/3 c Sugar (I usually add a little more)

2 Eggs- well beaten

4-5 Mashed Bananas

1/2- 3/4 c Chocolate Chips 

(purely optional depending on taste and preference.  I use milk chocolate)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix first FOUR ingredients in a small bowl.  In a large bowl, beat the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs and beat well.

Add flour mixture and banana mixture into sugar mixture. 

Stir until smooth, then fold in chocolate chips.

Pour into a greased pan and place in oven to bake.

At this point, turn down the oven to 325 degrees and bake for an hour.

Dropping the temp down makes it so that the middle doesn't dry out and the crust doesn't get too, well, crusty:)

It's ready when a butter knife comes out clean.

Let it cool for five minutes, then flip loaf out on cooling rack.

Serve warm with melting butter, or cold as your "Healthy Breakfast"

It's got bananas, it's bread... leave me alone in my delusions:)

Easy Peasy... Enjoy!