Now that the weather is warmer, I’m running and biking more often, leading to a greater appetite. So to satisfy my cravings, I enjoy baking my own pastries so I can add some veggies or fruit and sub healthier ingredients when possible. This recipe is loaded with fresh carrots from the local farmer’s market
Recipe
2 cupsall-purpose white flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (omit the other spices if you want a simpler taste)
1/2 teaspoon cardamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
½ cup raisins
½ cup chopped pecans ( I used chopped pecans that I toasted in my air fryer at 400 F for 5 minutes, but you can use walnut or an assortment of nuts if you are clearing out your pantry)
4 large eggs
¾ cup olive oil
2 cups coconut sugar (or brown sugar if you don’t have it)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups of grated carrots
Icing
1/2 cup of cream cheese
1/2 juice of lemon
2 Tablespoons of butter
1/2 cup of icing sugar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350F and coat a bunt pan with butter.
Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, raisins, and pecans in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until evenly distributed and combined.
In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to blend the eggs, olive oil, sugar, vanilla, and carrots in another mixing bowl until smooth.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Pour the wet mixture into the dry flour mixture and fold together using a spatula until combined add the raisins and toasted nuts.
Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool cake, flip, and top with icing and more toasted nuts.
I have a sweet tooth. I love mornings with smooth, bitter coffee and enjoy a baked good to balance the bitterness. Unfortunately, I have yet to find a decent store-bought banana bread that doesn’t take gluey. However, I also love eating bananas, so the flavor profile of sweet bananas, dates, and roasted nuts is highly appealing. During the pandemic, with the extra free time I had, I vowed to learn to cook and invested in a few cookbooks. Eating Out Loud by Eden Grinshpan was one of those books. Eden is a top chef host and (as her social media presents) a down-to-earth girl next door, super chef, mom, and wife who knows how to cook good food. I have made this banana bread recipe and several others from her esteemed cookbook and have never regretted purchasing her cookbook.
Recipe
Coconut-Walnut Crumb Topping (I substituted pecans)
¼ Cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup of unsweetened coconut flakes
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temp or melted
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
½ teaspoon of cardamom (optional)
½ teaspoon of salt
Banana Bread
8 Tablespoons (1 stick or ½ cup of butter) melted and cooled
1 & ½ cups all purpose flour
1 cup of dark brown sugar (I substituted coconut sugar)
3 ripe bananas mashed
6 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped (about ½ cup)
1/3 cup of whole milk yogurt or sour cream (I used lactose free Greek yogurt)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of salt
1/3 cup lightly toasted and chopped walnuts (optional)
Additions
Salted butter
Flakey Sea Salt
Honey
Date Jam
Step 1
Make the banana bread crumble topping
In a small bowl add nuts, flour, coconut flakes, brown sugar, butter cinnamon, and kosher salt. Mix until it resembles a crumble texture.
Step 2
Make the Banana Bread
Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour a loaf pan.
In a large bowl, used a hand mixer or whisk to combine the melted butter with brown sugar, bananas, dates, yogurt or sour cream, eggs and vanilla.
In another medium sized bowl, whisk the flour, shredded coconut, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
Add half of the flour mixture to the banana mixture and mix until combined. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture. Fold in a the additional nuts (optional) and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Sprinkle the crumb topping over the batter and then gently press the topping into the batter.
Place the pan on baking sheet, in case of drips and bake until a skewer comes clean. Approximately 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. If the top of the bread starts to get to dark, cover it with aluminum foil.
Serve with butter, sea salt, honey and/or date jam.
Date Jam (optional topping for the banana bread…also great additive for a charcuterie plate!)
Makes 1 Cup
20 pitted Medjool dates
In a small pot combine the dates with 2 cups of water. Over medium heat, simmer the dates as you break them up with a spoon. This will take about 3-5 minutes. Then transfer to a blender and blend until creamy. Transfer mixture back to the pot and cook over medium heat until it thickens to a jamlike consistency, 5-10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the jam to cool before storing it in a jar in the fridge for up to one week.
Winter is the perfect time to slow down. In winter, living in Edmonton, Alberta, means less daylight, and temperatures fluctuate between 5 to -40 degrees Celsius. Although I don’t love the cold weather, a cold winter is a perfect incentive to put on fuzzy, comfortable clothes, make a giant pot of tea, and read books. Here is a list of fiction and non-fiction books I’m eager to read this season. These might be great to try if you are looking for inspiring books!
I used to only listen to non-fiction books on audible. Still, I felt that I was distracted because I was either driving or working on chores, so I’m trying to get back into reading the physical copies to ensure the information sticks! Here are my recommendations for 2023.
A personal growth book by a talented and successful business coach Robin Sharma. I’m curious about what methods of balancing discipline and success Sharma has for us in the digital age. I have read one of his other books, The 5 Am Club, and while I don’t personally practice the strict routine of getting up before dawn, the book was insightful. I wonder how his perspectives have changed and or evolved since The 5 am Club was written 3 years ago. I enjoyed some of the suggestions in his previous book; however, the fictional storyline was a bit cringy. Nevertheless, I know he came from a good place; perhaps this book has matured his writing style.
I used to see a psychologist regularly; however, due to the expense, I have chosen to try to learn as much from others as possible. While I enjoyed therapy, I always felt lighter; I’m interested in knowing what “work” I can accomplish independently. Often, I would have my finger on the dial to call my therapist and then stop myself and ask, “what would she ask me in the session,” and could come up with the answer on my own. Psychologist Dr. Nicole LePera writes this book, and her background may foster a unique approach to self-development I’ve never considered. LePera looks at therapy in a holistic manor; she believes that the mind has the power to change our perspectives, even though we’ve been conditioned into coping mechanisms that don’t serve us.
I’ve always admired Japanese culture, their attention to detail, keeping traditions, and honoring respect for all beings. So my instant prejudice to the culture would question why two Japanese authors would write about being disliked. This contradiction makes me want to dive right in.
I was gifted this book for my birthday last year and only got around to reading the first two chapters, but I’m looking forward to cracking into the rest of it. I’m a huge fan of Brene; I’ve listed to several of her audiobooks and think she’s a great warrior and advocate for introducing vulnerability in a work-obsessed western culture.
Fiction
I love fiction, the psychology of the flaws that a protagonist must overcome, and their journey is just such a great escape from life’s monotony. I used to read a lot more, and lately, it’s been my biggest regret that I haven’t read more often… hmm it might be because of the giant metal block that’s always glued to my hand.
This book is the sequel to Beartown. It follows a full range of young and old characters living in a small town obsessed with hockey. The characters all face interpersonal problems, and the plot twists add up delightfully as each character navigates their hopes and dreams in the baren hockey town. Both dramatic and suspenseful, this book is so engaging it’s not hard to keep the pages turning. Politics, secrets, and relationships haunt the members of the town, however, the dramatic elements in the book are so thoughtfully portrayed.
This was a trendy YA novel on the BookTok list last year, and I wanted to see what all the hype was about. So far, I’m enjoying it; the novel is easy to read yet thoughtful at the same time. It’s nice to read about young adults, as they seem less complicated than adult characters!
This book was at the top of the 2023 Good Reads choice awards for historical fiction. Then one of my close friends raved about it, so in the cart, it goes. Written by Taylor Jenkins Reid, known for having several best sellers, I really enjoyed her other novels, Daisy Jones and the Six and the 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. So I’m eager to see if this book, whose protagonist is a 37-year-old tennis champ, will also satisfy my admiration for this author.
Another Good Reads winner and recommendation by a friend. A book about childhood friends who learn about the power of hustle and connection sounds like a fantastic journey to read about.
Summary
Is it just me, or does everyone tend to read more in the winter? Is it the weather or all the new year resolutions? Anyway’s, reading is often better with a baked good. Try making my gluten-free banana bread.
This recipe is super easy, I love banana bread; it’s my go-to recipe for when my bananas start to turn bad. I’ve made it so many times I thought I should share!
Gluten-Free Banana Bread
Ingredients
1/3 Cup of Virgin Coconut Oil
2/3 Cup of Coconut Sugar
2 eggs
1 cup of mashed ripe banana= 3 bananas
2 tablespoons of almond milk
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1 cup of oat flour
½ cup of almond flour
1-¼ teaspoon of baking powder
½ teaspoon of baking soda
¾ teaspoon pink Himalayan salt (or any salt)
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (I also add in ½ teaspoon of cardamom and ¼ nutmeg and ¼ ginger, its up to your tastebuds to decide what they like).
Optional add-ins: ½ cup of pecans, walnuts, and chocolate chips (I add toasted nuts).
Directions
In a large bowl, mash bananas with a large fork or use a hand mixer until smooth. Add coconut sugar, eggs, coconut oil, almond milk, and vanilla.
In a smaller bowl, combine the dry ingredients, oat flour, almond flour, baking powder & soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Preheat oven to 350.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ones and mix well. Add in any additional nuts.
Oil a loaf pans with coconut oil and then if you have it line with parchment paper.
Bake for 45 minutes.
Let cool and enjoy with jam, almond butter, or just plain butter!
Baking always gives me a chance to decompress; it’s a time-out for my brain’s to-do list and instead lets me focus on the simple tasks of scooping, measuring, and mixing to the beat of chill music.
Since I love long-distance endurance training, running, biking, hiking, and cross-country skiing; therefore, I need carbs and protein to keep me going. I’m not a fan of grocery store pastries as they tend to be quite cakey or too sweet. Even good bakeries tend to overdo the sugar they use, and having a hard spike in my insulin means a crash where I’m moody and hungry. If I need the extra protein, I pair a scone with a boiled egg, and it’s an excellent base for prolonged endurance activity. I use the vanilla protein powder and the sugar substitute Monk Fruit to lower their glycemic index and make them slightly healthier. If you want the original recipe, adapted from Salley’s Baking Addiction, you can find it here.
Blueberry Protein Scones
Adapted from Salley’s Baking Addiction
Ingredients
1 & ½ Cups of All Purpose Flour
½ Cup of Vanilla Protein Powder
½ Cup of Monk Fruit Sugar
½ Teaspoon of Salt
2 & ½ Teaspoons of Baking Powder
½ Cup of Frozen Butter
½ Cup of Cream (and a bit extra (2 tablespoons for the top, or milk)
1 Large Egg
1 & ½ Teaspoons of Vanilla
½ Cup of Frozen Blueberries- (frozen is best; then they don’t get squished when mixing)
Brown Sugar to put on top (not required, but I like it)
Directions
Mix flour, protein powder, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.
Take out the frozen butter and a box grater to grate it onto a cutting board.
Put the butter scrapes into the flour mixture and mix, then put the bowl in the fridge to keep cold.
Use a beater or whisk to combine the cream, egg, and vanilla in a smaller bowl.
Bring out the large bowl and pour the wet ingredient along with the blueberries into the bowl. Mix with a spoon, and then use your hands to squish it all into a ball. You may need more cream or flour here, depending on the texture.
Once the ingredients are together, I take out a large piece of parchment paper and put the ball on a lightly floured surface. I used a rolling pin and my hand to flatten it into a disc. At this point, I usually wrap the disc in the paper with saran wrap and put it into the freezer for future use. (I typically pull the frozen disc out before a weekend road trip).
But if you are making them right away, store the disc in the freezer and set the oven to 400F.
When the oven is near temperature, take the disc out and cut it into triangles or slices. I usually cut into smaller pieces and make 12 scones, but if you prefer, you can make 6 larger ones.
Then brush the top of the scones with cream and sprinkle with brown sugar. They take about 24 minutes in my oven, but everyone’s oven is different, so check them at 22 min and leave in longer if they are larger sections.
Once they have cooled, try not to eat them all at once!
Store them in an open bowl or empty plate. If you seal them in a plastic bag or container, they lose the dry flakey flavor and taste cakier (unless you prefer that texture).
UNANCHORED EVE 