Zucchini Carrot Muffins

Zucchini Carrot Muffins

1 cup flour (½ wheat, ½ white)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons butter, melted
½ cup pure honey (or pure maple syrup, or pure organic cane sugar)
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup grated zucchini
½ cup grated carrot
½ cup raisins


Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a muffin pan with cooking spray.
Combine the flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a small mixing bowl until well combined. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the butter, honey, egg, and vanilla extract.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir together until just barely combined.
Add the zucchini, carrot and raisins and stir gently until just distributed.
Fill each cup in the mini muffin pan approximately ¾ full.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Soft and Simple Bread

So, now that our family has grown (yet again!) we have been taking more steps to becoming those "crunchy" parents. I don't think of that as a bad thing, we're getting healthier and building a good foundation for our kids. One of the steps we have taken is making our own bread.

Yep, we have a newborn, a toddler, AND we make our own bread. It can be done!

But that is why I love this recipe so much. It is quick enough that I can make it during nap time, and it's delicious!

This recipe is so flexible also. I've subbed plenty of ingredients in this recipe. Which brings me to the picture. This is actually the bread recipe using all white all-purpose flour, BUT I usually make wheat bread with 1/2 wheat flour and 1/2 white all-purpose. I just happened to run out of wheat.

I wrote up the recipe as I usually make it, but I'll add a list of possible substitutions under the recipe. That should make the recipe easy for anyone to make!

Soft and Simple Bread

4 cups white all-purpose flour

4 cups whole wheat flour

4 1/2 tsp quick-rise yeast

2 1/2 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 cup almond milk

1 1/2 cup water

1/4 honey

1/4 coconut oil

Combine the undissolved yeast, 1 1/2 cups of white flour, 1 1/2 cups of wheat flour, and sea salt in a large mixing bowl.

In a medium saucepan on the stove, heat the almond milk, water, honey and coconut oil until very warm (do not allow it to boil.)

Slowly add the warmed wet ingredients to the flour mixture, and beat for about 2 minutes with an electric or stand mixer. Mix in another 1/2 cup of white flour and 1/2 cup wheat flour, scraping the bowl occasionally.

With clean hands, or a large spoon, mix in the remaining flour (1 3/4 cup of wheat, 1 3/4 cup of white) until a soft dough forms.

Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Cover the dough and let rest for 10 minutes.

Lightly grease two 8.5 X 4.5 loaf pans. Divide the dough in half. Gently shape into a loaf, tucking under any cracks to create a smooth top of the dough. Place in the greased loaf pans, cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 30 minutes.

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 35-40 minutes. Remove from loaf pans and let cool on a wire rack.

Substitutions:

Coconut oil: any oil used in baking (vegetable, ect.)

Honey: maple syrup

Almond milk: cows milk

Sea salt: regular table salt

Flour: any variation of white and/or wheat flour*

*Using more or all wheat flour will create a more crumbly texture in your bread.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bread

Mmm, when I found the picture of this from the website An Edible Mosaic, I was totally sold. I'm sure it's no secret by now that I LOVE pumpkin anything. Unfortunately I don't own any mini bread pans, so this makes only one regular sized loaf.

It was as good as it looks.
To be honest, I was a little intimidated by the recipe, it seemed like a lot of ingredients and a lot of preparation  But once it was all said and done, it really was very simple.
Skubz hasn't been home to try it yet, so that will be the ultimate test!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bread

Ingredients:

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1 large egg, room temperature, lightly beaten

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Pumpkin Spice Batter:

3/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

2 large eggs

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/8 teaspoon cloves

Directions:

For the Cheese Batter:  Use a handheld electric mixer to beat together all ingredients until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

For the Pumpkin Spice Batter:  Preheat oven to 350F; lightly grease 3 mini loaf pans with butter.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and eggs until light and fluffy, then stir in the pumpkin, canola oil, and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.  Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet, being careful not to over-mix.  Divide the pumpkin batter between the 3 loaf pans, then pour the cheese batter on top.

Bake until golden around the edges, about 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean or with just a couple crumbs.  Cool 10 minutes in the pans, then remove from the pans and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.