CRANBERRY (lemon) BREAD

If you've been keeping track, this is my third week in a row sharing a baking recipe including cranberries.

No, this wasn't by accident.

Since you can only find fresh cranberries in the stores for a few months out of the year, I always make sure to share a lot of recipes that use them around the holidays! This recipe is a great one to bring into work because it's tart and tangy rather than cloyingly sweet like the other holiday sweets out there. 

If you use little loaf pans to bake these, they look adorable with a little bit of twine or ribbon wrapped around them!

What you'll need to make it happen:

3 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 cups fresh cranberries

3 teaspoons lemon zest (could also use orange!)

1 2/3 cups sugar

1/2 cup skim milk

2/3 cup veggie or canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 large eggs

How to make it happen:

Step 1: Mix together your flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. 

Step 2: In a separate bowl, mix your cranberries, sugar, zest, milk, oil, vanilla, and eggs. Once well mixed, slowly add in your flour mixture.

Step 3: Lightly grease two bread pans, and evenly distribute your mixture in each. ( If you want to use small bread pans to give the loaves as gifts, this will be enough batter for 5-6 small pans.)

Step 4: Put your bread in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes (40 for the smaller pans). You'll know it's done by inserting a toothpick or knife and pulling it out cleanly!

Step 5: Let cool for 15 minutes and pop out of the pan. Enjoy with butter or just by itself!

 Like I said, wrap it up and give it as a gift!

Now, if you love this bread and want to make it year round, be sure to buy a few extra bags of cranberries and freeze them- this way you'll have cranberries to use all year long!

What is your favorite holiday treat to bring into work?

If you don't have one yet, try this one this year!

xo, lp 

RECIPE:: CROWD PLEASING ZUCCHINI BREAD

So, remember here where I showed you the insanely gigantic zucchini we got at the farmer's market?

Well, as promised, I'll be sharing some recipes with you in the next few weeks from said veggie! 

Today we'll start with my absolute favorite, zucchini bread:

 Crunchy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside. Cinnamony sweet without being sugary. Mm-mmm.

Unfortunately I cannot take credit for this recipe, it was passed down to me by a coworker when I was in college (Thanks Jenny!). She doesn't have a blog/website to link the recipe to, so I'll be sharing it with you here today on her behalf. 

Before I get ahead of myself, I've been trying to find a way to prove how huge this dang thing is. It's big enough to make 16 loaves of bread, at least. It's big enough that it's more than twice the size of your average water bottle:

Off track. Sorry. Here's the recipe (makes 2 loaves):

What you'll need:

2 bread pans

2 cups zucchini (thickly grated)

2 cups white sugar

2 cups flour

1 cup canola oil

3 eggs

3 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

3 tsp cinnamon

How to make it happen:

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 and grease your bread pans.

Step 2: Mix your flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and zucchini together in a large bowl. Mix well.

Step 3: Add in your oil, eggs, and vanilla extract, and mix thoroughly. I do this just with a spatula- no hand mixer needed!

Step 4: Pour mixture evenly between two pans and bake for 40 minutes. (Stab it with a toothpick and if it comes out clean, you're good to go)

Step 5: Let. The. Bread. Cool. Hi, can you take a minute to focus with me here? LET THE DANG BREAD COOL! I know, it will smell like cinnamon heaven in your kitchen, but if you don't let the bread set & cool it'll all fall apart. Promise. Thus, Let it sit for 20 minutes or so before going along the edge of the pan with a knife, and flipping the pan over to get the bread out. 

 Slice it up!

Eat by itself or with some butter:

I'm sure it'd be great if you added nuts or raisins- but I'm a purist and like it just with zucchini!

This is a great recipe to bring into work because it pleases those who like sweets, as well as those who pretend they're eating healthy ;) 

What's your go-to dish to bring to work?

Clearly you know mine now, so share!

xo, lp

psssssssst. I am going to be over at A Creative Day as part of Eileen's Everyday series, and I'm a liiiittle excited about it! Make sure you go check it out, and look around Eileen's amazing blog for a while :)