Oops-Dont Forget the Sugar!

We cant forget the sugar!  Just add 3/4 of a Cup of Brown sugar to your Dry ingredients in the Cherry Walnut Banana Bread, and follow the recipe as usual :)

Cherry Walnut Banana Bread

Oh yummy!  I love this bread because it is pretty guilt free and sooo good!  I got some dried Traverse City cherries for christmas, and thought I would put them to good use. 

I think I will be making a lot of it in 2012.  As you can see James and I LOVE it!

So here's the Recipe:
Cherry Walnut Banana Bread

-1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
-1 Cup All Purpose Flour
-1/2 tsp Salt
-1/2 tsp Baking Soda
-1/2 tsp Baking Powder
-1 tsp Cinnamon
-2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil (or whatever kind of oil you want)
-2 large Eggs
-1/2 Cup of Milk
-1/2 Cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce
-2 Large Ripe Bananas-Mashed
-1/3 Cup Chopped Wallnuts
-1/2 Cup of Dried Cherries

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Grease and flour loaf pan.  I like to trace the bottom of the pan I am using on wax paper, cut it out, and place it on the botton and just pam the sides-it makes the bread come out super easy!
3.  Stir together dry ingredients in large bowl. Except walnuts and cherries.
4.  In seperate bowl whisk together the mashed bananas, oil, eggs, milk and apple sauce. 
5.  Add wet ingretients to the dry and mix well.  Then add the cherries and walnuts, and mix. 
6. Pour batter into pan and bake for about 45 minutes to and hour.  Check to see if bread is done by inserting toothpick, and bread will be done when tooth pick comes out clean. 

Check out this adorable gift I got from my dear friend Kayla

Seriously-how cute are these!  I LOVE them.  Kayla is the best at picking out gifts. 

Thankyou Kayla-They are so perfect!

A Backyard BBQ Dessert

With Inspiration from my good friend Rebecca Moat, i was lucky enough to make a few treats for a Backyard themed Baby Shower.  How Fun!

The Burger: Surprisingly easier than I thought it would be.  Just two 5 inch (i think) yellow cakes with a big brownie in the middle, then a little decorating with help from piping tips.

Part of the corn on the cob cup cake-I think using Jelly Bellies would be better next time.

Grass

The Mom-to-be's favorite cake is Black forest.  So I made her a few of these-just chocolate cake with a cone shape hollowed out of the center(not too much), then cherry pie filling, piped whipped cream on top and garnished with a cherry and chocolate shavings.

It's good in vanilla flavor too.

Ready to go!

I really had a ton of fun on this little project, which just helps to reassure me that Baking is something that I would like to learn more about, and do as a profession someday.