Pear-Banana Loaf

Time really flies. Apologies for the delay with the posts.

My husband and I have been surviving this bi-costal marriage with a lot of travel, laughter, and an interesting barter system. Barter typically refers to 'mutual exchange of goods and services'... But to keep this blog family friendly, what I mean is we exchange goods. He makes delicious turkey jerky while I make granola and an occassional treat. Hope you enjoy this recipe and laugh as you consider our crazy exotic life.

Pear-Banana Loaf

(1 small loaf)   

Ingredients:

1 ripe bananas
1/2 anjou pear

1 and 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

½ cup almond milk

1 tbsp vanilla torani syrup

1 large egg white

3 tbl non-fat greek yogurt 

1 tbl baking powder

pinch baking soda

1 tbl cinnamon

½  tsp salt

3 pkts splenda

¼ cup cranberries (tailor amount to what you like - optional)

2 tbl Sunflower seeds 

Recipe:

(1) Peel bananas and place directly into mixing bowl (KitchenAid).

(2) Use mixer or a handmasher to break up banana and pear and mix evenly.  

(3) Add egg and all wet ingredients and mix for 2 mins

(4) Add remaining ingredients and mix for 2 mins- add the Torani syrup

(5) Put into greased baking pan. Bake for about 45 mins, 350 degree oven.  

(6) Place on rack to cool.    
(7) Slice and enjoy

Sweet Potato-Apple Hash

On a recent visit to the farmer's market, I was inspired by a whole foods seasonal recipe which was a sweet potato and cranberry hash with honey for the sweetener. It tasted delicious (yes, there are plenty of samples at the North Hills Farmer's Market). With many apples at hand, I decided to do a take on this recipe and use the apples for the majority of the sweet flavor.




Sweet Potato-Apple Hash:

Ingredients:

1 apple, diced
1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes, diced
1/2 medium onion, diced
2-3 tbsp dried cranberries
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp water
2 packets of Truvia/sweetener
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Recipe:

(1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Dice the apples, sweet potatoes, and onion. Toss in a large bowl.
(2) Add the dried cranberries, vanilla extract, lemon juice, water, sweetener, and cinnamon. Mix and spread onto baking sheet.
(3) Bake in the oven at 400 degrees F for 30-40 minutes. Check after 20 minutes to toss the hash and allow to evenly brown.

Enjoy the tasty fall goodness!

Landmarks and Delights in London, UK

On my first visit to Europe in the middle of the summer, I was thrilled to have quite a pleasant experience with the Brits again. Between the sites, sounds, and tastes, my senses were delighted. 

Here are a few highlights:

 The Royal Barge which is located by St. Katharine's Docks. The wealth of restaurants, cafes, 

and shops in the area are worth the visit.

Tower Bridge was commemorating the first world war. In quite a fantastic way, 

they laid tulips to illustrate the blood shed and sacrifice during the war.

It was awesome to have this as part of the route for my morning runs.

Perhaps one of the best stops for breakfast energy or delicious desserts is Natural Kitchen. It has recently become a small chain but it keeps to making everything from scratch, wholesome, and hearty (okay, minus the croissants are less wholesome and hearty but incredibly delicious and buttery).

The special thing about Lamb and Flag is that was one of the favorite drinking spots for Charles Dickens. A great spot to stop and have a London cask ale after walking around Covent Gardens.

I also had the pleasure of enjoying some fine dining in Belgravia. 

The presentation of this first course I think captures quite well their 

meticulous attention to detail (especially flavor). 

If you venture into the UK, feel free to ask for additional recommendations. These were some of the highlights from this visit. Enjoy!

Canapes and Nibbles

While I eagerly aimed to post a delicious recipe or two during the month of May, I had the great fortune to travel to some delicious destinations. It was only necessary to post pictures of some of the exciting things that I tasted. If only there was tastagram...

Salmon Canapes in Copenhagen, Denmark: 

Foie Gras Canapes in Copenhagen, Denmark

 Danish Pastries made by Lagkagehuset in Denmark

 Over-medium Poached Eggs with Handmade Blood Sausage in London, England

 Artisan Chocolates with Trinidadian 85% dark chocolate from R&R 

(Borough's Market, London, England) and

Spanish Feret Sausage with Proscuitto and Walnuts 

courtesy of wonderful friends in London, England

Enjoy!