“What if, today, we were grateful for everything?” ~ Charlie Brown
Photo Credit: Tumblr.com – Chibird
(This post may contain affiliate links)
On the sofa where I sit, cross-legged under my favorite blanket: glasses, a cookbook, the puppies softly snoring scattered like throw-pillows on the living room floor, a kitty purring at my side.
Even though it's after midnight, more than a few lights are burning in kitchen windows up and down the street. I wonder what's on their holiday menus
Down the hall, I hear the faint rustling of my husband as he winds down with a glass of wine and a good book. He's spent the first of two long days volunteering in the kitchen at Food at First. A place near and dear to our hearts, where today they're expecting to feed 600(!)
Thanksgiving dinner
How I love this time of year. The reminder to pause, and to count our blessings because there are so many things in our lives
to be thankful for
my brother's pie
reading a good book in a warm bed
handwritten notes in an old cookbook
eggs from our neighbor's chickens (I'd never known yolks could be so yellow)
all-day pajamas
my husband, who's always willing to take a walk to the grocery for something I've forgotten, no matter the hour
hot apple cider
the most beautiful fall I can remember
running into an old friend at the store
a virtual assistant and friend, who's made my life infinitely easier
Sally, who's always getting the hiccups, hates tags and smiles with her whole face
sweater weather
dark nail polish
Sunday morning pancakes
cooking magazines in November
Thanksgiving leftovers
Spaghetti Saturdays and the gift of friendship
the book on my nightstand; a gift from my son
potty-trained puppies
Harry, who eats from the litter box (leave it!), barks in his sleep, and keeps our feet warm at night
podcasts
big gardens and the trunk of my car filled with kale
long holiday weekends
a day with nothing on the calendar
board game dates with my husband
stuffing
a big pot of soup on the stove-top
perspective
moonlight through our bedroom window
Super Moon – November 13, 2016
Z – who dodges scary kitty cats, dreams of walks at the park, and never forgets to snuggle
cookie exchange invites
long afternoon walks
weekend road trips
this little site, for all it's taught me, and the incredible people who've come into my life because of it
for all of you, who take a few minutes out of your busy weeks to stop by, read, and often say “Hi.”
I wish for you and the many faces you love, Happy Thanksgiving.
While the day may be filled with turkey, mashed potatoes, and cranberries, a little something to have on hand, as either a grab-and-go breakfast or a quick snack, could never be wrong
I hadn't made banana bread for quite some time, that is until I noticed this version in November's Bon Appetit. A bit more involved then a classic recipe might be, but well worth the effort. Producing a sweet, nutty, and supremely moist loaf
It's everything you could ever want in a classic quick bread.
Banana bread has always felt a bit like the kitchen sink of recipes. If you'd like to dress it up (beyond the yogurt-espresso spread), a cup or so of toasted nuts would easily do the trick. Partial to chocolate? Add 3/4 cup chocolate chips. Can't decide? Experiment with up to 1 cup total of any combination of nuts and chocolate.
Enjoy!
xoxo
~ Adapted from Bon Appetit
Buckwheat Banana Bread with Yogurt-Espresso Spread
Ingredients
- Buckwheat Banana Bread
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup buckwheat flour (or whole wheat flour)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 4 very ripe bananas
- ⅔ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 Tbsp bourbon, optional
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- Yogurt-Espresso Spread
- 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- Pinch fine-grain sea salt
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tsp espresso powder + a little more for dusting
Instructions
- Buckwheat Banana Bread
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Prepare a loaf pan with a smear of butter, then line with parchment, letting it hang over on both of the longer sides.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the flours, cinnamon, nutmeg, sea salt, baking soda, and baking powder
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas and brown sugar until virtually no lumps of banana remain and the brown sugar have dissolved.
- Mix in the eggs, oil, bourbon (if using), and sour cream.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix in with a rubber spatula.
- Scrape the batter into a prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Bake the bread until the top springs back when gently pressed, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean (~ 55–65 minutes)
- Transfer pan to a wire rack and allow the bread to cool in the pan for 30 minutes.
- Turn the bread out onto a rack and let cool completely
- Yogurt-Espresso Spread
- In a large bowl, whisk the cream cheese, yogurt, and sea salt until no lumps remain.
- Sift the powdered sugar through a fine-mesh sieve into the bowl and whisk vigorously to combine, then stir in espresso powder.
1 Comment
This really puts things into perspective for me. I have been quite down this week but I should be grateful for what I have when so many don’t have as much x