Every now and then it sure is nice to play hooky for a few days and
Photo Credit: You Happy I Happy
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take a middle-of-the-week road trip
Hotels are less crowded; it's a nice break from work schedules, school demands, and the humdrum of winter. At our house, the month of February also brings a lot to celebrate our anniversary, Valentine's Day, and one of us (!) turning yet another year older
So while the puppies get to sleep over at their favorite spa/resort, the kitties will be holding down the fort and keeping the house free of scary people, and small rodents. We'll be relaxing, having dinner, catching a movie, and doing some window shopping at our favorite get-away spot.
Photo Credit: Tumblr.com
In the meantime, I thought it might be fun to share some links from around the web
Ever had a burger you just can't forget? Nominations are being accepted for Iowa's Best Burger Contest of 2015
Looking for February date ideas? Best Burger Contest winners are listed here (ps: One of my goals is to have a few bites of each one!)
I think my latest purchase will make for an excellent new special series here at The Veggies
A fun idea for Spaghetti Saturdays – colored pasta made with this
Google's top recipe searches of 2014 reveal, we're fairly boring
Do your cats play hide and seek in Amazon boxes too? The mystery behind the madness
The truest sign of an old friend
The ultimate in boy gifts? Salami of the Month Club or a jargon-free guide for whiskey enthusiasts
National Geographic's The Evolution of Diet – a great read
This banana bread came with us, as it's perfect for travel, the rest at home awaiting our arrival. I simply love banana bread, a timeless classic, and a recipe I can always find an excuse to make.
The pile of brown(ish) bananas on top of the fridge, I'm hungry for something that never disappoints. It’s terribly cold outside, and my husband is hungry for something cake-like would be really tasty with his morning coffee. It's one of those recipes typically made in a single bowl, yet seems to feed a dozen — something to tucked away in the freezer, at the ready whenever a craving strikes.
The combination is chocolate and bananas is one I've always liked. In the past, I've been content with simply adding chocolate chips, though the melted chocolate adds an elegant (and tasty) swirl.
The results of this recipe are excellent, bread with a mild chocolate flavor, yet one that retains the sweetness and moistness that's always made banana bread so popular.
Enjoy!
xoxo
~ Adapted from The Paleo Kitchen: Finding Primal Joy in Modern Cooking by Juli Bauer and George Bryant
Cinnamon Chocolate Marbled Banana Bread
Ingredients
- Banana Bread
- 4 medium bananas
- 4 eggs, at room temp (large or XL)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temp
- ½ cup almond butter
- ½ cup coconut flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of fine-grain sea salt
- Swirl
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 Tbsp honey (or liquid sweetener of choice)
Instructions
- Prep
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Grease a 9 x 5" metal loaf pan with coconut oil and line it with parchment paper.
- Bread
- In a food processor or stand mixer, add the bananas, eggs, butter, and almond butter. Combine until well blended.
- Add the coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, and salt and mix until all the ingredients are well combined
- Swirl
- In a double boiler over medium-low heat, add the swirl's ingredients. Heat, stirring often until the chocolate has melted.
- Pour the bread batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Pour the chocolate swirl directly on top and use a knife to swirl the chocolate throughout the loaf pan.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.
- Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 15 minutes before serving.
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