“The Best Friend’s Guide to Breast Cancer” and Pink Donut Holes

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

If you know someone or have a loved one or friend who has breast cancer, I really suggest you read this book:  The Best Friend’s Guide to Breast Cancer, written by Sonja L. Faulkner, who battled breast cancer herself.   It’s easy to feel lost and hopeless when something this tragic happens to you or someone you know, and this book is an inspiring resource.

Not only does this book offer support and inspiration, it also offers information and cancer-fighting foods.  If the book isn’t enough, it also provides websites and organizations that provide more information and help.

Also, 20% of the proceeds of sales from this book go to Pink Lotus Petals, a non-profit organization that provides help for women with breast cancer.

Sonja’s website offers so many delicious recipes for fighting breast cancer, such as Lemony Blueberry Zucchini Loaf,  Tropical Quinoa Pudding Made with Green Tea, and Very Berry Muffins.  Check it out!

Pink Donut Holes
From: Hummingbird High

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup milk, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• A few drops of red food coloring
• 1 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, for sugar coating

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 1/4 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup buttermilk, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla, red food color, and 3 tablespoons melted butter until just combined.
3. Combine the small bowl of dry ingredients with the medium bowl of wet ingredients, using a rubber spatula to stir in the dry ingredients and mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, or you will get dense donut holes and I will cry for you. The texture of the dough should be sticky.
4. Preheat 1 cup of oil over medium heat in a 10 inch pan (I used an iron skillet).
5. Once the oil has reached 350 (F), measure out 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball with your hands.
6. Drop the dough into the pan of oil. Fry until golden brown on bottom then flip and cook on the reverse side until golden brown.
7. When the donut hole is finished frying, carefully remove with metal tongs or a fork and place on a cooling rack lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
8. When the donut hole has cooled down enough so that it doesn’t burn you when you pick it up, roll in a small bowl filled with 1/2 cup sugar. Set aside.
9. Repeat this process with remaining dough. You can cook more than one donut hole at a time.

Cookie Dough Filled Chocolate Bread

What’s your favorite dessert?

Because, whatever it is, I guarantee this will be your new favorite.  I can’t tell you how good this bread is.  Honestly, it shouldn’t be called bread because it’s more like brownies and cookie dough.

The cookie dough part stays gooey because there’s no baking powder/soda or eggs.  The bread part is fudge-like.  Just try it…I promise you’ll like it.  I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

But really, what is your favorite dessert?

Cookie Dough Filled Chocolate Bread

Adapted from: Kavita’s Kitchen and Mrs. Regueiro’s Plate

Ingredients:

For the bread:

• ¾ cup flour
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• ¼ cup chocolate chips
• Dash of salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• ¼ cup milk
• ¼ cup cocoa powder

For the cookie dough:

• ½ stick butter
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cream
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ¾ cup flour
• Dash of salt
• ½ cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a mixing bowl.
3. Add in sour cream and olive oil and stir them together.
4. Add in the rest of the liquids and fold in with the dry ingredients until it forms a smooth consistency.
5. Add in the chocolate chips.
6. Grease a bread pan and pour half of the in the mixture into it.
7. Prepare the cookie dough mixture. Cream together the sugar and the butters in the bowl of the stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
8. Mix in the heavy cream and vanilla, and combine.
9. Add the flour and salt and mix on low speed until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.
10. Spread on top of the first half of the chocolate bread batter.
11. Top cookie dough with the other half of the bread batter.
12. Bake in the preheated oven for an 40-45 minutes or until a tester inserted comes out clean.

5 Minute Mixed Berry Mug Bread

I know this bread is ugly, but give it a chance.  Apparently when you mix all the pretty colors of fruit, it makes ugly dishwater gray.  I should have learned that in elementary school.

When I saw banana bread in a mug over at Pass the Sushi, I knew I had to make it.  Mug cakes went viral recently, but not mug bread.  Pretty genius if you ask me!

This turned out really well considering it only took me 5 minutes to make.  My mom’s obsessed with it and I think it’s pretty good, too.

What’s your favorite mug recipe?

 

5 Minute Mixed Berry Mug Bread
Adapted from: Pass the Sushi

Ingredients:

3 tbs flour
1 tbs sugar
1 tbs brown sugar
Dash of salt
1 egg white
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp baking powder
1 tablespoon oil
¼ tsp strawberry extract
1 tablespoon milk
½ cup mixed berries

Directions:

1. Spray a microwave safe mug with cooking spray.
2. In a bowl, or right in the mug, whisk flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and soda.
3. Add egg white and combine until just incorporated with dry ingredients. Mix in strawberry extract, oil, milk and berries.
4. Pop into the microwave for up to 3 minutes, checking occasionally to see if it’s done…easy!

I’m an Artist!! {Chive and Onion Biscuits}

Happy May Day!

There’s this girl.  Her name is Amanda.  I congratulated her the other day for starting this thing called the “100 Mile Challenge”.  She’s going to walk/run 100 miles in the month of May.  After I congratulated her, I received an e-mail from her telling me I should do it, too…

Not realizing that 100 miles = a 5k every day, I said yes.  And then I drug one of my friends into doing it with me so it wouldn’t seem so daunting.

Today is the first day of the 100 mile challenge.  Over 50 bloggers have signed up! 

In other news…. Check out this cool trick I learned today.  

Want to know how to do it?

Paper Plate Art
(source)

Things you’ll need:

Plate

Food Coloring

Dish soap

Instructions:

Cover the bottom of the plate with a thin layer of milk.

Drop a few drops of each color of  food coloring into the center, spread out a little bit. 

Drop one drop of dish soap into the middle.

Voila, you’re an artist!  Congrats!

And, totally unrelated, but obviously necessary…

Chive and Onion Biscuits

For the recipe, click here

Pear & Pecan Grilled Cheese

Did you know it’s National Grilled Cheese Month??

I love grilled cheese sandwiches.  My mom would always fix them for me when I was sick as a child.

Since it’s a nationally recognized month for the grilled cheese sandwich, I knew I had to make mine special.

I liked the sweet pear in contrast to the sharp cheddar.  I also liked the crunch of the pecans and the creaminess of the cream cheese!  Pretty proud of my “fancy” grilled cheese.

What’s your favorite way to make grilled cheese sandwiches??

Pear & Pecan Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:

2 slices bread
2 slices cheese (I used one slice cheddar, one slice mozzarella)
1 tablespoon cream cheese
2 slices of a pear
1/8 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the cheese on the bread.
Spread on the cream cheese, pear slices, and pecans. Don’t put the sandwich together.
Bake separate slices in the oven for 5-6 minutes.
Place slices together. 
Eat!!

Versatile Blogger Award {Sally Lunn Bread}

I got my first blogger award!! I’m absolutely honored and I was very excited when I got the email from beautiful Alaina.  She’s a wonderful blogger that I just found recently and have been loving her blog ever since.  She occasionally posts recipes, but mostly writes her thoughts on living.  Go check her out and be sure to read her “About Me”.  She’s very inspirational!!
Thanks, Alaina! Xoxo

Here are The Versatile Blogger rules:

1. Thank the person who awarded you and link back to them in your post.
2. Tell 7 random facts about yourself.
3. Pass the award on to 15 new found bloggers. 
4. Contact each blogger you want to pass the award on to and let them know you’ve done so, and let the giver of the award know you accept it…or not!

7 Random Facts about me:

1.  I’m a huge book nerd!!  My only problem is that I have two main loves:  Harry Potter and Jodi Picoult.  The problem?  There are no more Harry Potter’s and I’ve already read all of Jodi’s books!  I, of course, read books other than those, but they never compare.  For some reason, I really like reading about controversial, devastating things.  Weird, huh?

2.  I get really embarrassed when people compliment me.  I don’t take them well at all.  I always feel awkward and I blush a lot and never know what to say.  I think the problem is that I appreciate them so much, but I don’t know how to show my appreciation accurately.  I feel like no matter what I say, it won’t be as sincere as I really mean it.

3.  My favorite number is 12.  I’m not sure why, but I’ve always chosen the number 12 for everything.  It’s also the day of my birthday, so maybe that’s where it started.

4.  I keep a journal that I write in occasionally. In a jumbled mess, I just jot down everything I’m feeling, everything I’ve been doing, and everything else I have to say.  I should really do it more often because once I’m finished, I feel refreshed.

5.  I can’t think of anything I’m afraid of except for ceiling fans on high speeds.  I was always scared of them and then Final Destination came out with a movie and a girl suffered a death by a ceiling fan… I’m scarred for life.

6.  I’m a planner.  I plan my days out to a T and I can’t stand being late.  The only days I don’t plan things are when I don’t have to work, be anywhere, or go to classes.  So…basically never. 

7.  My only “requirement” from people is kindness.   I really believe that “kindness is a language the the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” –{Mark Twain}  I also like to describe things in quotes. 😉

I’m supposed to pass it on to 15 newly found bloggers, but I’m going to add some that I’ve religiously followed for a while, too. 🙂

1. Karly @ Buns in My Oven

2. Gracie @ Girl Meets Life

3. Rachel @ This Italian Family

4. Alyssa @ Life of bLyss

5. Cindy @ Hungry Girl por vida

6. Emily @ Cupcakes and Cashmere

7. Sarah @ Peas and Thank You

8. Dawn @ James Favorite Recipes

9. Molly @ Midwestern Touch

10. Estela @ Weekly Bite

11. Amber @ Almost Vegan

12. Nicole @ Heat Oven to 350

13. Jenny @ Fit Girl Foodie

14. Rachel @ Dressed 2 Dish

15.  Sheila @ Elements

All of these bloggers are awesome! 

I can’t even tell you how many blogs I read a day, so don’t feel left if I didn’t tag you!  I guarantee I read yours. :o)

Sally Lunn Bread + Honey Infused Brown Butter

Smitten Kitchen

Bread is still intimidating to me, so I followed this exactly.  It turned out wonderfully.  I brought it to a church dinner and it was the first thing gone! :o)

This recipe makes 1 9×5×3-inch loaf of bread. For a more traditional shape, you can double the recipe and bake it in a 9-inch (10 cup) tube pan. My changes to Heatter’s recipe were halve the recipe, further reduce the sugar, halve again the yeast (yes, halve, there was a lot!), swap out some water for additional milk and to streamline the directions to hopefully keep them as simple as possible.
2 cups (250 grams or 8 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (25 grams or 7/8 ounce) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (5 grams) table salt
1 1/8 teaspoon (1/2 packet or 1/8 ounce) active dry yeast
3/4 cup (177 ml) milk
4 tablespoons (57 grams or 2 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
In a large bowl, mix 3/4 cup flour, sugar, salt and dry yeast by hand or with an electric mixer.
In a saucepan, heat the milk and butter together until the mixture is warm (105 to 110 degrees); don’t worry if this butter isn’t completely melted. Gradually pour the warm ingredients into the dry mixture and mix with an electric mixer for 2 minutes or stir vigorously by hand with a wooden spoon for 3 minutes. Add the egg, yolk and another 1/2 cup flour and beat again for 2 minutes by machine or 3 by hand. Add the last of the flour and beat or stir until smooth.
Scrape down bowl and cover the top with plastic wrap. Let rise for one hour or until doubled. Meanwhile, butter and flour a 9×5×3-inch loaf pan. Once the dough has doubled, scrape it into the prepared pan. Cover with buttered plastic wrap and let rise for a total of 30 minutes. After 15 minutes, however, remove the plastic and preheat your oven to 375°F.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Heatter says the bread should make a hollow sound if tapped with your fingertips but I haven’t weathered mine enough yet that I didn’t find it unpleasant.
Cool in pan for 5 minutes then turn out to a rack to cool.
Just to note, Heatter suggests that the bread be cooled out of the loaf pan but upside down on the rack, I presume to square off the loaf, so this is an option for more perfectly square bread.
Salted and Honeyed Brown Butter Spread
1 stick (4 ounces or 113 grams) unsalted butter, divided
1 to 2 tablespoons honey (use less for lightly sweet, more for a more traditional honey butter)
Few pinches flaky sea salt
In a small saucepan, melt half your butter over medium heat. Once melted, reduce heat to medium-low. The butter will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. While it is cooling, leave the other half of the butter out to soften slightly (semi-firm is fine).
Whip softened butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Slowly drizzle in the room temperature browned butter, honey and salt continue whipping until combined. Chill butter in fridge until a nice spreadable consistency, or until needed.

P.s. Go here to watch my sister, Angela Lewis, on Good Morning America!!! 
P.p.s Check out Lindsey’s awesome giveaway!!

C484WX6KUR5D

{Momofuku} Cake Batter/Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread

Thanks for all of your “how to get out of a rut” ideas from my last post!  I’m slowly but surely getting there.


I have to tell you all about my April Fool’s Joke!!! (Sorry, Mom…)


So, I was at work and it was about halfway through the day on April 1 and I hadn’t pranked anyone or even tried yet.  I really wanted to, but like Molly, I’m not good at lying and I get nervous just thinking about how I’m going to follow through with a good joke without laughing.  But, Kellen texted me with an idea I could not pass up.  He told me to tell my mom that we’re engaged.  The only reason I couldn’t pass it up is because it was perfect for 2 reasons: 1) I had just told my mom earlier that morning that Kellen’s mom was coming to town to visit and 2) My boss has connections at the jewelry store down the street.  Soo… this is what happened:


First, I called my dad to tell him what I was going to do.  (I would’ve played the prank on both of them, but my dad probably would have killed me.

Super blurry… but pretty, right?

Then, my boss called the jewelry store (which is right down the street from Jock’s Nitch) and asked if it would be all right for me to come down and take a picture with one of her rings on.  She said yes, so I did.  (I picked the biggest one, of course.)  Once I took the picture, I sent it to my mom (with OH MY GOSH!!!!!! as the caption).  


After an hour of her not responding, I started getting antsy.  My boss figured she’d passed out.  I didn’t want to have to call her because I knew I would start laughing and not be able to pull it off.  That’s when Patrick, a friend I work with, told me that he would call her for me and tell her that I was too ecstatic/crying to tell her myself, but that Kellen had just proposed to me.  We got that all figured out only to call my house phone twice and my mom’s cell twice with no answer.  I finally called my dad and come to find out, they had gone to church.  At this point, I thought that there was no way I was going to be able to pull it off. 


Well, I got off work and ended up getting home before my parents did.  Once they got home, I asked my dad if mom had checked her phone, so he asked her.  She looked at her phone and came into the bathroom (where I was) and this is the conversation that followed:


Mom: That’s a pretty ring, where’d you get it?
Me:  You know how I told you that Kellen’s mom was coming to town tonight?  That’s why…
Mom:  Kellen’s mom got you a ring….?
Me:  No….. Kellen did….
Mom:  He just came into Jock’s Nitch and handed you a ring??
Me: No….. he got down on one knee…
Mom: {pause} No…where’s the ring??
Me: Well, I don’t have it yet…
Mom:  {speechless… she just stood there with her mouth open}
Me: April Fool’s!!!
Mom: Not funny.


Haha!!! She was still in shock for about a half hour after telling her.  I can’t believe I got her and it worked so well!  After that, I figured I was on a roll so I sent it to two of my friends (Brandon and Jordan), my brother, and my sister.  I’ll go ahead and give you their responses, too, because they’re all funny.


Brandon:  Texted me back “Excuse me” and then proceeded to call me and say “Noooo….” and I’m pretty sure I had him going for a little bit, but I finally told him it wasn’t true.    
Jordan:  Called me frantically saying “No, this is an April Fool’s joke!!”  I told her it wasn’t and she got super excited, almost in tears telling me how happy she is for me!  I felt bad telling her that it wasn’t true haha!
Brother:  Texted me back saying April F’n Fools.
Sister:  Called me and said “You realize it’s April Fool’s right? And I just received a picture of a diamond ring on your finger…”  I was like “Yeah…..” she said “So, yeah… It’s April Fool’s….”  Then I just told her it was a joke. 


Pretty funny!! My poor mom, though, I swore she was going to seriously pass out.
What’d you guys do for April Fool’s Jokes?!


Wheewww… long post today!  I’ve been wanting to make Joy’s Pull-Apart Bread (which is adapted from Cindy’s Lemon Pull-Apart bread… love her! 🙂 ) for a while now, but I wanted to make a cake batter version.  Kellen wanted the cinnamon sugar version, so I made both!  They both turned out really well.  I like them both equally… I like the crunch exterior and sticky insides.  I’m mad at myself though because I meant to add sprinkles to the cake batter one!! I also forgot to let my dough rise twice… Geez, what is wrong with me today?!  Oh well, it still turned out perfectly! I used Momofuku Milk Bar’s milk crumbs recipe for the filling and added cake mix to the dough.

Gooey deliciousness

Cake Batter/ Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread 
**If you want the cinnamon sugar recipe, go here.  
Inspired by/Adapted from: Momofuku for 2 and Joy/Cindy

Makes: one 9×5×3-inch loaf

Recipe adapted from HungryGirlPorVida

Print this Recipe!

For the Dough:

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cake mix (I used yellow)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ounces unsalted butter
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
*Optional: 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

For the Filling:

1/2 cup plus nonfat milk powder
4 tablespoons cake mix (I used yellow)
2 tablespoon cornstarch
3 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup white chocolate, melted

1. In a large mixing bowl (I used just the bowl of my stand mixer) whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.  Set aside.2. Whisk together eggs and set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, melt together milk and butter until butter has just melted.  Remove from the heat and add water and vanilla extract.  Let mixture stand for a minute or two, or until the mixture registers 115 to 125 degrees F.
4.  Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula.  Add the eggs and stir the mixture until the eggs are incorporated into the batter.  The eggs will feel soupy and it’ll seem like the dough and the eggs are never going to come together.  Keep stirring.  Add the 3/4 cup of cake mix and stir with the spatula for about 2 minutes, fold in white chocolate chips, if desired.  The mixture will be sticky.  That’s just right.
5.  Place the dough in a large,  greased bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel.  Place in a warm space and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour.  *The dough can be risen until doubled in size, then refrigerated overnight for use in the morning.  If you’re using this method, just let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes before following the roll-out directions below.
6.  While the dough rises, make the filling:
7.  Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.  8.  In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons milk powder, flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Stir in melted butter until well combined. Spread mixture on prepared baking sheet and transfer to oven.
9.  Bake until dried and crumbly, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove milk crumble from oven and let cool completely.  10.  Transfer milk crumble to a large bowl and fold in remaining 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons milk powder and white chocolate. 
11.  Deflate the risen dough and knead about 2 tablespoons of flour into the dough.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes.  (Ooops, didn’t do this)
12.  On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out.  The dough should be 12-inches tall and about 20-inches long.  If you can’t get the dough to 20-inches long… that’s okay.  Just roll it as large as the dough will go.  Use a pastry brush to spread melted butter across all of the dough (or your hand.. that’s what I did!).
13.  Sprinkle with milk crumb mixture.
14.  Slice the dough vertically, into six equal-sized strips.  Stack the strips on top of one another and slice the stack into six equal slices once again.  You’ll have six stacks of six squares.  Layer the dough squares in the loaf pan like a flip-book.
15.  Place a kitchen towel over the loaf pan and allow in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size. (Ooops, didn’t do this either!)
16.  Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  Place loaf in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is very golden brown.  The top may be lightly browned, but the center may still be raw.  A nice, dark, golden brown will ensure that the center is cooked as well.
17.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.   Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread and invert onto  a clean board.  Place a cake stand or cake plate on top of the  upside down loaf, and carefully invert so it’s right side up.  Serve warm with coffee or tea.
18.  Best served warm, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to two days.  Luckily, my family devoured this.

{Momofuku} Cake Batter/Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread

Thanks for all of your “how to get out of a rut” ideas from my last post!  I’m slowly but surely getting there.


I have to tell you all about my April Fool’s Joke!!! (Sorry, Mom…)


So, I was at work and it was about halfway through the day on April 1 and I hadn’t pranked anyone or even tried yet.  I really wanted to, but like Molly, I’m not good at lying and I get nervous just thinking about how I’m going to follow through with a good joke without laughing.  But, Kellen texted me with an idea I could not pass up.  He told me to tell my mom that we’re engaged.  The only reason I couldn’t pass it up is because it was perfect for 2 reasons: 1) I had just told my mom earlier that morning that Kellen’s mom was coming to town to visit and 2) My boss has connections at the jewelry store down the street.  Soo… this is what happened:


First, I called my dad to tell him what I was going to do.  (I would’ve played the prank on both of them, but my dad probably would have killed me.

Super blurry… but pretty, right?

Then, my boss called the jewelry store (which is right down the street from Jock’s Nitch) and asked if it would be all right for me to come down and take a picture with one of her rings on.  She said yes, so I did.  (I picked the biggest one, of course.)  Once I took the picture, I sent it to my mom (with OH MY GOSH!!!!!! as the caption).  


After an hour of her not responding, I started getting antsy.  My boss figured she’d passed out.  I didn’t want to have to call her because I knew I would start laughing and not be able to pull it off.  That’s when Patrick, a friend I work with, told me that he would call her for me and tell her that I was too ecstatic/crying to tell her myself, but that Kellen had just proposed to me.  We got that all figured out only to call my house phone twice and my mom’s cell twice with no answer.  I finally called my dad and come to find out, they had gone to church.  At this point, I thought that there was no way I was going to be able to pull it off. 


Well, I got off work and ended up getting home before my parents did.  Once they got home, I asked my dad if mom had checked her phone, so he asked her.  She looked at her phone and came into the bathroom (where I was) and this is the conversation that followed:


Mom: That’s a pretty ring, where’d you get it?
Me:  You know how I told you that Kellen’s mom was coming to town tonight?  That’s why…
Mom:  Kellen’s mom got you a ring….?
Me:  No….. Kellen did….
Mom:  He just came into Jock’s Nitch and handed you a ring??
Me: No….. he got down on one knee…
Mom: {pause} No…where’s the ring??
Me: Well, I don’t have it yet…
Mom:  {speechless… she just stood there with her mouth open}
Me: April Fool’s!!!
Mom: Not funny.


Haha!!! She was still in shock for about a half hour after telling her.  I can’t believe I got her and it worked so well!  After that, I figured I was on a roll so I sent it to two of my friends (Brandon and Jordan), my brother, and my sister.  I’ll go ahead and give you their responses, too, because they’re all funny.


Brandon:  Texted me back “Excuse me” and then proceeded to call me and say “Noooo….” and I’m pretty sure I had him going for a little bit, but I finally told him it wasn’t true.    
Jordan:  Called me frantically saying “No, this is an April Fool’s joke!!”  I told her it wasn’t and she got super excited, almost in tears telling me how happy she is for me!  I felt bad telling her that it wasn’t true haha!
Brother:  Texted me back saying April F’n Fools.
Sister:  Called me and said “You realize it’s April Fool’s right? And I just received a picture of a diamond ring on your finger…”  I was like “Yeah…..” she said “So, yeah… It’s April Fool’s….”  Then I just told her it was a joke. 


Pretty funny!! My poor mom, though, I swore she was going to seriously pass out.
What’d you guys do for April Fool’s Jokes?!


Wheewww… long post today!  I’ve been wanting to make Joy’s Pull-Apart Bread (which is adapted from Cindy’s Lemon Pull-Apart bread… love her! 🙂 ) for a while now, but I wanted to make a cake batter version.  Kellen wanted the cinnamon sugar version, so I made both!  They both turned out really well.  I like them both equally… I like the crunch exterior and sticky insides.  I’m mad at myself though because I meant to add sprinkles to the cake batter one!! I also forgot to let my dough rise twice… Geez, what is wrong with me today?!  Oh well, it still turned out perfectly! I used Momofuku Milk Bar’s milk crumbs recipe for the filling and added cake mix to the dough.

Gooey deliciousness

Cake Batter/ Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread 
**If you want the cinnamon sugar recipe, go here.  
Inspired by/Adapted from: Momofuku for 2 and Joy/Cindy

Makes: one 9×5×3-inch loaf

Recipe adapted from HungryGirlPorVida

Print this Recipe!

For the Dough:

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cake mix (I used yellow)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ounces unsalted butter
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
*Optional: 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

For the Filling:

1/2 cup plus nonfat milk powder
4 tablespoons cake mix (I used yellow)
2 tablespoon cornstarch
3 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup white chocolate, melted

1. In a large mixing bowl (I used just the bowl of my stand mixer) whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.  Set aside.2. Whisk together eggs and set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, melt together milk and butter until butter has just melted.  Remove from the heat and add water and vanilla extract.  Let mixture stand for a minute or two, or until the mixture registers 115 to 125 degrees F.
4.  Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula.  Add the eggs and stir the mixture until the eggs are incorporated into the batter.  The eggs will feel soupy and it’ll seem like the dough and the eggs are never going to come together.  Keep stirring.  Add the 3/4 cup of cake mix and stir with the spatula for about 2 minutes, fold in white chocolate chips, if desired.  The mixture will be sticky.  That’s just right.
5.  Place the dough in a large,  greased bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel.  Place in a warm space and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour.  *The dough can be risen until doubled in size, then refrigerated overnight for use in the morning.  If you’re using this method, just let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes before following the roll-out directions below.
6.  While the dough rises, make the filling:
7.  Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.  8.  In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons milk powder, flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Stir in melted butter until well combined. Spread mixture on prepared baking sheet and transfer to oven.
9.  Bake until dried and crumbly, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove milk crumble from oven and let cool completely.  10.  Transfer milk crumble to a large bowl and fold in remaining 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons milk powder and white chocolate. 
11.  Deflate the risen dough and knead about 2 tablespoons of flour into the dough.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes.  (Ooops, didn’t do this)
12.  On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out.  The dough should be 12-inches tall and about 20-inches long.  If you can’t get the dough to 20-inches long… that’s okay.  Just roll it as large as the dough will go.  Use a pastry brush to spread melted butter across all of the dough (or your hand.. that’s what I did!).
13.  Sprinkle with milk crumb mixture.
14.  Slice the dough vertically, into six equal-sized strips.  Stack the strips on top of one another and slice the stack into six equal slices once again.  You’ll have six stacks of six squares.  Layer the dough squares in the loaf pan like a flip-book.
15.  Place a kitchen towel over the loaf pan and allow in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size. (Ooops, didn’t do this either!)
16.  Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  Place loaf in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is very golden brown.  The top may be lightly browned, but the center may still be raw.  A nice, dark, golden brown will ensure that the center is cooked as well.
17.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.   Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread and invert onto  a clean board.  Place a cake stand or cake plate on top of the  upside down loaf, and carefully invert so it’s right side up.  Serve warm with coffee or tea.
18.  Best served warm, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to two days.  Luckily, my family devoured this.

Healthy Banana Nut Bread

I WON A GIVEAWAY!!!
I wouldn’t call myself an unlucky person, but I never, ever win anything, so winning this just completely made me day… week, even.  I’ve been reading Cindy’s blog for a while now and I love it.  Her recipes are mouthwatering and her photography skills are definitely something I’m envious of. I’m just waiting for summer to roll around so I can make her cantaloupe sorbet. Thank you, Cindy! 🙂 🙂

In other good news today:

I really enjoyed the sermon today at church.  Sometimes I feel bad because I walk away not getting anything from it, but today I did.  It’s days like today that remind me to keep believing because it’s worth it.  “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.” -Matthew 6:34.  So true!!

After church, I had a wonderful lunch with Kellen and his family.  I always do; they’re such great people and I’m lucky to be able to be around them.

Also, it’s raining, which means I’m sleeping with the windows open tonight!

All of these good things today are really helping me procrastinate studying for the tests I have this week.  Oh well, take the good with the bad. Haha 🙂

I’m going to be a copycat and ask a question of the day:


What’s your favorite summer treat?
and
If you go to church, do you ever walk away feeling like you didn’t get anything from the sermon?  and 
If you don’t go to church, what have you walked away from, feeling bad, that you expected more out of?

Just feelin’ a little curious today, I suppose.

In other news, check out Katie’s giveaway!

Make flaxseed mixture.

Sift the dry’s.

Melt your banana, if you want.

My favorite part!  Mix everything together and do some quality control.

Wonder why your cat was hiding in the spice rack…

Just stoppin’ by.

I made a little topping of 1/4 cup applesauce, 1/4 cup chopped nuts, 1/8 cup flour, 1 tbsp brown sugar and 1/8 tsp baking powder)

Bake!

Healthy Banana Nut Bread
Adapted from: Ecurry

Ingredients: (yields one loaf in a 9 X 12 pan)

1. 3 cups whole wheat flour + more for dusting
   
2. a pinch of salt
3. 2 teaspoons baking powder
4. 1/3 cup flaxseed powder
   
5. 1/3 cup + 1 cup orange juice or milk (I used almond milk)
   
6. 1/4 cup applesauce
   
7. 1 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla extract (I used vanilla and it turned out really well, but next time I think I’ll use almond, just to try it)
   
8. 1 cup sugar, or 3/4 cup agave or honey
9. 1 cup mashed banana, about 3-4 bananas depending on the size (I microwaved mine until they got melty, then added them)
10. 1 cups chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Lightly grease a 9 X 12 loaf pan.
2.  Sift flour, salt and baking powder.
3.  Combine flaxseed powder with 1/3 cup orange juice/milk/almond milk (depending on what you are using), and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
4.  In another large bowl combine oil, sugar (or honey), mashed banana, and the rest of the juice/milk/almond milk, vanilla/almond extract. Add the flaxseed powder mix to this and stir to combine.
5.  Add the flour mix to this wet ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until just blended. This is going to be a sticky gooey mix.
6.  Dust the the nuts with flour. Carefully fold them into the dough.
7.  Spoon the dough into the loaf pan and bake for about an hour to hour and a half or till the toothpick comes out clean (it took 60 minutes in the convection oven).
8.  Cool completely for about 15 minutes before turning the bread over. Slice only when completely cool or it will fall apart.

Healthy Banana Nut Bread

I WON A GIVEAWAY!!!
I wouldn’t call myself an unlucky person, but I never, ever win anything, so winning this just completely made me day… week, even.  I’ve been reading Cindy’s blog for a while now and I love it.  Her recipes are mouthwatering and her photography skills are definitely something I’m envious of. I’m just waiting for summer to roll around so I can make her cantaloupe sorbet. Thank you, Cindy! 🙂 🙂

In other good news today:

I really enjoyed the sermon today at church.  Sometimes I feel bad because I walk away not getting anything from it, but today I did.  It’s days like today that remind me to keep believing because it’s worth it.  “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.” -Matthew 6:34.  So true!!

After church, I had a wonderful lunch with Kellen and his family.  I always do; they’re such great people and I’m lucky to be able to be around them.

Also, it’s raining, which means I’m sleeping with the windows open tonight!

All of these good things today are really helping me procrastinate studying for the tests I have this week.  Oh well, take the good with the bad. Haha 🙂

I’m going to be a copycat and ask a question of the day:


What’s your favorite summer treat?
and
If you go to church, do you ever walk away feeling like you didn’t get anything from the sermon?  and 
If you don’t go to church, what have you walked away from, feeling bad, that you expected more out of?

Just feelin’ a little curious today, I suppose.

In other news, check out Katie’s giveaway!

Make flaxseed mixture.

Sift the dry’s.

Melt your banana, if you want.

My favorite part!  Mix everything together and do some quality control.

Wonder why your cat was hiding in the spice rack…

Just stoppin’ by.

I made a little topping of 1/4 cup applesauce, 1/4 cup chopped nuts, 1/8 cup flour, 1 tbsp brown sugar and 1/8 tsp baking powder)

Bake!

Healthy Banana Nut Bread
Adapted from: Ecurry

Ingredients: (yields one loaf in a 9 X 12 pan)

1. 3 cups whole wheat flour + more for dusting
   
2. a pinch of salt
3. 2 teaspoons baking powder
4. 1/3 cup flaxseed powder
   
5. 1/3 cup + 1 cup orange juice or milk (I used almond milk)
   
6. 1/4 cup applesauce
   
7. 1 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla extract (I used vanilla and it turned out really well, but next time I think I’ll use almond, just to try it)
   
8. 1 cup sugar, or 3/4 cup agave or honey
9. 1 cup mashed banana, about 3-4 bananas depending on the size (I microwaved mine until they got melty, then added them)
10. 1 cups chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Lightly grease a 9 X 12 loaf pan.
2.  Sift flour, salt and baking powder.
3.  Combine flaxseed powder with 1/3 cup orange juice/milk/almond milk (depending on what you are using), and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
4.  In another large bowl combine oil, sugar (or honey), mashed banana, and the rest of the juice/milk/almond milk, vanilla/almond extract. Add the flaxseed powder mix to this and stir to combine.
5.  Add the flour mix to this wet ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until just blended. This is going to be a sticky gooey mix.
6.  Dust the the nuts with flour. Carefully fold them into the dough.
7.  Spoon the dough into the loaf pan and bake for about an hour to hour and a half or till the toothpick comes out clean (it took 60 minutes in the convection oven).
8.  Cool completely for about 15 minutes before turning the bread over. Slice only when completely cool or it will fall apart.