Panzanella Salad

 

:: Panzanella Salad ::

It just doesn’t get much easier {or tastier}, than this healthy summer salad! Panzanella Salad is my absolute FAVORITE dish to serve to friends… whether I’m taking it to their house, or hosting a summer playdate in my own home. It’s also the perfect meal to bring for a picnic lunch or concert in the park! 

There is some chopping of fresh veggies involved, the making of a simple homemade vinaigrette dressing, and a little toasting of french bread in a frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil… but the steps are super basic {you could even get the kids to help you toss it all together}! In under thirty minutes… you will have a scrumptious, fresh, tangy, and crisp bread salad to enjoy!

This recipe has always gotten rave reviews… but the best part is that you can easily customize it to your own taste! For example… love a greek salad? Just add in some chopped olives and feta cheese! For my husby, I omitted the red onion and added avocado slices. Any way that you do it… it comes out perfectly fresh and delectable! The combination of flavors is seriously… mouthwatering! [Read more…]

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread,

sounds very tempting right?

Well it can be part of a healthy resolution with

this recipe adapted by Skinny Taste.

I love coming across recipes that taste

as good as their original.

This recipe is fairly simple and

the best part of it is that the list of ingredients

are items often in my

fridge or panty.

The perfect chance to use up

those ripe bananas that are past

 cereal prime.

Ingredients:

* 3 medium ripe bananas

*1/3 cup chunky apple sauce

* 1 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour

* 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

* 1/4 teaspoon salt

* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened

* 1/3 cup brown sugar

* 2 large egg whites

* 1/ 2 teaspoon vanilla

* 1 1/2 ounces of mini chocolate chips

* cooking spray for the loaf pan

directions

{spray a loaf, muffin, or mini loaf pan}

* I decided to try out my mini loaf pan*

In a small bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Set aside.

Place the brown sugar and melted butter into a mixer fitted with a paddle.

Mix until the sugar and butter are incorporated,

then add the egg whites and combine.

Then add the applesauce, bananas and the vanilla.

* I prefer chunky sauce and I break up the bananas instead

of mashing them as the mixer does the job and makes the bread

richer in taste.

Mix well then add the dry ingredients slowly a 1/2 cup at a time

and then add in the mini chips on low speed,

for a couple seconds so that you don’t create a dense bread.

Pour the mixture into the baking pan of your choice.

Pop this into the oven at 325 degrees for 40 minutes.

If you are doing muffins I find they cook in half the time so check on these.

Test the middle of the bread with a toothpick to make sure

the middle is baked all the way,

take out of the oven and let it rest until it’s cooled.

Your house will smell delightful

and your tummy will enjoy this wonderful

treat all while being low in fat and high in taste!

Enjoy and save me a slice!

Making Bread

Saturday seemed like a perfect day to stay inside and be warm and cozy.

Drizzle is making a wet blanket on the street outside.  The perfect excuse to use my baking imagination…..

Hmmm, what is this I have underneath the bottom shelf of my pantry, hidden behind mixer attachments….

a bread maker.  Okay, so I knew it was there.  It has traveled from three homes plus a storage unit in the 9 years

I have been married.  It was one of the few things I allowed Shane to register for.  The other was a set and forget it

chicken rotisserie and that, well it did not make the move into this house.

Don’t get me wrong I love bread, but it was not

a top registry priority as I believed I could myself.  I did not need a fancy machine.

My kitchen aid mixer has a dough hook so I thought it would be enough.

So I pulled out the bread maker from below.

I skim the instructions and I think at best the honey wheat sounds amazing and fairly simple.

I take a look for what the recipe entails and chance may have it, I have all the ingredients needed.

The process is fairly simple but precise.  I put together the ingredients and set it to bake

for three and half hours.  Boy did it smell like a French Bakery.

After the small yet satisfying ding of the bread baker…..here is the finished product:

Fantastic Bread.  The smell amazing….but a little bit dense in comparison to bread from the store.

Well, that part could have slightly been prevented.  Maybe my son opening

and closing the machine top played a part in the dough rising.

Minus that the bread machine experience was:

1. Easy to put together (if you have the most of the ingredients)

2. Really set it and forget it.  It does it on its own.

3. Makes the house smell fantastic.

4. Is very healthy like any other baked good you make from home.

5. Probably most important it made the hubby happy.

Thanks to whom ever gave The Lindstrom’s a bread maker as wedding gift!

Hope you pull yours out soon!