the madness of march #HoopsWithCrunch

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HoopsWithCrunch #CollectiveBias

I love basketball!

read more words!

scaling the precipice like a couple of mountain goats

My fiancé and I recently took a trip up north into Maine. Neither of us had been to the Pine Tree State before and were eager to see some moosen take in some awesome sights...and perhaps a bite or 50 of lobster.

read more words!

say again?

What's that now? I beg your pardon? Hmmm?

That's the reaction I got when I announced that I had made pineapple muffins. For a hot second, I was miffed that puzzlement was the first response rather than excitement, but I quickly realized that my eaters were right--pineapple is a rare ingredient in baked goods.

Yeah, you've got the ubiquitous ol' pineapple upside-down cake. Yes, anything pina colada is bound to involve pineapple. But really, there's not much, is there? And what a shame--it's such a tasty fruit...when it's fresh and ripe. Occasions when it's not fresh and ripe, however, are another story.

I recently had some fresh pineapple that got sadly overlooked in the fridge to the point where it could no longer be classified as tasty. I couldn't bear to waste it, so I hunted down a muffin recipe, confident that what the fruit lacked in flavor it would make up for in moistness.

Hot dang, I was right--the handfood I made had a marvelous crumb, and the slightly soured pineapple magically became delicious again. In a moment of weakness, I spiced them with ginger rather than cinnamon, and while it was good, cinnamon would've been better. For me, anyway. I have a thing for cinnamon.

Pineapple Pecan Loaves
(based on this recipe)

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 (3 ounce) package vanilla instant pudding mix
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 cup sour cream
1 cup fresh pineapple, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup oil
1 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 425F and hose down pan of choice.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, pudding mix, and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine the egg, sour cream, pineapple, and oil. Add the egg-pineapple mixture to the flour mixture and stir until moistened. Fold in the nuts. Spoon the thick batter into the prepared molds and bake until the toothpick test is passed, about 15 minutes for muffins and 25 minutes for mini loaves.

read more words!

poor orange

I feel sorry for the orange--what a bummer to be one of the few words that rhymes with nothing else.

On the flip side, it describes a lovely color and is the name of a fabulous fruit, so I guess it has a few things going for it.

We've been inundated with recipes combining chocolate with raspberries and cherries. There's the occasional pairing of chocolate and blueberries, pears, or apples. Bananas and strawberries bathe in the stuff on a regular basis. Where does that leave the orange (or, for that matter, other citrus fruits?)(or, dare I say it, melons?)? The only time I've ever seen chocolate mate with orange is in a truffle from a box of chocolates, and those are always my least favorite. Sad but true.

Clearly it's time that the chocolate-orange combination got some love and I submit these mini loaves as proof of that. They're delightful--refreshing in all the right ways and exploding with flavor. Moist, too. Now, if one of you comes up with an edible chocolate-watermelon concoction, be sure to let me know...

And hey--exciting news for Julie of Mommie Cooks! She won the Blog2Print giveaway.

Orange-You-Glad-You-Gave-'Em-a-Shot Chocolate-Citrus Loaves
(based on these)
3/4 cup orange juice
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a muffin tin or mini loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.
Whisk together the orange juice, egg, and oil. Combine the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl, then add all at once to orange mixture. Stir to combine. Fill the prepared molds about 3/4 full and bake 20 minutes for muffins and around 30 minutes for mini loaves. Remove from the oven and let stand in tin for 5 minutes before attempting to remove.

read more words!

fridge find

It's a challenge for me to be creative. Some people can naturally come up with magical, surprising, clever, and innovative concoctions as well as amazing execution and presentation of said concoctions, but not this gal. I need to be prompted.

To make matters worse, I get bored easily--I like a little variation in the things I bake. So it's a vicious cycle--I want to make and eat new combinations of flavors, but I can't come up with them. Vicious, I tell you.

My latest inspiration came in the form of some primordial ancient archaic old caramel dipping sauce lingering in the deep recesses of the fridge. What to do with this thickened and gloppy goop? I daren't actually use it as a dip--that'd be just asking for trouble. I opted for mixing it into a muffin batter, as I'm wont to do.

These turned out better than I ever could've hoped. There was just enough caramel flavor to be detectable, and the crumb was moist yet cohesive.

I got some rave reviews from a couple of handfood connoisseurs, so I think I might be on to something with this use for aged caramel dipping sauce. The only problem is that I have to wait another year or two for a tub to reach the ideal point of almost-rankness.

Close-to-Crusty Caramel Banana Bread
(based loosely on this recipe)

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup caramel sauce or topping
2 bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F.
Lightly grease a muffin, mini-loaf, or 9x5-inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together the melted butter and sugar. Stir in the eggs, caramel, mashed bananas, and vanilla until well-blended. Stir this banana mixture into the flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Fold in the pecans and pour or spoon the batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 18-20 minutes for muffins, 25-30 minutes for mini-loaves, or 60-70 minutes for a large loaf, or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.

read more words!

halitosis bad, giveaway good

Just as everyone's feet are hideous (admittedly, some are worse than others), everyone has morning breath. There's no use denying it so don't even try, but there are ways to combat it.

Sure, you could brush your teeth. Yeah, gum and mints are great. However, what if you could eat your breakfast and freshen your breath at the same time? Win win!

Before now, I can't recall ever having had mint in a true breakfast food. No cereals, no muffins, no scones, no maple-syrup vehicles, nothing. I suppose it is a bit strange, but not really. We use chocolate chips in everything from stuffing croissants to sprinkling in pancakes, so who's to say a little mint-chocolate action wouldn't be tasty first thing in the morning?

So I tried it. I tried it, and it was weird. Delicious, obviously, but also weird. I guess for me, the whole 'dessert-for-breakfast' thing takes a turn for the unappetizing when mint becomes involved.

No worries, these made perfectly good snack cakes. Fresh breath any time!

Now, about this giveaway. The fine folks of Snubbr have offered to give one of my readers any cookbook (under $35) of his or her choice, whether the focus is baking, vegan cooking, raw food, or more. All you have to do is leave a comment telling us which cookbook you'd like to win and why and the-powers-that-be will pick their favorite as the winner. Be sure to leave an email address! Comments will close on Friday, July 16th and woefully, this is only open to citizens of the US or Canada.

COMMENTS CLOSED.

Bad Breath Banishers
(adapted from these)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup strong coffee, cooled
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 10 oz. bag Andes baking chips

Preheat to 375°F and grease up your pan of choice, be it a 12-cup muffin pan or mini-loaf pan or something else entirely.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugars, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well, making sure all the brown sugary lumps are gone.
In a smaller bowl, mix together the coffee, melted butter, egg, and vanilla until well-combined. Pour this liquid mixture over the dry ingredients and gently but quickly stir to blend. Stop when the dry ingredients are just moistened and fold in the baking chips. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups or loaf holes and bake for about 15 minutes for muffins, 30 minutes for mini loaves, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

read more words!

oats and raisins and walnuts, oh my!

What do you make when you have a tub of oats, a massive jar of applesauce, and oodles of raisins on hand?

Some might say that cookies are the obvious choice, but being the lazy gal that I am, my vote goes to quick bread*! The results of this recipe are fluffy yet dense and even a little bit chewy, which is quite a unique quality for this type of bread. Would cookies be better? Perhaps. Perhaps not.

*Are you sick of seeing these gazillions of quick bread recipes yet? Sorry. The mini loaf has become a staple in our household--they make great "handfood," which means they're easy to grab and eat on the run. I doubt the various versions of the convenient little rectangles will disappear any time soon, so if you're sick of 'em, tough. I does what I likes and I likes what I do.

You just come for the profound and abstruse narrative anyway, right? :)

Quick Bread, Version 7.9
(based on these)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners or grease a different but equivalent-in-portion pan.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. In another bowl combine the applesauce, buttermilk, sugar, oil, vanilla, and egg. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add in the applesauce mixture. Stir together just until all dry ingredients are incorporated. Gently fold in the walnuts and raisins with a spatula.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared molds. Bake for 16-18 minutes for muffins, around 30 minutes for mini loaves, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

read more words!

kid-friendly, grace-approved

It seems I have been permanently afflicted. Every time I see or hear the words "peanut butter and jelly," a certain little ditty pops into my head.

Every time.

What's worse is that it stays in my head...for hours. At least I know I'm not the only one to whom this happens. Other people are stuck on the the jingle as well.

Needless to say, "it's peanut butter jelly time" ran through my mind constantly as I a) made these mini loaves, b) ate these mini loaves, and c) wrote about these mini loaves. Yes, it's peanut butter jelly time right now.

Peanut Butter Jelly Time Loaves
(based on this recipe)

6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
approx 1 cup jam, jelly, or preserves

Preheat oven to 350F and prepare baking apparatus.
In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, peanut butter, eggs and milk until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Fill each mold in selected baking dish about halfway up with batter. Top each with a hearty helping of fruity spread and cover with remaining batter.
I baked my mini-loaves for about 40 minutes, check muffins after 17-20 minutes, or just rely on the ol' toothpick test.

read more words!

saints preserve us!

Like many folks, I enjoy fruit preserves dolloped elegantly atop a piece of toast or biscuit. My latest successful experiment involved some of those scrumptious preserves delightfully incorporated into some quick bread batter.

Whenever I feel the need to bake, the first, second, and third places to which I turn for inspiration are (in no particular order) my refrigerator, cupboards, and pantry. On this occasion, my perusal of the fridge resulted in the discovery of about a quarter cup of lingering peach preserves.

'Wouldn't these dregs be great in some mini loaves?' I asked myself. (Do you talk to yourself? I do. At least I know someone's listening.) Convinced that they would indeed contribute to a tasty quick bread (and resisting the urge to just attack them with a spoon), I started with a basic muffin recipe, cut back the sugar, and added the preserves, chopped pecans, and nutmeg.

The result was a fluffy and sweet piece of breakfast bread--it was delicious. My only complaint would be that the taste of the peaches was too faint. In the future, I'll not wait until only a bit of preserves remain in the bottom of the jar and include more in the batter.

Ah, success. Feels gooood.

Peach & Pecan Planks
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup peach preserves
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray pan of choice.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. In another bowl, stir together milk, eggs, oil, preserves, and vanilla until blended. Make a well in center of dry ingredients. Add milk mixture and stir just to combine. Stir in pecans. Spoon batter into prepared molds and bake for 15-20 minutes for muffins, 25-30 minutes for mini loaves, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

read more words!

rally caps!

Am I the only person in the world who associates sunflower seeds with baseball? Even my earliest memories of playing t-ball and little league softball involve sitting in the dugout and going to town on a bag of those crunchy munchies.



The ground was always littered with the shells, and many of us kids wouldn't be recognizable without a wad of seeds stuck in our cheeks. You displayed great talent if you could de-shell a seed using just your teeth and tongue, no fingers required. (I'm sure that was the hope of the mothers out there, too--our hands were always filthy.)



Ah. Good times. I haven't had many sunflower seeds since then, but I recently found a tasty recipe calling for some and had to give it a try. This is not your light, la-di-dah kind of breakfast food. No, it's hearty and dense and filling--perfect for those needing a quick and long-lasting shot of oomph to start the day. Go team!

Little League Loaves
(adapted from this recipe)

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
1 tablespoon wheat germ
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup raisins
1 bar of chocolate, smashed into bits

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Spray pan of choice.
In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together the flours, sugars, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, oil, and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the liquids. Incorporate the dry ingredients into the liquids by pushing them from the side of the bowl to the center. Stir just to blend, eventually folding in the raisins and bits of chocolate.
Pour into prepared pan. Bake for about 30 minutes for mini loaves, 22 to 25 minutes for muffins, or until the bread is golden brown and the tops are springy to the touch. To ensure even baking, toward the end of baking time, rotate pans top to bottom and front to back. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool.

read more words!

a simple turn of phrase

I don't think I've ever tried to hide the fact that I like my cookies chewy in the middle (not jaw-achingly chewy, mind you...although that does tend to deter second helpings) and a bit crispy on the outside. Cake-like cookies have no place in my kitchen or belly. (My hollow leg is reserved for such less-than-ideal things.)


A cookie-like cake, on the other hand, is apparently welcome. I didn't realize how acceptable, nay, amazing such a creation would be until now.

I found a recipe for oatmeal raisin muffins that I felt had the potential to make interesting and unique mini-loaves and I was right. Yes, the texture was enjoyable (hearty yet still fluffy and light) and the preparation couldn't have been simpler, but what excited me most of all was that the stuff that came out of my oven tasted exactly like an oatmeal raisin cookie.


It's the little things, folks. The little things.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie-Like Cake
(adapted from this recipe)

1 cup quick oats
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten lightly
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup raisins

Combine the oats and buttermilk in a large bowl and let stand about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Spray or line your baking vehicle of choice.
Add the eggs to the oatmeal mixture one at a time, whisking thoroughly after each addition. Whisk in the sugar, then the butter.
In a smaller bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Fold this dry mixture into the wet ingredients. Once the flour is dispersed, but not completely moistened, gently stir in the raisins.
Divide the batter evenly between the molds. Bake until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean, 25-30 minutes for mini-loaves or 13-18 minutes for muffins.

read more words!

double dose

There are mornings when a mere cup of coffee just won't do it and you need a little something more to get yourself kick-started. Some mornings require an extra wallop to break through the fog.



This is cake for those mornings.

I often partake of baked goods with my morning dose of caffeine, but rarely are those treats a second source of that magical compound whose name disobeys the ol' i before e rule.



Yes, I'm a coffee-lover. More truthfully, my name is Grace and I'm addicted to coffee. That said, when I saw this recipe making use of joltin' java, I almost immediately migrated to the kitchen to whip up a batch.



As is my wont, changes were made. I left out the espresso powder simply because it's an ingredient I don't own. I added more cinnamon (shocker!), a bag of milk chocolate toffee bits, and walnuts in an attempt to achieve a flavor akin to the toffee nut latte served seasonally at your local StealyourStarbucks. Also, I opted for mini loaves for one very important reason--they're just so darn cute.



This was a stellar breakfast goodie. It's the epitome of moist, with gooey spots from the toffee bits and crunch from the nuts. The coffee flavor was noticeable but subtle and melded wonderfully with the chocolate. Folks, this one's gonna be a repeat offender!

Toffee Nut Latte Loaves
(inspired by and based heavily on this recipe)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup strong coffee, cooled
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 bag milk chocolate toffee bits
1/2 cup walnuts

Preheat to 375°F and grease up your pan of choice, be it a 12-cup muffin pan or mini-loaf pan or something else entirely.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugars, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well, making sure all the brown sugary lumps are gone.
In a smaller bowl, mix together the coffee, melted butter, egg, and vanilla until well-combined. Pour this liquid mixture over the dry ingredients and gently but quickly stir to blend. Stop when the dry ingredients are just moistened and fold in the toffee bits and nuts.  Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups or loaf holes and bake for about 15 minutes for muffins, 30 minutes for mini loaves, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

read more words!

freaky fruity phenomenon

Some people sing in the shower. Me? I sing in the kitchen (when no one is within hearing distance, that is--ear trauma could probably be an actionable offense...).

The song that popped into my head while dealing with this bread?


"Magic," by Pilot (a song well before my time, yet still completely appreciated).

No, there wasn't any voodoo involved, and no rabbits were harmed in the making of this treat. It's magical for two reasons. First of all, one loaf spent a month in the freezer and came out about 27 times better than the loaf consumed fresh out of the oven. I kid you not. It's as though the cold temperature enhanced the spices and encouraged canoodling amongst all the flavors.


The second reason I consider this bread to be of the magical persuasion is because the pink hue seemed to migrate to the top center of the loaf. Why? Beats the heck out of me, but I like it. To me, that was the best-tasting portion of the bread, even though it very well could've been no different from the rest of the loaf flavor-wise.


Can you see that concentrated berry color? Oh, oh, it's...

Magical Mixed Berry Bread
(makes 2 loaves)

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups mixed berry applesauce

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the dry ingredients (minus the sugar) in a small bowl and mix well. In a large bowl, thoroughly blend the oil, sugar, and applesauce until smooth. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir just until incorporated. Spoon the thick batter into two greased 9x5" loaf pans.
Bake for 40-50 minutes, using a toothpick to test for doneness.

read more words!