Shannon's Kitchen Creations

I was pretty late with the whole bread machine craze. When my friends were all getting them at their wedding showers ten years ago, that was the last kitchen item I ever thought I would use. Last year my Mom made some cottage cheese dill bread in her bread machine. (I didn’t even know she had one) It was soft, warm and absolutely delicious. I smothered it in butter and I was hooked. Who thought fresh bread could be so easy to make! So I got a bread machine. Now to say I was a little obsessed with it when I first got it would be an understatement. I vowed never to buy that evil store bought bread again! I made every type of bread you can imagine. I started with the basic recipes and then started to expand my horizons. Did you know that you can make bread that looks like a bakery by simply using the dough cycle, shaping it and then putting it in a warm, empty dishwasher to rise? (On a cookie sheet, covered with a towel of course) It rises in no time and then you can have Ciabatta ( an amazing Italian bread), Challah ( an eggy, sweet bread that you can braid), Hawaiian Sweet bread (divine!) and other fancy looking breads that taste superior to anything you can find in the bakery section of the grocery store. The best part is you don’t get any dirty dishes and you can throw everything in on your way out the door. I am a big fan of doing a crock pot dinner with my bread machine bread. I put my bread machine on a timer and both are ready at the same time. Easy, no real clean up and fantastic. I have been on a bread making hiatus for a while, but decided to start up again today and some brown bananas called my name. This makes fabulous French toast.  I am already imagining it with oozing butter and warm maple syrup!!!! Yummy!

Picture courtesy of abigmouthful.com

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I love quick breads. No yeast or waiting required. I like the fact that you can do mini muffins, regular size muffins or different size loaves all with the same recipe. They are also healthy and my kids like them for snack and breakfast. I like this one because I can freeze the cranberries forever and I always have orange juice in the house. You can substitute other types of nuts or omit them all together. I love it toasted with butter or cream cheese. I hope these recipes have been enjoyable for you all to read! Please feel free to leave comments or questions and if you know any other people that would enjoy the blog, please feel free to share! Healthy meatloaf (filled with veggies) and amazing butter cake are on the menu for next week!

Cranberry Orange Pecan Bread

Ingredients:

3/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2  tablespoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 egg
1 1/2 cups Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
1/2 cup chopped  pecans
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray pam in  a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan or 3 mini loaf pans.

2. Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large mixing bowl.

3. Add  orange juice, orange peel, oil and egg. Mix until well blended.

4. Then stir in cranberries and pecans. Spread evenly in loaf pan.

5. Bake for 55 minutes for large pan or 45 minutes for 3 small pans or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool  for 15 minutes.