Cinnamon Chip-Banana Swirly Bread

Having a cold and being stuck at home is terribly boring.

Now that I'm starting to feel better and am awake for more than 5 hours a day,
I've been spending time thinking about baking.
Okay...I've been thinking, reading, and dreaming about baking.
I miss it when I don't feel well.
Is that weird?
Maybe for others, but it seems totally normal for me.

While scrolling through Pinterest,
I found a recipe for banana cinnamon bread...
AND I remembered that I had a bag of Hershey's Cinnamon Chips.
It seemed like a match made in cinnamon Heaven.









Cinnamon Chip-Banana Swirly Bread

Recipe and directions 

slightly adapted from Lovin' From The Oven

Ingredients

For the bread:
• 2-3 over-ripe bananas, smashed up
• 1/3 cup oil
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups flour 
• 1/2 cup cinnamon chips
For the swirl:
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 Tbs cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. Mix bananas, butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla together. sprinkle baking soda and salt around on top of the banana mixture. Then gently stir in flour and add in the cinnamon chips. Remember not to over-mix.

3. In a small dish, mix together the 1/3 cup sugar and 1 Tbs cinnamon.

4. Add 1/2 of the batter to the loaf pan and then sprinkle half, or a little more than half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture all over the batter in the pan. Add the rest of the batter, and then sprinkle the leftover cinnamon-sugar on top.

5. Bake for 50-60 minutes, but start checking the oven at 50 minutes since ovens vary.

Baked Donuts- Simply Vegan

It's time to make the donuts!
I mean really?
Who doesn't love donuts?!

Over the summer I found a brand-new donut pan at a garage sale.

Which is my favorite way to find "new" baking dishes...

I just wait until a fade finishes being the "new, hot" thing, 

then I swoop in and purchase those items from them.

It's a perfect relationship...

for me. 

As you know by now, 

I can't just make something according to the recipe. 

I need to mix it up.

And in this case, 

since these donuts were going to a fence build in McMinnville, 

I wanted to make these vegan.

Baked Donuts-Simply Vegan

-Chocolate Dipped 

-Vanilla Dipped with Sparkles

Modified from Mom's Need to Know

INGREDIENTS (yields 12)

Donut batter:

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar
• 2 egg equivalent of Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer
• 2 tbsp melted vegan butter

Vanilla Glaze:

• 2 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp coconut milk
• 1/4 tsp vanilla

Chocolate Glaze:

2 cup powdered sugar

3 tbsp coconut milk

1/4 tsp vanilla

2 tbls. Hershey's cocoa powder

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add lemon juice or vinegar to coconut milk (buttermilk substitute).
2. Preheat oven to 425. Spray donut pan with non-stick spray
3. Combine dry donut ingredients in large bowl.
4. Add coconut milk, egg replacer and melted vegan butter.
5. Stir just until well mixed.
6. Fill each ring of the donut pan about 2/3, try not to overfill!
7. Bake about 8 minutes, until tops rebound when pressed.
8. Leave donut in pan for about a couple minutes.
9. Remove from pan and set on cooling rack.
10. In a small bowl just big enough to dip donuts, combine glaze ingredients and stir until smooth.
11. Dip top of donut into topping of choice.
12. Hold above bowl allowing excess glaze to drip off and back in the bowl.
13. Place donut on wax paper or return to cooling rack.
14. Add sprinkles, if wanted, the glaze dries quickly.
15. Wait a few minutes for the glaze to set.

According to the taste-testers at the fence build for Fences For Fido, these were a tasty treat.

I think that donuts will be a part of my treats in the future too.

Of course, I will be trying different flavors!  Who wants to eat the same thing every build?!

Well, the volunteers might, but I definitely like to mix it up.

ENJOY!!

Lemon Poppyseed Bread- Vegan Style

Lemon Poppyseed...I'm not sure what I really love most about it.
Is it the lemon?
Is it the crunchy seed?
Is it both?
Or is it that it always reminds me of people that I love?
Yeah...that's it.

One of my favorite places to go on the Oregon Coast is Cannon Beach.
I head there with my favorite girls to hangout and catch-up.
Before we head back to our real lives,
we stop by the local bakery to purchase treats to take home.
Some loaves of haystack bread and lemon poppyseed muffins are always in my bag as I head home.
Both are delicious, but the muffins have a crunchy lemon icing that make it my favorite.

Since I miss my friends, I have decided that I need to make something to help me
Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Bread
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 egg equivalent with Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer
1 cup sugar
2 tbls vegan butter or vegetable shortening
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon extract

1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup oil

Lemon Icing Ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp lemon extract
water to dissolve and make glaze

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1. Sift to combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
2. Use a mixer to blend together the egg replacer, sugar, vegan butter or vegetable shortening, vanilla, lemon extract and lemon juice in a medium bowl.
3. Pour wet ingredient into the dry ingredients and blend until smooth.
4. Add oil and mix well.
5. Pour batter into a well greased 9x5-inch loaf pan.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into center of the cake comes out clean.
7. Let the bread cool completely before adding the lemon icing.
8.Let the icing set up before slicing.
Enjoy!

Need Holiday Cheer?

To me, cookies provide cheer and smiles.

Are you ready for the Holidays?

If you're like me, this season seems to sneak up on you 

and pretty soon there are too many things to do.

While I can't helped you out with everything, 

I can help by giving you a little bit of time 

through making treats for your family or holiday parties.  

The best part is that while you eat and share treats, 

you can know that you’re making a difference in the lives of dogs around our community.  

It's a win-win situation.

If you are new to my blog and my bake sales, then you should know a couple things.

• First, I am not a commercial bakery, all items are made in my home. I make baked goods because I LOVE to bake.
• Second, I also ADORE dogs so all of the profits from the pies and treats are donated to Fences for Fido. 
• Thirdly, if there is something that you don't see on this list, it's because I have a modified menu of treats for the holidays. But that doesn't mean that you can't ask...special orders can always be made.  :)  

Cookies:

-Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies with icing (Regular or Vegan)

-Soft Sugar Cookies with holiday sprinkles (Regular or Vegan)

-Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate (Regular Only)

-Chocolate Crinkle (Regular Only)

-Ginger-Molasses (Regular or Vegan)

-Gingerbread (Regular or Vegan)

-Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie (Regular or Vegan)

-Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookie (Regular or Vegan)

-Chambers Family Favorites Mix 

              (A mix of the Chambers’ favorite cookies)

** Cookies can be ordered by

                         - Full Containers will be $12.00

                         - Half Containers will be $6.00

Gluten-Free and Vegan Cookies-available in Full Orders only for $15.00

-Oatmeal and Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

-Caveman Cookies (Almond Butter Based)

Holiday Pies- Just a few options

Classic Pie Flavors:

·         Apple Pie

·         Dutch Apple Pie

·         Pecan Pie

·         Chocolate Cream Pie

       PRICES:

       - 9 inch pie $12.00

       - 6 pie $6.00

Breads- $8.00 per loaf

-Pumpkin

-Orange-Cranberry

-Lemon Poppy-seed

-Zucchini

-Lemon-Blueberry

HOMEMADE JAMS

8oz jar = $3.50

Very Limited Flavors remain.

Please contact me for flavors.

Want to place a holiday order while supporting an amazing charity?

Email me your order at livesimplywithsparkle@gmail.com 

or message me through Facebook.

Payment: Cash, checks, or credit card through iSquare.

                            Please make all checks payable to Fences for Fido.

All orders will be available for pick-up on Monday, December 23rd 

at either my home, or at Kraxberger Middle School.

If you need treats at an earlier time, please just let me know. 

Thank you for supporting this amazing cause! –Lori

One Dollar at a Time

One dollar.
Seems simple enough.
A dollar.
Heck, there are entire stores dedicated to selling things for just one dollar.
Though it is just a dollar, pocket change really,
I think a dollar can do a lot when put into the right hands.

A dollar at a time.  That's what I aim for when I have a bake sale.

One dollar...or two...or 15...it all adds up to one thing.

Dollars joined together can really make a difference.

And in this case, each dollar added up to a fence of freedom for a dog.

Space to safely run. 

A simple request, but when your life consists of what is at the end of a chain, even simple things can seem unreachable.

When I bake, I think about the people that I'm making it for, 

because each person is special and important to me.

And I think about the dogs that it will help.

To me, baking is a joy and the ingredients that I use are just as important.

All summer I pick local berries for jams and pies.  

So when I make a pie, I know that each berry was picked at perfection...and with a lot of love.  

I really try to pack as much love as I can into each one. 

Hopefully you can tell the difference love makes. :)

 Mixed Berry Pie

Above: Gluten and Vegan Pumpkin Pie on the left, Vegan Only Pumpkin Pie on the right

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies- a favorite treat. 

 

I love having a car filled with treats for people. 

It's the best feeling knowing that people will have happy hearts and tummies.

My mom even joined in the fun by making her famous Cinnamon Rolls.
She doesn't make them often, but she will always make them for my heart project of FFF.

The day before Thanksgiving was exhausting for me...
...so many pies and treats to make.
But all of the work crammed into 3 days was absolutely worth it.
When I finally took a moment to count up the donations, I was shocked.  Not only had I met my goal of raising enough money for a fence, I had exceeded. Nothing feels better than knowing that together we can make the difference in the lives of dogs.

So now with Thanksgiving in the past, what is a girl to do?
I'm sure you know what I'm doing...
Yep, planning treats for Christmas.
I definitely need to adapt some recipes to be completely vegan,
but this kind of work is energizing.
Even when I'm exhausted,
I just picture a dog waiting at the end of a chain for someone to come along and release him.
That is my motivation.

Now the big question...what treats to make?
:)  It's a difficult job, but I'm so thankful that it's mine.
And I'm thankful for you too.

Need Pies for Thanksgiving?

It's that time of year again...pie time!
Of course, I like to think that pies can happen at any time of the year.  But my flavor choices get a little smaller at this time of the year since I only use products that are in-season and fresh.  I think that is what makes my pies so delicious.  Well, that and all of the love that I squish into every nook and cranny.

If you are new to my blog and my bake sales,
then you should know a couple things.

• First, I am not a commercial bakery, all items are made in my home. I make baked goods because I LOVE to bake.
• Second, I also ADORE dogs so all of the profits from the pies and treats are donated to Fences for Fido. 
• Thirdly, if there is something that you don't see on this list, it's because I have a modified menu of treats for Thanksgiving.  I just want to make sure everyone has pie for the holiday. But that doesn't mean that you can't ask...special orders can always be made.  :)  

Holiday Pies
Classic Pies are made with real butter
                   and are Chambers family favorites.
Classic Pie Flavors:

• Apple Pie
• Pumpkin Pie
• Bourbon Pumpkin Pie
• Mixed Berry Pie
• Dutch Apple Pie
• Apple Crisp
• Pecan Pie
• Chocolate Cream Pie

       PRICES:
       - 9 inch pie $12.00- this is the standard pie size, excellent for sharing :)
       - 6 pie $6.00- this is an excellent size for a 2-3 people.

Vegan Pies are made to mimic my classic pies...it's so close that your family won't know that it's vegan.
Vegan Pie Flavors:

• Apple Pie
• Pumpkin Pie
• Mixed Berry
• Dutch Apple Pie
• Apple Crisp (This can be made Gluten-Free as well!)
• Pecan Pie

       PRICES: Slightly higher than the Classic Pies due to vegan ingredients having a higher price point.

       - 9 inch pie $15.00- this is the standard pie size, excellent for sharing :)
       - 6 pie $7.50- this is an excellent size for a 2-3 people.

Not really wanting pie? 

Well, I will be offering a couple cookie options as well. 

Cookies:
-Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies with icing
-Pumpkin Snickerdoodles (Regular or Vegan)
-Ginger-Molasses (Regular or Vegan)
-Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie (Regular or Vegan)
-Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookie (Regular or Vegan)

** Cookies can be ordered by

                         - Full Containers will be $12.00
                                  (16-20ish cookies depending on cookie size)

                         - Half Containers will be $6.00
                                  (8-10ish cookies, depending on cookie size)

HOMEMADE JAMS
8oz jar = $3.50

Flavors:

Strawberry
Marionberry
Silvan (Marionberry Hybrid)
Cherry
Raspberry
Plum
Plum-Pear
Spiced Plum-Pear
Blueberry
Blueberry-Plum

All treats will be available for pick-up on either 

Tuesday, November 26, 2013 

or 

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

I will be delivering pies to Kraxberger Middle School on Tuesday, November 26,2013 at noon. 

Want to place a holiday order while supporting an amazing charity?
Email me your order at:
                        livesimplywithsparkle@gmail.com

Payment: Cash, checks, or credit card through iSquare.

                            Please make all checks payable to Fences for Fido.

Thank you for supporting this amazing cause! -Lori