Apple Spice Bread

Hello!

I hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend! I’m definitely enjoying it even without being able to run. I’m taking my resting seriously. We were out with some friends last night – one of whom is a track coach – and, he made me pinkie promise to rest for at least 10 days. Like, do nothing. 10 days. But, I pinkie promised so I have to do it. You *can’t* break a pinkie promise.

I was in a “nesting” mood yesterday and I cleaned the house from top to bottom. Phew, did it need it! I was a little overdue on spring cleaning. For some reason, when I clean, I also like to bake. So, in addition to the amazing peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies I made yesterday to celebrate Cookie Monster’s birthday, I also made some Apple Spice Bread and, I got adventurous and decided to try my hand at some Orange Sherbert. Om nom nom! Thing 2 loves orange sherbert and, if you have ever purchased some and read the ingredients, you’d want to make your own too. So much better! And it was quite tasty. Win!

But, back to the bread. I was really looking for something to make that I could use for French Toast. Thing 2 isn’t HUGE on cinnamon (except in cinnamon buns) so I didn’t want to do a cinnamon swirl bread but I also didn’t want something like just plain old bread. She also doesn’t do raisins so those were out. I came across this recipe for apple spice bread and decided that it would fit the bill. There is some cinnamon in the bread but it’s not overwhelming and the apple lends an amazing sweetness. Of course, if you prefer, you could always use a Granny Smith apple for a tarter flavor – I used a Jonagold apple. Yum!

And, the best thing about this bread, is it is delicious enough to just eat on its own! Perfect with your morning coffee or afternoon tea, this light, fat-free bread is big on flavor. How did it do with the french toast? Om nom nom! It was fabulous – probably the perfect french toast bread in my opinion. Light enough that you can eat a few pieces without any guilt and packed with flavor and depth. Happy breakfasting!

What’s your favorite weekend breakfast food?
Do you prefer a tart or sweet apple?

Apple Spice Bread
Makes 1 loaf (20 slices)

1 cup shredded apple (about 1 medium)
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
2 egg whites or 1/4 cup cholesterol-free egg product
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray loaf pan (8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 or 7 1/2 x 3 3/4 x 2 1/2 inches) with nonstick cooking spray; dust with flour. Mix apple, sour cream and egg whites in large bowl. Stir in remaining flour and ingredients. Spread in pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan 5 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack before slicing.

Nutritional information:
Calories 45; Protein 1g; Carbohydrates 10g; Fat 0g; Fiber 0g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 120mg

Marathons and Apple-Spice Bread

Six days until the Salt Lake City Marathon! I’m so excited!! I’m heading there to run with my friend Carla – someone who is so similar to me that we could, SHOULD, be sisters. I’ve never done that before either. Run a marathon with a friend. I’ve always done them by myself. It’s exciting, and scary, to think about! This will be my 6th marathon and I’m finally going to have a “partner” the whole way AND we’re travelling to a beautiful city to run in a place neither of us have run before. Of course, coming from 32 feet above sea level to 4200 feet above sea level is going to present its own challenges. We’re hoping that the humidity and thick air we regularly encounter when running will help us adjust a little easier to the difference. We’ll see. We’re not trying to break records or set PRs in this race. Start to finish, that’s the plan. Enjoying the beauty of the city and the mountains together is a bonus.

Of course, the Boston Marathon is tomorrow. So, between prepping for my trip and thinking about Boston has me totally jazzed. I’m so excited for tomorrow and I’m not even going to be there! I’ll be watching live streaming video during the race – yes, I am THAT much of a run nerd that I watch MARATHONS on TV or my computer. It’s really going to be a great race! I’m so excited for the ladies competition. Shalane Flannigan and Kara Goucher are my two favorite runners and I can’t wait to watch them run tomorrow. *side note: my sailor and I went out to New Orleans to cheer on a friend running her first marathon and Shalane and Kara were both there to run the half-marathon. Because I wasn’t running it, I wasn’t all over the race website like I am when I’m actually running the race and I had NO IDEA that Kara was going to be at the expo. We went to check out the gear – I got some really awesome headbands! – and I discovered that Kara was going to be there for a Q&A session in like 10 minutes and HECK YES, I sat down and waited for her. So. EXCITING! She’s amazing. Afterwards, I hung around and waited and got to meet her! EEEEPPP!!!!

Anyway, one day, I would like to qualify for Boston. It’s going to take some work and I haven’t even broken the 4 hour mark yet but with CrossFit in my life and determination, I’m certain that I can achieve both of those goals. Maybe I’ll make one of them this fall at the Kansas City marathon. Yep, I’ve decided to do that one. I’ll be back to solo because Carla’s running Denver but that’s okay. She’s going to have a great time there and Kansas City is a bonus because that’s where my sailor’s family lives. So, it’s a two-fer! 🙂

Breakfast treat!

I decided that I needed to bake something this morning. I browsed my ample selection of cookbooks (seriously, I’m addicted) and found this recipe. I’m actually surprised I’ve never made it before! Apple-Spice Bread. How perfect is that?! It’s definitely Spring in northwest Florida – cool morning temperatures and thunderstorms in the area – and the thought of the cozy smell of baked apples and spices waking up my family was pretty darn enticing. So, there you have it. Delicious, lightly spiced, and healthy morning (or afternoon!) treat perfect with a cup of coffee or tea or even a tall glass of juice. Enjoy!

Apple-Spice Bread
Makes 1 loaf (20 slices)

1 cup shredded apple (about 1 medium)
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream (I used plain, nonfat greek yogurt)
2 egg whites or 1/4 cup cholesterol-free egg product (Egg Beaters)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and dust with flour.

2. Mix apple, sour cream (or yogurt), and egg whites in a large bowl. Stir in remaining flour and ingredients. Spread into pan. (Warning: batter will be very thick. This is okay! Also, this bread does not contain yeast. It will not rise.)

3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan 5 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack before slicing.

Nutrition per slice:
Calories 45; Protein 1g; Carbohydrates 10g; Fat 0g; Sodium 120mg; Cholesterol 0mg

Here’s what my supervisor thinks about Greek yogurt: