Wakie, Wakie, Rise & Shine!!

Do you remember your mother saying that? I sure do!! I don't think I ever saw Mom grumpy in the morning. Was that because she was a morning person or did she just drink enough of her black coffee to jump start her day before I was out of bed? Isn't it funny the things that we think of, when there's no way to get an answer? Maybe it is that fall feels like a time of reflection for me. It's also a time when I feel like making bread & pancakes and the like. I found this recipe for Pear Walnut Bread and thought it sounded terrific. I'll let you know how it turned out.

Pear Walnut Bread

Ingredients:

1 egg
1 cup of unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup of butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
1/4 cup of light brown sugar
1 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of wheat bran
1 tablespoon of flax seed meal
2 teaspoons of baking powder
3/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon apple pie spice (if you don’t have this use nutmeg)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 pears, washed, peeled and finely diced
1/4-1/3 cup of golden raisins, depending on how many you wish to add
3/4 cup of chopped walnuts

Topping: I sprinkled more golden raisins and cinnamon sugar mixture on the top sparingly.

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the center of the oven. Spray your loaf pan with nonstick floured baking spray. Set aside.

In your stand mixer, paddle attachment on, add the egg, applesauce, butter and sugars. Blend well.

In a separate bowl, sift the flour and then add the wheat bran, flax seed meal, baking powder, salt, baking soda, apple pie spice or nutmeg and cinnamon. Blend well. Then add to the wet mixture. Blend together. Then add the pears, raisins and walnuts and fold in by hand.

Pour into your prepared pan. Add a few additional raisins and a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar mixture on top and then baked for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let cool completely before removing and slicing.

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I was reading about "downsizing" the other day & was looking at a Homesteaders Cabin that was 18 feet x 24 feet. Can you imagine? Could you live like this? Talk about a serious downsize!!! You have to check this out! See:

http://www.tinyhousedesign.com/2011/06/19/12x24-homesteaders-cabin-free-plans/

Have a nice long weekend!