Georgia Peach Bread

Georgia Peach Bread

3 cups sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
4 eggs
4 1/2 cups pureed peaches
4 cups flour
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla or almond extract
up to 2 cups finely chopped almonds or pecans, optional

Cream sugar and butter.  Add eggs and mix well.  Add peach puree and mix well again.  Add dry ingredients, then add extract and nuts, if you wish.  Pour into loaf pans or 2 9x13's that have been well greased and floured.  Bake at 325 for 55-60 minutes for bread or 30-40 minutes for 9x13's. Check and do the toothpick test.  Cook until done.  Let cool for five minutes, then remove bread from pans. Let bread or the 9x13's cool on a cooling rack until cold. Wrap bread or cover 9x13's and store until the next day.  Bread will freeze well for two months. 

Yield 4 loaves or 2 9x13 pans

Spiced Peach Jam~Pomona Style

Spiced Peach Jam

Wash peaches. Cut to remove pits, and place in blender. Do not remove skins.

Puree enough to make 4 cups. Pour into a large pot.

Add 1/4 cup lemon or lime juice and 4 tsp of calcium water. Add 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground cloves and 1/4 tsp ground ginger.  Bring to a boil.

While it is heating, prepare your sugar. Use 3/4 cup to 2 cups of sugar. Mix 3 tsp pectin powder into the sugar. When the fruit comes to a boil, whisk in the sugar-pectin mixture.

Whisk till thoroughly dissolved. Return to a boil and stir continuously. Boil for 1-2 minutes, then turn heat off. You may add 1 tsp of butter to reduce foaming, if you wish. Skim any foam.

Ladle into properly prepared jars and boiling water bath them for 10 minutes. Yield: about 5 cups

Chocolate Coconut Oil Covered Bananas

Another yummy, but not so low-carb, way to get coconut oil into your tummy!  This one comes from My Cultured Palate.  

Chocolate Coconut Oil Covered Bananas

• 5 bananas, cut in half
• 2 cups coconut oil, at room temperature
• 4 Tbsp raw honey
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp sea salt 
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon 
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• wooden sticks

1. Mix the coconut oil, honey and vanilla together. 

2. Blend in the remaining ingredients – sea salt, cinnamon and cocoa powder

3. Blend until light and fluffy – an immersion blender works well.

4. Skewer each banana half with a wooden stick.

5. Dip each banana half in the chocolate mixture rotating to cover.

6. Place each dipped banana on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

7. Freeze for about 3 minutes to harden the chocolate.

8. Continue to dip and freeze bananas to reach the desired thickness of chocolate. Three times is pretty good.

9. After the chocolate is the desired consistency, place in the refrigerator or freeze – remember, coconut oil liquefies at about 75F so it is important to keep them cool!

10. After dipping is complete, pour any extra chocolate into a parchment paper lined dish and refrigerate until firm – this makes delicious chocolate candy!

Simple Coconut Oil Fudge

The Nourishing Gourmet gave me another wonderful coconut oil recipe to try!  Again, once I make it, I will scale the recipe. It seems like this is quite a small amount.

Simple Coconut Oil Fudge

1/2 cup of virgin coconut oil
1/2 cup of cocoa powder
1/2 cup of coconut/palm sugar (the paste-like kind) or 1/4 cup raw honey
dash of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

If solid, melt the coconut oil over very low heat, or even in a double boiler to protect the raw properties.  In a food processor or mixer, blend oil and other ingredients well.  

Line a pan with parchment paper and pour in fudge. Press down to 1/2" thick.  Refrigerate until set or place in freezer for about 30 minutes.  Cut into small squares and enjoy! 

Coconut Oil "Chocolate Bark"

Another way to get coconut oil into your body.  I haven't made this, but will try this week and let you know.  Apparently, this makes a very small serving, so I will adjust the recipe after seeing how it works as written.

Coconut Oil "Chocolate Bark"

4 T. (1/4 cup) Virgin Coconut Oil
1-1.5 T. Cocoa Powder
1/4 t. sweetner, such as honey or stevia
2 oz nuts (optional)

Melt the coconut oil to a liquid, add in cocoa powder and sweetener. Stir to combine and blend well.

Blend nuts into chocolate mixture (Optional)

Have chilled a metal bakeware lasagna or cake pan or pans in freezer for 10 minutes or so. Remove from freezer and line with waxed paper. Then pour mixture into chilled pan and spread to desired thickness.

Pop in refrigerator or freezer on level shelf and let sit 10 minutes or so. It will harden quickly and breaks with a snap.

Coconut Oil "Hot Chocolate"

I'm looking for ways to add more coconut oil to my diet. I already consume a couple of Tablespoons in my eggs in the morning, and use it to cook.  I found this on a forum this morning. This is a good way to get a BUNCH of oil down in a pleasant way. I used virgin coconut oil the first time I made it, but, since I *don't* enjoy the taste of coconut oil all that much, will use expeller pressed from now on.  

Coconut Oil "Hot Cocoa"

3 heaping tbsp CO
sweetener of choice (I used a Tbsp of raw honey)
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 raw egg
1 cup boiling water

blend

Best hot cocoa EVER!

Jelly, Jam, Preserves or Something Else?

Here's a handy guide for the different texture options you can make with most fruits:

Jelly usually does not contain pieces of fruit, as it is made by cooking fruit juice, sugar, pectin, and lemon juice.

Jam is made from crushed or cut up fruit, sugar, and sometimes lemon juice or pectin.  Jam doesn’t typically contain chunks of  fruit and can be pureed when making it.  

Preserves are made by cooking fruit and sugar together.  Preserves tend to have bigger chunks of fruit.  

Conserves are also sometimes called whole fruit jam.  It’s made by stewing fruit and sugar.  You can also add raisins or nuts.

Marmalade is like jelly, but it has flesh and peel of fruits in the jelly.  It’s usually citrus based.

Chutney is a relish of Indian origin made with fruit and/or vegetables. Chutneys often consist of chopped fruit or vegetables, vinegar, spices, and sugar.  

Fruit butter is fruit pure or pulp, sugar, lemon juice, and spices, cooked slowly to a smooth, butter-like consistency.  Whole pieces of fruit (such as apples) are put through a sieve or blended.