Coconut Zucchini Bread

And...one last recipe from the weekend.  I had to do it.  I just couldn't let that zucchini go to waste.  Since G won't eat zucchini, I find myself making sweet treats for L and myself.  In my previous post, I mentioned that lemon reminds me of spring.  You know what else reminds me of spring....coconut.  So...I made Coconut Zucchini Bread.

Again, another really easy recipe.  I mixed together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Then, I mixed the zucchini, coconut oil, sugars, yogurt, egg, and vanilla.  (side note:  the only item I had to buy for this recipe was the yogurt!)

I added the wet ingredients to the dry, and then stirred in the shredded coconut.

The loaf baked for about an hour and then I let it cool.

 

One word....YUM!



Lemon Zucchini Bread

I am dying for Spring!  I am so over winter and ready for windows to be open, germs to be gone, and lots of outdoor playtime.  One thing that reminds me of Spring is anything lemon.  Feeling springy, I came across a recipe (that I apparently pinned multiple times) that sounded yummy-  Lemon Zucchini Bread.

I gathered up everything I needed....

...and mixed the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Then, I beat the eggs, mixed in the oil and sugar, followed by buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest.

 

The zucchini then got folded in and mixed well.

Following this, I added the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mixed well.

I poured the mixture into a loaf pan, baked the loaf for about 40 minutes, and then took it out to cool.

While it was cooling, I made the glaze, which consisted of powdered sugar and lemon juice. 

Then I drizzled it on the loaf and let it set.

The bread was so moist and the lemon packed a nice punch.  Definitely got me in the mood for spring!

One of my biggest pet peeves is having to put a huge thing of buttermilk when I only need like a 1/3 of a cup.  Instead of wasting it, I poured it into my baby food trays and popped it into the freezer.  Now, the next time I need buttermilk, I have 2T. cubes that I just need to thaw out.  That should save some money at the store!

Coconut Banana Bread

This morning, Landon and I had some friends over to play.  I had a craving for some sort of a sweet bread, so, when I came across this recipe, I knew it was a no-brainer as it combined two of my favorite criteria....healthy and coconut.  I had most of the ingredients on hand already and it was super easy to whip together.

First, I rounded up all my ingredients.  I think the only ones I had to buy were skim milk and greek yogurt!!

 Then, mixed the dry ingredients together...

Then mashed up the bananas with a fork and mixed with the brown sugar and vanilla...

 Then, added the egg whites and mixed...

 Then, added the oil and mixed... (do you see a pattern forming?!?!)

 Then, added the flour mixture in three batches and mixed between additions...

 

 Then, added the greek yogurt, orange juice, and milk, and mixed.

 And finally, added some coconut, and mixed.

Once everything was combined, I poured it into an 8.5" loaf pan (recipe called for 9x5" but I just used what I had) and sprinkled the remaining coconut on top.

After an hour of baking and cooling, I sliced this baby up and volia....coconut banana bread.

With Spring just around the corner (hopefully...I know we still have a few months to go, but, a girl can hope, right?!?!) you will be seeing a lot of coconut recipes popping up since I have a slight obsession for the flaky sweet :-)

Coconut Banana Bread (from fitsugar.com)
Ingredients

1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1¼ teaspoon baking soda
3 Large ripe bananas, mashed
½ cup + 2 tablespoons sweetened flaked coconut
½ tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup of brown sugar
3 egg whites
2 tablespoons skim milk
¼ cup fat free plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup orange juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda together in mixing bowl.
3. In separate large mixing bowl combine mashed bananas, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add egg whites and mix together until smooth. Next add oil. Then, slowly add in flour and combine until moist. Next add Greek yogurt and orange juice. (Depending on the consistency you can add two tablespoons of skim milk. If you like your bread more dense —omit the milk — but if you like it more airy or lighter you can add it.) Lastly add ½ cup of coconut and mix together.
4. Pour into greased 9×5 inch loaf pan. Sprinkle two tablespoons of coconut on top.
5. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and the bread is golden brown.

Optional: throw in ½ cup of walnuts to batter to help keep you satisfied all morning. Another option: substitute ½ cup of regular flour with whole wheat flour