If You Love Food, Do This!

If you don't love food, then the last three blogs have been very boring for you. If you do love food, you need to do this: go to www.penzeys.com and ask to be put on their catalog mailing list. Not only will you have access to some of the best herbs and spices on the planet, you will get a catalog each month that is filled with recipes. Here is a recipe I found that my friend, Heidi, should like...she makes the most beautiful and delicious breads.

Whole Wheat Apple Bread

Makes 1 loaf - each slice is 90 calories

1 cup vegetable oil (not olive oil)
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups whole wheat flour (or 1 and 1/2 cups each whole wheat and white flour)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups chopped, peeled baking apples (McIntosh or Granny Smith)
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts), optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8x4-inch loaf pan (or spray well with non-stick cooking spray). In a large bowl, combine the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Sift in the flour(s), salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Stir just until dry ingredients are incorporated into the wet ingredients. Fold in apples and nuts. Spoon dough into loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 1 and 1/2 hours, or until toothpick inserted into middle of loaf comes out clean (start checking at about 1 hour and 15 minutes). Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack and cool completely. Serve with butter, apple butter, or plain!