I spent the last week recovering from a nasty bout of flu, no thanks to the sudden drop in temperature as winter haughtily sashays her way in.
Thankfully, I’ve almost defeated the sore throat and awful hacking cough that attacks in the night.
And as I gain my strength back and feel optimism filling me again, I feel ready for new challenges and breakthroughs.
To say that the past one month has been hectic is severely understating the reality.
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Being a new manager, taking charge of another person, and having additional responsibilities is not just more time-consuming; it also takes a toll on your mental strength and character.
And because I’d also decided this month to declare my dream of writing a cookbook to the world, I just added another level of pressure to that from work.
Yes, I’m fully aware of that.
But bring it on world, I’m ready to rock and roll.
Today I feel like an Energizer battery, freshly charged and ready to take on the world.
A few days ago, I definitely didn’t feel that way, but today I am completely refreshed and excited. I’m looking forward to new goals and gaining different insights, and more than ever, I want to be a better version of myself.
I read somewhere once that to do so, we have to constantly improve, to always be at least 1% better than we were yesterday.
And so that’s my aim.
Whether it is about being more efficient, or better-skilled, or more sociable, I want to push past the invisible ceiling that is my own biggest barrier, and I want to reach for constant improvement.
I believe that it’s the most positive way to go forward, and I’m certain that thinking this way, I’ll be able to reach my goals, whatever they are.
Ok, but for now, let’s talk about something a little lighter, and much possibly tastier.
This grain-free lemon poppyseed bread.
It’s a citrus lover’s heaven.
Fragrant and rich with the tastes of lemon, and sprinkled with poppyseeds, this is a loaf that you’ll find impossible to put down.
I know I couldn’t get enough of it.
And for every single morning the past week, I ate slices of this bread for breakfast – a power breakfast indeed.
I loved that the lemon lends a fresh flavor to the bread, and in the midst of winter, this is definitely a great way to get ready for the day.
Join me for a slice right now, won’t you?
GRAIN-FREE LEMON POPPYSEED BREAD (Makes 1 loaf)
Barely adapted from: Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations
Ingredients:
1) 2 cups of almond flour/ almond meal
2) 3/4 cups of shredded unsweetened coconut
3) 1/2 teaspoon of salt
4) 2 teaspoons of baking powder
5) 2/3 cup of honey, liquified
6) 2/3 cup of coconut oil, melted
7) 3 large eggs
8) 3/4 cup of milk cream
9) Zest and juice of 1 medium-sized lemon
10) 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds + more for sprinkling on top of batter
Steps:
1) Pre-heat oven to 350 deg Fahrenheit (175 deg Cel)
2) In a large mixing bowl, sift the almond meal, shredded coconut, salt and baking powder and stir well to combine
3) Pour honey and coconut oil in a food processor and process until well combined, then add eggs one at a time, processing well after each egg is added.
4) Add in the milk cream, lemon juice, lemon zest and poppy seeds, then process some more until smooth.
5) Make a small well in the middle of the dry ingredients, and then pour in the wet ingredients mixture, combining properly with a wooden spoon until you get a smooth batter.
6) Pour batter into a well-greased loaf pan, sprinkle additional poppyseeds on top, and then bake for 55 – 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
* Note that instead of using a loaf pan, you can also pour batter into muffin liners/muffin mold. In the case of making muffins, bake at 350 deg F or 175 deg Cel for 20 minutes.
I found your blog recently, and all the recipes look fabulous! However, I tried making this lemon poppy seed bread and it was a complete flop. The taste was wonderful, but it came out extremely oily and the middle had caved in. I did substitute milk cream for almond milk and used a raw honey that is very creamy… could that have done it? Do you have any ideas about what went wrong?
Hey Jessica! Thanks for dropping by and giving me your feedback on the bread!
I’m not sure why yours turned out oily and caved in the middle – it could be due to the fact that you used almond milk (which is more liquid than milk cream), and if the honey you used was very creamy it might have attributed to the floppy texture.
Did you poke a toothpick in the middle of the bread to test whether it was done? (usually, quick breads like this are ready once a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean). And, sometimes, because every oven is different (whether its gas or electric), baking times vary from oven to oven. The size of your loaf pan may also affect baking time.
What I think is that while swapping out different ingredients may have affected the outcome, it could be that your loaf was lacking in a bit more baking time… (next time, for any cake/quick breads, try the toothpick trick).
Hope that helps? And I hope you return to the blog (and that the fact that your loaf didn’t come out well doesn’t turn you away!)
Thanks- I will definitely keep that in mind next time I am baking bread!
And don’t worry.. I’ll definitely be returning to your blog for more recipes in the future.
Thanks again!
Jessica
Well I’m happy to hear you got over your cold! And YOU CAN TOTALLY DO THIS!! All of it. It always seems like when you’re even the tiniest bit busy, all the things converge on you and you’re suddenly busy with a million things. But they are good things (like your cookbook!) so hopefully you will be a good form of exhausted, not just plain old exhausted lol. And I love this lemon poppyseed bread! So fresh and sweet for summer. 😀
JESS! Yes, so glad I’m finally over the darn cold! And i like what you said about being good exhausted (with my time well-spent on things worth my time and that make me happy). I don’t mind being tired if I’m doing things I love 🙂 Somehow I always find energy for it!
This lemon poppyseed bread is definitely among my favorite quick breads! If you have time one day, make it for your Nana, she might like it (since it’s grain-free!). Sending u lots of love!
This looks amazing! Your pictures here are stunning! ps I just read your cookbook post and I love that you’re going after a dream. If you ever want to chat about specifics, shoot me an email! I don’t know that much but I have learned a lot of things I wish I’d known before signing a contract. also pps have you read this post? super helpful: http://www.bojongourmet.com/2014/05/cumin-and-honey-roasted-carrots-ricotta.html
Hey Shanna! So glad you dropped by! I read the article you passed me, and it’s really helpful! Thanks so much for offering your advice!! You know what, I’m thinking of self-publishing an e-cookbook. perhaps you could give me advice on that (since that’s how you published your first ebook right? Or did you go with a publisher?) Right now, the cookbook is my dream, and seeing Anna from the Yellow Table self-publish, I feel like it’s possible to self-publish even if no publisher is knocking on my door! What do you think?