Gratitude and Thankfulness-Day Thirteen

Happy Day Friends,

Today I'm grateful for Monday's.  The Bangles had it all wrong.  I don't see Monday as manic at all.  I see them as a sort of mini New Years Day.  Sunday is a spiritual recharge day for me and a busy one to boot.  By the time I've gotten up early for last minute practicing, played two services, rehearsed the choir, chatted at coffee hour, attended to other church activities and hung out with the family I'm bushed. It's always feels so great to hit the hay after a long and productive and inspiring day. 
Monday rolls around and I feel ready to face the week and to try new challenges.  As Anne Shirley says, "Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it". 

One of the things I am challenging myself to work on this week is trying some new recipes and vegan ones to boot.  I made some vegan cranberry orange bread this weekend and it was a roaring success.  So tasty.  I took it to the church for a special coffee hour and it was gone in 5 minutes (insert Church Lady sniff of delight and over confidence). 

CRANBERRY-ORANGE-NUT BREAD from Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero

Makes One Loaf
Time:  1 Hour 20 minutes, not including cooling time

1/2 cup soymilk (I substituted plain coconut milk from the carton-NOT CANNED; curious how an almond milk or hazelnut milk would taste.....)
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour (I used 1 1/2 c all purpose and 1/2 cup whole wheat)
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 cup chopped fresh cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I used pecans)

Preheat the oven to 325 F.  Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. 
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the soy milk, orange juice, canola oil, sugar and vanilla.  Sift in the flour, baking power, baking soda, salt, and allspice.  Mix just until smooth.  The batter will be thicker than a normal cake batter, so don't be alarmed!  Fold in the orange zest, cranberries, and walnuts.  Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan.  Bake for about 1 hour.  Let the bread cool for about 15 minutes before inverting it onto a cooling rack.  Flip it right side up to cool further.

Chopped pecans and cranberries.  Love the color combo.  As Martha Stewart would say, "How Pretty". 

Finished deliciousness! 

PS-I found that this tasted better after it sat and really cooled.  Maybe something magical happens with the flavors? 

Friends, a new cookbook added to my collection is The Vegan Slow Cooker.  Awesome-sauce is all I can say.  I haven't tried a recipe yet but they all look delicious and what's even more exciting is that there is an entire chapter on how to make staples for your freezer/pantry.  I can't wait to make the pumpkin puree! 

Buon Monday friends and enjoy your fresh and mistake free day! 

PS-Check out the colors on this dragon fruit!  The taste was OK but the colors......fab.  Maybe this is inspiration for a knitting pattern????