Hello! My Name is Betty Crocker??

What happens when you deny yourself the right to bake because you are WAY too busy with life? Well, besides racking up most of your computer’s memory with recipe bookmarks, if you’re like me, you wind up going on an all out baking binge that, by the end of the day, leaves you questioning your identity!

The morning started off as any other…although I had totally been dreaming about Allie’s Gingerbread Oats ALL night. So what did I do as soon as I woke up?

Gingerbread oats topped with cinnamon "whipped cream", pecans, and pom arils

What do you think of my new bowl and mug? “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!” The decorations are going out tomorrow! 🙂

Gingerbread Oats Inspired by Allie @ LiveLaughEat:
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup milk of choice
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 Tbsp molasses (don’t skip this…it really MAKES the oats!)

Toppings:
Plain Greek yogurt aka “whipped cream” spiked with cinnamon
Pecans
Pom arils

Combine all ingredients in medium sauce pan and cook on med-low heat, stirring occasionally, until desired thickness. These were creamy and super thick thanks to the pumpkin! Just like I like ’em!

After breakfast, I just got this urge to bake something. Maybe it was the gingerbread oats… maybe it was the new festive dish…maybe it was the fact that it has been WAY to long since I last baked!

It all started as I was perusing my plethora of recipe bookmarks and started drooling over Elise’s “Hippie-roons“, a vegan version of macaroons. I’ve always had the ingredients, but NOW I had the time!

Hippie-roons may be my newest obsession!

Yum!

Seriously folks, this recipe was so simple and out of this world! One bite and I was in HEAVEN! Make this NOW!!

At this point, most normal people would go sit on the couch, watch some TV and nibble on their tasty macaroons, but I (aka Betty Crocker) had just gotten started! I couldn’t help but notice another of Elise’s creations…Pumpkin Banana Bread and well, when you look over at the fruit basket and see this, what else can you do?

Insert Monty Python quote: "Eh, we're not dead yet!"

I ended up making TWO different versions of this bread with a little tweaking here and there. First up: Pumpkin Banana Coconut Bread with Pepitas. Ingredients are as follows with my changes in red.

Pumpkin Banana Coconut Bread with Pepitas:
2 overly-ripe bananas(I used 2 1/2 bananas)
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1 cuppumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract(I used plain vanilla extract)
chia seed “egg” (1 tbsp chia seeds + 1/8 cup water) (I used this, but for non-vegan bread,      you can use 1 egg)
2 cups whole wheat flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 cup stevia baking blend (I used 1/2 cup raw turbinado sugar, you could also use               brown sugar)
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas), chopped

I followed the recipe but just added the pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon to the dry ingredients before combining with the wet. The coconut I added in at the last-minute (ideas…they just come to me!). Pour batter in loaf pan and top with chopped pumpkin seeds. Cooked at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Slicing it up!

Sliced and ready to...photograph??

This is where I realized that I had indeed lost myself to the baking. Good ol’ Betty was taking over…but I didn’t mind. So, as I tightened up my invisible red striped vintage apron, I continued on with…

Pumpkin Banana Raisin Bread:
Same ingredients as above (with my adaptations), but THIS time I added 1/2 cup of raisins instead of the 1/4 cup of coconut. I started out with 1/4 but it needed more…plus I love pumpkin and raisins together!

Instead of the pumpkin seed topping, I stirred up a quick mix:
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
1 Tbsp turbinado sugar (you could use regular brown sugar too)
1 tsp cinnamon

Spread nut mixture over top of bread and bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes (more time due to the moisture of the raisins).

Still warm from the oven!

Now THAT's what I'm talking bout!

I love the way that both breads turned out but the pumpkin raisin combo is my fave! The brown sugar/cinnamon/nut topping really made it! It’s a little sweeter than the first batch (due to the raisins) but not overly sweet where you feel guilty having another slice!

And with that I was finished! Special thanks to Allie, Elise, and of course…you too Betty! 😉

Disclaimer: Betty Crocker is a registered trademark to General Mills, Inc.