Peanut Butter Bread

I like being home alone in the morning. Still in my fuzzy pink robe, the only sound is the occasional barking of Shadow and Trixie as kids pass our house on the way to the bus stop.

Some mornings are filled with hustle and bustle. There is showering (the last one probably is without hot water), lunch making, feeding 2 hungry dogs after persistent nudging by cold noses, and waiting for the perfect pair of jeans du jour to finish drying in the dryer. The result is an exit of the 5 of us as we head to school and work.

On the mornings of my days off from personal cheffing, I savor a cup of hot coffee with a smidgen of sugar and a splash of of half and half with a freshly baked muffin, slice of quick bread, or chunk of coffee cake while reading the daily newspaper. I read it cover to cover. Stories about the lost dog found 50 miles away, the latest restaurant review that I tear out and put in my "Must Try" pile, the horoscopes, the trade between the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians, and the impending rise in gas prices. I love the newspaper. It will be a sad, sad day for me when the inevitable happens and newspapers are only online.

I am partial to sweets that are on the less sweet side. Peanut Butter Bread is just the not-so-sweet sweet for me. Lightly toasted and slathered with butter, my 15 minutes of morning quiet makes me happy.

My morning time seems like an indulgence in our busy world. But who doesn't need a little break every once and a while.


Peanut Butter Bread

makes 1 loaf

To add piazza to your bread, top with chopped peanuts and chocolate chips before baking.

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
2 1/4 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla. Add eggs and milk and mix well.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt and add to the peanut butter mixture. Beat well.

Bake for 50 - 55 minutes until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan 10 minutes before unmolding.