Baking Bread & Feeding Bees

The heat has returned to North Texas.  It seems as though we might break that record after all for # of days with temps reaching 100 or higher.  After all those wicked hot days we’ve had I said, “why not tack on a couple of more just to break the all time record!”  Fall is just around the corner – right?  I don’t know if I’ve ever looked more forward to cooler weather than I do right now!

In my anticipation of fall I baked a Peach & Banana Loaf.  I had about half a bag of peaches left over from the Upside Down Cake   http://www.theorangebee.com/2011/09/10/hatch-is-history-and-peach-upside-down-cake/ and decided to toss them into the banana bread.  It is a delightful, moist, full of flavor quick bread.  The peaches add just the right sweetness and with the wheat flour there is a health benefit as well.  If you or your family don’t eat this up within a couple of days, be sure and store it in the refrigerator to keep it fresh.

Now for a little bee news.  I am currently feeding all but two hives and am waiting on Dan my man to cut a hole for one more feeder to place on Queen April’s hive.  Last week they looked to have plenty of honey stored up but when I checked today they showed signs of needing some help in the pantry.  Hives, Queen Rita and Queen Heidi devoured a quart each in 24 hours, so once again my hunch was right that they will need food for the rest of the summer and possibly into early fall.  I enjoy going out to the apiary to refill feeders as the bees seem pleased to see me show up with buckets of syrup.

The greatest news is, an acquaintance approached me today after gym class and asked if I would teach her how to become a bee keeper.  Lucky for her I was feeding today and invited her out to observe.  Besides feeding, I opened two hives to show her what it looks like down inside those pretty boxes and she is the luckiest, as we saw both Queen April and Queen Elena.  Mr. F told me that my pay back to him for teaching me all he has would be to do the same if anyone ever asked me to.  I’d have never guessed it would happen so soon but I am happy to teach and help establish a new beekeeper.  Any more takers?

Enjoy!

Peach & Banana Loaf

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups white flour
1 cup wheat flour
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. Salt
2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup fresh peaches, mashed

Preheat oven to 350*.  Grease a medium loaf pan, I use my stone loaf pan.

In a mixing bowl mix the flours, brown sugar, soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Whsiky until thoroughly mixed,

In a smaller bowl beat the eggs.  Add the lemon juice, milk and mashed banana.  Drain the peaches in a colander, reserving juice.

Slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  If the mixture seems to dry add a little of the peach juice at a time.  Be careful not to add too much.  (I didn’t need to add any)  Stir in the mashed peaches and nuts.

Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and bake in the middle of the oven for about an hour.  Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaf.  when the toothpick comes out clean the loaf is done.  Cool for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to complete cooling.