“All food is comfort food. Maybe I just like to chew.” Lewis Black, American comedian
The days until school starts again can almost be counted on fingers. There’s some excitement in the air, some annoyance and that vague, unsettled feeling that always comes with a beginning. It’s surely time to bake up some comfort food that can be easily packed into school lunches.
Baking for school lunches?! I know. It’s work. In truth, I’m not a bento box kind of mom. Our daughters are able to make their own lunches and sometimes prefer to eat what the cafeteria is serving. But, it’s kind of nice to have something from home in the middle of the day — whether you’re a tot, a teen or a grown-up worker who’s simply feeling harried.
Here’s one of my favorite recipes for a lunch-time treat.
Confetti Comfort Bread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Butter a loaf pan. In large bowl, combine 1 carrot (peeled and grated), 1 cup raisins, 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce, 1/2 cup water and one banana (mashed). Add three eggs and mix well.
Add two cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon baking soda and blend well. Put the batter in the prepared pan and bake one hour or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Cool on rack. When ready to pack lunches, either wrap up a single, thick slice or slice thinly and make sandwiches with a cream cheese filling. Mmmm.
This recipe doubles well. Bake one for now and freeze one, double bagged, for later.
Nora Edinger -- JOY Journal 