Oatmeal Raisin Quick Bread

It's Friday! 

Even though I've been gone from the workforce for quite a while (3 1/2 years people!), for some reason, Fridays still hold all the magical allure that they once did. Fridays were always my favorite days during my younger school days, my college days, and later, my work week. When I was in school, Fridays always felt like there was an undercurrent of excitement going through me and all my classmates. Anticipation of a weekend that held endless possibilities for me and my girlfriends. Whose house would we sleep at? What games would we play? What boys would we talk about? Fridays change a bit in college, the anticipation is more like, "What bar are we going to this weekend??". Still loved Fridays. And the work week? Fridays were the days we were allowed to wear jeans to work and the boss would buy us coffee and bagels for breakfast. Weekend plans would excitedly be made over caffeine and carbs. 

And you know what? Not much has changed. I may not be implored to go to class or to open an account for someone, but I still love Fridays. What's that about? Maybe I just enjoy the happy and excitable atmosphere the day brings about in everyone else. Either way, Friday is just a perfect day to wrap up the week. Maybe I'm just in a jolly mood because- dun, dun, DUN- the hubby has the day off tomorrow! He's worked 10 straight 12-14 hour days, and he's running ragged. I told him if he doesn't sleep in tomorrow, I'll club him over the head and he'll sleep anyhow.

No. No,  I would never do that :)

Now, about this recipe. I made this bread specifically for the hubby and his healthy eating. It's made with whole wheat flour, almond milk, and lots of healthy oats and raisins. I really piled on the spices in this cake, because that's what the hubby luuurves. The result was a deliciously toasty, moist, and seriously addictive quick bread. It's definitely got an oatmeal cookie quality to it. Yummmmm. 

I used quick cooking oats for mine, just because that's what I had on hand. I normally use regular oats, but I could find nary a regular oat on my shelves. I wasn't sure if the quick cooking would cause any changes in the bread, but I sure didn't notice any. That being said, I think you could substitute regular oats for the quick cooking variety. As for the raisins? Don't skimp. They are one of the best things about this bread. It's like a party for your mouth when you get one of those tasty morsels in your bite. I love how baking raisins makes them softer, and it's almost like they burst with flavor in your mouth. 

I pulled my loaf from the oven a little early, which resulted in the bread falling a bit in the middle. Since I used whole wheat flour, I was worried about over baking. Although the bread was done, it probably could have gone a few more minutes. I'm not too worried about the appearance however, taste is king. I'd rather have a slightly sunken bread that's moist and delectable vs. a perfect looking but dry confection. If you are worried if the bread is done or not, one of my favorite ways to decipher doneness is with a thermometer. Yes, I said thermometer. Quick breads should reach 190º, so you can use a handy kitchen thermometer to make your decision for you. Looks like I could have used it in this case! :)

Does anyone have any exciting plans for the weekend? Other than the farmer's market tomorrow morning, I don't. The only thing I do know is that there will be lots of hubby-time. Who knows what we will get in to? Maybe a movie. Or head to West Virginia. Or stay home and have a Netflix binge session. The world is our oyster. 

All right, all right. Jessica out. There are bird feeders to be filled, the garden to be watered, and compost to be tumbled! Duty calls :)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups almond milk

2 large eggs

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 tsp vanilla

1 heaping cup raisins

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly coat a loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside. 

2. In a large bowl, combine flours through salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, combine almond milk through vanilla. Beat well. Fold dry ingredients in with a spatula. Take care to not over mix, fold just until the mixture is moist. Fold in raisins. 

4. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake in oven 50-110 minutes, or until a fork comes out clean. Check bread at 30 minutes. If the bread is browning too much, cover with aluminum foil and keep baking. When done, remove from oven. Allow to cool in pan for 45 minutes. Turn bread out and slice. Serve immediately. Cool completely before storing.

Printable Recipe

Recipe adapted from Bake or Break.

If you enjoyed this recipe, you may enjoy these:

Simple Banana Bread

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bread

Nutella Swirled Banana Bread

Linked to: Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday, Treasure Box Tuesdays