new every morning bread

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning…"  

Lamentations 3:22-23

I've always been a morning person, and, oh, how I love the words of the verse above.  They refresh, they renew, they restore hope.  Watch the 10:00 news for five minutes or read internet headlines and you understand why meditating on them is so absolutely necessary.

This has become my favorite place in our house, I do believe.  The chair gets comfier every time it's occupied, my great-grandmother's quilt envelops me, and it's the meeting place for God and me every morning at 5:00.  Even though its only two or three feet from the edge of my bed, there's something comforting about knowing I'm heading to that spot at sunrise to receive His new and endless mercies.  It's a gift.  And all He's asked me to do is just show up.    

The chaos and stress of mornings can make it one of the absolute hardest times of the day, but sustenance can make all the difference in the world.  The feeding of the soul and the body can make for a hopeful start, that's for sure.

This is a great recipe to get you going and so easy to grab and go.  You can make substitutes to your liking, but I like it just like this.  Mom made it the first time I had it, and I instantly loved it.  The next time I craved it, I made it, though slightly different, due to some ingredients I didn't have on hand.  No matter the version, it works, and it's very healthy.  But beware… it won't last long!

New Every Morning Bread
makes one loaf

• 1 banana, mashed
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 T oil
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
• 1/4 cup wheat flour
• 3/4 cup granola cereal
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

~ Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

~ Grease and lightly flour 9x5 loaf pan.  

~ Mix all wet ingredients together, stirring in cranberries and nuts.  Add in dry ingredients 

    in the order listed just until moistened.  

~ Fill pan and bake until golden and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan, about 

   45-55 minutes.

~ Cool in pan 5 minutes then remove and cool on rack.  Serve immediately or wrap tightly 

    and store in refrigerator.