I have a question for y'all--if you received a home-baked Christmas gift, would you prefer sweet breads like pumpkin/nut, cranberry/orange and a selection of cookies, or a couple of loaves of bread, like onion/oregano and French bread? I'm starting my serious Christmas baking in a couple of days, and I need to plan out how much of which to bake. I know some of our friends would prefer the sweet breads and cookies, so that is a given. However, I'm not sure about the more nontraditional breads. I'd surely appreciate your advice, ideas, and preferences. Ho, ho, ho!
My only suggestion is to make sure the recipient has no allergies to the additions to the breads.....like the onion/oregano...Randy is seriously allergic to onions. But personally I would prefer the, I guess you would call them savory breads, instead of the sweet breads. They can accompany a quick and easy meal of left overs after the rush of the holidays is over.
I love French bread but the thought of your sweet breads and cookies is very tempting. What a pity I can be your taster!!
Being Diabetic I'd want the breads as I can eat a slice of it without a problem . Even if I wasn't, I'd still want the bread. I just don't have that much of a sweet tooth anymore.
Well, I like the sweet breads. My mum used to make me banana bread and also courgette bread and carrot bread. I lurve them all. I still have fond memories. I also like large, round soft cookies. They can be ginger, oatmeal or chocolate chip---but for me they must be soft. yummy.
Hi Jane, I would prefer nontraditional bread as there are always way to many sweets this time of year in my house.
Jane, Bake ANYTHING. Whatever you like to bake is probably way more than anything they will ever bake or try to bake. I am amazed at how little people do for themselves when it comes to bread and cookies, so most people probably don't get homebaked treats of any kind. Me? I can bake any of it so I appreciate anything I don't have to do myself.
Okay, I decided to compromise--a little of each in everyone's Christmas basket, except for the firemen and policemen, and the three shops in town that I take Christmas treats to--they will get cookies because they are quick and easy to eat, plus a policeman with ginger on his breath and cookie crumbs on the front of his uniform isn't nearly as terrifying! One of the hairdressers at the "hair house" I go to is diabetic, so she gets spicy pecans and loaves of bread (thank you, 2ofus for reminding me of diabetic needs!). I'll take breads and cookies to the other hairdressers at the shop, and the neighbors will get breads, both sweet and regular. I dearly love this time of year--I can bake to my heart's content, and then share! Your advice, all of you, has been very helpful. Thank you!
I'm starting to get my baking supplies together. I'll be making gifts of fudge with pecans, banana nut bread, Divinity, small chocolate zucchini cake's as they are pretty rich, and chocolate peanut clusters plus a loaf of bread for each recipient. Diabetic friends will get dietetic deserts such as Cheesy almond Cheesecake bars, Pumpkin Spice cookies. and diet Brownies.
Our bread and sweet eating has changed a lot since Randy got his Type 2 diagnosis last Spring. It's low carb for us....and his last blood work report showed he was out of the Type 2 range now. He has a good almost no-carb bread recipe if anyone wants to try it for holiday baking.
Congratulations to your hubby for maintaining his diet (and you for helping him) to get his diabetes under control. That's great! I would love to try his bread recipe.
Oh, yes please share your recipe, Toni! I have diabetic friends, and always hesitate to give them regular bread. "Fine for diabetics bread" would be a real boon!
