I had two recipes to choose between to show you today and I just couldn't decided which one to show first. So I did a little poll on facebook to see which one the readers would like and after a few days of voting it looks like the Banana, Apple & Carrot cake won out.

I promise you will get to see the other recipe soon. I will share it, I promise!

I think my life is changing.... I am not sure if it's for the worse of better. My window of opportunity to blog, take photographs, do up furniture etc is slowly diminishing as my little boy gets more and more active. This past week he has really gotten the hang of crawling such as realizing that he can actually move from room to room and explore every nook and cranny of the house. This has left me wondering will I ever get anything done again during his awake time. On top of that I am constantly scouring the floor for any minute pieces of anything that would appeal to a inquisitive 7 1/2 month old. I am constantly fishing random little bits of stuff out of his mouth which may included fluff, dust bunny's, pieces of thread, stones, an ant (it was dead)! You would think I don't clean my floor with that list of things but I sweep it everyday because of his penchant for picking these things off the floor and putting it in his mouth. *sigh*

I have enjoyed motherhood for the most part, watching this little fella grow and change with each passing month. When I though I got the hang of handling his current stage he goes and develops some more such as being sedentary to rolling and then onto crawling. I try to adapt with each passing phase and find new ways to work around it but this new stage has stopped me in my tracks. I have to take time to watch this little boy, keep an eye on what he's up too, stop what I want to get done and concentrate on him. My wish list of things to get done for the day generally gets tossed out the window quite early in the morning. I know people have said to me don't make plans just go with the flow when you have kids but the "planner" and "list maker" in me likes to set goals for the day and week so that I can achieve and get things accomplished. I have fears that these days are numbered.

I am a person that doesn't like change. Never have and I doubt I ever will. However I realise that change is inevitable with a baby - constant change in fact - and somehow I need to make peace with the changes that are occurring in my life because otherwise I will constantly be stressed and be harried trying to live life like I use too. Maybe that is my problem - I am still living life in a way before I had a child. Its a habit hard to break since it took us so long to have children. We had established a life without kids for so long (nearly 6 years) and it is now time to re-establish a new life with them.

I don't want to give up what makes me happy and gives me enjoyment but somehow I need to find balance. I have been contemplating this for a while now and I am still not sure how to go about it. So if things get quiet around here some weeks you know the reason why.... My little boy is keeping me super super busy!

Enough of my rambling onto this scrummy, yummy, Banana, Apple & Carrot loaf. I know the combo may seem a little bit strange but I tell you it's delicious. The combination of these three ingredients calls for a lovely moist, sweet and finely crumbed loaf. It goes perfectly with a cup of tea for your morning or afternoon snack. A pat of butter on a freshly cut piece that has been warmed slightly in the microwave will sit a treat on a lovely sunny (or dreary) day. I have made this into a "sugar free" version but I will give you the alternatives to make it into a normal loaf if you so desire. I didn't add any walnuts into this loaf like the traditional banana or carrot cake however they probably would make a nice addition if you have some in your pantry.

I used a combination of flours such as spelt and white self raising. The spelt flour gives the loaf a finer texture and a fluffier cake. If you don't have any spelt flour just substitute if for plain flour.

Banana, Apple & Carrot Loaf

by The Whimsical Wife

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 45-55 min

Keywords: bake snack sugar-free cake fall spring summer winter

Ingredients (1 Loaf)

1 large apple, peeled & grated (granny smith or any red apple)
1 large carrot, peeled & grated
1 large ripe banana, peeled
5 tablespoon butter, melter
5 tablespoon rice bran oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup walnuts optional
1 cup spelt flour
1 cup self raising flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup rice malt syrup, warmed until runny (OR 1/3 cup maple syrup if not going "sugar free")
1/4 cup stevia powder (OR 1/3 cup brown sugar if not going "sugar free")
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line a large loaf tin.

In a large bowl mash the banana with a fork until smooth. Add the grated apple & carrot and mix to combine together. Add the melted butter, oil, salt and walnuts.

Sift in the flour, soda and spices and add in the rice malt syrup and stevia.

Add the lightly beaten eggs and combine all the ingredients thoroughly with a wooden spoon.

Spoon the mixture into the loaf pan and level the top off.

Decorate the top with extra walnuts or almonds.

Bake in the oven for 45-55 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Let it cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from the tin

Cut into thick slices and serve as is or with little butter.