almond cardamom quick bread.

This bread is wonderful. I made it yesterday, and ate two slices within 15 minutes of taking it out of the oven. Two generously sized pieces. Right after a filling lunch of whole wheat penne with steamed veggies & some Thai sauce.

I was so full, but it was worth it! No shame. No regrets.

^Good life motto, actually. That's the motto ** YOLO and we bout it errday errday errday like we sittin on the bench ** we don really play, errday errday ** what anybody say. Huh, I guess it kind of loses its effect when you need to bleep out the expletives so many times.

Yesterday was really good, actually. So was today. I ate oatmeal like I've vowed, and had super healthy lunches and dinners. My workouts are also really satisfying.. the amount of bread I ate motivated me to go for both a hike and run/walk four miles, although the bread is really healthy. I am excited to see progress!

Of course, today my mom would say that from now on, she's making all foods that I like. Tomorrow's dinner is falafel, next day's is chole. Handwo is coming at some point. I love my mom. And her cooking is without a doubt too superior to not eat, so .. I'll try to eat in moderation, still? I'll workout more? ... If nothing else, I'm definitely going to enjoy my last few days at home. Because ain't no shrikhand, date rolls, or aloo papri chaat gun end up in da busch dh.

There also won't be the chance to make things like this bread. It's sort of crumbly, probably from the high amount of leavening, but it's not really a problem. It's also really healthy, almost inherently. There's whole grains, minimal added fat, and ground almonds, which add crunch, it's so nice! The crust is just .. I can't. I love the crust of freshly baked bread.

I'm not even talking about a couple hours later, oh no! I mean 10 - 15 minutes after removing it from the oven. It's heavenly. The contrast between the crust and the tenderness of the interior is wonderful. Cardamom can be overwhelming, but it complements the almond nicely. When you first eat it, you will taste the cardamom and think, what is this flavor? Is it the toasted flavor of the oats? Of the nuts? I was the one who made it, and still couldn't immediately place the flavor. But it's the cardamom. And it's welcomed with open arms.

That was corny ^^ but true. I recommend toasting or warming the bread before eating. Also, make it the day you plan for most of it to be consumed. It's great with tea, or for breakfast. Its fragrance will fill the house, trust me.

See the grains in that crust?! So good. Crazy good. It cray. 

Oh, speaking of fragrance, I just watched a 16 minute YouTube video on perfumes. Do you have a signature scent that you use? My roommate at college does. My mom does. My best friend does. I WANT ONE. For myself, mind you, not just because all these people have one. I just wonder how they got it, because I feel like the most well-suited perfume is an incredibly fickle and difficult thing to buy. How can you tell what its major notes are? Whether it will be long lasting?

And then there are different classes. The following are listed from highest to lowest concentration. The higher the concentration, the longer the scent lasts.

Perfume
Eau de parfum
Eau de toilette
Eau de cologne

I found this one scent from my mom's collection (only exposure I've really had to perfume, never having owned one myself), and really liked it; it wasn't too mature, and it was really clean & feminine. Unfortunately it's an eau de toilette. I don't know if that should stop me from buying it, because so far that's all I know with certainty that I like. It helped me solidify what notes I want though: musk & floral,  specifically rose.

We'll see. I had an expensive run at a Moroccan restaurant the other day, which is holding me back from buying anything for a while, but this is like an investment, right?

Yeah, exactly. Just like a car and a house - a bottle of perfume is a great investment.

Leave me be to my justification and logic, and I'll leave you with the recipe for this bread. Deal?

Almond Cardamom Bread
I adjusted the flour types; you can use all all-purpose flour, if desired. I also had a little less than a 1/2 cup of oat flour, so I filled the remaining space in the measuring cup with flax and bran. adapted from here. 

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 
• 1/2 cup toasted oat flour (toast oats & then grind them. measure after grinding.) 
• 1 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1 Tb baking powder 
• 1/2 tspn baking soda 
• 1 tspn salt 
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar 
• 1 tspn cinnamon 
• scant 1/2 tspn (do a full 1/2 tspn if you want a strong flavor) cardamom 
• 5 oz sliced almonds, toasted (about 1 cup) 
• 1 egg 
• 1 cup applesauce 
• 3 Tb neutral oil 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Grind the almonds in a food processor, with a little bit of any type of flour, to prevent the almonds from turning to almond butter. Grind to a chunky consistency, not a fine powder. You want to maintain the texture of the nuts in the bread. 
3. Combine the dry ingredients, from the flour to the nuts. 
4. Thoroughly blend together the egg, applesauce, and oil. 
5. Add dry to wet. Mix till just combined. 
6. Scoop into a greased 9x5" loaf pan. Bake for 45 - 60 minutes. Start checking after 45 minutes. Test with a skewer or knife. 
7. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature before slicing. Or be impatient like me and carefully cut one slice to eat after about 15 minutes. Savor. 
8. Store in airtight container. Best on the day it's made.