Hummingbird Bread
“Legends say that hummingbirds float free of time, carrying our hopes for love, joy and celebration. Like a hummingbird, we aspire to hover and savor each moment as it passes, embrace all that life has to offer and to celebrate the joy of everyday. The hummingbird’s delicate grace reminds us that life is rich, beauty is everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and that laughter is life’s sweetest creation.”
Wild Bergamot, better known as Bee Balm is a native herb and wildflower that virtually sings out to bumblebees and hummingbirds. Hummingbird Bread is generally a really spiffed up banana bread. I use my Southern Pecan Banana Bread recipe and add the Hummingbird ingredients to it.
Most recipes just add pineapple, but I believe the Hum comes from the Herb Bee Balm and a couple other special goodies. Hummingbirds love the color red and that is what makes this bread look good as well as taste fabulous. I also think it is very important to make it pure and healthy using all organic ingredients.
To learn more about this herbs history and how to grow it, read a previous article I’ve written called “Herbs For Wildlife – Wild Bergamot”
Wild Bergamot with organic dried cranberries, pomegranates and pecans
What a wonderful opportunity this bread gives for using healthy dried fruits and nuts as well as the herbs grown straight from within your garden. It is also a lovely bread to serve to your friends and family during your next gathering for an outdoor garden tea.
This is an Old Southern recipe that is almost like cake but certainly bread. I always make extra to put up in the freezer for later. It’s very simple and quick to prepare. I also prefer preparing it into mini loaves because it stores so much better in the freezer and thaws nicely when put out on plates.
Ingredients
1/2 cup organic unsalted butter softened
1/2 cup of organic coconut palm sugar (unrefined and unbleached)
2 eggs, best straight from the hen house
1 cup organic bananas, ripe and mashed up
1 1/2 cups organic unbleached flour
1/2 cup organic barley flour
1/2 cup dried Bee Balm flower petals
1 cup dried organic cranberries or pomegranate
pinch of sea salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup warm water
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.Makes 4 mini loaves. Soak your dried berries in the 1/3 cup of water in a small saucepan on low. Blend butter, sugar, eggs and mashed bananas until smooth. Add the warm liquid with berries from your saucepan. In a separate bowl mix together with wire whisk your flour, salt and baking soda. Add your dry ingredients to your banana mixture and blend.. Fold in the pecans and Bee Balm pedals. Divide into your 4 lightly buttered loaf pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Check the center with a toothpick. When it comes out clean the bread is done. This old fashioned bread will crack at the top. It is so beautiful and the aroma will fill your kitchen. Cool pans a bit before removing them from the pans. Let them finish cooling on a wire rack.
Article by Pamela Kimsey
Pammy is a organic gardener in Southeast Texas who believes diversity with natural habitats is the key to a successful garden. With a background as a commercial grower and manager for a large wholesale nursery, she became quickly dismayed with the over use of chemicals and the effects they have on life and the environment.
Pamela has written 87 awesome articles for Natural Family Today.
