honey wholewheat cranberry nut bread

Happy 2014, wonderful humans! Can you believe 2013 has come and gone? My brain just can't wrap itself around that fact. 2013 was quite the year for me. It was our first full year in Africa, I had some really tough times with friends, I learned a LOT about myself and about other people {they suck. not all of them though.}, I discovered my deep passion for health and fitness, learned a lot about health, fitness, food, and photography, grew much closer to my wonky-tonk family, and expanded my blog considerably. I've had many, many lessons that I know will get me places in 2014. I'm so ready for a fresh new start and to leave the past behind me. Come at me, 2014! Also, thank you to all you lovely people who read my blog each and every witty and weird post. I heart you big time and I hope this new year is full of rainbows and butterflies. 

I'm not really one to make resolutions. Probably because I have a little trouble with keeping them, but I think that's all the more reason to make a few this year, however small they may be. 1) step out of my comfort zone more often and do things I normally wouldn't. 2) DO MORE FOR OTHERS. 3) run longer distances. 4) experiment more with baking vegan/GF. 5) finish 10th grade early. and 6) dedicate more time to my blog and all you lovely people. 

What are some of your resolutions? The most common is probably "eating better, ya da ya da ya da." AMIRIGHT? It's supposed that people lose motivation and are already slacking in their resolutions by the second week of January. So instead of going from the holidays and stuffing yourself to drinking 5 juices a day, I'd like to suggest easing into healthy eating. You're so much more likely to stick with it then! As we all know, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And sadly, eating cookies or cake isn't the best way to rev up your metabolism first thing in the morning. I have a solution! MAKE THIS QUICK BREAD. It's super quick and easy, has only a few really basic ingredients, is healthy, and highly adaptable! For this one I used chopped nuts and cranberries, but you could chop up different nuts, use different dried fruit, and throw in some seeds for good measure. The world is at your fingertips. 

honey wholewheat cranberry nut bread

2 1/2 c. wholewheat flour

1 c. quick cooking oats

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 c. honey

1 2/3 c. milk {I used soy}

3/4 c. chopped nuts

3/4 c. dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease a loaf pan; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk flour, oats, and baking soda. Add honey and milk and stir until combined. Gently fold in nuts and cranberries. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 35-45 minutes. Let cool completely before slicing.