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     I love potato bread and it has always been a favorite with my family as well.  It is always so moist and fluffy.  I had never attempted to make it before this week.  But, when I was looking through some old recipe books, I came across this recipe for Potato Rolls and I decided to make a few adaptations and give it a try.  The original recipe called for butter, but I substituted coconut oil.  When I mashed the potatoes, I used a little almond milk in them instead of regular milk.  I wasn't sure if the mashed potatoes had to have milk or anything in them, but I put some in just to make sure that they were smooth and well mashed. 
     The result was perfect!  The rolls are so tall, light, fluffy and moist!  My husband and I ate them warm from the oven with butter and honey. 

    I used the Bosch to mix my dough.  It is still super hot here in Phoenix, so I waited until evening to make these so my house wouldn't get to hot during the daytime.  The Bosch helps to speed up the process of bread making so that I wasn't up all night finishing these. 
    I was able to put 24 rolls in my extra long Pyrex baking pan. Then, there was a little dough left over, so I turned that dough into about 8 cinnamon rolls! 

     This recipe is very simple to make and I am sure this is going to become my new go to roll recipe! I hope you will give them a try and you will see why! 

Fluffy and Delicious Potato Rolls

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I have done it everyone. I have done it, for you! As you may recall, breastfeeding has not been a walk in the park for me. It has been a battle, and I am now a warrior. Of all my research on what to do to increase breast milk production I have come across and great number of lactation cookie recipes. Lactation cookies are great, who doesn't want a good excuse to eat a cookie every day? I wanted to change it up a little bit, and I had some overripe bananas. Thus it was that my idea for lactation banana bread was born.

I love banana bread. Remember when I shared this gluten free banana bread recipe with you before?I buy bananas because I know I will be bad at eating them and I will end up getting to make banana bread with it! So it was only logical that I would eventually want to make a lactation banana bread recipe full of galactogogues to help milk supply.

The way I made this lactation banana bread is even more fun because:
1. They are mini loaves
2. They have chocolate chips in them

Let me tell you something. When you are breastfeeding your body gets drained of nutrients. You have to work hard to eat healthy and drink lots and lots of water (PH is sometimes shocked at how I can chug water now. I have long been a good water drinker, but I really cannot get enough.) We are working hard to supply our sweet babes with healthy sustenance while they are growing so quickly and are so dependent on us.

We get to eat chocolate chips.

We get to eat mini loaves of banana bread.

So go at it mama. I made this mini lactation banana bread loaves and cut them in half so I could eat one half per day. It is a fun flavor and texture change from cookies. There is also a little less sugar and if you REALLY don't want the chocolate chips it is even less. There is also less butter than any cookie recipe I use calls for. So hey, you are not indulging, but enjoying a lactation banana bread that helps you feed your baby and is still healthier for you, but tastes SO GOOD!

I am pleased, and you will be too!

For this recipe you'll want a mini loaf pan! Check out these great options below!

Lactation Banana Bread

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     My SIL, Geri came from a strong Portuguese family.  She was the oldest of 7 children, born into a family with strong ties, religious beliefs and traditions.  She was very proud of them and helped to carry on the traditions as she grew into adulthood.  I wrote about Geri on another post, when she passed away unexpectedly.  It is amazing to realize, as I think about her, what a mark she left on her husband's, my brother's family as well. There are so many things that I see in my day to day routine that remind me of her on almost a daily basis.  She was a great example of how to keep family ties strong.
     One of the traditions that she kept with her mother, that was a long held tradition in the Portuguese culture, was to make the sweet Easter Bread with the colored egg inside.  They would make this bread in large batches and give the loaves away to friends and family.  By virtue of marriage, our family became the lucky recipients of these tasty loaves every year.  Even when I married and lived away from home, Geri would mail my husband and I a loaf of this wonderful Portuguese Easter Bread. 
     Then, one year, I was asked to teach a bread baking class and I thought of this bread and thought it would be a great loaf to teach.  I wrote my SIL and asked about the bread and if I could possibly have the recipe.  Geri sent me a variety of recipes and variations, plus the cultural history of the bread.  Her mother's recipe was large, calling for 10 pounds of flour! I was a little overwhelmed by that and didn't end up including this bread in my class.  But, I always kept the recipe and the letter she sent, intending to tackle the recipe one day. Well! Today was the day!  3 of my grandchildren helped me to color the eggs (you can see them above) and we set about making the bread. I am so happy to share with you Portuguese Easter Bread and its story, via the words of my dear sister-in-law, Geri. 

     "The sweet bread is traditionally made for Easter and given away to friends and family.  This is a tradition my mom sticks to.  
      Keep the dough warm! We make the loaves in cake pans. Before you put it in the pans, knead each loaf to get out all the air bubbles, but don't work it too long."

     "A hard boiled egg goes in the middle with 2 strips of dough forming a cross.  This symbolizes death and resurrection-Christ's triumphant victory!"

     Geri went on to say, "As you can see from the recipes i found, everyone has their own variation.  I don't even know my grandma Dias' recipe-my dad always liked his mother-in-laws recipe better.  It was a lot sweeter.
     In the Azores, 'the old country', sweetbread is made into little birdies or individual loaves and given to people on the street during the traditional village celebrations when they bless the cows and give away milk. (Geri grew up on her dad's dairy farm!) The celebrations take place after Pentecost.  There's usually  1 or 2 a week all during the summer on the Island of Terceira.  The Portuguese in California have continued to have the celebrations.  Instead of sweetbread, they serve a type of stew, "soupas".  They serve anyone who comes regardless of race, color or religion.  They do it to honor the Holy Spirit. The Portuguese Community donates everything.  They also take pans of soupas to the sick, elderly or anyone who can't come.  They have a parade, a mass, a few dances and serve the soupas at lunch and dinner.  As kids, we always participated in one way or another in the parades.  A big and little queen is chosen to represent Queen Elizabeth who fed the poor.  Some towns really go all out!"  
     Can you feel the love and pride that she had in her culture and family as she wrote me these words?  I wish that I had made the bread before she left us so I could tell her about my experience. 
        I am going to share my adapted version of the Sweet Bread Recipe.  Sorry I don't have the Soupas recipe.  I am sure it is delicious though and if I can get it from my brother, I will share it with you. 

Sweet Portuguese Easter Bread

This delicious bread is a wonderful tradition! Perhaps you would like to incorporate it into your family's Easter plans. The symbolism of this bread is especially appropriate because when Geri wrote of "Christ's Triumphant Victory," it reminded me that she had the faith to know that we would all be together again because of that victory and so do I.
Thanks for stopping by!
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