End of the Season Carrot Bread

It's hot out there, and I know that the last thing you want to do is turn on your oven. But, a carrot is a terrible thing to waste, and if you're like me, you might have a couple of extra bundles hanging out in the fridge from the end of the season harvest. So what to do with all those carrots? If you're tired of eating them raw, and you don't have any cabbage to make slaw, why don't you work your magic in the kitchen and bake a loaf of carrot bread. Come on it's easy! And, it's a sure fire way to get rid of a lot of carrots at once - which means more room for squash, cucumbers, eggplant and other summer veggies. All you need are the baking standbys, a few shelled pecans, and a strong air-conditioner. Enjoy your bread in the morning with a cup of coffee or at night with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (from Wright's Dairy of course!).

End of the Season Carrot Bread

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup wheat bran
1 cup sugar (or 1 cup honey)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups peeled and grated carrot
1 cup chopped pecans

Combine eggs, oil, vanilla in a large mixing bowl. If you choose honey instead of sugar, add honey to wet ingredients. Sift together dry ingredients in separate bowl. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together. Do not over mix, bread can become dense and tough. Fold in carrots and nuts. Pour in greased 9" loaf pan and bake for about an hour at 350 degrees. If you use honey instead of sugar, decrease the oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake longer - 15 to 30 more minutes.