So the hot summer is here and the kids and grand-kids are at home. I know sometimes you get up and just don’t want to cook breakfast, so I thought I would give you a few breads you can cook the night before and enjoy when you or anyone else gets up.

They are all pretty easy, so if you like it straight out of the oven you can even wait and cook them in the morning, if you want.

Chocolate Macadamia Bread

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate

2 cups self rising flour

1 and one-fourth cups sugar

one-third cup oil

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

1 and one-fourth cups buttermilk

one half cup finely chopped macadamia nuts

Melt chocolate in microwave safe bowl according to the directions on the package of chocolate.

Mix all ingredients together in order. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Let cool. I like to put a piece of parchment paper in the pan overlapping so I can get the bread out easily.

Easy Banana Nut Bread

1 box yellow cake mix

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup canola oil

2 cups mashed ripe bananas

1 cup chopped pecans

3 eggs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine all ingredients and pour into greased loaf pans.

Bake for 45 minutes in 2 loaf pans or use a tube pan and bake for 1 hour.

Monkey Bread in a Bag

3 cans biscuits, each biscuit quartered

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

3 sticks butter

Mix sugars, cinnamon, and nuts and place in a brown paper bag or gallon Ziploc. Take the biscuits and drop them into the bag. Melt the butter, and drop in on the biscuits. Shake well. Pour biscuits into a greased Bunt pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. This recipe is best saved for baking in the morning but it is super easy.

Sweet Potato Bread

three-fourths cup oil

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

3 tbs milk

1 and one-half cups self rising flour

one-half tsp nutmeg

one-half tsp cinnamon

three-fourths cup raw grated sweet potatoes

three-fourths cup pecans or walnuts

one-half tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease loaf pan and line with parchment. In a mixing bowl, mix oil, sugar, milk, and eggs together. Add flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and fold in sweet potatoes and nuts. Add vanilla. Pour into loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes.

Enjoy all the above with a great cup of coffee!

Until next time have fun in the kitchen, experiment, and indulge your cravings.

Laura Clements is a contributing food columnist for The Demopolis Times.