My favorite Fall recipe...Pumpkin Bread

In the midst of my busy week, I got to take the time today to go on a field trip with my 3rd and 4th grade boys.  We saw A Christmas Carol.  Once we all got settled I thought, oh this will be nice to relax and sit for 2 hours...no excuses!  I can honestly say, it was REALLY nice to relax, let my guard down and watch a great play.  But the play wasn't just entertaining, it was actually beautiful.  To hear the voices singing about Christ being born to save us from Satan's power.  To hear Scrooge finally profess that he was willing to do what it took to become a changed man, and to see the redemption at the end.  To hear "God bless us".  It's a wonderful thing to hear when so many are afraid to utter those words in that they might offend someone.  It was a great day...

On to the recipe...The smell of this bread baking to me is what Fall is all about.  Being at home, spending time with family, staying inside on rainy days and baking some of this bread, then eating it right out of the oven!  I can honestly say, it's one of those things that when I eat this bread, it takes me right back to when I was a little girl.  My great-aunt and my mom baked this bread all of the time and I can remember my mom putting thick slices into the toaster for me, getting it a little crispy on the edges, then slathering it with butter.  It's comfort to me.  I know it's kinda silly, but it's true.  Such fond memories of holidays growing up and so thankful to have those special memories.


Pumpkin Bread {family recipe}


INGREDIENTS: {makes 2 loaves}

• 3 eggs
• 1 1/4 Cup sugar
• 1 Cup oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 can {15 oz.) pumpkin puree
• 3 Cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. cloves
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 Cup chopped walnuts {optional...I sometimes make 1 loaf with nuts & 1 loaf without}

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Beat together the first 5 ingredients.  In a separate bowl, whisk the next 7 ingredients.  Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix well.  If desired, add chopped nuts.  

Pour into 2 greased loaf pans and bake for about 1 hour.  Check for doneness at about 50 minutes...toothpick should come out clean.  You don't want to over bake.

Remove from oven, let cool in pans about 10 minutes, then pop out of pan onto a cooling rack.  Now you can take a nice big slice for yourself!  Once they are completely cooled, wrap tightly in foil.  The loaves freeze well too.  I used to freeze one and eat one, but now we eat them both too fast to freeze!  Warm slices in toaster or in microwave.