Pumpkins Pumpkins Everywhere

Pumpkin is a family nickname for our cutest members.  We were all the cutest at one point but, frankly, we all aged out.  Except for our dogs.  Our dogs are always pumpkins.

Sometimes originality is overrated - it's oh so typical to have a pumpkin recipe during the fall but it's oh so good. So enjoy going with the crowd and enjoy this recipe. 

Trust me on spices and don't use a pre-made pumpkin pie spice for this bread. Or for anything really! Buy the cloves and ginger (I'm assuming you already have cinnamon). We complain every season about then having cloves and ginger in our spice cupboard for the rest of the year, yet by the time we need it to make bread and pies for next season, it's gone bad OR has somehow been used. (Ginger crisis of Christmas 2010 for example. Disaster narrowly averted by less-old ginger procured from Nonnie's spice collection.) Plus the pre-made pumpkin pie spices usually have nutmeg in them, and nutmeg is gross. Truth. 

**Update - I found a pumpkin pie spice I really like and Penzy's.  I used it fall of 2012 and the bread came out great.

 

The recipe below makes 4 loaves of bread. Don't even bother trying to half the recipe. Just don't. If by some chance of fate your entire social network is away and you have left over bread, then just freeze it. To pay homage to Steel Magnolias it "Freezes Beautifully".

Pumpkin Bread

2 Cups Granulated sugar

2 Cups Dark brown sugar

1 Cup Vegetable Oil

1 Cup Unsweetened applesauce

6 Large Eggs

2 16 oz cans Solid packed pumpkin (not the seasoned or pie stuff, just plain.  2 15 oz cans is ok, too)

2 Tsp Ground cloves

1 Tbl Ground cinnamon

2 Tsp Ground ginger

2 Tsp Baking Soda

1 Tsp Salt

1 Tsp Baking Powder

2 Tsp Vanilla Extract (I usually throw in a little more b/c I like vanilla!)

6 Cups Flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter and flour 9x5x3 inch loaf pans.   Slightly different sized pans are okay.
 

Beat sugars and oil in a large LARGE bowl to blend. Mix in eggs, pumpkin, applesauce, and vanilla.

Sift flour, spices, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in another large bowl. Stir into pumpkin mixture 1 cup or so at a time. (Apologies for needing two bowls, but cleaning up a bowl that just had the dry ingredients in it isn't too bad.)

 

Pour into prepared loaf pans. 

 

Bake about 1 hour and 10 minutes.  We usually rotate the pans about half way through and end up taking it out about 5 minutes early b/c we like it really dense.  We also just let it cool in the pans.

Remember, makes FOUR loaves.

Once Around the Bowl

Family Cookbooks are Lame
But not mine!!!!!!!!!!!

My mom, Linda, and I have been talking about putting together a cookbook for quite a while now so I'm starting here with a blog to gauge interest and to have some fun.  My mother is the best cook in the world.  I'm sure your mom/dad/chef friend/grandparent/aunt/uncle/cousin/sister/brother or even you yourself are also great cooks.  However, my mom is better.  Truth. 

The challenge is that we live far away AND that her methods of cooking are more art than science.  The people who have asked her for recipes, and that's pretty much everyone who has ever eaten something she's made, are frequently baffled and disappointed when they go home and it whatever they make doesn't turn out like my mother's. 
Here are some common reponses my mom gives when receiving these complaints:
"It's not Rocket Science."
"Well you make it ten thousand times and I'm sure yours will be excellent as well."
"Make it how you like it.  I don't know how much <insert spice> is right for you.  I make it how I like it."

My reply to that last one is always "I like it how you make it!  How much <insert spice> do you use?"

Sigh.

See where I'm going with this?  My mom is an artist who can't be tamed.  Well I am going to attemp the impossible, dream the impossible dream, and try to bottle magic.  Or at the very least, get it down on (virtual) paper.

End of Summer Salad

 

One of the dishes that gets the most OOOhs and AAAhs is her Hot Salad.  For our fancy yet-to-be-written cook book we're going to call it "End of Summer Salad". Yes....OOOh and AAAh indeed!  The dressing is nothing but oil, water, and magic.  When asked how much oil to use, the answer is:

 Once Around the Bowl!