Pumpkin Bread

One of our adventures over the past week or so involved helping a dear friend get back home after she fell and broke her arm while visiting friend in western Wisconsin. We got our friend home, mail picked up and food in the frig but while doing this I found that there was a vibration in the steering wheel of our car. Ava is a 1997 Avalon XLS and she had been my friend since she was 18 months old. The maintenance on this car has been really low but with 190,500 miles on her, she has seen the better part of her life. We will sell her for what ever "as is". She needs struts, tires and alignment. So, among other things last week I went "online shopping" for a replacement for Ava. The internet is a great tool for looking but nothing beats actually driving the unit. Bottom line is we did pretty well on a low mileage 2008 AvalonXL and picked that up yesterday. We have come to love our Toyota products. I know Toyota isn't an American owned car company but by golly it sure employs a great many American with building them, servicing them and selling them so I don't feel too bad about it. The new one is Cassias Pearl. We were expecting a "white" car but it is maroon. Cassias is from the oriental plant that when the leaves are crushed it produces a deep red color. So, Mt. P. we went from Gold to Maroon or burgundy. After letting go of so many dollars Den needed a sweet treat (don't ask, it is a Robertson thing). So, I made him Pumpkin Bread.
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Pumpkin Bread

2 each 9x5x3" loaf pans sprayed with PAM
350F 50-60 minutes

In a large bowl, combine:
3 C. flour (for this kind of baking use Gold Metal as it is lower in gluten than say Robin Hood (better for yeast breads)
1 tsp. salt
2 C. white sugar (you could reduce to 1 cup and use a cup of Splenda here, but for taste sake use some sugar or the Splenda thing isn't that good)
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg (again, here I use my micro plane and grate from the whole nutmeg seed, it tastes so much better than the pre-ground)
2 tsp. ground cinnamon (I also add about 1/4-1/2 tsp. of freshly ground cinnamon for the taste)
1/2 tsp. ground all spice

When you have all of that in the bowl, use a wire whisk and blend well. (You can shift it all through a sifter if you want to be a purest about it.)

Add in and mix well:
1 15 oz. can pumpkin
1 C. Canola oil (corn oil is fine as well, I just don't use "vegetable oil" as it is normally soy based)
4 lrg. eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract (please use the real thing for this, you just put those tasty spices in this, don't you want to taste them? Real Vanilla Extract allows the flavors of your spices to come through like sunshine on a summer morning when you are baking, believe me.)
1/2 C chopped nuts (walnuts or pecan), dusted with a bit of flour can be added if you like

Mix well and pour into 2 prepared loaf pans. Bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes. At the 50 mark test it to see how close you are (tooth pick, piece of spaghetti or a cake tester, inserted into the center and comes out clean is your test for being completely baked). Allow to cool on wire racks for 5 minutes or so and then carefully turn the loaves out, setting them up right to cool. I have made pumpkin bread for years and used many different recipes but this one is the one that I like the best.
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It has been a while, I know and I hope that each of you are well and having fun out there. They still print my pieces in the weekly local paper. Will wonders never cease. I think we are going to Cedar Rapids to see a Kernal's game with Craig and Pam, some dear friends who live in CR, this evening. We went once a number of years ago and enjoyed it a great deal. I can't remember who the Kernels are a farm to for but they put on a great show.

Oh, the tomato and eggplant plants are all showing blossoms and I have two cutting off of our spinach. Summer in the Midwest is the best.

God Bless and Hugs To All,Linda