Pumpkin Bread

Thanksgiving holds a lot of memories for me.  Unfortunately not all of them are happy.  I've tried boycotting it for the past few years but my family has bullied me into participating.  I've decided I need to go back to work so I can volunteer to work Thanksgiving.  (nurses work holidays!)

Despite my feelings associated with the day, nothing can replace the food.  Oh, the food.  My 10 year old son starts talking about Thanksgiving in September,  he can't wait for the day that is all about eating.  And my family can eat!  We could easily serve an entire football team and have plenty of leftovers.  We start with appetizers, followed by salad, move on to bread and lasagna, and then to the turkey and a million types of veggies.  We catch our breath, watch a bit of football, do some dishes and then sit back down for a million desserts.  Then we do it all again on Friday! 

My favorite that is always on my "to bring" list?  Pumpkin Bread.  I'm not even real big on pumpkin (I won't even touch pumpkin pie) but this bread is wonderful.  The best pumpkin bread I've ever tasted.  The recipe came from my children's nursery school and I've made it every year since I received a copy when my eldest was 3.  I've made it for friends, I've made it for gifts, I've made it as a thank you, I've made it just for the heck of it.  Yes, I find it that good. 

So, unless I find a way to weasle my way out of participating this year, you will be able to find me around my mother's dining room table.  I'll be the one bringing the pumpkin bread. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/3 cup shortening

2 eggs

1 2/3 cups flour

1/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cloves-optional (I don't use them)

3/4 tsp. salt

1/3 cup water

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/2 c chopped walnuts-optional

Directions:

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs one at a time. Stir in dry ingredient. Add water and pumkin. Bake 1 hour at 350 in 2 greased loaf pans (7 3/4" size).

Maple Pumpkin Pie

This week over on From Blah to Ta-daa! we are posting about our family's Thanksgiving Traditions. I'm sure most of you share the tradition of having a pumpkin pie for dessert after Thanksgiving dinner. It is my favorite pie!

This week I tried out a new recipe. I needed give it a test run on my guinea pigs family before bringing it with us to the Thanksgiving Day Dinner.

Maple Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

One Basic Pie Crust

Filling:

(From: Pie by Ken Haedrich)

3 large eggs

1 cup light cream or half-and-half

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 15 oz. can or 1 3/4 cups fresh pumpkin puree 

1. Line a 9 1/2 inch deep dish pie pan with your pie dough. Crimp the edges. Place in the freezer while preparing the filling.

2.) Beat the eggs lightly in a medium-size bowl. Whisk in the cream, maple syrup, and vanilla. Combine the brown sugar, flour, spices, and salt in a small bowl. Add the mixture to the wet ingredients and stir well to combine. Add the pumpkin and blend well with a whisk. Carefully pour the filling into the cooled pie shell.

3.) Place the pie on the center oven rack and bake for 25 minutes, then rotate the pie 180 degrees. Continue to bake until the filling is set, about 25 minutes. When the pie is done, the center will not be soupy. The outer area will have puffed a little, and the edges of the pie will have a slight sheen, although the center portion my not.

5.) Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. Or cover with loosely tented aluminum foil and refrigerate until well chilled. Serve garnished with whipped cream.

Note: I covered the pie crust with aluminum foil until the last 15 minutes of baking time. Also it took me 70 minutes not 50 minutes to bake. So trust yourself. If it seems soupy leave it in longer. Trust the description of the finished product to tell if it is ready to remove from the oven.

This pie was pudding like and delicious!

Much of what I am thankful this year seems so basic to others. But truly I am thankful that we have a roof over our heads, food in the cupboards and that my family surrounds me intact and healthy. I am thankful that we are keeping our heads above water financially.

What pie(s) will you be serving after Thanksgiving dinner? What are you thankful for this year?

   

Neatloaf

Note from Sara:  My side business gets pretty crazy during the holidays, so over the next several weeks, I'll be posting recipes from some amazing substitute bloggers.  This week, my friend John has generously stepped up to the plate.  He's one of my favorite writers ever (seriously), so definitely check out his blog!


Neatloaf: A Tasty Vegetarian, Gluten-Free Fake Meatloaf

You’re about to witness a groundbreaking moment here on the Blah to Ta-Daa blog. I’m humbled to not only be invited by Sara to cross post a tasty supper recipe, but also to be the first dude to volunteer in the history of the Blah to Ta-Daa blog. I am honored and quite excited.

As yet another short preface, please don’t be scared of this recipe because it’s vegetarian or the name sounds funny. Sadly there’s no other way to describe it other than “fake meatloaf”. If you give it a chance you might really enjoy it.

Short backstory: One of my favorite places to eat in San Diego was Jyoti-Bihanga, a tasty vegetarian/vegan restaurant run by the Sri Chinmoy folks. If you aren’t familiar with them, I’ll tell you this - they make a fantastic fake meatloaf, they call it Neatloaf. You can imagine how excited I was when a friend of mine e-mailed me the recipe, so now I can have delicious Neatloaf in the comfort of my own home here in North Dakota.

Since I cook for a Celiac sufferer, I make the recipe gluten free by simply replacing the Special K with gluten free corn flakes or one of the gluten free Chex varieties that are on the market. This can change the consistency a little bit, but keeps the recipe well within the realm of deliciousness.

Cheers!
John,
at Deaf Dogs and Benevolent Gnomes



Here are the ingredients for the Neatloaf:
4 large eggs
1/4 cup Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1/3 lb low-fat ricotta cheese
1/3 lb firm tofu (squished up into small pieces)
1/4 cup vegetable oil, of choice
1/3 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
4 cups Special K cereal (substitute GF corn flakes or Chex to make gluten free)
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic

Here are the ingredients for the sauce:
1/2 cup ketchup (you can also substitute catsup)
1/8 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup molasses
1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
Cayenne pepper (to taste - a pinch is plenty for me)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 300°F.
2. Saute the onions and garlic (in just a little bit of oil).
3. Beat eggs in bowl, the mix together all ingredients except Special K.
4. Mix well, and add Special K last.
5. Turn into a 9 x9 baking pan sprayed with cooking oil. 
6. Bake 1 hour.
7. While Neatloaf cooks prepare sauce, whisking together all sauce ingredients in a bowl. I typically like a lot of sauce so I double the sauce part. 
8. Remove loaf from oven, pour sauce over the loaf and cook an additional 10 minutes.
9. When loaf is done, if you can avoid the temptation, it’s best to let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
10. Best served with mashed potatoes and gravy and a side veggie.

It’s a bit of a complicated recipe, but don’t get scared, it’s not hard.  I usually double the recipe and use two loaf pans – one is for dinner that night and leftovers, the other one goes in the freezer for super easy dinner down the road.  If you do freeze a loaf pan, cover with aluminum foil and reheat in the oven.  The leftovers also freeze really well and make delicious lunches, definitely a highlight in the household. 
 

Note from Sara:  This is not John.

This is Alycia, his lovely girlfriend, and one of my best good friends.

Chicken Oregano

Looking for another easy meal?  Want something different to do with your chicken?  Then this one is for you.  All 3 of my kids ate it and my husband made a chicken salad with the left overs. 

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbs oregano
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 cup butter melted

Directions:
Mix all ingredients except the chicken.  Pour over chicken and marinate at least 4 hours.



Bake uncovered at 325 degrees for 45 minutes - 1 hour or until done.

This is where I would normally insert a picture of the finished product but I forgot to snap one!