Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin bread, there's nothing better. Pumpkin bread is the quintessential pumpkin food. It's been around waaaaay longer than PSLs, pumpkin spice puppy chow, pumpkin protein bars, pumpkin spice cookie butter and all the other commercialized pumpkin foods. 

This time of year makes me nostalgic for old family recipes. With the holidays coming up, I've been digging through my mom's recipe binder to resurface some of my favorites like her ginger cookies, sausage tortellini soup (more on that later this week) and this pumpkin bread. It's the best darn pumpkin bread around and deserves to be shared. 

I baked up eight, count 'em, eight loaves this weekend. Six of them were sent off to be used as gifts, but two are taking home in my freezer to be pulled out when the pumpkin bread hunger strikes! It took a few loads into my KitchenAid to complete all the bowls of batter, but well worth it, that is my kind of therapy. Follow below to snatch this family tested, Annie trusted and fall approved recipe!

Pumpkin Bread
yields 2, 9 inch loaves or 3, 8 inch loves

Ingredients:
2/3 cup shortening
2 2/3 cups sugar
4 eggs
1, 15oz can pumpkin puree
2/3 cup water
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsps. baking soda
1 1/2 tsps. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
2/3 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Generously grease and flour 2, 9 inch or 3, 8 inch loaf pans and set aside.

Cream shortening, gradually add sugar beating well. Add eggs, mix well. Stir in pumpkin and water.

Combine flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves; add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Fold in nuts, reserving a few. Spoon into loaf pans. Top with extra pecans. If using 8 inch pans bake for 55 minutes, 9 inch pans will bake 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the toothpick trick comes out clean.

What's your favorite pumpkin recipe? Mine 100% is this bread!

Annie

Bites of My Life

Winding down from a weekend I don't want to end. Nothing crazy happened and that's exactly why it was so great. Started with a solo sesh dinner, just me, my book and my you-pick-two then joined some friends for Girl on The Train. I didn't read the book which consensus says was a good thing; left for more suspense during the movie. 

Saturday woke up for breakfast and barre with Lindsay then football and bowling with friends. Ended the day making loaves of pumpkin bread and settling into the couch for a triple feature of You've Got Mail, Friends With Benefits and A Walk to Remember. 

Today consisted of the new season of Barefoot Contessa starting, a neighborhood kitchen tour, trip to Trader Joe's, walk with my mom, and a delicious dinner cooked not by me, but for me. A weekend of r&r that I want to repeat ASAP!

-New fav snack: handful of TJ's semi-dried frozen figs microwaved for 20 seconds with AB and CB drizzled on top.
-Celebrated the amazing company I work for with killer views and tasty treats. 
-Cheers to The Social Order Dining Collective being offish!
-I love sneaking over to my parent's house for lunch. Even when my mom thinks there is nothing in the fridge I feel like it's always full with the best goods. 
-Shared my go to work week lunch last week, did you catch the post? Another one of last week's posts here.
-Recipe test round one of Carrot Pecan Muffins. First round came out good, but I'm still perfecting the recipe.
-A perfect delivery of Perfect Bars. I'm a Perfect Bar virgin and can't wait to try these! 
-I hadn't had Panera in about a year and the craving came on strong. Pulled up a table for one before joining my friends at Girl on The Train. 
-Saturday gameday went from football to bowling with a gameday brat on the side. 
-No better smell than loaves of pumpkin bread baking in the oven. Made a huge batch of my mom's pumpkin bread this weekend, recipe will be shared this week!
-The dreamiest pantry in one of the houses on the Nichols Hills Kitchen Tour.
-When you and your UT roommate make a bet on the OU/Texas game and you come out the winner! Bet was if Texas lost, Lindsay had to make me dinner, if OU lost...well we don't need to go there. 

Annie

Bites of My Life

I think October may rival to be one of my favorite months. The season really starts to set in, the weather actually starts to change and the month kicks off the holiday season. In saying that, this weekend indeed kicked off what is to be some good weeks ahead...I can feel it. 

My dearest sweetest best girl Katie got married and I was lucky to have a small part in her day. A gorgeous (unheard of) night, weather wise, set the tone for her big day. We drank, ate and danced the night away. The next day I spent lounging, lounging and some more lounging on the couch with family, friends, football and Chinese food. Then ended the weekend with a homemade pizza party. Let's go October!

-Crushing so hard on this salad right now. I've eaten it five times in the past week. You have to try it!
-My favorite lunch that keeps making an appearance.
-New BA and BC on the TV. Perfect afternoon!
-When you wear a royal blue jumper thinking you'll be "different." I guess great minds think alike!
-The day finally came for KG's wedding. She, it and everything was perfect! #Katiegotbax
-I've waited years for Starbucks almond milk. It's here and it's everything. 
-Obligatory pumpkin patch picture. 
-Whipping my front porch into shape for October. 
-It was a grilled pizza showdown for Sunday supper! Kathleen and John, Mom and Dad and myself were all responsible for our own pizza toppings. I think mom and dad won...

Annie

Fall Panzanella Salad with Pumpkin Cornbread Croutons

"That screams fall," said my roommate after taking one bite. It sure does and now I pretty much want to eat it every day in the coming season. 

If you aren't familiar, a panzanella salad is local to Italy, made of bread and tomatoes, sometimes onions and basil, and dressed with olive oil and vinegar. Panzanella now comes in many shapes and forms. For instance, this recipe uses cornbread as the bread component. I have a soft spot for cornbread. My family makes a basic cornbread that we put with just about every soup, stew, and chili we make. But pumpkin cornbread, I can't. I'm SOLD!

I love the layers of flavors and textures and temperatures in this salad. Warm roasted fall veggies, cold crisp apple and toasty pumpkin cornbread all with a maple vinaigrette. It's dense enough to have for dinner, but excellent for lunch too. 

A cornbread mix will totally suffice in this recipe since you are making them into croutons. If you can find a pumpkin cornbread mix-buy it, if you can't-make one, or just use regular cornbread. It will still be delish!

Fall Panzanella Salad with Pumpkin Cornbread Croutons adapted from Purely Elizabeth
serves 4 as a main dish, 6-8 as a side dish*

Ingredients:
2 cups butternut squash, diced into 1/2 in. size pieces
2 cups brussels sprouts, quartered
1 medium red onion, chopped into small wedges
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt and pepper
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 honey crisp apple
2 cups pumpkin cornbread, diced into 1/2 in. size pieces **see note
10 oz bag tuscan kale

Dressing:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
salt to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Chop butternut squash, brussels sprouts, and onion. Place veggies in columns on a foil lined roasting sheet. Drizzle olive oil over veggies. Season everything with salt and pepper. Sprinkle cinnamon over only the butternut squash. Roast for 20-25 minutes until tender, stirring halfway though.

In the meantime, cut your cornbread into 1/2 pieces and place on a foil lined baking sheet. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper. Once the veggies are done, reduce the heat to 400 degrees and toast the cornbread for 10-15 minutes until the edges are crispy.

In a small mason jar or bowl combine dressing ingredients. Chop the honey crisp apple into a medium dice. 

To assemble; put kale in a large salad bowl. Top with roasted veggies, apple, croutons and drizzle with dressing. Toss and serve. 

*Single girl serving: Have all the components ready to go, but only toss one serving with the dressing. Keep everything else in the fridge to pull out each night for dinner. Store the veggies in the fridge and reheat, only cut part of the apple you are going to use and store the croutons wrapped in foil sitting out on the counter.

**Note: I used this pumpkin cornbread mix which is sadly now discontinued, but this recipe minus the pecans or this recipe are great. Regular cornbread would work too. Save the time and use a mix. You shush 'em up when you toast them anyway!

I kid you not when I say I have genuinely gotten so excited for dinner knowing I have this waiting for me. It's got it all going on. 

Annie

Bites of my Life

Posted up in front of the TV watching the Emmy's sipping on a cup of hot chocolate. I really wanted froyo, but someone *cough Kathleen cough* wouldn't go with me, and I couldn't stoop to getting froyo by myself. Hot coco with cinnamon (try it) and a handful of butterscotch chips sufficed my sugar craving. Does anyone else like butterscotch chips? They are the super underrated in my opinion.

Last week started with pumpkin smoothies and ended with a pumpkin date consisting of PSLs and hunting Target for all of their pumpkin flavored goodies with one of my old and favorite co-workers. We have a mutual obsession with this seasonal flavor and like to capitalize on it.

My friends and I started a kickball team and had our first game on Wednesday. Let's just say I was better at providing the halftime snacks and "adult" Capri Suns than actually providing skill for the team. We celebrated Lindz's birthday with spicy cocktails and sinful snacks, and then welcomed a houseful of besties all in town for the OU game this weekend. Bon weekend!

-Looks like a healthy green smoothie, acts like a healthy green smoothie, but tastes like pumpkin pie. You're welcome. 
-My skin is going through a little bit of a situation. Big sis Claire acted as my interim dermatologist and suggested trying all natural face products. Picked up this toner, previously recommended by Molly and purchased this face wash from Claire's favorite spa in NYC.
-Take a Bite went on the tour de matcha of OKC to find the best matcha latte. Read the post to see my fav!
-Fire on the Pineapple cocktail at Guyutes is my favorite drink in OKC currently.
-Celebrated roomie Lindz turning 24 with these waffle fries I can't stop thinking about. Topped with tequila queso, pulled pork, cilantro crema, tomatoes, japs, red onions and sunny side egg. 
-The Sooners may have let us down again, but with all my friends near and far in town, the weekend still won. 
-Green juice and movie theater popcorn because it's all about balance;) Highly recommend Sully.
-After scouring the pumpkin display at Sprouts, I eyed their bottled pumpkin salad dressing. Almost pulled the plug on buying it when I realized I could make my own. I snapped a pic of the ingredient list and went home to whip it up. 
-Tossed a loaded veggie salad with my pumpkin dressing. Give or take measurements of pumpkin puree, red wine vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, water, dijon mustard, pumpkin pie spice, and s&p all got thrown in.

Annie