I am no Suzy Homemaker. I mean, I love to cook. Not always, but put on some good Spotify station, gimme a glass of red, get out of my way, and I can make a mean dinner. I just don’t think cooking awards you the Suzy Homemaker title. I think only baking does. I rarely bake though (my Mom never baked when I was growing up–something about sugar being the devil–and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.) But, second to perhaps chicken stock simmering in your kitchen is the smell of pumpkin or banana bread baking away.
Today was just beautiful. It was one of those fall days where a jacket’s barely necessary and the air is clean. A friend recently remarked how blue the sky looks and at first I thought isn’t it the same sky year round? But then she pointed out that the lack of humidity makes the air more clear and thus we almost see the sky better than we do otherwise. It made sense. The trees on our street are beginning to shed their leaves, and our driveway is positively covered in yellowy pine needles. I had to drive Steve to work today and the backroads at that hour are at their best: steam rising up off the grass, horses grazing on hills, ancient stone walls along the old New England roads. It doesn’t get much better than Massachusetts in the fall. I had coffee with me, so did Steve, and we chatted about his weekend (he and the big kids were away). There was something special and cozy about it, heat going in the car, no music on, driving twenty-five or so the whole way.
Later in the day, Parker took a long nap and William played across the street with some friends. Over the weekend, I was productive and got nearly all the laundry done, vacuumed, odds and ends. With an almost clean house, I decided to bake. I can’t really bake unless the house is basically in order. It just feels too frivolous otherwise. Cooking is a necessity, we need to eat. But baking? Baking is special and the icing on the cake. The cake being the clean house, of course. I had grabbed at least two cans of pumpkin puree at my last Trader Joe’s visit so pumpkin bread it was. Plus, it’s mid October so, you know. This is by far my favorite pumpkin bread recipe. It makes two loaves which is always perfect–share one, keep one. Eat one, freeze one. In this case, I shared both. It was so very neighborly of me, delivering warm pumpkin bread both across the street and down the street to two friends of ours. Wrapped in parchment paper, tied in twine. As I delivered it I laughed, “This is so not me, but here I am delivering pumpkin bread!” Hopefully I didn’t do something totally wrong since I didn’t get to taste test it myself.
I might make more tomorrow morning (if for nothing else than the house still smells like the pumpkin bread we never got to eat!).
Spiced Pumpkin Bread
makes two loaves
3 cups sugar (I can’t bear to do this much and it’s still good–and remember, it’s for two loaves!)
1 cup vegetable oil (I used coconut oil)
3 large eggs
1 16-ounce can pumpkin
3 cups flour
1 t ground cloves
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground nutmeg
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional–or better yet chocolate chips!)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two loaf pans. Beat sugar and oil in large bowl to blend. Mix in eggs and pumpkin. Sift flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt, and baking powder into another large bowl. Stir into pumpkin mixture in two additions (and walnuts/chips here if desired!).
Divide batter equally between prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean–1 hour and ten minutes. Let cool.
Enjoy with a big pat of butter!
And, to really fill in all the promising details of a cozy fall afternoon, enjoy with a new playlist:
Listen below or follow this link to Spotify. It’s really a good one.
sugar is the devil! totally agree. which makes it really silly that i am the reverse… i love to bake and don't love to cook. so i totally would give you suzie homemaker!! although i did manage a banana bread last week using powdered stevia so i'm thinking it can be done with pumpkin bread too in a not terrible way? gonna try! but every now and then i say, three cups of devil down the hatch!! especially in the fall because this recipe looks amaaaaze.
I feel as if I can almost smell that pumpkin bread as I sit here on this cold and rainy fall morning in WI….I just may have to make that a reality and try out your recipe, sounds delish!!!
I use applesauce instead of oil! I never have oil and it works like a charm!
YUM! Thanks for sharing! I can't wait to try this out! xo
These look so good, I might just have to try this recipe out! I am not much of the baker either…but my family loves pumpkin cookies so why not a pumpkin loaf? The way you describe fall makes me want to be where you are. Fall up here in alaska is not as inviting.
This looks delicious, but I need to buy some cloves. Bon Iver is perfect for some good Fall weather.
i made pumpkin muffins this weekend and a great way to cut down on some of those calories is to cut the sugar in half and sub greek yogurt for the oil. i promise you won't notice the lack of sugar and the gy makes the bread so moist!
http://semiweeklyeats.blogspot.com/2013/10/weekend-outfit-1.html
This sounds delicious!! I love pumpkin spice and the idea that this makes two loaves.
I am not allowed to alter my pumpkin bread recipe (thanks, DH), but I might have to for this. It looks amazing! Hopefully he won't notice, haha.
Yum! My mom bought some boxed mix for us to make last weekend and when it comes to breads, homemade is the only way to go (but I use box cakes because I can't bake cake to save my life!) I am not a baker either. After a few months of marriage my husband asked "Soooo, when do you make cookies?" "Um, never. I have literally only make cookies like four times." I love to eat baked goods, maybe too much. Maybe that's why I don't. 🙂
The flavors of pumpkin might just be my favorite thing about fall. YUM!
Gasp! I just make pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and now I feel I need to continue on this pumpkin train. This sounds too good.
We discovered this about 8 years ago. By far a favourite in this house but now living in Australia I have to actually make the pumpkin puree from scratch first so it's not so regular as it use to be. Enjoy….
making your own puree?! that is waaaay more time consuming. i'm ever more impressed if you make the pumpkin bread.
heck to the yes!
Here's to shared affection for fall, all-things-pumpkin, and Trader Joe's! (Poor hubs hardly gets a dark choc pb cup before I've made quite a dent; I mean, three is a serving, right?)
And I have finally worked up enough nerve to comment . . . I've been reading your blog since your cutesy preggo days with Parker (who happened to be born on my birthday – oh, I was stoked, let me tell ya!). My husband laughs at how I act like I know you, and when I watched that Wendy's promo deal (more than once), he really thought I was crazy 😉 Seriously, your love story really hooked me (obviously), and I wanted to thank you for your "Natural First Aid Kit" posts. My fevered baby was cured! You may never hear from me again, but I'll still be here 🙂
~Katie
hi katie!!! i love that you've come out of hiding! do it more often!!
(happy belated birthday, july baby!!)
Thanks so much, Bridget! I was excited (maybe too excited ;)) to tell my husband that we actually had an "exchange" 🙂 Blessings to you & yours!
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I made it this week – cutting some sugar, and using pumpkin pie spice instead as that is all I had around. It was delicious! I loved how the coconut oil added just a hint of extra flavor.
I made this bread this weekend and it was a huge hit! Thanks for sharing!
This is the first recipe review I’ve written. I’ve made it twice in as many weeks because it’s just that amazing a recipe! Thanks for sharing it.
Jasmine
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