Christmas Cookware!

I hope you all had a great Christmas. I loved spending so much time with my family, especially when my mom was in town, visiting from Alabama.

Well, I don't know about you but I sure scored some awesome stuff for Christmas. Right now I am updating from my brand new HP laptop (Thank you Daddy), and I got a Crock-Pot with a locking lid for easy travel (Thank you Sarah), some super awesome Pier 1 Imports "Tasting Party" mini flared cups (Thank you Chelle), and a 2010 Taste of Home cookbook (Thank you Mom)! I used gift money to buy myself a Taste of Home Everyday Light Meals and a 1001 Easy, Short, Inexpensive Meals cookbooks. I am very excited to use all my new stuff and let you know how things turn out.

In return, I got dad a 2c. fat separating measuring cup from Cooking.com. It's great for low-fat gravy making. I also got him Knife Block and Cooking Utensil Set from Seventh Avenue. I helped my sister find him a set of trenched cutting boards from Kmart.

All in all, we've got some great kitchen adventures ahead of us : ). Over the past 2 weeks I have made 3 batches of Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread and given it to 4 of our neighbors, 5+ friends and families, work, and our own freezer! Bring on something new.

What did you make for the holidays? What did you give and get?

Aunt Sue's Pumpkin Bread

It's December!!!! That means cold weather and Christmas! Well, here is a Christmas tradition recipe for you.

Every year, Aunt Sue makes/gifts all the family a homemade calendar filled with pictures of her latest adventures abroad, and a loaf or two of Pumpkin Bread. A couple years ago I decided that since I love this stuff so darn much I should probably learn how to make it, so we made the Christmas loaves together. Now, every Christmas season I make it all the time, and often bring it to work. I recently brought it to a Kent FHE (Family Home Evening) and it was a huge hit, with a few recipe requests.

Let's get cooking!!

First, depending on what you are making this for, pick a pan.

Standard Loaf Pan -- 4-6 Loaves -- Bake 55 mins to 1:05 

Mini Loaf Pan -- 6-9 Loaves -- Bake 40 mins

Standard Muffin Pan -- 3+ dozen Cupcakes -- Bake 25-30 mins

Mini Muffin Pan -- ~6 dozen Cupcakes -- Bake 15-20 mins

Ok, are you ready for this? It's SOOO difficult... not. 

Aunt Sue's Pumpkin Bread

3 c. Sugar

4 Eggs

1 c. Vegetable or Canola Oil

1 1/2 t. Salt

2 t. Baking Soda

1 t. Cinnamon

1 t. Nutmeg

1/3 c. Water

2 c. canned Pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)

3 1/3 c. Flour

12 oz/2 c. Chocolate Chips (optional, but really? Who wouldn't want this?)

1 - 1 1/2 c. chopped Walnuts (optional)

Mix all ingredients together, ending with flour, then stir in Chocolate Chips and/or Walnuts.

Put in sprayed/greased pans and Bake at 350 according to time/pan chart above.

Standard Loaves are good for keeping at home, slicing for events, or gifting to larger families.

Mini Loaves are good for slicing for events, or gifting to smaller families or individuals.

Standard Muffins are good for potluck events, or munching on at home.

Mini Muffins are good for parties, or goodie bags.

Also, one time I made a checker board cake using this recipe and my mom's Wacky Chocolate Cake recipe and it bakes up like a cake just a tad bit more dense, but the WCC batter is thicker than normal cakes, too. If you want me to post further instruction on that, ask me.

This is how it turned out.