Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread

Moist, delicious, perfectly spiced pumpkin bread.  It doesn't get any better, in my opinion.  I know I've mentioned in the past about my love affair with pumpkin. I think this bread would even be a hit with those who don't quite share the same level of pumpkin love that I do.  I've tried a few different pumpkin bread recipes and this is by far our very favorite.  I always lighten it up a bit by doing 1/2 cup of oil and 1/2 cup of applesauce.  But it is phenomenal either way.  My family always gobbles this bread up so quickly!  I love how soft it is and the spices blend together so well--no spice overwhelms the other so it's a perfect marriage.  Enjoy!

Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread adapted from Allrecipes

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree

4 eggs

1 C vegetables oil (or 1/2 C and 1/2 C applesauce)

2/3 C water

2 cups white sugar

1 C light brown sugar

3 1/2 C all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmet

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground ginger

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.  

2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugars until well blended.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger.  Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended.  Pour into the prepared pans.

3. Bake for about 50-60 minutes in the preheated oven.  Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  

String Beans with Garlic and Oil

My husband LOVES garlic and so I knew I had to try this recipe.  The sauteed garlic and olive oil adds such a nice depth of flavor to the green beans.  I also think it's important that fresh green beans be seasoned just right with enough salt--we all know how bland they can be otherwise.  So I did a few taste tests to make sure the seasoning was just right.  I love having different, healthy sides to add to our standard repertoire and this one is so fresh, flavorful, and simple.  Could it get any better than that? 

String Beans with Garlic and Oil from Skinnytaste

• 1 lb fresh string beans, washed, ends trimmed
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• salt and fresh pepper

Bring a large saucepan filled with 1 inch of water to a boil. Lower a steamer basket filled with the green beans into it, tightly cover the pan, and steam for 4-5 minutes (don't overcook), until the beans are tender crisp. Drain.

In a saute pan heat olive oil. Add garlic and cook until golden. Add string beans, salt and fresh pepper to taste and toss well.

Tips: I used the organic frozen green beans from Costco for this recipe and they turned out really well--so go that route if you don't have fresh ones on hand

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

I made this to bring to a breakfast over the holidays and it was incredibly easy, perfectly moist, and had the amazing balance of cinnamon to cake.  I usually like to make things from scratch but couldn't resist when I saw that this literally was a "dump and stir" cake.  I think that the glaze added just that extra hint of sweet to top it off.  My husband is a big fan of coffee cake and was really hoping there'd be some left over for him to taste.  Luckily there was and he oohed and aahed over it.  I also loved that it was still moist even a couple of days after I had made it and the flavors just continued to meld together in such a yummy way.

Cinnamon Coffee Cake from Allrecipes

1 (18.25 oz) pkg yellow cake mix

1 (3.4oz) pkg instant vanilla pudding mix

1 (3.4oz) pkg instant butterscotch pudding mix

4 eggs

1 C water

1 C vegetable oil

1 C packed brown sugar

1 T ground cinnamon

1 C chopped walnuts (I omitted this)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.  Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan, or a 10 inch Bundt cake pan. 

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the cake mix, vanilla pudding mix, and butterscotch pudding mix.  Add the eggs, oil and water, mix until well blended.  In another bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts.  Pour 1/3 of the batter into the pan, spread evenly.  Sprinkle with 1/3 of the nut/sugar mixture.  Repeat two more times (for three layers).  

3. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn the oven down to 325 Degrees F and bake for an additional 350-40 minutes. 

Tips: I substituted the butterscotch for another vanilla pudding (as that's all I had) and it still turned out really well.

Brown Sugar Muffins

How could a recipe with "brown sugar" in the title be bad?  My mom used to make these growing up as a side to go with our Sunday dinner.  I loved them then and I still love them now!  There are times when I'm scrambling to come up with a side to a nice, home cooked meal and these have become an old standby.  But not because there isn't anything better to make...but because they are SO delicious.  They have a nice, subtle buttery and brown sugar flavor.  They are soft and crumble perfectly. I love to sprinkle some extra brown sugar on top to create a slightly crunchy top layer.  Enjoy!

Brown Sugar Muffins from Barbs

1 C brown sugar

½ C margarine (I use butter)
1 tsp vanilla

2 C flour
1 egg

1 tsp soda dissolved in 1 C milk
pinch of salt

Cream sugar and butter. Add other ingredients as follows: beaten egg, milk, flour. Don’t stir too much. Sprinkle brown sugar on tops before baking. Bake in muffin tins at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Yields 1-2 dozen muffins (depending how full you fill the muffins)...I usually get about 18 muffins. 

Tip: I made them yesterday and did 1 C white flour and 1 C whole wheat flour and I thought they tasted even better--Bret thought they were better with all white flour. But for a healthier version, the wheat flour is really good, too!

Maple Bars

I am so excited to blog about this dessert!  Not only because I haven't posted a dessert for awhile, but also because it is such a delicious throwback to my childhood.  My grandma used to make these bars all the time.  And then my own mom made them a lot when I was young.  Last week I gave a lesson in church about our heritage and wanted to share a recipe that was part of my family.  And so I made these to share.  They are so phenomenal!  Now don't be scared away by the idea of boiling raisins.  All it does it make the raisins soft--like melt-in-your-mouth soft.  There is also a very slight cinnamon hint that pairs perfectly with the combo of the moist raisins and chocolate chips in this bar.  And the maple glaze is very subtle and creates such a fantastic topping to this soft, comfort food!  And they're the perfect dessert in that they're sweet and addicting--but not too rich.  I could probably eat a whole pan of them myself if they were calorie-free. But you have my premission to pretend they are!

Maple Bars from Barbs

Boil for 10 minutes:

1 1/2 C raisins

2 C water

Cool mixture and then add 1 1/2 tsp soda

In a separate bowl; Cream together:

1 C butter

1 1/2 C sugar

Then add 2 eggs and mix well

In a separate bowl from above mixture, sift:

3 1/2 C flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp salt

Then add dry mixture to creamed mixture. Add raisins.  Add 1 c chocolate chips.

Spread into two greased 9x13 pans.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or when center comes out clean with a toothpick. Watch them closely at the end as they can overbake quickly.

Maple Glaze

1/4 C butter

1 C brown sugar

4 T water

Bring mixture to a boil.  Remove and cool.  Add enough powdered sugar to make a glaze (I did about 1/3 to 1/2 cup).  Spread on bars while still quite warm.  Cut when cool.

Merry Christmas

I just wanted to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!  I hope you all have a festive day.  I'm going to go have our leftovers from Christmas Eve and curl up by the fire and watch the kiddos play with their new toys.  Oh how I love this time of year!  Happy Holidays!

Christmas Dinner

Wondering what to make on Christmas Eve or Christmas day?  I've compiled a list of a few of our very favorites--many that I'll be making this weekend as well.  I love the holidays and love getting in the kitchen and making our traditional meals and treats.  We always do ham on Christmas Eve and our favorite breakfast casserole on Christmas morning.  We also make sugar cookies to leave out for Santa with a big glass of milk.  So here are some of our tried and true holiday favorites.  Merry Christmas!
(Just click on the recipe names and it will take you right to the recipe)

SIDES

Bacon Wrapped Green Beans

Brown Sugar Carrots

Cheesy Potatoes 

Barbeque Green Beans

BREADS

Amazing Rolls!

Cinnamon Rolls (Christmas morning tradition)

Butterscotch Bundt Rolls

SALADS

7-up Salad

Spinach Salad

Berry Salad

APPETIZER/DRINK/SNACK 

Apple Brickle Dip

Creamy Crockpot Hot Chocolate

Candy Chex Mix

Cauliflower Soup

 DESSERT

Moist Orange Carrot Cake

Andes Peppermint Crunch Cookies

Divine Chocolate Mint Cookies

Gingersnaps

Not Pictured (but I just had to add them):

Sugar Cookies

Pumpkin Blondies

Oreo Truffles

Apple Spice Bars

Oatmeal Cake

Oatmeal Cookie Bars