Pumpkin Bread Recipe

It's that time of year again! Time for pumpkin spiced lattes, pumpkin candles, pumpkin pie...yeah, I am all kinds of obsessed with pumpkin everything each fall!

I have been baking and cooking up a storm lately. I was trying to find a bread recipe to try out and then decided to try to find a pumpkin bread recipe. I looked at a couple of recipes and formed my own based on what I had in hand. Here is what I came up with and it was delicious! Very moist, with just enough flavor and sweetness. It was awesome with some melted butter...so yum!

Pumpkin Bread Recipe

1 and a 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup olive oil(Bertollis Classico)
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda.

2. In a separate bowl, mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs, water, and spices.

3. Combine the dry ingredients with the ingredients you mixed in step 2. Mix until the batter is pretty smooth.

4. Pour into a well-buttered (I used the Pam baking spray) 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake about 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick tested in the center comes out clean. Let it cool down a bit, then remove it from the pan and place on a cooling rack.

We ate ours once it cooled down a bit but was still warm enough to melt the butter.

Hope you guys enjoy and please let me know how yours turns out if you try it!

Snoring husbands kind of suck

My husband snores... And he never actually starts snoring until I finally put my head to the pillow and close my eyes. It doesn't matter if I sit in bed reading for an hour or two, he will be pretty quite until I am ready to sleep. What the heck is up with that? I used to take my leg and slam it down onto the bed so he would feel the sudden movement and wake up and roll over (which usually ended the snoring). Then there were times when that didn't work and I had to tap him about 20 times on the shoulder and practically shout his name to wake him up. I swear this man could sleep through anything. We now have a four month old baby in the room with us and I think these boys are ganging up on me already. If I wake my husband up quietly to stop his snoring, the baby wakes up! It's like the sound ends up being his "white noise". So now it is either having an awake baby who decides he wants to play or listening to the loud snoring husband. *sigh* I totally need to have a girl next pregnancy to even out this household...since we all know us girls don't snore ;)

9-11...11 years later

I don't know where time goes. It is hard to believe that it has been eleven years since the attack. My story of where I was, isn't as exciting as some, but it is something that I will never forget.

I was a freshman in high school. We had just started theatre class a few min before, when the principal came over the intercom. He told the teachers to turn on the news and said that the towers had been attacked. We lived not far from DC, and once everyone realized the pentagon had been hit as well, many people in our school started using their cell phones to try to call their parents. I remember sitting next to my friend Ashlee and she was in shock. She told me her father was at the pentagon. I told her we needed to pray for his safety then. We sat and watched the tv for the rest of the class.

I had English class next, and the news coverage continued. My friend Mike sat in front of me, and was commenting on what terrorist group was responsible. I was called down to the office to be picked up early, not long after class had started. I remember walking down the halls, passing crying students who were frantically still trying to reach family who worked at the Pentagon.

It didn't feel real... I continued Watching the footage on tv and it just didn't feel like it could be happening. I don't think we watched anything else for about a month.

Looking back, I am so glad that our school administration decided to tell us about the attacks and let us watch them on tv. I know it terrified many of the students, especially the ones who didn't know if their family members were hurt or safe at the Pentagon, but we were old enough to know what was happening. I know I would have been upset to go through the school day, blind to the events that were unfolding.

I have been able to visit the towers location about two years after, and we visited the field in Pa several times. The first visit to the field was only a few months after the attacks, and it was amazing to see the homemade memorial that was created by those who visited it. They had a temporary building in place the last time I went, and it didn't have the same impact as what had been created originally. It was still very moving, but they didn't keep everything that had been added over the years.

So, that is my "where I was" story. I will never forget.

It's a candle...With a surprise ring inside!? Whaa?!

I love Pinterest. Good lord, the stuff you can find is just amazing. A few weeks ago,  I saw a pin in the products category for Diamond Candles. These candles are soy based, smell great, AND will have a ring inside! The rings are valued from 10-5,000 dollars.
This whole concept reminds me of a grown up cereal box prize! AND I don't have to fight anyone to get to the prize first! Score!

I had been telling my husband and all of Facebook for about a week that I wanted one. My husband, being the amazing man he is, bought one for me and had it sitting on the table for me when I got home one day.  I lit that puppy right away. The scent was fresh cut grass and it smells delicious...although it smells more like apples than grass.  This company not only struck gold with their concept, but have created candles that rival popular brands(in my opinion at least). And let me mention again that these are soy based! I know so many woman in my life who would love to get one as a gift(hint to all the hubbies out there!)

I do have to say, it was hard to wait for the magic gold foil to appear. I felt like I a 5 year old again, with the level of anticipation of waiting for Santa to come. I am thankful that the ring is near the top of the candle...otherwise, I would probably be digging the wax apart to get to the ring and would have to use a candle warmer later to enjoy the candle!

I was also so happy with the ring that I found inside!  I just ordered two more (through a special online deal on nomorerack.com) and cannot wait for the next one!

Headband Holder

I am super excited for how this turned out! What a cute way to organize headbands and hair clips! This is one I made to list for sale on my Facebook page...I am going to have to get ribbon to match my bathroom and make one for myself!

What do you guys think about the project?