Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread

I don't go for all those pumpkin flavored drinks at Starbucks. Or the bizarre stuff you start seeing at the grocery store once September hits: Pumpkin Spice Hummus, Pumpkin Spice Cheerios or Life Cereal, Pumpkin Spice Pepperidge Farm Milano Cookies, Pumpkin Spice Oreos, Pumpkin Spice Greenies for your dog.....Too much!

But, I do like making a good pumpkin chocolate chip cookie, pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread this time of the year. So, here is one of the best Mother Lovin' Pumpkin Bread Recipes I have found. It stays moist inside while getting a nice crust to the outside of the loaf. Try it!

Pumpkin Bread

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray nonstick spray to two loaf pans.

* 1 15 oz can of Organic Pumpkin

* 2 large eggs

* 2 cups of sugar

* 1 1/2 sticks of butter softened

Mix all of this together at medium to high speed in mixer.

Then, add

* 2 cups of all purpose flour

* 1/2 tsp salt

* 1 tsp baking soda

* 1/2 tsp baking powder

* 1 tsp of ground cloves

* 1 tsp ground cinnamon

* 1 tsp ground nutmeg

Mix some more. Use spatula to make sure everything is incorporated.

Put mixture into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake 60 minutes. Test to make sure done. If not, add 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!

***Optional: Add demerara sugar crystals to tops of loaves 3/4 the way through baking process for nice crunch and look to your finished product.*** 

Fried Egg and Avocado Toast

I had heard of this nice combo of avocado and egg before. Maybe my first taste of something similar was a western omelet at a diner in San Francisco in the mid 1980's. But my first real taste of this avocado egg toast in the last year was at a great coffee shop named Drift in OIB, NC (Ocean Isle Beach is a little beach town 1 hour south of Wilmington, NC and 45 min north of Myrtle Beach, SC).

It's a real hit with my family on the weekends as it is kind of breakfast like and kinda lunch like. If you have teenagers, you know they like waking up during "brunch" time!

Here's the recipe:

Avocado Toast with Fried Egg

* Cut and mash 1 whole avocado with knife then fork with 1 tsp lemon or lime juice and 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Set aside.

* Cut up a handful of grape tomatoes and set aside.

* Toast 4-5 slices of whole grain bread.

* Fry 4-5 eggs.

* Spread avocado spread on toast, layer on fried egg, add on cut grape tomatoes, season with sea salt and pepper. Sprinkle on sunflower seeds for extra protein.

* Enjoy!

Goes nicely with fruit salad and some bacon. Delish!