Pumpkin Bread

This is approved by all of us! I found this recipe back in the days of watching the morning shows while I nursed Nathan. It was a morning routine for me and I found several recipes but this one is my alltime favorite from the routine.

It is similar to the Great Harvest Chocolate Chip Pumpkin bread but we like this one better. It costs less and is a bigger loaf! The original recipe calls for nuts which we love but I have also made it with chocolate chips, which the kids love but LeRoy and I don't necessarily.

Mix together:
2 cups Pumpkin Pie Mix *

1 cup sugar

1 stick butter, melted and cooled

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

* The Pie mix only comes in the large cans so either double the recipe to make 2 loaves or use the rest of the pumpkin for pancakes. You can also use the regular pumpkin which doesn't have the extra flavoring but it still tastes good.

In another bowl mix together and then add to pumpkin:

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix just until moist then fold in 1 cup of one of the following:

walnuts or pecans

cranberries

chocolate chips

This will be a thick mixture - not like a cake. Pour into a 9" loaf pan that has been sprayed with pan spray. Bake 55-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with only a few moist crumbs. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Use a butter knife to go along the edges of the pan before dumping the bread out of it.

Pizza Pockets

(For those with the Fullmer Family Cookbook, this is mom's breadstick, pizza dough recipe)

Dough:

1 TBSP yeast

1 1/2 cup warm water

1 tsp sugar

let is rise for a few minutes

Add:

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

2 TBSP sugar

Mix and knead for about 3 minutes. You don't want it stiff but you might need to add a little more flour so that you can handle it. Let rest for 10-15 minutes. Divide into 10 balls. Roll out each ball to a rectangle (these will be very thin).

Spread only about 1 tsp of your favorite pizza sauce (homemade or canned) but be sure to not get it too close to the edges. If it is too close it just makes it messy to pinch together but it won't really hurt anything.

Add toppings:

any combination of what you like on your pizza

Pepperonni

Canadian Bacon

Italian Sausage

Pineapple

Olives

Mushrooms

Top with Grated Cheese

(we like a mixture of Colby Jack and Mozarella)

Fold over top and seal edges. Place on a buttered baking sheet, brush with egg mixture (1 beaten egg mixed with 1 tsp water), let rise 10-15 minutes. Bake 350 for 25-30 minutes until golden brown on top.

Notes:

* You don't have to have these perfectly shaped, by the time they rise a little and bake they look great.

* The 2nd time that I made these I just mixed all of my toppings together rather than applying 1 topping at a time. It saved a little time in the end and because it is folded over no-one sees how carefully (or not) you applied the toppings.

Bread

This one has a full stamp of approval from all 7 of us!! Two loaves just aren't enough, especially if we have extra teenagers over. During 1 week I made 6 loaves and felt like that was alot. Then I remembered that mom used to make 4-5 loaves with each batch she did and sometimes that was more than once a week. Way to go Mom!

From what mom tells me I learned how to make bread when I was 8 and even though we did have a bread mixer for a good part of my growing up years, I still don't like breadmakers (different from bread mixer). To me it is easier to mix the dough and do the whole process than depend on a breadmaker to do it taking longer time and producing only 1 loaf. If you think I'm crazy, that is ok. I have been told that before concerning my bread theories.

I make this bread with a little whole wheat flour and ground flax but you can just use white flour in place of the WW and flax.

In a large mixing bowl combine:

1 1/2 TBSP yeast

1 TBSP sugar

1/2 cup warm water

Let rise for a few minutes

In a microwave dish heat for 1 minute:

1 cup water

1/2 cup milk

2 TBSP butter/margarine

Pour into yeast mixture and add:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup ground flax

2 TBSP sugar

2 tsp salt

Mix well and then add:

3 cups flour (and a little more if needed to make dough manageable but not stiff)

Knead just until mixed well, not too long or it will be a stiff bread. Let rise 15-20 minutes, punch down and shape into 2 loaves. Place in 2 large greased bread pans and let rise. Bake 400 for 10 minutes, then 350 for 20-25 minutes until loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

If your kids are like mine, eat the 'heel' before the kids get to it. It is the best part of the bread!