Pumpkin Bread

I love pumpkin bread. To me there is nothing that says "here comes fall" like a nice warm piece of pumpkin bread and a cup of hot tea on a chilly day. This was the perfect fix for a whopper of a pumpkin craving I had the other day. The best part about this recipe (other than the fact that it tastes uh-mazing) is that it makes 3 loaves at once. Perfect for gifts or to freeze for later! I personally plan on making this again ASAP. The husband after saying "This is GLUTEN FREE??" described it as "A cool autumn day in my belly." He's so silly...but seriously it is. The original recipe called for oil but I substituted unsweetened applesauce and it worked awesome! Can't wait for you to try it!

What you need (for 3, 8 x 4 inch loaves)

- 2 1/2 C white rice flour
- 1/2 C cornstarch
- 5 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 4 eggs
- 1 C applesauce
- 1/2 C orange juice (no pulp)
- 3 C granulated sugar
- 1 Can pumkin puree (not pie filling!)






Directions

- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray your loaf pans. Set aside

- Combine all the ingredients up through the xanthan gum in a stand mixer (I've been borrowing my mom's for a few weeks now...sorry mom I'll bring it back one day I promise!)

- In a separate mixing bowl, combine the eggs, applesauce and orange juice. Add in the sugar and canned pumpkin and whisk together well

- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk together until smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides a couple of times.

- Separate the batter into the 3 loaf pans evenly.

- Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean

- Serve warm! I had 2 pieces the day I made these. The first one I had plain and it was great. The second piece I added cream cheese and a cup of tea. Add in the rainy drizzle outside and it was a perfect afternoon treat! YUM!

- Such a delicious fall treat! Next time I'll add some pumpkin seeds on top of the batter before baking!

I have some exciting posts coming up in the next few weeks. A freezer cooking day, gluten free cinnamon rolls and the VanLue family Thanksgiving just to name a few! Keep checking back!

Husband in the Kitchen!

The husband and I try to have a date night every week. Sometimes we go out and sometimes we stay in, but we always try to schedule out time for each other each week. Our hope is that by making it a habit now, early on in our marriage, that it will be something that we continue to do in the years ahead. A while ago my husband mentioned that he wanted to be responsible for cooking dinner at least one date night per month. Well I wasn't about to turn down that offer! The first time he made dinner he did an awesome job following my jambalaya recipe (you can find it here). I had to talk him through a couple of things, but for the most part I got to sit and relax...score! This time around he made what I ended up calling Red Beans & Rice with Sausage. It was yummy and he did it all on his own! I was allowed to take pictures and brag about him on the blog. Can't wait to see what he makes next!

What you need

- 1 lb chicken sausage (spicy is good!)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 C cooked brown rice
- vegetable, chicken or beef broth
- salt and pepper to taste
- cajun seasoning, or red pepper flakes





Directions

Having fun in the kitchen! Don't worry, I sat down and let him work after this!

- Slice sausage into rings

- Heat 1 T of coconut oil in a large pot. Add sausage and begin to brown

- While the sausage is cooking, dice up your vegetables

- When the sausage is browned add the vegetables and cook about 5 minutes

- Add a palmful of salt and pepper

- Add in the drained red beans and stir

- Add in 1/4 tsp cajun seasoning or red pepper flakes

- Add in the rice and a little bit of broth and stir well

- That's it! I topped mine with some sliced green onion

- It was great! Thanks honey!