Gluten Free Butterscotch Pumpkin Bread

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Fall finally gave way to the nudges of winter here in the arctic tundra. What better way to embrace the long, dreary winters here than to whip up a batch of tasty, moist, full of warming spices, gluten free quick bread? With my girls coming and going between college and work, its always nice to have a loaf on hand for them to a slice, grab and go. With the turning of the weather, I really wanted to be inspired by the fall/winter spices and comforting moisture of pumpkin. I modified a tried and true banana bread recipe given to me by my daughters Godmother, Auntie Barbara, who received it from her grandmother.

When my kids were born, we lived in a small neighborhood just on the outskirts of Portland. It was an older neighborhood with a wonderful mixture of small, entry level sized homes as well as some a bit larger and more established. We happened to one of the first families to move in as the neighborhood began to turn over. As a stay at home mom, I was blessed to have so many wonderful, loving retirees who absolutely doted on my children. That is how we met ‘Auntie’ Barbara and ‘Uncle’ Bruce. They took us under their wing, supported us, loved us and mentored us. They accepted the responsiblity to become my children’s GodParents. Every time I make this banana bread (which has been passed on to my own daughters) I reminisce over our shared times together. I think that is why I love to cook so much. I associate so many wonderful memories with food shared, the telling of the history behind precious recipes passed down, along with celebrations and holidays enjoyed. This recipe has sentimental meaning to me and my family. I hope that by making it, it will create wonderful memories of your own.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
(this recipe is so simple, don’t over think it!)

1/2 cup Butter (unsalted) melted
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Pumpkin (plain pumpkin, NOT pie mix)

2 Eggs slightly beaten

2 cups Gluten Free Flour (i recommend Pamelas Artisan Flour)
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
Spices : 1.5 tsp Cinnamon; 1/2 tsp Nutmeg; 1/4 tsp Allspice; 1 tsp Ginger; optional:1/4 tsp clove

1/2 cup Hot Water

Handful of Butterscotch Chips. (Hershey’s is Gluten Free. Nestles is NOT!)

Preheat the over to 350 degrees if using a metal bread loaf pan, or 325 for glass. Grease the pan with cooking spray or butter.

Mix melted butter together with the sugar, stir in the pumpkin with a wooden spoon. Lightly beat your eggs, then add in to the pumpkin mixture and stir to combine.

Mix dry ingredients together alternately with the hot water. Stir just to combine. Pour into prepared bread loaf pan and sprinkle the top with butterscotch chips.

Bake 1 hour 15 minutes. Check at 1 hour and continue to bake until a toothpick comes out clean in the center. A few moist bits may cling but it should not be raw.

****In the original recipe, replace 3 mashed bananas for the pumpkin and eliminate the spices. Optional add-in are your favorite nuts.
*******The original recipe does not call for vanilla but you can add 1 tsp if desired.

That ‘Onion’ Moment!

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That 'Onion' Moment!

I recently turned 51. (wow, where do the years fly off to?)

One of our family traditions is to have the meal of your choice for your birthday dinner.
My birthday request was steamed mussels with crab legs and a beet salad. (you may be thinking that is an odd combination but hey, its my birthday, it’s what floats MY boat!)

So hubby and oldest got to work prepping and cooking. (Isn’t hubby snazzy in his chefs coat? The family got them years ago for christmas. The girls outgrew theirs, but hubby and I use ours all the time)

My daughter was in charge of onion cutting detail. I had to capture the moment and share, because anyone who has cooked has had that: ‘Onion Moment’!

Christmas Parsons Table Arrangement

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Christmas is one of my favorite excuses to be creative. While I love the holiday decorating, I tend to be rather skimpish when it comes to paying money for what I consider ‘disposable’ accents, and so I work to craft my own using what I own and the nature in my yard.

Last year for my birthday (it was a big one, saying goodbye to 5 decades, looking forward to more to come), my hubby showered me with flowers. They were breathtakingly beautiful, unique, and artistic, done by a local florist he knew he could trust to create arrangements outside the boundaries of 1800-florist. When their beauty had well past waned and out with the trash they went, I was left with unique and beautiful containers picked for specific areas, one of which being my parsons table. My parsons table sits behind my couch in-between the great room and the kitchen. It’s a big space and the vase is the perfect height , not too high, so I can see from the kitchen in to the family room, not too low as to be missed.

For the fall/Thanksgiving, I filled it with lemons and mini-pomegrantes. For christmas, I pulled out my vintage Christmas tree balls and headed out to my arbor vitae to clip some greens. A bit of decorative garnish and VOILA!

I am pleased with the result: simple, colorful and not too flashy. A bit of greenery in the house to contrast with the stark barren brown leafless trees, and wintery white snow outside, brings inside a cozy holiday feeling.

There is an abundance of nature out there, and any vase or cool container can be used to create a bit of festive holiday sparkle in any area of your own home. Just think out of the box and get snipping!