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Not really, but it will be soon.  Pumpkins are part of our autumn season.  Harvest. Halloween. Thanksgiving.  The Rockville Covered Bridge Festival.  Today I’m going to share two of my recipes for pumpkin bread.  These recipes are from the ladies of Casa Grande, Arizona.  These come from the book that my friend Jeannie Vestal gave me when we were in Bible college together.  The first recipe is from Celia Cowan.  The second recipe was contributed by Sandy Barnes, Loretta Andrews & Sharon Williams.

PUMPKIN BREAD #1

• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 11/2 tsp salt
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup dates or raisins
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups pumpkin
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup nuts

Combine all liquids.  Stir in dry ingredients.  Add dates and nuts last.  Pour batter half way into 4 (1 pound) coffee cans that have been greased.  Bake at 350F approximately 1 hour.

PUMPKIN BREAD #2

• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp each cinnamon, nutmeg & ginger

Beat above ingredients, then add:

• 1 cup pumpkin
• 2/3 cups water
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup nuts

Fill greased cans 1/2 full.  Bake at 350F for 1 hour.

Are you thinking about your fall baking yet?

“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?

Surely, to obey is better than sacrifice and to heed than the fat of rams.

For rebellion is no less a sin than divination, and stubbornness is like iniquity and idolatry.

Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.”

I Samuel 15: 22,23

Yes, it’s time to start getting those costumes ready.  I’ve spent too many times trying to get everything together at the last minute.  Make it fun for you as well as your little spooks.  Do it now.  If you want to try something different, how about a tea bag costume?  Or maybe a bag of marshmallows.  Maybe a toothbrush and toothpaste to clean up after all the treats.  A bloodshot eyeball will make them take a second look.  If you want to build on a theme, you could start with a Lego brick.  More sweet treats include a bag of M&Ms, a gumball machine, a Hershey Kiss or a strawberry.  If you’re interested in quick and frugal, FabulousLiving.com can be a good place to start.  If you still need help you can find a ton of ideas at FamilyFun.com.  If you don’t get inspired there, you’re mighty hard to please.  ;p

It’s all about the financial mess we here in the States are in.  I’m talking about Boomie over at The Wastrel Show.  Her blog is a personal finance blog with a twist.  It happens to be one of my favorites.  It’s the one that I read before any others.  Today she’s telling us to grow up and take control of our lives and finances.  Please do yourself a favor and check out today’s post at The Wastrel Show.

I once again have sound with my computer.  It took until about an hour ago to get it back.  I ended up having to download a driver.  Thanks to the help of a Hewlett Packard tech in India, I’m smiling and listening to music as I type.  Thank you for your patience and assistance Mr. Suthley G of Bangalore.  You are appreciated.

This is a good recipe to have made up now that the weather is getting a bit cooler.  This bread will have you looking forward to a break with a cup of java or tea and a slice of nutty goodness.  It comes from one of my mother’s friends, Mable Legg and is from the 1960s when my mother, grandmother and it seemed just about everyone else were baking all kinds of breads in cans.  Mable has a little notation at the top stating that this bread is good spread with cream cheese.  Are you hungry yet?

RAISIN NUT BREAD

• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tblsp shortening
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water

Mix all this together and let stand overnight.  The next morning add

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix well and divide evenly into 3 greased cans – #303 size (corn or peas cans).  Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes at 350F.  Cans will not be full, but will rise a lot.  Let stand in can 15 minutes and will come out easily.

Smells yummy and tastes even yummier!   

Hopefully, this will be the last time my computer is down.  It was the monitor this time.  I have a brand new HP 19″ monitor sitting here in front of me.  It’s a very clear picture and feels huge compared to my old 13″ monitor.  It has built in speakers which I don’t have working yet.  My knees don’t always cooperate, so it was probably a funny picture I made down on the floor, scooting around trying to get everything hooked up correctly.  Consumer Man set it all up when I first moved in here.  Now he’s on a job on the other side of the state, so it was up to me to get down under the desk this time.  I do appreciate his setting things up here, but it was a real mess of tangled up cords under my desk.  I finally just unplugged it all so that I could get some of the tangles out.  Somewhere along the line I must have missed the speaker cable or just didn’t get it plugged in correctly.  A little later I’ll start jiggling and plugging again so I can have sound to type by.  I do like being able to slip in a CD to keep me company.

My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in my God. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in my victory.

There is no Holy One like the Lord, no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.  Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.  The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble gird on strength.  Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry are fat with spoil.  The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlonrn.  The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up.  The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low; he also exalts.  He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor.  For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and on them he has set the world.

He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness; for not by might does one prevail.  The Lord!  His adversaries shall be shattered; the Most High will thunder in heaven.  The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king, and exalt the power of his anointed.

I Samuel 2:1-10

Nothing of my needlework files remain.  You can read more about that in this post. This includes sewing, knitting, crochet, machine embroidery and all sorts of stuff missing.  I would love to have your help with links to sites with free patterns as I cannot afford to buy much right now.  I will leave you with a fattening dessert recipe.  You can have some with a cup of tea or coffee while you help me find some patterns.  This recipe is from a former neighbor of mine, Leah Schuch.  It’s a good dessert for Thanksgiving.

LEAH’S DATE NUT PUDDING

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 stick butter

Cook until dissolved.  Pour in a 13″ x 9″ baking dish.

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup dates (pitted)
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Mix and spoon on top of sauce.  Don’t stir.  Bake 30 minutes at 350F.  Serve with whipped cream.  Delicious warm or cold.

This week I’ve done a few things towards a debt free life and my job transition.  Monday afternoon I took my computer in for it’s tune up.  You already know how that came out.  Last Friday I took my car into the shop for it’s regular maintenance and had to leave it for an IMA replacement and an oil change.  Honda provided me with a rental car until I picked up my little Insight on Tuesday.  The IMA is the integrated system between the gasoline part of the car and the electric part of the car.  If you want more detailed information than that, you’ll have to do a Google search.  When I picked up the car, the oil change cost $50.45, which was about $20 more than the last oil change.  But I saved a big chunk of money since the IMA system of my car was still under warranty.  My paperwork says that they replaced the IMA battery module and both computers.  Cost of that little job.  $6553.92.  I don’t see anything that indicates this price included labor charges.  I think when this warranty is up I’d better look for a new to me car.  I’m hoping to have all debts paid off and the money saved before making that purchase. 

Also on Tuesday I went to the temp agency and spent approximately four hours filing out forms, taking tests, interviewing and working through the hospice self module and test.  I had forgotten just how many tests you have to take to work agency.  Next Wednesday I’ll be taking a CPR for professionals there.  My company is supposed to provide CPR classes and TEAM training yearly, but it’s been over a year since I needed to become re-certified.  Then the next thing on the agenda at the agency will be their orientation.

Thursday I picked up Consumer Man’s paycheck and deposited it for him.  He’s also trying to work his way to debt freedom and made the decision to go back to a job on the other side of the state until at least the first of the year.  He left on Monday and I’m in the process of making adjustments back to living alone.  I stopped in the grocery and wondered why I bothered.  I really didn’t need anything.  I did buy a little produce, some yogurt and some cream for my coffee.  After I left the grocery I remembered that I would grocery shop only about every three weeks or so when it was just me.  Basically, I procrastinated with that chore until I no longer had any cream for my coffee and had used up at least one of the two tins of milk that I kept for backup.  Already I’m finding ways to economise more.  I’m not using the dryer except when I launder sheets and bath towels.  Everything else is put on a rack to dry in Consumer Man’s bathtub.  I’m not watching TV and have gone around and unplugged all kinds of things that used to be left plugged in to suck up the electricity.  I’m sure I’ll discover more ways to keep costs down.  Anyone out there with any hints for me?  Now that we’re heading into fall, in another couple months I shouldn’t have to use the A/C much.  I’m looking forward to temperatures down in the low to mid 80s and not so much humidity. 

I decided today that I needed to do one thing every day (Monday through Friday) for the job transition.  This afternoon I was wondering why I was going to work hospice through the agency.  Yes, I will probably make more per hour and they have medical insurance available after I work at least 30 hr/week for three weeks.  But why not apply for a position with hospice and do home health visits through the agency?  Made sense to me, so I filled out an online application after a phone call to the HR dept.

I’m on my way.  That sounds a bit like a Lionel Richie song.