Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread Speaks Love

**UPDATE** It is pure joy to give! Loaves delivered to neighbors, teachers, friends, and some new friends under the overpass on Nees Ave. I feel so blessed to have an oven, pans, and ingredients to have made them.

Eighteen mini loaves are in the oven as I pen this post (of course while listening to Kari Jobe's Christmas album, wearing my apron from Papua New Guinea.)

The purpose of the bread: to bless others with something savory, with the desire that it will make their day and that each would sense the Lord's matchless love for them.

It is funny how the small things in life shout "JESUS", isn't it? A precious friend of mine gave me a gift a couple of months ago that permeated Christ. When I opened the many gifts within the bag, I felt the love and affection of the Lord, which brought me to tears. Everything I pulled out of the brown bag was given with thoughtfulness and intention. O how I wanted to give her gifts in return, because it blessed me so...not out of obligation, but because of the overflow of love I received from her. God, our Father, loves us this way--He first loved us, so we can now love! When we know His love for us, He fills our hearts with His love and our only response is to love others.

As the smell of fall spices fill the kitchen, my heart is swelling even more so than a couple of moments ago, that some how, some way (by God's grace) each of the 18 people receiving a mini loaf will know how loved they are by Jesus Christ. Lord, show us Your glory today!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

3 cups white sugar

1 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree

1 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup water

4 eggs

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 Tablespoon ground nutmeg (I use 1/2 T.)

2 teaspoons of baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 cup of miniature chocolate chips (I use the normal size and I love it this way)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottoms of three 9 x 5 inch loaf pans (or 8 mini loaf pans).

2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, oil, water, and eggs. Beat until smooth. Blend in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill pans.

3. Bake for 1 hour for regular loaves or 35 minutes for mini loaves. Cool on wire rack.

4. Enjoy with apple cider and give some away!

Out of the oven. Next step to write notes and wrap them up all cutsie. Then, deliver and pray.

Club Cracker Cookies

These cookies are "special" because it is a recipe from my Great Aunt Dottie who was known for her "Shoebox Cookies".  Her grandchildren wrote a tribute to her in the cookie recipe book they made in her honor: "...Dottie was not only well known for her passion for cooking, but also the generosity and thoughtfulness she bestowed upon each and every person she met...One memory we both share is...her passion for baking cookies.  She brought dozens of home-made cookies to every place she went; whether it was the man washing her car, the chef or hostess at any restaurant in town, or even just a guest stopping by to say hello. Our grandma always shared these wonderful cookies with everyone and she did so by delivering them wrapped neatly inside of a shoe box."

What a great example of considering others and reaching out in kindness to those around us in a world that is so fast paced with people rushing by and forgetting to value each person created in God's image.  Thanks Aunt Dottie for reminding me of this.

I made these cookies the other day and haven't given them out yet like I intended to and now the pan is half gone due to the Downs consumption...I better go find a shoe box before it's too late.  They are delightful!

Club Cracker Cookies
54 Club Crackers
1/2 c. butter
1/3 c. milk
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 c. chocolate chips
2/3 c. chunky peanut butter
1/2 c. crushed peanuts


Line a 13x9 pan with 27 crackers. ( I did 28).  Melt butter-add milk, brown sugar, sugar, and graham crumbs in that order.  Bring to a boil-boil 5 minutes.  Pour over crackers.  Top with 27 more crackers-  Melt chocolate & peanut butter.  Spread on crackers.  Top with peanuts.  Chill 3 hours.  Cut into bars.  Store in refrigerator.  

Pumpkin Nut Ring with Butter Sauce

My friend, Tiffany Gear gave me this recipe some years ago at Hume. I didn't use to like pumpkin, but after having this cake, I changed my mind. I think the butter sauce may have had something to do with it.

31/2 cups flour

3 cups sugar

1/2 t. baking powder

2 t. baking soda

1 1/2 t. salt

1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1/2 t. ground cloves

1/2 t. ground nutmeg

1 cup butter

2/3 cup water

2 cups pmpkin

2 eggs

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Beat ingredients together for 2 minutes. Generously grease a bundt pan. Bake 350 degrees for about one hour. Cool and then flip onto a plate

Butter Sauce

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter

2 cups whipping cream

Cook in a pot for 10 minutes, stirring so it doesn't scald.

Remove from stove and add 1 t. vanilla

Slice the cake and pour butter sauce over each slice and serve immediately.

This is a dessert to enjoy with a nice cup of coffee and a friend on a rainy fall day.