Pumpkin Potpourri Week ~ Tea for Two-sday

Oh, yes - I still had to have Tea for Two-sday! The pumpkin theme didn't stop me!

Welcome back to Pumpkin Potpourri Week! Did you enjoy the first day with all the giveaways and the yummy pumpkin blueberry muffin recipe? Thank you so much for spreading the word - it's becoming a pumpkin party!

We'll get to the fact and the recipe, but first I want to share some pumpkin tea with you. Here is a tin of it that I found at World Market (Cost Plus). It's Zhena's Gypsy Tea Pumpkin Spice - they had me at pumpkin. It's a caffeine-free Rooibos blended with spices and vanilla. As expected with a red tea, it's very mild and smooth. The spices are a very subtle after-flavor - nice and mellow. I LOVE the color - a lovely red-orange!

Sit down, have a cup, and let's talk pumpkin!

Pumpkin Fact of the Day
*** Pumpkins are 90% water. ***

Who knew? Does that mean that pumpkin treats can count toward my daily water intake?

Well, you have to have something to eat with your tea. I think some pumpkin bread would go nicely with it. This is my favorite pumpkin bread. I got the recipe from my mother-in-law years ago. SO moist! It makes 2 large loaves or 3 small loaves at once. It's also really good for making mini loaves and giving as gifts, though I have some friends that prefer getting the full-size loaves as gifts...right?!

Pumpkin Bread
3 cups sugar
1 small can pumpkin
4 eggs
1 cup oil
2/3 cup water
3-1/2 cups flour
Mix with flour:
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice
(I use heaping teaspoons of the last 3)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour loaf pans (2 large or 3 small).

Mix the flour and last 7 ingredients together. Mix the rest up and combine it all in whatever way you think is best! I've tried a few ways - not sure that it really matters. Pour into loaf pans.

Bake for 1 hour to 1-1/2 hours. If you are doing 2 pans, start checking after 1 hour. I check every 5 minutes after that. Once a pick inserted in middle comes out clean, it's done. I think the key is to pull it out the MOMENT the pick first comes out clean. This gives the moistest bread without being raw in the middle. If you make smaller loaves, the time will be less.

Cool for a bit in pans on wire racks and then take loaves out to cool the rest of the way.

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Now try to make yourself give the second loaf away or freeze it. And I dare you to eat just one slice of the stuff.

If you really must have a lower-calorie pumpkin bread recipe, I just posted one on my other blog.

Don't forget the giveaways and come back tomorrow for more pumpkin fun!