Adventures of Heidi the Happy Homemaker: Pumpkin bread and sloppy joe meatloaf

Pretty pumpkin bread

It was a very chilly day here in the desert. Our high was only 64 degrees! I had the house open and there was a nice breeze going! I thought it would be a perfect day to do some baking!

Since I had stocked up on pumpkin this week (I have 30 cans!), I decided to try another new pumpkin recipe out! I wanted to make some pumpkin bread, since my banana bread has been such a hit!

Pumpkin bread
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 can (15 oz.) canned pumpkin

1 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup water

4 eggs

1-2/3 cup (10-oz. pkg.) REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1 cup raisins (optional)

I did a double batch, so everything times 2!

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 8-1/2x4-1/2x2-1/2-inch loaf pans.

2. Stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside

3. Stir together pumpkin, oil, water and eggs in large bowl; gradually add dry ingredients, stirring until well blended.

4. Stir in peanut butter chips, nuts and raisins, if desired. Pour evenly into prepared pans.

5. Bake 55 to 65 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

6. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Makes 3 loaves.

Eggs, pumpkin, oil and water

flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon

My daughter helped me mix these ingredients together. I have to remember the next time that I do a double batch, I will use to separate bowls, because it got really full!

Mixing it all together

Adding the peanut butter chips

2 dozen cupcake style, 8 mini loaves and 1 full loaf

The cupcake style muffins are all done! Yummy!

So pretty!

For dinner, I tried out another new recipe. My kids love sloppy joes and I had noticed a recipe on the side of the can for meatloaf.

Sloppy joe meatloaf

2 pounds of ground beef (I used a 20 ounce package of ground turkey)

1 can of sloppy joe (15.5 ounce can)

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup quick cooking oats, bread crumbs and crackers (I used 1 and a half packages of crackers)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine 3/4 can of sloppy joe sauce, ground turkey, eggs and crackers; mix until well blended. Place meatloaf mixture into a loaf pan and bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and drain off excess fat. Top with remaining sauce and bake an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow meatloaf to cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Makes 8 servings.