Persis, Lydia, Pumpkin Bread & a Recipe

I am a real sloth sometimes about doing what I should  in a timely manner. So I offer my apologies today to Persis and Lydia for taking 2 weeks to post this. On Tuesday November 22 I had the pleasure of meeting Persis( from Tried With Fire)and her daughter Lydia. They were on their way North to spend Thanksgiving with family and they had to travel right through my little town. Persis and I have talked many times through our com. boxes on our blogs and through emails-but we had never met face to face.

One thing I love about blogging is the new friends I have met from many places in the world-as I have enjoyed their blogs and interacted with them in their com.boxes and here in mine. Persis is a faithful reader and commenter here and I greatly appreciate her friendship.

We had Darjeeling tea and fresh Pumpkin bread right out of the oven. Some of you have seen these pictures(Persis shared a couple on her blog) but I am going to post them again-because the memories are so cemented in my old mind through the pictures.

                                                Warm from the oven waiting for Persis and Lydia

                                                                             Lydia and Persis

Persis Brought me the book by Sinclair Ferguson "In Christ Alone" which I plan to read in my morning devotions. That was such a kind gesture-from one book lover to another-thanks again Persis. I am really going to enjoy that over the holidays.

The picture at the top is of the 3 of us-which Persis sent to me through an email-and since it was zipped-I had to figure that out(lol-for over an hour) but I finally got it unzipped and uploaded. Modern technology which is just a hoot for me-sometimes makes me want to pull my hair out by the roots over something as simple as unzipping a photo!

One of the things I promised Persis that I would do is to share the recipe for the Pumpkin bread. I have a wonderful recipe that is very flexible and makes many different kinds of sweet bread by just using different ingredients.

                                                          A to Z Bread

3 C. of flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. of Baking Soda
1-3 tsp. of Cinnamon( I use 3 with Pumpkin Bread + a tsp. of nutmeg-this is a matter of taste)
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
3 eggs
1 C. of oil(I use olive oil because it is a healthy oil)
2 C. sugar
2 C. A-Z ingredients
3 tsp. of vanilla
1 C. chopped nuts(optional-but I love pecans in all the breads)

Sift dry ingredients:set aside(ladies I never sift!) Beat eggs in a large mixing bowl(use a very large one as this makes 2- 9" loaves);add oil and sugar and cream well. Add your choice of A-Z ingredients, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix well again. Fold in nuts(and raisins if you are using them), spoon batter evenly into 2- 9" greased(I use an oil spray) loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour- or until toothpick comes out clean.

Just a few of the A- ingredients you can use: 
Apples(grated) Applesauce(I use unsweetened)

Bananas(I love this bread with bananas-I let 5 medium large bananas ripen till they are almost black and then mash them.)

Carrots grated
Pineapple crushed and well drained(I tried this one but was a bit disappointed)

Pumpkin(use unsweetened Pumpkin) this one and the banana and zucchini are the best-imo. In the Pumpkin & zucchini bread I love to add raisins.


Sweet Potatoes or Yams cooked and mashed.


Well ladies I hope you try out this easy bread recipe. I will close by saying this: The fellowship that we shared here in my home that lovely November day nourished all 3 of  us-body and soul!