Sunday is for FOOD!- Pumpkin Bread

I've noticed a new trend in my family's schedule that I am loving, Sunday is for FOOD! The kitchen is always busy on Sunday, with treats in the oven, soups on the stove , and snacks for the week being created, it's a yummy day!  I am going to start sharing more of my weekend cooking with you, sound fun?

Today my girl and I had a "double" playdate day, we both had friends over... Connie stopped by with her hubby, Maurizio.  She used to live in Ithaca and luckily she still comes back often so we get to visit multiple times a year!  Connie shared with me earlier this fall that she loves everything pumpkin, so I decided to make her my version of pumpkin bread.  I've found that it takes an hour for the bread to cook, so I always save some batter and make a batch of mini-muffins that cook quickly.  That way we have something to snack on while we wait for the bread.

Besides the ginger pumpkin bread we had cashew chili (vegetarian) going in the crockpot for a chili cook off we went to later in the day... my secret?...  a bottle o' beer!

Ginger Pumpkin Bread and Muffins

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (melted)

2 1/2 cups flour

(I mix whole wheat and white)

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1 /2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg (or pre-ground)
1/8 tsp cloves

2 eggs

1 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 can solid-pack pumpkin puree

1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan, and a 12 count mini-muffin tin (I used papers in the muffin tin).

In a large bowl melt butter in your microwave.

While the butter is cooling, in a medium bowl, mix together the flour, spices, baking soda and salt.

Add the eggs, pumpkin puree and brown sugar to the melted butter and mix.  Gradually add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture, stir gently until combined.  Add chopped ginger and stir in.  (Sometimes I add chocolate chips, at this step since my family says EVERYTHING IS BETTER WITH CHOCOLATE!)

Bake Muffins for 15 mins and Bread for 55 minutes.  You may want to make a tent of aluminum foil for over the bread after the first half hour if the top starts to brown too much.  Take out and cool 10 minutes before slicing and eating!  Yummm!