Pumpkin bread

Yesterday was crisp, cool and a little drizzly. Bob had a funeral to sing for in the morning and then Mass in the afternoon, so any plans for getting out to do fall sort of things went right out the window. I used the day for a baking session of assorted muffins and breads that were made with healthy ingredients and could be frozen in portion controlled sizes for later. It's probably just as well, as we learned that Bob ( and most likely Nick) has a rather serious allergy to both mosquitoes and now Chiggers. They start out looking like a mosquito bite, then get a fluid filled bump on the top of them, itch to an insanity provoking level and then turn bright, beet red in a spot about 3 inches in diameter for a few days. Insect repellents without DEET serve as basting sauce, and those with DEET are harmful, so it really makes me consider any benefits of any kind of outdoor activities now. We have been having a chigger epidemic here for the last 3 years, and somehow they have invaded our car. No way to avoid exposure to them in the car, not completely sure how to kill the ones in there, and not a whole lot of answers found for this. So to cut down on any further possible exposure, the woods are out for now. Walking will have to take place indoors.

So, the baking opportunity yesterday was a good thing. Cool temps make a warm oven a very welcoming thing. I made apple corn muffins, pumpkin bran muffins and something called Velvet Pumpkin bread for last night's dessert. We have a practice of getting a "treat" for the weekend, and if you bake it yourself you can save both money and calories. This one turned out very good !

                      Velvet Pumpkin Bread (3.5 PTS- 16 servings)


                        Vegetable oil spray
  1                cup  canned pumpkin
                        Egg substitute equivalent to 2 eggs
                        --OR 2 eggs slightly beaten
     1/3           cup  fat-free milk
  2        tablespoons  light margarine
  1         tablespoon  vegetable oil
  2               cups  all-purpose flour
  2          teaspoons  baking powder
  1           teaspoon  ground cinnamon
     1/2      teaspoon  ground ginger
     1/4      teaspoon  ground nutmeg
     1/4      teaspoon  salt
     1/2           cup  chopped pecans -- dry-roasted
     1/2           cup  sugar
     1/2           cup  firmly packed light brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 10x5x3-inch loaf pan with
vegetable oil spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl,
combine pumpkin, egg, milk, margarine, and oil, stirring well. In a large
bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and
salt. Stir in remaining ingredients, mixing
well.

Make a well in center of flour mixture. Pour
pumpkin mixture all at once into well. Stir until just moistened. Don't
overmix. Pour batter into loaf pan.

Bake for 1 hour
or until cake tester or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove
from pan and let cool on cooling rack.

Makes 16
Servings (slices)

Per Serving:
Calories
159
Protein  3 g
Carbohydrates 28 g
Total
Fat 4g (1 g. sat.)
Sodium 127 mg
% calories from fat
23
Fiber 2g
Cholesterol 0 mg