our perfectly lazy weekend

Last week was a long/busy week at the Bailey's, which meant only one thing for us this weekend – it would be a lazy one. We went to bed early both nights and got a lot of much needed rest! I was able to do some cooking, too.

Saturday started off with this – chocolate chip pumpkin bread {recipe below}.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups white sugar
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup water
• 4 eggs
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 1 pound size coffee cans, or three 9x5 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, oil, water, and eggs. Beat until smooth. Blend in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Fill cans 1/2 to 3/4 full.
3. Bake for 1 hour, or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Cool on wire racks before removing from cans or pans.

And then this – pumpkin butter. {My friend, Joy, posted the recipe on her blog & I just had to try it} We ate it on toast Sunday morning, but if you aren't afraid of too much pumpkin then you should try it on a piece of hot chocolate chip pumpkin bread!

Ingredients:

• 1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup apple juice
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. Combine pumpkin, apple juice, spices, and sugar in a large saucepan; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently.
2. Transfer to sterile containers and chill in the refrigerator until serving.

This weekend was the perfect weekend for soup, too. Whenever it's really chilly outside there's nothing better than a bowl of taco soup with cheese & a dollop of sour cream!

I also spent some time pureeing... why? Brian & I picked up Jessica Seinfield's new cookbook, Double Delicious, which features recipes that use vegetable purees to make everything healthier. Her focus is on eliminating unnecessary sugar and fat, boosting fiber and nutrients, and cutting back on sodium – and her recipes look fantastic! So, to save time, I went ahead and made cauliflower, carrot, and sweet potato purees. I put them in muffin pans (each measuring 1/2 cup) & transferred them to baggies (once frozen) with the name/date labeled. The first recipe we'll try is the chicken enchiladas – I'll let you know how it turns out:)