TO DO: Make this Sugar-Pull-Apart-Bread for tomorrow's breakfast

From my new favorite website, Joy the Baker. Must make this Sugar-Pull-Apart-Bread recipe tonight and bake it in the morning. Can't even wait!

Wouldn't this be great for a Sunday morning brunch? Click on the link for the recipe. Oh Joy!

Carving Halloween Pumpkins

I admit it. October with the turning of the weather into crisp, clear days (or in Seattle mostly rainy, gray days), leaves turning orange and gold, and Halloween is one of my favorite months. Decorating for Halloween, carving pumpkins, baking pumpkin seeds and pumpkin bread just says Fall to me. Here are a few of my favorite October activities.

 Of course my teenager had to make a pumpkin being sick--but it's rather clever.

The carving templates offered by Spookmaster are simple and fun to use like the trick-or-treating monster.

 Make sure to save and roast your pumpkin seeds after you clean out your pumpkins. It's so easy to do and makes a delicious, healthy anytime snack. Here's a recipe but I just spread the seed out on a foil lined baking sheet with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt and brown sugar. Mix and stir periodically at 300 degrees for about 45 minutes and voila!

My all-time favorite chocolate chip pumpkin bread recipe. My kids love it and it makes a great hostess gift or dessert.
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
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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

In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, oil, water, and eggs. Beat until smooth. Blend in flour, spices, soda, and salt. Fold in chocolate chips. Grease and flour three loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until knife inserted comes out clean. Cool on wire racks before removing from pans.  Freezes well too!

Savvy Bake Sale Tips from Amy Atlas Events

I'm always being asked to bring baked goodies to the frequent bake sales that my daughter's orchestra holds at every concert. They rely on the proceeds for that extra needed funding for instrument repairs, competition trips, sheet music, and more. As I love baking, it's an easy way for me to contribute.

I just ran across this article in the October 2010 issue of Parents Magazine with tips from Amy Atlas for making your next bake sale more successful. Amy's basic message is that smart and beautifully presented packaging (she's a pro) can add to your bottom line. Some of her ideas are shown below. Click on the link below to see more. I'll definitely try the darling cupcake cones. The mini rice treats and bar cookies (who knew that bar cookies are best sellers?!?) are easy ones too, and packaging them with my favorite wrapping paper in neat little wraps is brilliant. Plus, it's great for my kids to help bake or make the treats and design the packaging so that they see how their efforts can help a cause that has meaning for them. Love it!

Click here for great Bake Sale recipes and display tips from Amy Atlas.

Mint Julep Recipe

I found this downloadable Mint Julep recipe from Amy Ormond. They'd be fun to make for a cocktail party or when friends stop by for a visit. I think I'll try these tonight on the patio when I get home with some fresh mint from my garden that I often use in flower arrangements--and of course it smells so good!

Perfect easy dinner for tonight

I subscribe to Real Simple's daily recipes and often find them to be just what I'd like to make for dinner. Today's recipe is perfect for tonight's dinner at my house. Easy, simple ingredients, one-dish dinner. Saves me more time to spend with my family on a night when I need it most. Enjoy!

Roasted Chicken and Carrots with Olives and Lemons

David Prince
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/roasted-chicken-and-carrots-with-olives-and-lemons-recipe-00000000023176/index.html?xid=dailyrecnews-04-14-2010

Serves 4 Hands-On Time: 10m Total Time: 1hr 00m

Ingredients

• 1 chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), cut into 10 pieces
• 2 pounds carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces (halved lengthwise if thick)
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425° F. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the chicken, carrots, olives, bay leaves, lemon, oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Arrange in a single layer and sprinkle the chicken with the paprika.
2. Roast, tossing the vegetables once, until the chicken is cooked through and the carrots are tender, 45 to 50 minutes.

By Sara Quessenberry,  November 2009

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread--and a pretty Wooster & Prince label on top make a lovely gift!

Not much beats coming home to the smell of baking bread--and chocolate chip pumpkin bread is mouth watering! Here’s a family and friend favorite recipe.  Wrap it up in foil or wax paper and add one of Wooster & Prince's decorative labels to the top with your name on it and Voila! The perfect hostess or thank you gift!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
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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

In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, oil, water, and eggs. Beat until smooth. Blend in flour, spices, soda, and salt. Fold in chocolate chips. Grease and flour three loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until knife inserted comes out clean. Cool on wire racks before removing from pans.  Freezes well too!

A quick but elegant way to label gifts, file folders or envelopes, our new Label and Seal Sets include stickers of assorted shapes and sizes for every task.