Chew on This | Pumpkin Pear Bread

"Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble"

Our Trick-or-Treat was yesterday afternoon. Being that we live in a suburb-rural area with no sidewalks, street lights and some space between houses, our township has made it a priority to keep kids safe. Thus, we don't often have Trick-or-Treat on the actual day (unless Halloween happens to fall on a weekend day). And we never, ever have nighttime tricks. Or treats.

"By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."

What we lack in evening candy begging frivolity is made up for in the sheer number of kids that come to the door, happily in the daylight, every year. Even yesterday, in the pouring, cold, miserable rain, we had quite a large bunch of ghouls knocking on our door. I was surprised, and let's face it, a bit disappointed that we would have fewer leftover candy bars.

Nevertheless, Trick-or-Treat was a success for The Sprite and The Boy. Though even with bundled bodies, umbrellas, raincoats and The Husband driving them from house to house, they still came home soaked. The quick fix of warm bathes and dry, cozy clothes preceded the inevitable, hours long, candy admiring and permission to eat two pieces each (which ended up being 3 pieces for one kid and 4 for the other - naughty children!).

So now our Halloween is safely tucked away. Also tucked (hidden) away, the pounds of collected sweets that will be doled out minimally. And for those of you still anticipating Oct. 31st, we hope your Halloween (and Trick-or-Treating) is dry and wonderful.

And most importantly, to those of you along the path and realm of 

Hurricane Sandy - our thoughts and prayers for your safety.

Cares

Here's the recipe:

Mimi made this wonderfully beautiful loaf of Pumpkin Pear Bread to celebrate the season. Yahoo Fall! and all things pumpkin. This bread is brimming with warm spice and soft chucks of sweet pear. You're going to love it!

Pumpkin Pear Bread

(adapted from Vegetarian Times)

1 ¼ C  sugar
1 C  flour
1 C whole wheat flour
2 t  baking powder
2 t  cinnamon
1 t  nutmeg
1 t  allspice
¼ t  salt
1 t  baking soda
½ C  oil
1 egg
½ C  milk
¾ C  pumpkin puree
1 t vanilla
2-3  ripe pears, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks 
¾ cup toasted pecans

Preheat the oven to 350℉. Coat loaf pan with cooking spray and sprinkle with 1 T sugar. 

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together sugar, flours, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk the oil and egg together until smooth. Next, whisk your milk, pumpkin and vanilla into your egg mixture.

Stir your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients, mix thoroughly. Fold in the pears and the toasted pecans. Save a few pecans to sprinkle on the top of the bread batter before baking. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 60 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Enjoy!