Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

I found this recipe and thought I should share it because it's the perfect time of year for warm pumpkin bread and melted chocolate chips. This is super easy because you won't have to wait for the dough to rise and it is delicious.

3 C sugar
1 C cooking oil
4 eggs
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2/3 C water
1 15-oz can pumpkin
Chocolate chips to taste

1. Grease bread pans. In a very large mixing bowl beat sugar and oil with electric mixer on medium speed. Add eggs and beat well; set aside.

2. In another large bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Alternately add flour mixture and water to sugar mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Beat in pumpkin. Mix in chocolate chips.

3. Bake in 350 degree oven for 55-65 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 1o minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks. Wrap and store overnight before slicing.

Pumpkin Time!

Last week we went to a pumpkin patch with some ladies from our ward and enjoyed the beautiful fall weather and lovely autumn leaves on the drive out. Clara especially liked picking up the pumpkins and tossing (rather hard) back onto the ground. We managed to play in the pumpkin patch before we were overtaken by the hoards of school kids. I love autumn!

Towel Bibs

I learned how to make these fabulous bibs out of towels at a Relief Society activity a few weeks ago. My friend Lydia made the green one and I made the red one at the activity. Kids can wear them until they're up to 4 years old. They are super easy and are so big and wonderful and I don't use any of our other ones anymore. I'm excited to make more of them!

My First Quilt

I've been wanting to make Clara a twin-sized quilt for when she moves into a twin bed, which will be soon. I got fabric a few weeks ago and thought maybe I could get the top done by Christmas, and take it to my mother-in-law to quilt. But then my in-laws came last week, and we finished the top! I love it! I have a wonderful mother-in-law and I had so much fun making it. She's going to make a blanket from the scraps for Clara's baby, too. (The back of the quilt will be a blue similar to the shade that's behind the fruit)




Clara loved it and promptly brought out her tea party set to celebrate. Even better, it matched her band-aid!

Clara Boo

Here are a few things that Clara has been up to lately:
'Sleeping' (and snoring) in her 'bed' on the bottom step
Reading books and cereal boxes during breakfast (I did this when I was little)

Really enjoying her new tent from her grandparents

Learning to love ice cream (she has a Joker-ish smile around her mouth from drinking the melted ice cream out of the bowl)

And dressing up in Play-Do jewelry (doesn't she look so grown up?)