Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Autumn Bliss & A Giveaway!!


Fall is definitely in the air here in Northern Wisconsin. Today's high was in the 50s and I see that the low overnight will be 35!!!! I had better get my plants inside. They've been basking in the warmth on the deck enjoying the extra warm weather we had been having lately. That's Wisconsin for you ~ a heat wave and frost all within one week.


Fall is a time of year that causes me to take stock and review life. Our life runs from school year to school year, so this is the time to go over schedules, routines, etc. and regroup, reorganize and hopefully revive!!! I am going through a season of SIMPLIFYING ~ cleaning, purging, tossing and getting control over those spaces that seem to get overlooked.


As promised, this is my post for Autumn Bliss hosted by Clarice at Storybook Woods. I'd like to share with you a wonderful recipe for Pumpkin Bread.


1 c. canned pumpkin
1 c. plus 2 T sugar, divided
1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
4 egg whites, divided
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. canola oil
2 c. flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. salt
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Neufchatel cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a nonstick 9 x 5 loaf pan; set aside. Mix pumpkin, 1 cup sugar, the brown sugar, 3 of the egg whites, milk and oil in large bowl. Add flour, baking powder, pie spice and salt; stir just until moistened. Set aside. Beat Neufchatel cheese, remaining 2 T sugar, and the remaining egg white with wire whisk until well blended.

Spoon half of the pumpkin batter into prepared pan; spoon Neufchatel cheese mixture evenly over the batter. Cover with remaining pumpkin batter.

Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 5 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Run knife or thin spatula around edges of pan to loosen bread; cool in pan on wire rack 10 min. Remove bread from pan to wire rack; cool completely.
Delicious!!!

I also wanted to share this picture with you:

Last year as I was packing up after a "Colorama" craft show, this tiny leaf floated down onto my table. It is so perfectly cute, I had to keep it!!!

And last, but not least ~ I made a batch of Cinnamon & Cider soap this week. It smells great!! The perfect autumn scent!! I would like to share this with you, so leave a comment and I will pick a name on Sunday, Sept. 23 (the first day of Autumn). The winner will receive a bar of Cinnamon & Cider soap along with a few other surprise goodies!! Your chances of winning are pretty high, as my blog traffic is quite light :)

26 comments:

ikkinlala said...

That pumpkin bread looks wonderful - I love the idea of a cheese filling. The soap looks lovely, too!

Spinneretta said...

And I even have the tuff on hand for the bread... off to the oven I go!

Your soap looks yummy too... :)

Spinneretta said...

Or even STUFF on hand :o

Mominin said...

I love autumn, too! The pumpkin bread looks delicious, and I bet the soap smells wonderful.

Gail LaCroix said...

I'll definitely have to try the pumpkin bread as it looks delicious. The soap sounds perfect for the autumn season!

Anonymous said...

I just discovered your wonderful blog from Storybook Woods. I've added you to my daily visit list. The bread looks so yummy! And the soap must smell just wonderful.

Leslie said...

I discovered you through Clarice's Storybook Woods, too. What a beautiful blog you have!

Janet said...

Give Clarice a big hand, or a big bar of soap. I found you thru her as well. Nice blog, I'm thinking your traffic will pick up when the word gets out about the bread.

Janet

Julia said...

I've just discovered your blog as well! Can't wait to try the pumpkin bread! Thank you for sharing the recipe. I was thinking this might just be the perfect homemade "gift" I make for Christmas gifts this year.
Julia
www.homesteadblogger.com/BlueAppleFarm

Teri said...

Ohhhh, I just found your blog!

I will have to make the bread and the soap sounds heavenly.

Sheila said...

Hi Cathy! I'm another that just found your blog. I surfed over from Momadvice. The bread looks soooo good and your soap is beautiful. The autumn colors are perfect for welcoming the season :)

Cant wait to try the bread.. thanks for sharing!

Sheila

rohanknitter said...

I would love to win a sample of your soap!
Thanks for posting the recipe - it sounds wonderful!

Mrs. N. said...

Hooray, Autumn!
I also live in the upper midwest and have been greatly enjoying the autumnal weather. Your soap looks good enough to eat and the scent sounds heavenly.

Brenda@CoffeeTeaBooks said...

I came over from Storybook Woods.

Can't wait to try this recipe!!

Now, I'm off to read more of your beautiful blog.

~~Deby said...

Wonderful BLOG...I cam over from Storybook..via..Gracious Hospitality.....the bread looks yummmmy.....and the soap as well...I'll be back...
Deby

Pearl Maple said...

Found your blog from Story Book Woods Autumn Bliss – wow you have a wonderful site here full of all kinds of good things. Bread recipe sounds like sometime we should try.

Cinnamon & Cider I can almost smell that from here! What a yummy combination.

Gumbo Lily said...

I found my way over from Storybook Woods "Autumn Bliss" and wanted to say hello. Your blog is very nice and the pumpkin bread looks so delish! I would love to be entered in your soap drawing.
Thanks!
~Jody

Marianna said...

I just clicked over from Storybook Woods, and must say that your pumpkin bread looks wonderful!!

I would love to be entered in your give-away. Cider Cinnamon soup YUM!

Marianna

Della said...

Cinnamon and cider...not sure I would of ever thought to combine those but imagine it is wonderful. I would be honored to be part of your drawing. Have printed off your recipe and will be making it today. Thanks for sharing.

Lisa Johnson said...

Just found you on Jen Duncan's blog. Found Jen Duncan's blog on Miz Smoochie Lips blog. Your pumpkin bread looks so yummy and I bet the soap smells fabulous. Hope you have a great day!

Lisa

Anonymous said...

Hi Cathy,

I live in Houston, TX. A dear friend of mine, Claire, just came back from a trip to WI. She gifted me with a bar of your Cinnamon & Cider soap.

May I just tell you that this is the most pleasant soap I have ever used? I have it in my bedroom bathroom. The fragrance has given my room a fall feeling, which is lovely with 90+ degree days!

While the actualy soap is, thankfully, not real sudsy. It is incredible. It washes off cleanly and yet leaves my hands silky smooth feeling. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and the joints in my hand stay swollen, therefore the nuckles on the hand tend to be quite raw. In just a few days of using your creation, the skin on the back of my nuckles is so much smoother! I know it will only take another couple of days before my hands are truly smooth again.

I could not wait to look on the label to see if there was possibly a web site. Imagine my surprise when there is a really lovely site! To put the icing on the cake, and truly bring a smile to my face... you are a Christian! All I can say is, God is GREAT!!

Thank you for this wonderful gift of your soaps. I am thankful that God has gifted you, because your soap has truly blessed me.

In Christ,
Chaplain Shannon Martin+

Scott Franson Photography said...

You have a wonderful blog, I'll be back often. I sure wish you had smell a blog, lol cause I'd love to smell your soaps and that pumpkin bread.
Claudia

Unknown said...

Enter me... I'd love to try your soap! And come by and visit my blog, too.

www.keepinupwiththetatums.blogspot.com

Ann

Lynda J P said...

OK, i'm not much of a baker. i squeeze out some sugar cookies for the holidays and some bday cakes/cupcakes. but this pumpkin bread sounds delish... i can just imagine how the house will smell with that in the oven. and the soap sounds dive. i just picked up some hand soap/lotion "pumpkin spice" from avon, and i love it...i smell like fall..lol
thanx for your chance for a giveaway
lynda in calif
mom2twobiscuitheads@hotmail.com

Pattyjo said...

Wow what a cool blog give away! Cinnamon in my #1 favorite scent and I love having that smell this time of year. Your fall blog colors with the pumpkin and describing your soap is soooo appealing! Thanks for the chance!

rholschen@air-pipe.com

Mrs. Cherry Heart said...

Not only is your cinnamon cider soap pretty its sounds yummy too!
I LOVE home made soaps...they are just so much more special then store bought gunk!!!!

I can't wait to try the punkin bread...yummy-lish!

Thank you for shareing!
Love your blog!

Hugz, Dolly