Adventure Bread

Okay, it's really just Pumpkin Bread, but it's just the sort of thing to have as an afternoon snack, or a quick breakfast with a glass of OJ. A few bites and you're ready for whatever the world can throw at you. I thought I'd better release this secret recipe for the sake of world piece (er... peace). If more people ate this (or other breads like it), they'd be ready for more adventures, and maybe less fighting.

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Preheat oven to 350º [or 325º for convection setting]

Whisk together and set aside:

3 cups unbleached flour

3 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp salt

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp nutmeg

½ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp baking powder

Combine and set aside:

2/3 cup skim milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat until creamy:

2 2/3 cups sugar (can include up to 1 cup brown sugar)

2/3 cup +1 tbsp oil or butter

Add:

4 large eggs

1 small can (or ~2 cups fresh) pumpkin puree

Then add alternately:

Flour mixture (in 3 parts)

Milk mixture (in 2 parts)

[optional—1 ½--2 cups chopped pecans]

Pour batter into 2 loaf pans and bake for ~1 hour. Reduce oven temperature by 25 degrees after 25 minutes.

Let cool for 10 minutes in pans. Then remove from pans and cool completely on rack.

Serve fresh from pans, warm, or chill and serve cold for breakfast.