Cookies, cookies, and more cookies...

This week was filled with sugar cookies. Literally. Over the course of three days, I made the dough, rolled out/cut out, baked, and frosted eight dozen cookies. Well, I did have some help with the icing from Ryan. He filled most of the cookies. I outlined and detailed. The project took all Friday night as it was. Without his help, I would have been up until the wee hours of the morning instead of only 12:30. Thanks, Ryan!!

The turtle sugar cookies were for my cousin Abby's baby shower. It was a Under the Sea with Baby and Me theme. Everything turned out soooo cute! My aunt and cousin did a great job with the shower.

I've already posted the sugar cookie recipe I used, so I'm not going to post it again.  However, you can find it here.

A few weeks ago I baked some pumpkin bread because I hadn't had anything pumpkin yet this season.  I wanted something, so I found this recipe in my trusty Betty Crocker Big Red Cookbook!  It can also be found online here.

Pumpkin Bread
Recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker

Makes 2 loaves, 24 slices each
95 calories per slice

Ingredients:

• 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose or whole what flour (I use half and half)
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts
• 1/2 cup raisins, if desired (I did not desire)

 Directions:

1. Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2 inches, or 1 loaf pan 9x5x3 inches, with shortening.
2. Stir together pumpkin, sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into pans.
3. Bake 8-inch loaves 50 to 60 minutes, 9-inch loaf 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top side up on wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.

I absolutely loved this bread.  And since Ryan doesn't like pumpkin, I got to eat the whole loaf myself!  :)  The other loaf went to my dad.  He liked it too!

Stayed tuned for Bruschetta Chicken Bake!