Pumpkin Bread... and a Soap Giveaway

 Lately I've been baking up a storm... I can't even begin to count how many cookies Jillian and I have baked!  Something about the cooler days and the holidays approaching makes me want to spend time in the warm kitchen where delicious scents come from the oven.  

Last week I made this pumpkin bread and it was delicious.  It's moist without being doughy (for lack of a better word) and filled with wonderful holiday flavor.  I hate to admit it... but the girls and I ate 3/4 of the loaf in one day!

Here's the recipe:

Pumpkin Bread

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 can pumpkin (7.5 oz)
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1/3 cup water
turbinado sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

Mix together flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in a bowl and make a well in the center of mixture.  Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs and water in a separate bowl; add to the dry ingredients and stir.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 9x5 loaf pan.  Sprinkle desired amount of turbinado sugar on top (I probably used about 1 Tbsp).  Bake for 1 hour (may require another 5 - 10 minutes) or until a pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then remove the loaf and cool completely.

Makes: 1 loaf

Adapted from a Southern Living recipe

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Giveaway is now closed

And speaking of wonderful smells this time of year, today I have such a great giveaway!  

Shortly after I started my blog, I became blogging friends with another mother who left the sweetest comments on my blog.  She has an Etsy shop where she sells soap that is handmade at her home in Virginia with her own homegrown herbs.  

I try to use natural products whenever possible, so I love the fact that Amanda's soaps are made with 100% natural ingredients, do not have any artificial color or scents, and are preservative and chemical free.  I was also immediately smitten when I saw that grits are a part of the ingredient list (smile)...

Amanda so kindly sent me a couple bars to try out and while she has a variety of wonderful scents, I asked if I could try the two new scents that she is offering one lucky reader!  I really can't say enough wonderful things about this soap... it lathers well, makes my skin feel great, and these scents are amazing.  I think they would make such a unique and special gift, especially this time of year!

Now for the fun part...

Amanda is offering 10% off any order... all you need to do is use coupon code keepingitcozy10.  You can find her Etsy shop here. 

 She is also giving away two bars of soap to one reader!  The scents are Peppermint Scrub and Virginia Cedarwood and they smell just like Christmas. 

All you need to do to be entered in the giveaway is leave a comment.  

(You can still win even if you do not have a blog, just be sure to leave your email address so I have a way of contacting you.)

A winner will be randomly chosen Monday, December 10 and will receive 1 bar of Peppermint Scrub and 1 bar of Virginia Cedarwood.  

And be sure to visit Amanda's lovely shop here!