Foodie Friday (Fall Bread Baking)

My dad grows pumpkins and everything seems to be pumpkin flavored these days so I tried this out. Plus, I've added my mom's awesome sourdough bread and my favorite banana nut bread! I know everybody wants to be gluten free but sometimes you just gotta have some bread! 

 

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Courtesy of Pillsbury

1 can of Pumpkin

4 eggs

3/4 c. butter

4 cups of all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 1/8 c. miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp  nutmeg

1 tsp salt

2 1/8 cups sugar

2 Tbsp pecans

1/2 cup water

 

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom only of two 8X4 loaf pans.

Next, mix dry ingredients and set aside.

Then in a large bowl beat sugar and butter with mixer until creamy. Next add eggs, water and can of pumpkin on low speed.

Add nuts and chips.

 

Bake for 1 hour 5 mins to 1 hour 15 mins.

Cool for 1 1/2 hours.

 

I have always loved my mom's sourdough bread. I usually make it for Christmas happies for Paul's coworkers. When I make a pot of soup and if I have time, I love making this bread! You don't have to feed the starter for days.

 

Sourdough Bread

Starter:

1 c. warm water

3/4 c. sugar

1 pkg. of yeast

3 T. of potato flakes

Bread:

6 c. bread flour

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. oil

1 c. starter

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. warm water

Make starter and let it sit in a closed container for 1 1/2 hours until smells sour.

Mix sugar, oil, salt and water together. Add starter. Stir in two cups of flour at a time. Place in greased bowl to rise in a warm place. When doubled in size, about four hours, knock down and knead. Divide into at least two loaves. Let rise again until doubled in size. Bake at 350 until brown.

 

Banana Nut Bread

1/2 c self-rising flour

1 cup sugar

3 eggs, beaten

3 med. bananas, mashed

2 cups flour

1 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup chopped nuts

 

Combine all ingredients and pour in loaf pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 mins and then 350 degrees for 35-40 mins.

 

Being a coach's wife is hard but you've got to embrace it...

I follow several blogs written by coach's wives and there was a guest post on The Football Wife and it just made me so unbelievable sad. The wife talks about the resentment she felt about her husband coaching but she also discusses how she has dealt with it. I wanted to tell her -- you are missing out.

From the moment we set foot on Ethel High School's campus, I've totally embraced my role as a coach's wife even more so than I did at South Pontotoc. There are some great and rewarding moments and moments when you have to stop, take a deep breath and pray to God. We love them like they were our own children.

I've baked cookies, cleaned the field house, washed jerseys at our house and shed many happy and sad tears over the years and it's all because I've embraced the team and the coaches as my family. You take care of your family and support your family.

I've embraced that my husband isn't going to be home much and there will be many nights when his supper waits for him in the microwave. Sometimes, that's hard but I also know all the pressure he puts on himself and how hard the players and coaches work and that takes time. Every year it's an adjustment.

I've embraced that fact that we aren't going to have many true friends because of Paul's coaching. With the exception of the coaches and their wives and several teachers, we've got a small tight inner circle and I'd rather have five great friends than  several hundred "good" ones.

There is probably one thing I won't ever embrace or except and that's the critics. Win or lose, there is always someone out there that has their opinion about how Paul coaches. I know how hard he works, how much work he brings home, how many hours are put into each week...not to mention the devotions he leads on Friday mornings, the counseling his gives and how in a lot of cases, he's the only father figure some of those players have.

For nearly 10 years, I've either been the coach's girlfriend, fiancée or wife and I wouldn't trade where I've spent those Friday nights for anything in the world. Cause you see, my heart lies on that field.

I'm finally done with PUMPKINS!

I've pretty much been on the go the last two week of October as I've been traveling to Rolling Fork to work at my parents' pumpkin patch, Farmer Jim's Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze, to not only work on the weekends but also to assist with the school field trips during the week. It's really been a great month and I've finally caught up with my sleep. Our school groups were awesome and I enjoyed every minute of their pumpkin patch visit. Plus, I got to see some old friends and some family.
 Yes, I've seen every one of Paul's football games too.

 Just an afternoon at Farmer Jim's!

 Landry and her pumpkin!

 

Educating school children on the life cycle of a pumpkin.