The Great Pumpkin Reincarnated

When it came to carving our pumpkin for Halloween, I thought, "Waste not, want not."
I've always felt a little sad about throwing those pumpkin guts in the trash when we made our annual jack-o-lantern. So, after the kids hollowed out the pumpkin, I carefully sorted out the seeds from the strings. Then I plopped the goo into a covered casserole to bake. I normally cut a pumpkin in half to bake upside down, so I figured this should be similar. After it baked, I pureed it in my food processor, and voila! Pumpkin for baking! It's just as good as the rest of the pumpkin, to me.

Today, we made my gluten free pumpkin bread recipe. My quick breads formerly contained wheat flour, so I know this will work if you are not a gluten free baker. My family is in the midst of devouring it as I speak, so I will post quickly so I can have another slice.

Julia's Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
Cream together: 1/2 cup room temperature butter, 1 1/2 cup sugar, and 2 large eggs
Add and mix: 1 1/2 cup gluten free all purpose flour (I have my own recipe, but it's a secret.), 1 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp salt
Add and mix: 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp cloves, 1 cup pumpkin puree, and 1/2 cup applesauce

Pour into a greased 9x 5 loaf pan. Optional: sprinkle the top with raw cane sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes. Remove from pan, slice, and share!

And so, this year we have a happy ending. A beautiful family treat with a sweet smiling jack-o-lantern on our porch. We need not sacrifice our decoration for our tastebuds.