My favorite season has arrived! I could live in full fall mode all year round. The kind of days where the sky is what as known around here as Carolina blue, the humidity of summer has gone elsewhere, the leaves are red, yellow, and orange. My happy time of year. I am embracing the orange right now. Pumpkin spice! I tried my first Starbucks Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai.

I had heard quite a bit of hype about it around Duke Hospital while volunteering there a couple of weeks ago. My family aka The Fam are big fans of most anything pumpkin spice. However, we did have to explain what PSL stands for to the Ex-Ex… pumpkin spice latte!

Bull City Burger and Brewery just introduced Pumpkin Spice Macarons and I was there for Day 1. It helps that my BFF works there and I get the inside scoop. According to the menu they are made in house from scratch (like everything else at BCBB) and served with a butter toffee sauce for dipping. I did actually share one of the three with the Ex-Ex. So good. I refrained from licking the little dish of toffee. I swear I did. (I did dip my finger in and lick it, though, for full disclosure.)

Of course, orange is the color of the University of Tennessee Volunteers. Son #2 went to school there and we are big fans. There is nothing like a football game in Neyland Stadium, in my humble opinion. We went to Knoxville once every year for a game while he was there. I am so ready to go back.

I am plotting a trip to La Farm Bakery to try these… maybe even today! Pourquoi pas? I’m retired and have nothing to do today so an eating field trip sounds like a great idea, n’est-ce pas?

I have pumpkins on my front porch. But… there is a neighborhood squirrel who just cannot leave them alone. I forget this every year in my excitement to have real pumpkins. I think that he just sits around waiting for the pumpkins to appear. We have even caught him inside the pumpkins before. Maybe these are too small?

Mon amie française, Fanny, recently posted a lovely picture of roses with raindrops clinging to the petals. I’ve printed and framed a collage of them, but here are the orange ones. So fall. Fanny lives in the south of France, otherwise known as Paradise, and take wonderful photos. She is a woman of many talents- a great cook, an amazing middle school English teacher, a world traveler, an artist. I miss you, madame!

I am now volunteering once a week at Duke Hospital. I am pushing a snack cart that includes coffee, snacks, toiletries, and small toys to the waiting room (that will soon become the Ronald McDonald Family Room) in the children’s section of the hospital. I am a bit worried because I have no sense of direction and when I am left on my own for the first time I may never return. Search parties may have to be sent out. Bless Shandy, the volunteer coordinator, for her patience with me. I am also baking once in a while at the Durham Ronald McDonald House. The Ex-Ex has been volunteering there for almost a year. I get called into action when a baking volunteer can’t make it. The kitchen has FOUR brand new ovens and lots of counter space for me to make into a mess of flour and sugar. So far, I’ve made chocolate chip cookies, sour cream pound cake, chocolate pound cake, and pumpkin spice bread. It is a joy to make the house smell good and provide a treat for the residents there. If you do not know very much about Ronald McDonald Houses, they provide rooms, free of charge, for families whose children are being treated at the local hospital and they live at least 50 miles away from the hospital. The Family Room, when finished, will provide a place for family members to wash clothes, take a shower, and have a space to relax or work away from their child’s room at the hospital. We will continue with our snacks there as well. Last week, I was privileged to see a Neo-Natal Intensive Care baby go home! There was a little parade with bubbles as the baby and family left the unit. What a joy!

So, today’s treat is my newly found pumpkin spice bread recipe. I tried it out on Son #2 and it met his approval. I made several loaves last week at RMH. I tripled the recipe and made 8 medium-sized loaves.

Pumpkin Bread from Mom on Timeout

Prep time 10-15 minutes, bake time 50-55 minutes, makes 2 loaves

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 2-1/4 cups canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup canola oil or vegetable oil (applesauce will also work)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 eggs at room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Lightly grease two 8×4 loaf pans and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, brown sugar, granulated sugar, applesauce or oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.
4. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients, mixing just until moistened and combined.
5. Pour half of the batter into each of the prepared loaf pans and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the loaf comes out clean.
6. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Bon appétit! Hooray for fall and pumpkin spice!

Next up will be Sally’s Baking Addiction’s Classic Pumpkin Scones. My friend Judy aka Jeanne d’Arc says they are about the best thing she’s ever baked. If you make them or the pumpkin bread, let me know what you think!