Pumpkin Bread Pudding

I am so proud of myself because I made this recipe up all by myself and it's a baking recipe!!! And it turned out delicious, if I do say so myself.

Preheat oven to 350.
Take a loaf of french bread and cut it into 1-2 inch pieces and put them in a souffle dish or a casserole dish.
Beat 6 eggs in a large mixing bowl.
Add 1 cup of milk or whipping cream.
Add 1 cup of pumpkin puree.
Add 1 cup of brown sugar.
Add 1 tablespoon vanilla.
Add the following spices:
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves

When the custard part is well mixed, pour it over the bread, making sure it's all coated. Let it soak for 10 minutes.
Cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until it's well browned on top.
Serve with vanilla ice cream or Marianne's homemade buttermilk syrup.

Date filled bars with nuts and coconut

Dad asked me to post this recipe from their mission. He said it's delicious!

1½ cups rolled oats (¾ cup ground in blender; (¾ cuprolled)

1 cup white flour (sifted)

½ cup wheat flour (sifted)

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon baking soda

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ cup butter, softened

2 cups pitted dates (measure, then dice)

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1+ cups water

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup walnuts or pecans (chopped and toasted, not burned)

1/3 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a large bowl, combine oats (ground and regular), both sifted flours, 2/3 cup brown sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix in the butter until crumbly and large chunks of butter are broken down to small lumps. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the dates, water and 1/3 brown sugar. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened – add water until right consistency. Stir in lemon juice, vanilla, chopped nuts and coconut and remove from heat. Spread the filling over the base and pat the remaining crumb mixture on top.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in preheated oven or until top is lightly toasted. Cool before cutting.

Marianne's Marinara Sauce

Sorry, this recipe is going to sound like a Marilynn recipe--which means it will be hard to follow, and yet so worth it. I've been canning my own marinara sauce for a few years now but I always tinker with the recipe. This year I hit gold--seriously. If anyone comes to visit me in Oregon I will give you a bottle to take home as a prize. :)

Anyway, enjoy! Call me if you have questions about this rather ridiculous recipe:

Homemade Marinara Sauce

1 Large sweet onion
1 bunch fresh basil
5 cloves garlic
Enough fresh tomatoes to fill a pot to the top
1 cup red wine
3 cans tomato paste
5 oz Romano cheese
2 TBSP basalmic vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
Spices (preferably from Italy)

Dice the onion and put it in the bottom of your biggest pot with olive oil. Allow it to carmelize for 10-12 minutes. At some point add the garlic to the onion so it can carmelize too. And add the Italian spices at this point. Then add the red wine, allowing the alcohol to cook off. Toss in the fresh tomatoes, filling the pan all the way to the top with fresh tomatoes (they will cook down). Throw in the fresh chopped basil.

Now allow the whole thing to simmer for a while--at least an hour. It will cook down and turn a gorgeous orange. Then it's time to season and tweak. Add 3 cans of tomato paste and puree with a hand blender until it's smooth. I also added 5 ounces of grated Romano cheese, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 2 Tbsp basalmic vinegar.

So here is the part that is a bit ridiculous. When I went to Italy last year, I brought back this spice blend that is amazing. It has a lot of typical Italian spices, but it's also quite spicy and just fantastic. Unfortunately, I really don't know what is in it. Here is what it says on the package: peperoncino, carote, aglio, sale, pomodoro, sedano, cipolla, olive nere, prezzemolo.

The finished sauce is creamy smooth, with a sweet, yet spicy tang. It is so good I'm just eating it with a spoon. I'm pretty excited to bottle this for winter. I will use a pressure cooker canner, because it has onions, basil, and cheese. Enjoy!