If you've been reading my blog for any amount of time, chances are you knew this was coming. It is officially fall and that means I can finally break out my favorite sign of the new season. This recipe for Pumpkin Bread has been in my family for as long as I can remember. There have been many loaves made, frozen, shared, devoured, eaten off the counter by naughty Labrador Retrievers...loaves that were under-baked, over-baked, or even baked with whole cloves instead of ground...that was an interesting version.

We are fighting the urge to turn up the heat at Woodlawn, and yesterday's cold kitchen called for some baking. So while the girls were off studying spelling words or some other studious occupation, I snuck into the kitchen to throw together a batch of pumpkin bread.

The recipe makes two good-sized loaves and every year I make it, I ease off on the origianal recipe's called-for amount of sugar. You can safely cut the sugar pretty significantly and not alter the outcome. (Yesterday, I only used 2 cups plus a generous 1/3 cup)

Wrapped in parchment and foil, the loaves freeze beautifully. And while I've known some to slather their Pumpkin Bread with butter, that seems like a crime--it's best as is, and great at any meal, even breakfast, according to Birdy.

Welcome to my favorite season, welcome pumpkin bread, we missed you...

FALL FAVORITE // PUMPKIN BREAD

3 cups sugar

1 cup oil

4 eggs

1 can pumpkin (15/16 oz. can)

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

2/3 cup water

1 teaspoon each: ground cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice

Combine sugar and oil. Add eggs one at a time. Blend in canned pumpkin and water. Sift together dry ingredients and add to wet ingredients. Pour into two parchment-lined loaf pans. Bake at 350 for approximately one hour or until toothpick test comes out clean.

Sneak peek behind the scenes...naughty Black Labrador begging for a taste....