Pumpkin Bread Pudding

My family likes to see extra bread not being used because they know they can soon expect to find the aging bread wrapped up in a bread pudding. You can make bread pudding with just about any fruit you have on hand. Around the holidays, a Pumpkin Bread Pudding sounds most appropriate.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Approximately 8-10 slices of sturdy white bread, cubed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash of ground cloves
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, place the cubed bread. In another bowl, combine the sugar and spices and mix well. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the bread and toss to get every cube dusted with the seasoning. Mix in the dried fruit of your choice. Combine the pumpkin, milk, eggs, vanilla, and orange zest. Pour over the bread and mix well. If it seems too dry, you can add a bit more milk.

Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish. Bake for approximately 45-60 minutes or until it is golden brown on top. Serve hot, warm, or cold. It begs for a scoop of ice cream or a generous topping of whipped cream.

Ideas . . .
Diced apples can be added for a denser but more fruity pudding.
I've used half whole wheat and half white bread and still got rave reviews.

Super Biscuits!

Although biscuits go well with soup, they can be a little bland. This recipe zips up the flavor factor and are easy to do, too.

Super Biscuits

1 1/2 cups baking mix - Bisquick is a good one
1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped, cooked ham.
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Parmesan or Romano cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine baking mix, sour cream, cheddar cheese, garlic powder, and ham. Stir together to form a soft dough. Pat the dough out on a floured surface into about 3/4 inches thick. Cut out biscuits into rounds and place on a lightly buttered baking sheet. You can use vegetable oil spray but I like the extra flavor of the butter. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan or Romano cheese over the tops of each biscuit.

Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes until brown. Serve hot with stew or soup. Cold biscuits are good the next day for making sandwiches or justs reheating and eating.

The Ice Cream Cure by my Family!

We were joking about foods we didn't like and how everyone loves ice cream . . . except if you brainstorm possible flavors that might not be quite so possible.

The Ice Cream Cure!
Top Ten, Least-Favorite Ice Cream Flavors

1. Marshmallow Mutton

2. Chicken-Fat Ripple

3. Liver Chocolate Pate

4. Blue Cheese Cherry Chunk

5.Grape Garlic Gorgonzola

6. Salmon Sherbet

7. Peking Duck Delight

8. Spinach Mint Swirl

9. Bacon and Grits Glace

10. Kidney-Bean Coconut

(Not necessarily listed in order of popularity. And, not necessarily true!)

From Mother Theresa . . .

Love has a hem to her garment

That reaches the very dust.

It sweeps the stains

from the streets and lanes,

and because it can, it must.

Mother Theresa

By our own words we are hung!

My husband was talking to the children on the way to Mass one day when they were younger. He was saying that in the last century, the saints God has sent us have been humble, uneducated people like the Cure d’Ars, Solanus Casey, Joseph of Cupertino, etc. He said that education has come to be a god many people worship. God, in turn, shows us that simplicity reaches God more quickly than educated, well-thought out justifications for what we do. Did it sink in? One son came back with, "So why do we have so much school work?"

Bill Cosby never disappoints!

As I have discovered by examining my past, I started out as a child. Coincidentally, so did my brother. My mother did not put all her eggs in one basket, so to speak: she gave me a younger brother named Russell, who taught me what was meant by "survival of the fittest."

- Bill Cosby