It's Pumpkin Time!

It's Pumpkin Time!

Missy Tippens

This past week was my turn to take refreshments for our United Methodist Women's circle. I paired up with my friend Jan (who decorated those beautiful tables I shared last Christmas). I told her I'd do the food if she would decorate. (I'm terrible at decorating anything.)

She graciously agreed to decorate AND bring fruit. She also showed up with sugared pecans.

I told her I would do pumpkin bread and cheese straws. But when I went to look at mixes (I know, I should have tried the recipe I said I was going to try), I spotted the cranberry bread mix. And my mouth started watering. Cranberries feel like fall to me as well, and I LOVE this particular mix.

So I grabbed two boxes.

These are amazing with actual berries to add to the mix. I made a double batch, then folded in the cranberries.

I decided to take mini-muffins to my meeting. And to make a loaf to keep at home.

While one pan of mini-muffins baked (I only have 1 pan), I put batter into the next set of papers to wait for the pan to come out. I was afraid they might collapse, but the didn't!

**Also, a tip from the box: spray the paper cups with baking spray to make peeling it off easier.

Here's my bread loaf that went in the oven with the first batch of muffins and finished with the second batch.

My reward for baking! (That's butter melting on the hot bread.) :)

And here is our table at our meeting. Jan brought some beautiful glass pumpkins, one sitting on a ring of fall flowers. We had coffee and juice and a lovely time!

So…now you're wondering why I said it's pumpkin time, and then baked cranberry muffins. Well, that's because it truly IS pumpkin time at our church, for the Youth Group fundraiser the kids and adult helpers do each year.

We get the pumpkins on consignment and sell them through the month of October.

It's a beautiful, orange sight!

 NOW, I'm ready to make pumpkin bread. That'll be next on my agenda...