I spent most of October experimenting with and developing recipes with pumpkin, pumpkin seeds or pepitas as an ingredient in preparation for my “starring role’ on THV 11 This Morning.   Gary’s Favorite Pumpkin Bread was one of those dishes I took with me since it seems to be a real favorite of everyone with whom we have ever shared it.   Probably most of you either don’t get up early enough (really early) or you live outside the viewing range of that program, but I have enjoyed the opportunity tof appearing on three occasions so far and, hopefully, will be looking at more in the future.  I digress.

I’ve explored all the Top 10 Ways to Enjoy Pumpkin and then some.  When it comes to pumpkin, many people automatically think of pie.  In fact, in a survey conducting by Schwan’s Consumer Brands of North America, 37 % of Americans named the pumpkin pie as their favorite only being nudged out by apple at 47%.  While I do love a good piece of pumpkin pie, I seldom make one.  When I do, it is more likely to be something in the nature of a hand pie or a tart. When it comes to sweet pumpkin baking, I’m much more likely to serve up a pumpkin roll, pumpkin spice cake, pumpkin spice doughnuts (oh my goodness!) or pumpkin cinnamon rolls.  And I’m not above enjoying those while sipping on some pumpkin spice latte.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

I am just as likely to use pumpkin in a savory manner as I am one that is sweet.  Roasted Pumpkin and Brussels Sprouts is one of the side dishes that we really enjoy.  As they caramelize, both take on a delectable and rich sweetness. Throw on a little crumbled Petit Jean Bacon or some cubes of crispy pancetta and you have a mouth full of autumn!   Make this slow cooker Chicken with Pumpkin Seed Mole I shared over on Taste Arkansas a regular part of your menu plan.  Oh and pumpkin soup?  Yes, please.  I recently made a version that used navy beans, sage and hot Italian sausage that was hearty and delicious.  It was even better warmed up the next day for lunch.

 Maple Glazed Pumpkin and Chicken with Pumpkin Seed Mole

Did you know that  a pumpkin is not a vegetable? In fact, it’s a berry. Within  family Cucurbitaceae, which includes cucumbers, melons, squash, and gourds is the genus Cuacurbita which includes gourds, winter and summer squash, and all varieties of pumpkin.  They are indigenous to North America which is  one of the reasons they probably appeared at the early Thanksgiving feasts. However, more than likely, pie would not have been one of those dishes on the harvest table since flour and sugar were not readily available or affordable during that time.

Do you get the idea that  we like and never seem to tire of pumpkin at our house?

The original idea for Gary’s Favorite Pumpkin Bread began with Mrs. Watson from my hometown.  She was always willing to bake up a batch and would often share a loaf or two with Hubby and me when we were first married.  Because we were either working or going to school or both, baking was not high on my cooking priority list even though it was and is one of my favorite things to do now.  Mrs. Watson, I’m sure, felt sorry for my skinny hubs and thought she might fatten him up a tad.  Eventually, she shared her recipe when she decided that I might just be able to keep up with the demands of filling his tummy.

Many years ago, I began making her bread as a way of sharing during the Christmas holidays.  At first, it was a couple of recipes and a few loaves.  Our friends. Our families.  No one turned it down.  Then it started going to work with us and then to our daughter’s school.  And the list grew.  And grew.  When people see Hubby around the holidays, they automatically assume he is making pumpkin bread deliveries.  I stopped counting at 93 loaves last year.

Some of you will remember the ONE year Arkansas participated in the Super Tuesday (1988) election process; some of you weren’t even born yet, I’m sure.  Hubby was a candidate for public office in a three-county race that pretty much required us to go door to door asking for votes.  There were many days and nights when it was so dang cold that my lips seemed to freeze together!  On one particularly cold and snowy day, Hubby took small loaves of bread around with him as he campaigned.  Some people credit his victory to that pumpkin bread!  I guess it makes for a good story, but I do know that some of his supporters are always asking when the next delivery of pumpkin bread will arrive.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. For more ways to use pumpkin, both sweet and savory, visit DiningWithDebbie.  I’d love to know some of your family favorites as well.

Arkansas Women Blogger member and co-administrator Debbie Arnold pontificates and eats at Dining With Debbie.  She and her Hubby split their time between Central and Northwest Arkansas.  She loves to cook, develop recipes and have play dates with her two perfect grands.  Mostly, she has play dates with the Perfect Ones.  Twitter: @diningwithdeb  Intagrams : @diningwithdebbie