Chewy Pumpkin Sourdough

Dear Turkey,

If you are planning to skip yet another post about sourdough bread, just hold the phone, because this bread is awesome. And if you are planning to skip this post because you don't have a sourdough starter, keep holding the phone, because this bread will be awesome without it.

You know that I love pumpkin. quick. bread. But I also love pumpkin yeast bread. The pumpkin is kind of like a cheat to get that chewy baguette-y taste without a really hot industrial oven. Soy milk makes this bread a little bit sweet, so you can eat it for breakfast, but the whole wheat flour allows it to stand up to dipping in soup, salad dressing, whatever.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies

Dear Turkey,

Just because gluten and I are friends, that doesn't mean that I'm oblivious to the gluten-free frenzy craziness um, movement.

I saw these cookies online and I was excited that they were vegan and had yummy peanut butter and maple syrup instead of butter/eggs/sugar (not that I'm not friends with those, either). I have rocked breakfast. cookies. before, but they were a little dry/healthy-tasting. I really liked how the quick-cooking oatmeal makes these a bit more chewy and delicious.

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

Dear Turkey,

These were the instructions:

Remember that chocolate bread that you made? Can you make a bread like that, but with a ridiculous cinnamon raisin swirl?

Well, I know how to make a ridiculous cinnamon raisin swirl. And the main ingredients are neither cinnamon nor raisins.

Ridiculously Good 5-Minute Lunch Pasta

Dear Turkey,

It's lunch time and you just made pasta and broccoli for your toddler. He likes the broccoli PLAIN and the pasta with LOTS of sauce. Like, if you can see the actual pasta, you are in trouble.

Now you have a delicious strainer-full of leftover pasta and broccoli. And five minutes before nap time. My secret pasta-master ingredients of onion powder and garlic powder make this pasta so rich and good, it tastes like you baked it or something. Maybe you think I am overhyping this; try it and get back to me.

Baked Beans and Rice

Dear Turkey,

I always have potential beans and rice recipes floating around in my head. Sometimes they come to me in dreams. True story.

Since I love beans and I love baking, I have been wanting to make baked beans for a while. And while I truly love the baked beans from the can, I was thinking of something more Mexican-y. I was also attracted to the put-it-in-the-oven-and-leave-it concept.

These baked beans turned out really easy and tasty. They have that extra sweet and savory depth that comes from baking (and roasted garlic), but they still have that Mexican punch. I loved finding big chunks of roasted garlic and smashing them around in my rice; if you think that's weird, slice the garlic.