Recipes from Mom

One of my new favorite blogs to visit (daily) is Today's Housewife. This weekend they have invited readers to share their favorite recipes from Mom or another special relative. This is difficult for me, because it is hard to just pick one recipe. My mom was an amazing cook. She could cook or bake anything! When we'd go to church potlucks or family gatherings everyone would ask, "What did Aunt Norie bring?" They asked this question because they KNEW whatever she brought was going to be incredible!

When I got my first apartment in college, we sat down together and I copied down numerous recipes. I would cook things and then call home and tell Mom it just wasn't as good as hers. She would ask me how I prepared it, and I would explain to her how I followed the recipe exactly. Then she would reply, "Well, I usually add a little of this or a little of that." So, you see, my mom was a great cook, but I think what made her a great cook was her ability to take a recipe and make it her own. This made her a difficult cook to emulate.

Since my Mom has passed away, I really enjoy looking through her recipes and cookbooks. I especially love the ones in her own handwriting. Since this task of choosing just one recipe is difficult I chose to share the last bread recipe she shared with me (and we made this one together so I could learn all her tricks). This recipe is perfect for fall too!

Pumpkin Yeast Bread
3/4 cup warm milk
2 Tbsp. yeast
3/4 cup pumpkin
3/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1-1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
5 to 5-1/2 cups of flour
Combine milk and yeast and set aside. Beat pumpkin, eggs, sugar, salt, and cinnamon, and oil. Mix yeast in with pumpkin mixture. Add flour in small amounts. Keep the dough soft. Let it rise until double. Punch down, and roll out into a jelly roll, put in 2 bread pans and let it rise again.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.
You can also roll these out and form crescent rolls if desired. Baking time would cut down to around 12-15 minutes.