pumpkin nutella swirl bread

A couple weeks ago, Josh and I baked some delicious pumpkin nutella bread and muffins.  

I found this recipe on pinterest:

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour  (We used 1 cup white flour and 3/4 cup of wheat flour to make it a bit healthier.)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 cup water
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 tablespoons Nutella (2 tablespoons per mini loaf) ***see note below

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 4 mini loaf pans with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, water, pumpkin, eggs, and extracts. Whisk until smooth and combined.
4. Slowly stir in the flour mixture. Mix until ingredients are combined.
5. Pour the batter into the mini loaf pans, making sure batter is evenly divided. Drop 2 heaping tablespoons of Nutella onto each loaf pan. Swirl the Nutella into the pumpkin batter with a knife. Place the loaf pans onto a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Place the loaf pans on a wire rack. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan and then carefully remove the loaves. Cool completely before slicing.

*Note-You can make regular size loaves. This recipe should make 2 8×4 loaves. Adjust baking time to about 60 minutes.  You can also make muffins, but I am not sure how many you will get from a full recipe since I did some mini loaves and some muffins.  For muffins cook between 15-20 minutes.  I also recommend doing additional nutella in the middle of you muffins or loaves.  Just fill the pan half way and swirl in some nutella just like the recipe calls for on top.


Happy Fall!

an evening with hauerwas.

Last night I drove to St. Louis with a group of friends to hear Stanley Hauerwas speak.  This awesome, cute old man gave a challenging and though-provoking lecture called "Disability: An Attempt to Think With."  Possibly the coolest part was afterward when Stanley reached through a crowd of people to shake my hand and thank me for coming.  It was awesome.  (Disclaimer: the crowd of people was about eight of my friends and he shook everyone's hand.  Nevertheless, it was incredible to hear this preeminent theologian speak in person and to shake his hand.)

my life is much too fast paced.

I must  s  l  o  w  down

and remember the words of St. Teresa of Avila:

Let nothing upset you;
Let nothing frighten you.
Everything is changing;
God alone is changeless.
Patience attains the goal.
Who has God lacks nothing;
God alone fills every need.

and  s    l    o    w   down even more.