Pumpkin Apple Bread

“It was time to take the pumpkin out of the pot and eat it. In the final analysis, that was what solved these big problems of life. You could think and think and get nowhere, but you still had to eat your pumpkin. That brought you down to earth. That gave you a reason for going on. Pumpkin.” Alexander McCall Smith, The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency

If you’re French, I apologize for the following post. I truly do.

In the U.S., it’s growing common for high schoolers to give up their lunch periods. As their schedules are already crammed with academics and the lunch room is crammed with drama (and a dash of violence), many teens are choosing to cram bits of this and that into their mouths while shuffling through sheet music, art supplies and the sundry stuff of other electives.

I don’t like it, but that’s just the way it is. So, we are adapting, making lunches of nourishing finger foods that can be eaten silently, neatly and quickly. Pumpkin Apple Bread has become our family favorite. A sandwich stuck together with dairy or vegan cream cheese can be cut into sticks and boxed up with raisins, cashews, grapes etc.

This light and spicy bread, of course, can also be eaten in a more pleasant atmosphere. Say on a chilly fall day, on the porch, with a cup of hot coffee in one hand. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Apple Bread

Butter two loaf pans. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degree C).

In large bowl, combine 3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 1/4 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons baking soda. Mix well.

In a smaller bowl, combine 2 cups (about 1 can) unsweetened pumpkin puree, 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce, 5 eggs, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon allspice, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves. Mix well.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and hand stir just until mixed. Pour into prepared pans and bake 50-60 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in pans five minutes, then turn out onto rack. Enjoy alone or with apple butter or cream cheese (dairy or vegan).