Autumn: Pumpkin Loaf

I am a HUGE fan of loaves. I love afternoon tea with a slice or two of a sweet bread. Cookies are great but for some reason loaf just hits different. Not to mention all the variety! First of the loaf itself but then also with additives like fruit and nuts, spreads and glazes! I went seasonal with today's loaf but stay tuned for more as we get into the colder months and I consume even more tea than I already do!

PUMKPIN LOAF

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cup flour
1 cup (if you like it sweet the original calls for 1 1/2)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves

2 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup oil
1/3 cup water (1/2 cup if you want to add raisins or other dry ingredients)

1/2 cup walnuts

Optional:toasted pumpkin seeds, raisins, craisins, pecans etc.

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350.

**pro tip** this is important because once the baking soda and baking powder get wet they begin to react and you want to be able to get it in the oven quick.

Whisk together all you dry ingredients (expect nuts or fruits) in one bowl.

Whisk all your wet ingredients in a second bowl.








Add the dry ingredients to your wet ingredients and mix well.

Gently fold in any bits and bobs (nuts or dried fruit of you choice), for me it's walnuts but feel free to get creative.







Pour into a greased 9x5 pan ( I think mine is actually a little smaller than that but it worked just fine) and pop into your preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes or until cooked through (an inserted toothpick comes out clean.)

** pro tip ** while writing this I realized it would also be a good idea to top the loaf with some toasted pumpkin seeds so try that out and let me know how it goes!

Allow it to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring it to a cooling rack to cool completely.

 
 
Brew a cup of tea, slice yourself off a generous slice and enjoy your hard work.

Pumpkins are very magical especially around this time of year. Just because Samhain is over doesn't mean we have to stop using pumpkins in our magic. It's the dark half of the year and pumpkins are all about the mysterious, the unknown, the dark, and all kinds of magic. This time of year they mostly lend to us extra power toward protection and divination but of course have other ways they can be used (and used all year long especially if you have dried seeds from your pumpkin carvings!)

With a thin veil and the extra power of spirit it makes it easier for us to access the other side but that also means it's easier for the other side to access ours. Pumpkins allow us the perfect balance of protection and divination/ astral travel boost.

In addition to pumpkins in this recipe we have walnuts, cloves, nutmeg and out good pal cinnamon. We’ve seen these spices before so I won't dwell on them too long but you know they lend themselves to both protection and divination as well.

Now how exactly do you use this recipe to harness the energies of protection and clairvoyance? Add your intentions the way you would any other time but in addition to that as the smell of baked pumpkin fills your kitchen and the rest of your home visualize it pushing out any unwanted, low vibration, or evil entities. Once your house is filled (and once the loaf is safely out of the oven) focus on the scent as you meditate and home those abilities into whatever divination you do afterwards (or during) whether it be throwing runes, pulling cards or speaking with your guides/ancestors.

Full Correspondence List:

Walnuts: Zeus, Jupiter and Thor. Earth. Protection and prosperity. (there are a lot more correspondences to the wood than to the fruit)

Pumpkin: Lunar deities. Hekate and Oshun. Attract high vibrations, positive, protection, charms, divination, Fae work, glamors, spirit work, visions, warding, astral travel, mind opening, home, happiness, harmony, luck
Fruit- Protection divination banishing prosperity
Seeds- fertility, abundance, wealth, love, prosperity, good luck

Cinnamon: spirituality, success, healing, adds energy, protection, prosperity, good luck, love, happiness, money, enhance the male libido

Nutmeg: wealth, luck, love, divination, money drawing, health, fidelity, clairvoyance, encourage visions

Cloves: Protection, clarity, banishing evil, love, stopping gossip, money, clairvoyance, keep good friends close, good luck, prosperity exorcism, purification

Short and Gritty

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cup flour
1 cup (if you like it sweet the original calls for 1 1/2)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves

2 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup oil
1/3 cup water (1/2 cup if you want to add raisins or other dry ingredients)

1/2 cup walnuts

Optional:toasted pumpkin seeds.

Directions:

1.Preheat your oven to 350.
2.Whisk together all you dry ingredients (expect nuts or fruits) in one bowl.
3.Whisk all your wet ingredients in a second bowl.
4.Add the dry ingredients to your wet ingredients and mix well.
5.Gently fold in walnuts
6.Pour into a greased 9x5 pan and pop into your preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes or until cooked through (an inserted toothpick comes out clean.)
7.Allow it to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring it to a cooling rack to cool completely.