Holiday Baking - 1 - Pumpkin Bread

My holiday baking has begun... and the Thanksgiving ritual since I left my parent's house - start with the pumpkin bread. (Yes, that is my diet pepsi in the background... only #2 for the day.)In my new gigantic mixing bowl - Thanks, Susan! - I mixed up the double batch for 6 loaves of bread. (1 for Thanksgiving, 1 for my parents, 1 for the in-laws and 3 for those impromptu hostess gifts I seem to always need).

Here's my family recipe:

3 eggs

1 c. oil

3 c. sugar

2 1/2 c. pumpkin (can or fresh)

5 c. flour

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg

3 tsp soda

2 c. walnuts

1 c. raisins

Blend eggs, oil, sugar, and pumpkin. Sift in flour, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt, and soda. Add chopped nuts and raisins. Bake at 350 for 1 1/4 hours for loaves or 45 min for muffins.

Ahhhh... and I've sniffed the nutmeg, so now I'm in the spririt!