Mexican Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread #ad

The holidays are finally here and our family is doing all the traditional holiday stuff---including baking yummy breads and treats! Although canned pumpkin is available all year 'round, it only seems appropriate to bake with it in the fall. I usually come up with at least one new pumpkin recipe each autumn season, and this year is no exception. You'll love the spicy zest I've added to my favorite pumpkin bread recipe.

Years ago when I was selling kitchen products as a home business, one of my favorite recipes to make for guests was Mexican Chocolate Cake. It's amazing how the inclusion of cinnamon brought out the deliciousness in that rich chocolate cake. "Mexican" chocolate usually features the addition of cinnamon and chili powder to give it a spicy zing. Since I tend to be a bit on the extravagant side, I figured five added spices couldn't hurt anything in this experiment!

I found many of my ingredients at Dollar General, which is just up the street from where I live. I love that smaller "corner store" feel to Dollar General and it's great that I can find many of the things I need without having to drive to or navigate the larger superstores. What's more, Dollar General offers coupons I can use right from my phone, and this season they're offering deals on many of my favorite baking items. Visit the Dollar General website to download your coupons, as well.

This recipe features both Nestlé® Toll House® Morsels and Libby's® 100% Pure Pumpkin---two items featured at a great price at Dollar General. I love that it's a simple "dump it in and mix it up" sort of recipe. These kinds are my favorites because they're ones I can have my kids whip up without my help when I'm short on time.

I served my Mexican Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread on Thanksgiving morning and the kids loved it! They knew something was different from my usual pumpkin bread recipe (besides the added chocolate chips) but no one, not even Daddy, guessed what it was. After everyone had agreed they liked it, I told them I'd added chili powder. They were surprised!

Here's the recipe. Let me know if you make it as I'd love to hear how it worked for your family!

Mexican Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

2 15 oz. cans pumpkin 
1 1/2 c. oil
3 c. sugar
6 eggs
4 3/4 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. cloves
1 1/2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. chili powder
1 pkg. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350º and grease 3 loaf pans.  Mix the pumpkin, oil, sugar, and eggs.  Combine the dry ingredients and then stir into the wet mixture.  Pour into pans and bake 45 min. or until done all the way through.


Be sure to visit Dollar General's website to download coupons for your favorite products like DiGiorno, Nestle Toll House Morsels, Nescafe Taster’s Choice, and Coffee-mate. For more creative pumpkin recipes, check out:

Pumpkin Pie Fudge
Pumpkin Banana Bread
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Sprinkle
Autumn Spiced Pumpkin Bread

Week End Wrap Up -- Happy Homemaker Monday

My hot chocolate is speaking to me today. Be happy ... even if there's a chip in your cup. 

It's been a great weekend of relaxing and enjoying family time. I'm really looking forward to the week ahead---Thanksgiving week! Here's a wrap up from the past seven days...

The weather.....

Although we suffered through 87º days twice last week, it's finally gotten cold and we had our first hard freeze Sunday morning! We woke up to a 58º house, indicating that there's something wrong with our furnace. Jamie has called to have it fixed but, in the meantime, we've got the fireplace and wood stove stoked and it's getting toasty in here!

Right now I am....

Sitting in front of the first fire of the year. In fact, this is the first time I've ever lived in a home (as an adult) with a fireplace so this is a real treat! Jamie and the six older kids are at church and the three youngest are getting settled down to sleep. I've got hot dogs and s'mores stuff in the kitchen...I wonder if I should go find the roasting sticks?

Thinking....

I'm thinking about the nice weekend we had. Yesterday we spent the day at home and I worked in the kitchen most of the day. I made pancakes and bacon, slow cooked bbq pulled pork, homemade buns, coleslaw, and slow cooked baked beans. Then we went to Bentonville for the downtown lighting ceremony. Today Jamie took most of the kids to church and I stayed home with Brenna since she's got a little cold. I worked in the kitchen again, making a carrot cake, peanut butter cookies, and a fried chicken dinner. I love fall as it makes me want to be in my kitchen.


On my reading pile....

I'm still reading Sixpence House by Paul Collins. I've not gotten a lot of time to read the past couple months but I'm enjoying the book immensely.

On my TV.....

Jamie and I have been watching Murdoch Mysteries on Acorn TV. I've been disappointed by a few immoral plot lines but it's been pretty good, for the most part.


Looking forward to this week....

If all goes well, I should be able to announce my new book by the end of the week. Editing, formatting, and publishing may have been tougher than the actual writing. But, I'm no longer a newbie so I'm sure it will get easier every time!

Looking around the house....

I did some baking today to warm up the house. I've been loving this homemade vanilla a friend gave me while I was in England in September. I use it in all my special baking. Last Sunday morning I took about four hours and deep cleaned the little kids' bedroom. Our 6, 5, and 3 year olds share a room and I'd not gone through their toy boxes to purge and organize in over a year! I'm thrilled to say that it's been a full week and they've kept it nice and clean and have gotten into a habit of cleaning up before bed, as well as picking up toys several times throughout the day. They're proud of it and want to keep it nice. Yay!

Hope everyone has a lovely week ahead and a beautiful Thanksgiving (for those of us in the USA)!

Happy Homemaker Week End Wrap Up

Hello Everyone! How was your week? Mine went well---especially since I was able to let go of a couple responsibilities that had been keeping me from being my best at home. Do you ever get yourself in over your head? I hadn't for a long time but recently did---and quickly found out that I'm not quite ready for too many outside-the-house responsibilities! If they're activities concerning homeschool, I'm usually fine. Other than that---I'll leave the rest up to my husband to handle!

This week I was the recipient of two blogging awards from Feedspot.com. I was voted 58th best homemaking blogger (out of 100) and the 3rd top Christian homemaking blogger on the internet! Firstly, that's awesome. Secondly, it inspired me to get back to more regular blogging about the things I love. Chilly weather always inspires me to be a better homemaker so I'm making a  commitment to share more of that life with you all here. I miss my blogging friends!

If you've never participated in Happy Homemaker Monday at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom, I encourage you to check out her blog and write one up of your own. It's fun to chronicle your week---both for your own memories and to inspire other homemakers!

The weather.....
Our weather has finally turned chilly and I've been delighted to be back in my warm hats and sweaters!


Right now I am....
Everyone is asleep but me. I'm procrastinating on getting my book formatted for publication. I've got about 30 pages to go and could have it done tonight.. But I won't. Ha!


On my reading pile....
I'm currently reading Sixpence House by Paul Collins. It's a memoir about his family's move to Hay-On-Wye...book capital of England (and maybe the world!)

Something fun to share....
Here's my final book cover. Should be ready for purchase by Thanksgiving!

On the menu for this week....
I'll be making this delicious Caramel Apple Pecan Bread. It's so delicious!

Well, this post was started Saturday afternoon and has now been finished on Monday night. Ha!! Isn't it a shame that the holiday season seems to pass so quickly? Guess I'd better slow down a little and savor it!

Hope you have a lovely week!

The Homemaking Party

Hey friends! Hope everyone's having a happy week. It's been a great week for us---but tonight I'm sleepy and ready to relax with some writing and reading. Isn't this a gorgeous tribute to our veterans? This is Dickens Place in Bella Vista, Arkansas---the lane leading down to our city library. I love it!

Jamie and I voted Friday morning. What an honor to be given the right to vote for our candidate of choice. I'm thankful!

Best of all, our six year old son, Liam, was baptized on Sunday! He was so happy to be baptized and he's such a good boy---wanting to serve the Lord and brighten days with his sweet smile and disposition. I'm thankful for him, too!

Thanks for stopping by the Homemaking Party! I'm looking forward to seeing what you've all been up to!

The Homemaking Party: Introducing the #NaNoMuffin

Welcome to the Homemaking Party! Do you know what this is? It's a #NaNoMuffin---my traditional midnight snack enjoyed during the first few minutes of each year's #NaNoWriMo event!

Are you familiar with NaNoWriMo? It stands for National Novel Writing Month. I'm not actually writing a novel this month---but I am finishing up my women's devotional and preparing it for publication before Thanksgiving! I figured joining NaNoWriMo would be good motivation to get me writing more each day.

I hope everyone is having a beautiful week!

An Evening at the Maple Leaf Festival in Carthage, MO

Earlier this month, our family had the opportunity to travel to Carthage, MO with a friend who was ministering in music at the Maple Leaf Festival. My husband played the drums for her and our son Michael played guitar. The rest of us {minus the other two older boys} spent some time in the city park while waiting for the music to start.

We fell in love with the Victorian era fountain and pretty scrolled metal park benches. It was a sweet place to hang out---a place I plan on visiting again soon!

Lynzie and I took a zillion photos like this, trying to get the sunbeam just right behind us. It's fun being silly with my girl.

Since Lynzie was all decked out in a Steampunk outfit, we decided she needed a photo on this Victorian-esque park bench.

The band was excellent and everyone really enjoyed the worship music. I may have done a little bit of bragging on my guys in the band. Ha!

Ok...one more sunshine photo. It was fun!

While the olders were hanging out with the adults, the littles enjoyed some inflatables. Here's Kynthia having the time of her life on an enormous inflatable slide.

There was something fun for everyone---I even took a minute to try out the ball toss. I wasn't so great at it...

I'm thankful for fun times out with family and so glad the weather has cooled enough to get outside without melting into a puddle!

Hope you're having a great week. Thanks for stopping by the Homemaking Party. I'm excited to see what you've got to share!

Happy Homemaker Monday

Happy Monday! Hope you all had a happy weekend. We did, but boy did it go by fast! Here I am with a few of my sweet friends who held a birthday party for me Friday night!

The weather.....
It's been warm today and yesterday and today is super breezy! Our porch is covered in leaves and there are many limbs down. I think tomorrow is supposed to be the last day we hit 80º and then it will likely cool off more.


Right now I am....
Sitting at the table listening to my two oldest teens work on their government lesson together. They're using their youth pastor as an example of someone who chooses the common good over her own self-interests. That's pretty sweet!


Thinking....
I'd really like to spend time writing my book this evening...but I'm so sleepy! I wonder if I can escape for a little nap...


On my reading pile....
I'm reading Sixpence House: Lost in a Town of Books by Paul Collins. It's his memoirs on moving to Hay-on-Wye, a city of approximately 1,500 residents and 40 bookshops!


On my TV.....
We're still watching Murdoch Mysteries on Acorn TV online. I so love this show! The costumes and nods to history are pretty fun.

Something fun to share....
Saturday was the annual Bella Vista Arts & Crafts Festival. Selah and I go every year---it's a tradition we always look forward to. We get up early and ride the hay wagon from the parking lot to the opening gate and take our time browsing booths. We each pick a souvenir. This year, she chose a small handmade cloth kitten and I chose this pumpkin made from a vintage chenille blanket. The design goes all the way around but I like how this view makes it look like it has a smiling face!


On my to do list....
This week I'll start teaching a third literature class at our homeschool co-op so I've got to prepare for that. I also plan to work on my devotional some more and I'll also need to make up a menu and grocery list for shopping on Thursday.


Looking forward to this week....
This Sunday the 23rd is my 37th birthday! My family has some fun planned for the day time and then we'll attend the annual hayride and bonfire with our church family that evening.

What have you been up to this week?

Make sure to visit Happy Homemaker Monday at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

Pumpkin-Shaped Sugar Cookies for Sweeties

Welcome to the Homemaking Party! 

Every mom or grandma has that list of things they want to do for the little ones while they're still little. One thing on my list was to make pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies with candy corn eyes. It sounds like a simple thing, but it's a tradition my mom started with me when I was young and it's a special memory I have that I wanted to pass on.

I was in grade school back in the days when we could bring snacks on our birthdays and have a little party. As a homeschooling mom with a daily teaching schedule, I can now see how that may have been an inconvenience to my teachers to have their schedules interrupted without notice. Still, in "those days", teachers had the flexibility to stop lessons for a party and mine always did. {Did I just ramble on about the sad state of US education? Oops...sorry...back to the story.}

Anyway, my mom would make these pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies for me to bring since my birthday is October 23rd---just a week before Halloween. Our family doesn't celebrate Halloween now, but that doesn't mean we can't still enjoy a cute pumpkin with candy corn eyes!

Our family attends homeschool co-op on Wednesdays so I always pack the kids a lunch. Today they'll be treated with these sweets and my mom's tradition will have finally carried on to my kids. It took me 17 years, but here's one I'll finally be able to cross off the mom to-do list!

Thanks for stopping by the Homemaking Party. I'm excited to see what you've all got to share!

Linking with:

Homemaking Party @ Classical Homemaking

Whole-Hearted Home Wednesdays 

A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

Homemaking Link Up @ Raising Homemakers

Inspire Me Wednesday @ MamaBuzz

Wow Us Wednesdays
Coffee and Conversation