Recipe Wednesday: Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Anne is back with a sweet treat this week!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

This recipe is a great Fall treat!  It's super moist and easy to make.  I love to make a double batch and give some to friends and family.  The funny thing is, I hate pumpkin pie but I love this bread and I guess we can thank chocolate for solving my taste bud blues.

1 2/3 cup unsifted flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup water

2 large eggs

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients (except chocolate chips) in a large mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until well mixed.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Pour into 1 large greased loaf pan. Bake 1 1/2 hours @ 300 degrees

Pour into 8 mini greased loaf pans.  Bake 35-45 minutes @ 300 degrees

Place mini pans on baking sheet.

*** Use three bananas for banana bread instead of pumpkin

*** Can add oatmeal and nuts for fun!

My beautiful guest blogger, Anne and her hubs, Joe. 

Anne, also known as Pickles, is currently "living it up" in Utah for the next month, while her hubby does a rotation for med school. She is all about cooking, baking, and just finished her program to become a dental hygienist. She's an outdoors kinda gal and is pretty sweet at recreational sports. Also, she refers to babies as "it" quite often and her kryptonite is a yellow traffic light. Can you tell she's one of my best friends? She is:) Plus, she was one of my roommates at Geneseo State University. College shout out, what?

Recipe Wednesday: Tzatziki

Last week, Anne brought you some Bangin' Bean Salsa. This week, a delicious dip.

Tzatziki (Greek dipping sauce)

Had this for the first time in Greece and was obsessed.  It is a great summer dip good on Gyros or for snacking with bread, french fries, and pitas.  Most restaurants cheat when they make it and use sour cream instead of Greek yogurt!  A good Greek yogurt for it is FAGE.  I hope you enjoy this dip as much as I do!

16 oz. (2 cups) Plain Greek Yogurt

4 to 10 Cloves of Garlic finely chopped

1/2 cup diced or grated cucumber (Kirby or "English") (pat dry with paper towel to remove excess water)

1 tbsp Olive Oil

2 tsp Lemon Juice

Combine oil and lemon juice in medium mixing bowl

Fold yogurt in slowly, mixing thoroughly. 

Add garlic, according to taste. 

Add in cucumbers.  Stir everything up. 

Can add 1 tbsp mint or dill for more flavor. 

Serve chilled with chicken, french fries or pitas.

Note* The longer it's refrigerated the stronger the garlic taste.

Have a recipe you'd like to submit? Check out how guest blogging works on BBV and learn about sweet prizes you can win right here.

Recipe Wednesday: Bangin' Bean Salsa

Welcome to the second guest post of the day! This was written by Anne, also known as Pickles to her college roommates(I'm one of them). She loves getting all Martha when it comes to appetizers and makes some wicked Monster Cookies, too!

Bangin' Bean Salsa

This salsa is so good you will be eating it with a spoon out of the bowl!

Mix in a large bowl:

1 can Shoe Peg Corn (drained)

1 can Black-eyed Peas (drained and rinsed)

1 can Black Beans (drained and rinsed)

1/4 cup Chopped Red Onion

1 cup Chopped Celery

1/4 cup Jalapenos chopped

In a pan heat the following:

1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Olive Oil

Bring to boil while stirring (sugar dissolves into the oil), then turn off burner letting it cool.  Once cool pour over mixture.  Refrigerate before serving.