Pumkin Bread Recipe

What a better place to start than food? It is a cool fall day here in New England. Both of my boys are home. One with Strep Throat, one with a double ear infection. I have succumbed to the television. Low expectations for today. It's okay. We have a fire started in the fire place, I'm brewing up some tea ... so I'll pass along our favorite pumpkin bread recipe from Martha Stewart:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter - room temp,
3 T molasses
2 C sugar
4 eggs
2/3 C orange juice or water
2 C pumpkin or squash puree
3 1/3 C flour (I usually put 1 C or more of Whole Wheat Flour)
1/2 t baking powder
2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground cloves (I've used allspice in a pinch)
1 C raisins
(I add 1 C walnuts also)
Preheat oven 350 degrees. Butter three 9x5x3 inch loaf pans
Cream butter, molasses, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time until light and fluffy. Beat until light and lemon colored. Add OJ and pumpkin puree and mix well.
Sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl, then add the pumpkin mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon (this makes bread very tender - not tough) to thoroughly combine all elements. Stir in raisins and nuts.
Spoon into pans.
Bake 1 hour.
Cool in pans for 10 min. then turn out onto cooling racks.
Enjoy!