Pumpkin Bread - Nan's Version

dylazuna

Hi Everyone :-h

Looks like quite a few of you had a fun Halloween. Not such a big event here in Malta, but now we have a month of visiting the cemeteries daily. Today is All Saints followed by All Souls tomorrow.

Xaa

Meanwhile...

Black Is The New Black.

Clicky for MUCH larger.

And remember, fashionistas, you heard it here, first.

Nanobot

Raetjor said:

Nanobot said:

Raetjor said:
Going to upload pics of me and the ramshackle motley Crew of RPG Bears later. Don't think I can from the iPhone ha! Found the way, I hope. Grab yer rabbits feet friends

Love the pix! And all those nice squeezy cute bears. :) Uh, *cough* don't tell them I said that.

And that is why I have missed you guys so much. *tackle hugs Nanobot*

*squeak!* *smoochsteal* Well, let's see what fun we can stir up, then, shall we?

Nanobot

dylazuna said:
Hi Everyone :-h

Looks like quite a few of you had a fun Halloween. Not such a big event here in Malta, but now we have a month of visiting the cemeteries daily. Today is All Saints followed by All Souls tomorrow.

Hiya! Yay, you made it!

Yes, some folk take All Saints/All Souls in a more somber seriousness.

Used to be, about 20 years gone, that Halloween in D.C. was like a mini mardigras with all the paryting.

surochek

*folklorist hat on*
Carnival: it's a time of sanctioned chaos, reversal, and flaunting of societal norms. And it usually happens just before/on the eve of serious and/or somber periods.

Like Halloween before All Saints/All Souls: the night to thumb your nose at dark forces by mimicking them (hey, I'm not afraid, I can even look like you, but I'm stronger than that, I won't BE like you).

Or Mardi-Gras (or the week-long celebration in some parts): one big party of excess and food and celebration before a long period of contemplation and abstinence (Lent).

Healthy attitude, really: get your energy out, then focus on the spirit when the hangover hits and you feel repentant. Religion has a very strong understanding of human psychology.

*folklorist hat off*

Nanobot

surochek said:
*folklorist hat on*
Carnival: it's a time of sanctioned chaos, reversal, and flaunting of societal norms. And it usually happens just before/on the eve of serious and/or somber periods.

Like Halloween before All Saints/All Souls: the night to thumb your nose at dark forces by mimicking them (hey, I'm not afraid, I can even look like you, but I'm stronger than that, I won't BE like you).

Or Mardi-Gras (or the week-long celebration in some parts): one big party of excess and food and celebration before a long period of contemplation and abstinence (Lent).

Healthy attitude, really: get your energy out, then focus on the spirit when the hangover hits and you feel repentant. Religion has a very strong understanding of human psychology.

*folklorist hat off*

Exactly. The people in D.C. just need an excuse to party. However, the New Orleans Halloween and Mardi Gras are exactly as you say for many locals.

Nanobot

A totally UNhealthy twist on the pre-hallows festivals is the basis of the very good series, True Detectives, on HBO. I think they just finished their season--and one book's worth of material. Except for a teeny bit of exploitative sex (I think it's fan service, but it worked), it was an excellent story. Well done! But not for the squeamish.

EDIT to say: the finale made an absolutely hair-raising use of twigs, roots, branches and mummified corpses. You should see the end of the last episode just for the scary sets.

Nanobot

Oh, hey now...these might be useful for horror art!

http://www.runtimedna.com/Jiggerman.html
http://www.runtimedna.com/DeadMeat.html

surochek

*shudder*

Terre

dylazuna said:
Hi Everyone :-h

Looks like quite a few of you had a fun Halloween. Not such a big event here in Malta, but now we have a month of visiting the cemeteries daily. Today is All Saints followed by All Souls tomorrow.

Welcome back!

Raetjor

surochek said:
*folklorist hat on*
Carnival: it's a time of sanctioned chaos, reversal, and flaunting of societal norms. And it usually happens just before/on the eve of serious and/or somber periods.

Like Halloween before All Saints/All Souls: the night to thumb your nose at dark forces by mimicking them (hey, I'm not afraid, I can even look like you, but I'm stronger than that, I won't BE like you).

Or Mardi-Gras (or the week-long celebration in some parts): one big party of excess and food and celebration before a long period of contemplation and abstinence (Lent).

Healthy attitude, really: get your energy out, then focus on the spirit when the hangover hits and you feel repentant. Religion has a very strong understanding of human psychology.

*folklorist hat off*

May I add to your folklore info by throwing in that carnival and mardi gras are preceding the start of lent, so occur in the run up to Easter and are a last blow out, if you so want; the wearing of masks during this time allowed for a "world upside down" if you want, allowing for anonymity for all revellers; All Hallows on the other hand goes back to Celtic traditions and is a very different ceremony to do with placating spirits for the long winter months, if I remember correctly.

Terre

Good evening. :)

surochek

Raetjor said:

May I add to your folklore info by throwing in that carnival and mardi gras are preceding the start of lent, so occur in the run up to Easter and are a last blow out, if you so want; the wearing of masks during this time allowed for a "world upside down" if you want, allowing for anonymity for all revellers; All Hallows on the other hand goes back to Celtic traditions and is a very different ceremony to do with placating spirits for the long winter months, if I remember correctly.

You're right, I was just using "carnival" in a generic sense of a celebration of reversal of roles and mockery of societal norms. The most famous carnival time is of course the time (day, week) preceding Lent, but any celebration that involves disguising oneself as something you're not in a ritualized way (at least originally, or traditionally, or at least seasonally) is also "carnival".

I'm not familiar with Celtic traditions. They may have been "carnival" in nature originally (reversal, chaos), or not, but modern Halloween definitely is carnival, and so is Mardi-Gras or the whole Mardi-Gras week as it were.

So I"m not arguing, just being pedantic and academic. That's what happens when you teach course after course in college.

Raetjor

Oh, I wasn't arguing, either. I was not questioning your use of Carnival, far from it. I bow to your superior knowledge on that subject. What I do seem to recall, however inaccurate this might be, is that in medieval times carnival celebrations often coincided with the Solstices.

Raetjor

I am no anthropologist but it strikes me that masked revelry is very much a feature of most societies.

surochek

Raetjor said:
I am no anthropologist but it strikes me that masked revelry is very much a feature of most societies.

Yes, interesting, isn't it? There's a need to hide oneself in order to cast off the demands of society and order. And like mathematical chaos, carnival isn't entirely random: it's limited in scope even if its pattern can't be fully described or predicted.

Solstices, yes, although Halloween is closer to an equinox, isn't it? But the pattern of moon/sun/harvest cycles is definitely present in the cycle of celebrations, and does seem to be universal.

Cultures are so cool.

Okay, I'll stop now. :P

surochek

Oh, PS: I graciously accept bows and recognition of my superior... what was it? :-\"

Nanobot

Hallows Eve, Candlemas, Beltane, and Lamas are all cross-quarter days. (The quarter days being: Lady Day (25 March), Midsummer Day (24 June), Michaelmas (29 September), and Christmas (25 December) )

...Which has nothing to do with the notion of Carnival... :P

Raetjor

Iwouldn't be so sure about the not having anything to do with it theory bearing in mind that the date for Christmas Eve was rather randomly set for the 24th because it suited missionaries, if you so want as solstice celebrations had been happening around those dates for millennia and Jesus as the light in the world was probably easier to sell at that date then another as it was repurposing already existing customs, you could say.
This deserves further investigation. I admit to have a thorough half knowledge, of this, which entitles Germans to speak with confidence and authority on the matter, or so I have been told. Read through the user manual. It's just like our cars come with in-built right of way

Raetjor

Bwaaaa

Terre

LOL
I think all Christian Holidays are a mix. It really was easier for missionaries to fuse their beliefs with existing ones and dates to spread the word. So some timing got changed in the process. I've been told that this is the reason that Jehova's Witnesses don't celebrate any holiday other than Thanksgiving. They totally reject "pagan" influences.

Raetjor

Hmmm, yep among other things like blood transfusions.

GRIM

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaack.

Thanks to Raet in helpin' me and Nan for lettin' me back in. *grin*

LT_Roberts

Yay! Grim!!! *tigger pounce*

Raet – Christians don't refuse blood transfusions. That's only Jehovah's Witnesses that do that, if I recall correctly. Most Christian sects don't have that rule.

GRIM

*Grin, pounced! Squeeze!* Congrats, boy-o!

...and I have no idea on the transfusion thing for Christians either. I don't think Scientology allow that, either.

Nanobot

GRIM said:
I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaack.

Thanks to Raet in helpin' me and Nan for lettin' me back in. *grin*

*pounce* *huggle*

Wheee! You're back! Yayifications!

Nanobot

Terre said:
LOL
I think all Christian Holidays are a mix. It really was easier for missionaries to fuse their beliefs with existing ones and dates to spread the word. So some timing got changed in the process. I've been told that this is the reason that Jehova's Witnesses don't celebrate any holiday other than Thanksgiving. They totally reject "pagan" influences.

This here lecture series on life in the middle ages that I have (some professor from a midwestern university speaking, one of the Great Courses things) goes into some detail on how Christian holidays were sited on the old non-Christian ones, as you say.

And...had a friend get into Christian Science back in the day, and I do believe they don't allow transfusions, either...but for some other reason, like faith healing. *duhr* I'm not German, but I'll adopt the attitude. :)

GRIM

*SqueezeNAN* Thankee, thankee!

I've always had a mindset of if it doesn't kill me, let's see if it works. 'Course.....thinking about that now, that could be a bad idear. O.o

Nanobot

GRIM said:
*SqueezeNAN* Thankee, thankee!

I've always had a mindset of if it doesn't kill me, let's see if it works. 'Course.....thinking about that now, that could be a bad idear. O.o

Hee!

Thankfully, you have enough sense to figure out if something's killing you...so far. Of course, for all we know, you could be typing from your wheel chair with one hand after a failed experiment. ;)

GRIM

I no nuzheengk of vhat yu sayink...

XD So far, yes- I've been able to side-step Death (more than a few times) and give'm the finger. So far. I'mma have to sign off soon to run a coupla errands a'fore company comes over, but I'm so glad we're back!

Raetjor

LT, being Christian myself , I know that, I was referring to Jehova's Witnesses, but for some reason couldn't quote the reference. Stupid bloody iPad...

Raetjor

Wayii said:
That mask is awesome, man. :) I spent a big chunk of tonight scaring the trick or treaters in a big horsehead skull mask and oversized black sithlord bathrobe. One little girl saw me, squeaked and ran back down the stairs to her mom. >.< I made sure her cousin took her a ring pop.

Thanks, Wayii. Took a while to get it to look like that. Quite chuffed it turned out that well.

Wayii

As you should be,my good man. As you should be.

Xaa

LT_Roberts said:
Raet – Christians don't refuse blood transfusions. That's only Jehovah's Witnesses that do that, if I recall correctly. Most Christian sects don't have that rule.

Yes.

For those who may wonder:

The JW's reject blood transfusions based on three biblical verses: Genesis 9:4 and Leviticus 17:10 (which are direct and unequivocal prohibitions against eating blood), and Acts 15:29 (which again is an unequivocal command to not eat blood, and is part of a list of suggestions and direct orders to the early church leaders in Syrian Antioch about how to behave so as to improve the public image of the church and gain more converts).

Initially, the JW's had nothing against blood transfusions. In the 20's and 30', there were even church leaders who publicly praised the medical community for saving lives with it. However, in the 1940's, Nathan Knorr came to power as President of the JW's, and his position was that transfusions counted as eating for the purposes of interpreting the scripture. By the 1950's, this position had become universally accepted by the members of the church, and remains JW doctrine, today.

As for me, I'm Lutheran. If I'm undergoing surgery or wounded and bleeding to death, yes, I want a transfusion, thanks much.

Terre

Good morning. :)

GRIM

Good morning!

Nanobot

*blink* COFFEEEEEE

surochek

More tea now! ... Becoming coherent.

So not a morning person. Anyone who knows me understands my dedication to whatever it is, if I get going before 9am.

GRIM

Coffeeeee.....so much to do today. Have some tests for a possible job interview, gotta rip down all the Halloween decor...working on an Amazon for V4 for dsa to sell. *falls over*

Terre

Good luck on the job situation and the Amazon. :)

Wayii

I hate taking down Halloween and Christmas. It's so depressing. >.<

Good luck on that interview thing, I suspect you'll kick butt.

surochek

Don't think of taking down Halloween decorations. Think of making room for Christmas cheer. :D

GRIM

Christmas...blarg. XD Thank you, everyone. Hope so, they submitted the resume and tests to the company for the position, so now it's a waiting game. Good note- my scores were in the top 80% in the US, so hopefully that'll help.

Still. Tests. *blech*

Nanobot

surochek said:
Don't think of taking down Halloween decorations. Think of making room for Christmas cheer. :D

That would be combining the two. Nightmare Before Christmas, anyone?

My annual resistance to Mandatory Festivity continues. Still, we are having Thanksgiving HERE at my house this year (*groan*), but at least it's with catered stuffs, like Honey Baked Ham and turkey. I will be enlisted to provide the green beans almandine, per usual, and maybe other comestibles.

Already know I'm going to serve at one client's Christmas party in mid-December. With the other client, the round of holiday baking will commence. Those people love me for my pumpkin bread and turkey gravy--separately, have no fear.

That said, I have no objection to parties at any time. :D I'm looking forward to serving--it's fun, at events.

(No, I am not contemplating a career as a banquet server. *SHUDDER* I'm too short. Waaaaay too short. )

LT_Roberts

Pumpkin bread?! Recipe, please!!!

Wayii

Mmmmm pumpkin bread.

Nanobot

Pumpkin Bread - Nan's Version

I added extra ginger and vanilla. This comes out like pumpkin-gingerbread cake.

Ingredients

1 cup vegetable oil
2 2/3 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups (or one 15-ounce can) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
2/3 cup water (or slightly less)
3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
~2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
[1/2 - 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans]
[1 - 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, optional]
[Coarse white sugar and/or nuts for sprinkling on top, optional]

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pans (if you're making the plain version of the bread); two 9" x 5" loaf pans (if you're adding chocolate chips and nuts); or one of each, if you're making one plain loaf, and one loaf with chips and nuts.

2) In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients and blend well.

3) In another bowl beat together the oil, sugar, eggs, pumpkin, vanilla and water. Add to the dry ingredients stirring to combine. NOTE: don't add all the water at once. You may need only 1/3 cup, depending on how wet the pumpkin is.)

4) Mix in the chips and nuts, if you're using them. To make one loaf with chips/nuts, one loaf without, divide the batter in half. Leave one half plain, and add nuts and/or chips to the other half.

5) Spoon the batter into the prepared pans. Sprinkle the tops of the loaves with coarse sparkling sugar, if desired.

6) Bake the bread for 60 to 80 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean; and that same tester inserted about 1/2" into the top of the loaf doesn't encounter any totally unbaked batter.

7) Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a rack. When it's completely cool, wrap it well in plastic wrap, and store it overnight before serving.

Yield: 2 loaves

Raetjor

That sounds mighty tasty, Nan

GRIM

That it does....too bad I dun like Pumpkin.

Raetjor

Here is one I normally do.

Pumpkin Bread - Nan's Version

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