World Bread Day, gluten-free style!

Although I should be studying, I found out today that it is World Bread Day from Rachel at Coconut & Lime's recent post and thought I should post some of my recent creations. (And I just found out that I'm still maintaining an 'A' average in my nursing lecture class so I deserve a break!)

I've been trying to be good about adhering to my wheat-free lifestyle and recently baked some delicious bread as well as pumpkin muffins, both gluten free. My weakness for pumpkin bread almost made me jump off the wagon on Thursday, when a fellow nursing student brought in a freshly baked loaf of pumpkin bread for us all to snack on as we crammed for our midterm. (Ironic thing is this guy has Celiac Disease but still bakes with wheat, he just doesn't eat it). My strength prevailed but only because I made a mental promise to myself to bake up some gluten-free pumpkin muffins this weekend! The chocolate chips in the recipe have had mixed reviews so far, from those that have sampled the muffins. If it doesn't appeal to you, it would be great substituted with pecans, raisins or even nothing at all!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

• 1/2 cup softened butter or margarine
• 2 eggs + 4 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 2 1/2 cups Gluten-Free Pantry's Muffin and Scone Mix
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  
• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips, raisins, or nuts
  

Beat butter until fluffy. Add egg mixture and beat to combine. Toss muffin mix with cinnamon
and add to butter mixture. Fold in pumpkin and mix to combine. Fold in chocolate chips or
raisins. Spoon into prepared muffin tins. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Yield: 24 muffins.

I also baked bread earlier last week, as I mentioned. My new idea to save money during my nursing clinical days is to make a big pot of soup, homemade bread and bring that with me each day. So I should be adding plenty of soup recipes if I follow through with this plan. But on to the bread:

I used Pamela's Amazing Wheat-Free Bread Mix and followed the recipe on the bag. I followed a suggestion on the bag and added some seeds - pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower seeds, during the mixing cycle (I used a breadmaker). The bread turned out really good and it was sooo easy! I've put two slices per ziplock bag and put them in the freezer for easy thawing.