Fall Nesting

September = Back to the books, FOOTBALL (Go Chargers!), and busting out this little gem.

I have a "problum" when it comes to walking past those mini-cookbooks in the check-out isle of the grocery store.  I just LOVE that they're categorized by themes and... the pictures!  Yummm!  They just get me motivated to cook.   I have bunches of them.  So many that I have restricted myself from buying anymore cookbooks for the past 2 years.

I also love this:

What else screams fall more than the smell of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves?  Fall nesting for me = Baking.  I love the smell filling my home and I love giving my baked goods away (*quickly* so I don't consume them all).

 I made Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins this morning and they will go into work with me today.

Look at you pretty little thing!
They would have been prettier like this.
I need to pre-cut parchment paper to have it ready to go.
Muffin cups were way easier this morning. 

I taste tested it for all of you and yes, it was yummy.

**Enter my drawing here**

Here's the recipe:
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
(Yields 2 loaves or 36 muffins)

4 C all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 C sugar
3/4 C softened butter or margarine
4 eggs
1/2 C water
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 C + 2 TB mini semisweet chocolate chips
2 TB chopped pecans
2 tsp sugar

• Heat oven to 350. Grease bottom only of two 8x4 loaf pans and lightly flour.
• In medium bowl, stir flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg until mixed; set aside
• In large bowl, beat 2 C sugar and the butter with mixer on medium speed 1 - 2 mins until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in water and pumpkin on low speed.  Add flour mixture; beat on low speed until moistened.  Stir in 1 C of chocolate chips.  Spread evenly in pans. Sprinkle tops with remaining 2 TB chocolate chips, pecans and 2 tsp sugar.
• Bread: bake 1 hr 5 mins to 1 hr 15 mins or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool in pans 10 mins; remove from pans to wire rack to cool completely.
• Muffins: bake 20 - 22 mins or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

Jump over to The Inspired Room to see what others are doing to gear up for the fall, or Tasty Tuesday Party to see what yummy things people are cooking up.