Today dear readers, I give you the perils of making quick bread from a mix.  It would appear that melting the unsalted butter sans Pyrex and breaking a couple of eggs sans skill, would not be the major catastrophe that was to befall your pal here…it was a problem with blending the ingredients.  Read on…if you dare.

We I had taken care of my neighbor Ann B.’s dog many times, as she has for my pets, when we each take our vacations.  When our children were young they did it for pay, as adults, we do it because we’re good neighbors.  After a recent trip, Ann surprised me with a gift:

Pretty sweet huh?  Ingredients and directions (below this post) seemed a cinch.

I got everything into the bowl and used the handy Halloween spatula to mix it all up – but no matter how hard I tried it was really lumpy.  I double checked the directions, nope, it didn’t say to use a blender.  Hmm…oh I know, I’ll use my handheld blender dodad.  It was so tough turing the little dial thingamabob that I had to keep switching hands.

Still lumps.

I triple-checked the directions that remarkably still said nothing about a blender.  At that point I could care less.  I whipped out my ancient electric blender and pulverized that mix.

When I was about to turn it off, I glanced down, so sure was I to see smooth pumpkin alone.

OH NO!  STILL LUMPY!?!?!??!!?!??!?  It was then, and only then, that I reached down to squish the mix up between my fingers that I detected…hmm…this doesn’t feel like…oh crap…PECANSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

Anyway, fast forward another 90 minutes and Eddie loved the story almost as much as the holiday smell of our house from:

SPICED “PECAN” PUMPKIN QUICK BREAD

Preheat over to 350 degrees

Grease 4 by 8 inch loaf pan (I used cooking spray and it was fine)

In large bowl “combine” the quick bread mix, 1 stick melted unsalted butter, 1 cup water and two eggs.  “Mix until smooth and blended.”  Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spread mix evenly.  Bake until toothpick inserted inyo center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes.  Cool in pan 15 minutes, then unmold.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  (Spread with the pumpkin butter and you are finally done!)