Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:
15 oz. can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 c. vegetable oil
2/3 c. water
3 c. sugar
3 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 c. chopped pecans (optional)
1/2 c. dried cranberries (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 and grease 3 7x3 loaf pans. In a large bowl mix together pumpkin, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well mixed. In a medium bowl mix flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add to the pumpkin mixture and stir just until blended, do not over mix or bread will turn out rubbery. Fold in the pecans and cranberries. Pour into the prepared pans and bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes.



Notes:
This is by far my favorite thing to bake during the fall! It makes a huge batch so its fun to give away a couple loaves and keep one for us.
I only have 2 loaf pans, so I use the rest of the batter to make muffins. Makes 9-12. Make sure you only bake them for 20-25 minutes.
This bread is equally yummy without the pecans and cranberries.
Be sure to get pumpkin puree...lots of people make the mistake of buying pumpkin pie mix instead.

Adapted from allrecipes.com