My very first pumpkin!

My only experiences with pumpkin until now have been the porridge my mom used to make me when I was little and the carved ones I usually see on people's porches this time of year. Now that pumpkin is in season, pumpkin recipes seem to be popping up all over the place and today I finally decided to try one out......and now I'm in love! This is the recipe I used.

Although cutting into a raw pumpkin was intimidating, what with its size, hard texture and strange, stringy, gooey insides, I was determined to succeed. I heated the pumpkin in the microwave for 15 seconds before cutting it, which made the process a bit easier. I followed the recipe exactly, except I omitted the seeds and baked it in a springform pan as opposed to a loaf, which cut the cooking time to about 50 minutes.

This pumpkin bread turned out AMAZING! It's dense, moist and tastes like autumn. The only things I would do differently next time is add less sugar and maybe some orange zest.

Whether you're a pumpkin virgin like me, or just looking for a great recipe, definitely give this one a try : )