Chickens in the Road | Author Suzanne McMinn

I’m engaged in a battle with the wood stove. I want smoke coming out of here.

And it wants to watch The Bonnie Hunt Show and Inside Edition. It’s lazy. Or it likes other people better than me because it will only light for them.

I took lessons from its Favored One. I practiced under his tutelage. (I’m talking about 52.) And then I got cold and decided to do it myself! I am woman! Watch me make fire!

All by myself!

And so yesterday, all alone, I put on my battle gear and I said, “Wood stove, we are making fire today!”

The wood stove didn’t say anything back. Just in case you think I’m actually crazy.

I hear tell I’m supposed to clean this mess up before I get going.

I sorta kinda cleaned it up. No need to be picky. It’s dirty and I don’t like dirty stuff. Which is why I live on a farm and step in doo-doo all day long.

Anyway! First, I gotta put some crumpled up paper in there.

Then I lay in some kindling. And then some logs. And I arrange everything just like other people do when the wood stove performs magic tricks for them. I’m ready for fire!

Wait. THEN I make sure I know where the fire extinguisher is. Because I don’t really trust myself.

Then I get to make fire! This part is fun! I get to light stuff up!

It’s off to a good start. There are flames, see? I’ve got this thing nailed.

Okay, mostly that’s just paper. But it’s going to get there. I feel it. Me and the wood stove, we’re in sync now.

A fire needs air. So I’m supposed to pull out this knobby thing.

And I’m supposed to leave the stove door open a little bit.

I’m following directions. Why don’t I have more fire? I poke it, and it gets mad and flames up.

It gets going good, so I shut the door and turn on the blower. Time to bask in the warmth of my fire.

Fire???

You know what this fire needs? More paper.

I know. I could fill up the ENTIRE STOVE with paper! I’d have a big fire then.

Or not.

It’s going to be a long, cold winter, isn’t it?

Please vote today to help me get this job! Read why I want this job so badly here if you missed it. Remember that you can vote every day. And please tell everybody you know? (If you haven’t seen it yet, watch my contestant video either here or at my voting page on the SAM-e site.)

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The voting runs through December 7. These are early days yet and the competition is working it, so please stay with me!

And don’t forget–comment here for your first entry of the day for the 2010 Chickens in the Road Calendar giveaway. Then go here to make additional entries: The Chickens in the Road forum.

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I knew I had to make this recipe as soon as I saw it. Caramel. Pumpkin. Pecan. BREAD PUDDING. A lovely reader, Brenda, kindly sent it to me. Several days passed. I got all the ingredients together. (I didn’t have the half and half.) The heavens opened. Light shined down. I was ready!!! I had everything!

Only I had completely lost her email with the recipe. Looked everywhere. New mail. Old mail. Deleted mail. (Not that I would delete it, but accidents happen.) The email had disappeared! The heavens closed up and my world went dark.

Okay, that is so dramatic.

But seriously, I was bummed.

However! Brenda came through and sent it to me again and I copied it like ten times to be sure I couldn’t lose it again. And then I made it.

And here it is! It’s delicious and it’s very autumn-ish and Thanksgiving-ish. I bet you could even make it with all milk instead of half and half, it would just be a little less rich. I used fresh pumpkin puree, but you can used canned solid pack pumpkin.

I bet you could even throw a little bourbon in there somewhere. Like a quarter cup in the bread pudding and a couple tablespoons in the sauce. I didn’t, because I’m out. (Too much Maple Pecan Pie with Bourbon.) But you can!

Of course I used Grandmother Bread for the bread in the recipe.

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How to make Caramel Pumpkin Pecan Bread Pudding:

For the bread pudding
4 large eggs
2- 15 oz cans solid pack pumpkin or 2 pints fresh pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup half and half
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
10 cups cubed bread pieces

Whisk everything together but the bread in a large bowl until well blended. Add the bread and stir well to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 8-24 hours.

I totally didn’t do that, but you should. If you want to. I baked it right away. Because I’m like that. Impatient.

When you’re ready to bake it, spoon the bread pudding mixture into a greased 13 x 9 pan and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for one hour. The original recipe called for baking this in ramekins. For me, it took a full hour to get done in a 13 x 9 pan. Adjust accordingly if you use ramekins. Also, you might need to cover the top with foil–the original recipe suggested that. I found it unnecessary. It browned just right without it. Except for a few burned nuts. Don’t be picky.

During the last 15 minutes of baking, start preparing the caramel sauce topping.

Caramel Pecan Sauce
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla

You need to heat the chopped pecans in a skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, just until lightly toasted. (Maybe five minutes.) Best thing to do is put those puppies in an iron skillet. Meanwhile, cook the brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in a small pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and pecans.

Remove the bread pudding from the oven and drizzle with the caramel pecan sauce. Bake for five more minutes or until sauce is thoroughly heated. Behold the giant pan of bread pudding with caramel sauce on top.

I burned some of the nuts on top. But I didn’t care.

It was THAT GOOD!