So IF you’re going to throw your third grade daughter a joint birthday party with her classmate whose birthday is four days later and whose mother is a good friend, I definitely recommend a pumpkin palooza theme–IF, you know, the party lands in October.

And what does one do at a pumpkin palooza party?  Glad you asked.  Really, in today’s world of commercial holidays, it took my girlfriend Jen and I about 30 seconds to come up with 30 pumpkin-y options.  We went with decorating artsy-shmartsy pumpkins (photo above–aren’t they cute!) and baking pumpkin bread.

Josie’s Pumpkin Bread (which, yes, is really more like a pumpkin cake if you must know)

Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1/4 tsp. baking powder, 3/4 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. each: cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, 1 2/3 cup flour, 1/2 cup oil, 1/2 cup water, 1 cup pumpkin, 2 eggs

Directions: Mix dry ingredients, add the rest.  Grease bottom of two bread pans and pour 1/2 way full.  Bake at 350 for 45 mins.

Tips: IF you ever supervise 10 third grade girls (plus a few siblings, etc…) while they each make their own loaves of bread and IF you are doubling the recipe while floating among the chaos, and IF you accidentally forget to double the flour in one of the bowls (you know, hypothetically speaking of course) then just go ahead and bake the bread for another 20 or so minutes.  It might look a bit funny, but it will still taste good–and be extra moist!  (At least I think that’s what would happen…)