A Pumpkin Cranberry Bread Recipe and The 19th Annual Keene Pumpkin Festival – Keene, NH

The 19th Annual Keene Pumpkin Festival

For the last 16 years, downtown Keene has been painted in a palette of earthy orange hues for one weekend in October. In nearly 4 days (Saturday, October 17th, 2009),  about 70,000 people will crowd the streets of Keene, NH to see be a part of the festivities in the 19th Annual Keene Pumpkin Festival. Plenty of activities will be running such as concerts, pumpkin contests, pumpkin carving, craft and food vendors, pie eating contest, seed spitting contests, fireworks, and even two weddings! More than 800 helpful volunteers will donate their time and energy to make the festival a fun experience. Just a fun fact, the largest pumpkin ever displayed weighed in at a hefty 1,300 pounds by Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene and maybe this year there will be something even bigger so don’t miss it! Parking is $10 at the events lots and shuttle buses are $30 from the bus stops. Click here for more information on parking, directions, lodging and much more.

Want to cook with some fresh pumpkin rather than the canned for a change? Avoid field pumpkins, which are bred for perfect jack o’ lanterns: they tend to be too large and stringy for baking. Ask your grocer or farmer for sugar pie pumpkins or other flavorful varieties: small and sweet, with dark orange-colored flesh, they’re perfect for pies, soups, muffins and breads. A medium-sized (4-pound) sugar pumpkin should yield around 1½ cups of mashed pumpkin. This puree can be used in all your recipes calling for canned pumpkin.

Cranberry Pumpkin Bread

“A deliciously moist and tangy cranberry pumpkin bread.”

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PREP TIME	15 Min
COOK TIME	1 Hr
READY IN	1 Hr 25 Min
Original recipe yield 2 – 8×4 inch loaves

SERVINGS

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Servings
US METRIC

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup egg substitute
• 1 (16 ounce) can whole cranberry sauce
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray two 8×4 inch loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon and ground cloves in a large bowl and mix well. Set aside.
3. Mix the egg substitute, cranberry sauce, pureed pumpkin, vegetable oil and grated orange zest together. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just moistened. Pour batter into the prepared pans. Sprinkle the top of each loaf with the chopped nuts.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let loaves cool for 10 minutes then remove from pans. Can be made even lower in fat by substituting 1/3 cup applesauce for the 1/3 cup vegetable oil.

Caledonia County Fair – fun, crafts, games, demolition derby and more! Rabbit Hill Inn ranked #1 hotel in US by Travel & Leisure

Caledonia County Fair 2009

Lyndonville, VT

The town of Lyndonville, Vermont is celebrating 162 years of Caledonia County Fair at the Mountain View Park this year. There will be plenty of games, food, fun, and best of all… the demolition derby! The 1st place winner for being the last car standing will walk away with $600. There will be plenty more exhibits such as antique demos, floral hall and craft exhibits, cattle/sheep/poultry/aquarium exhibits, a maple display, Alpaca demonstrations, Children’s Freedom Train, and of course King of Silly . There’s surely no county fair without the rides and this year Dreamland Amusements is proud to present exciting attractions for all ages for the last 8 years in a row. For more information visit their website . About a half an hour down the road lies the Rabbit Hill Inn which was recently ranked in the top 100 hotels in the world by Travel & Leisure. With a handsome score of 91.9 and ranked #1 in the U.S. for all aspects such as environment, ambiance, hospitality, service and accommodations. Featured in previous blogs is their Pink Slip Getaway Package that will help those unemployed take some vacation time, too.

“We’re very proud to be placed in such good company with the most distinctive hotels, resorts and inns in the world,” said Leslie Mulcahy, co-owner of the Rabbit Hill Inn. “Knowing that chateaus, safari clubs and island resorts were included on the list, it’s quite a humbling notion to be ranked among the best in the world. We’re delighted that our guests and Travel & Leisure readers shared their insight into our highlights to secure us a place on this list,” finished Mulcahy.

Stir up your vacation at Mohegan Sun of Uncasville, Connecticut

Who decided that playgrounds are just for kids? Today you will find out that Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut is your new playground. Bring your friends and enjoy live entertainment, authentic food, great shopping, relaxing spas, rousing parties, and best of all… gambling. Don’t worry about leaving your job behind for a few days because Mohegan Sun offers to fully organize and host your next business meeting.

This week the Mohegan Sun Arena features Boston and Styx and Nine Inch Nails. Having a different music group perform every night, you are guaranteed to find a concert you will enjoy. You can’t get more variety when Chris Rock, Motley Crue, and Pink Floyd are all performing in the same month. Tickets average to about $40 per person and can be purchased online or by phone. Grab a quick bite to eat at one of the Mohegan Sun cafes or throw on your finest attire for a more exquisite dinner at, for example, Pompeii and Caesar. Bring the entire family to the Sunburst Buffet or a few close friends for an exciting night at one of the many bars and night clubs. However you want to eat, Mohegan Sun caters to you. It won’t be hard to have a prime shopping day with Cache, Boccelli, Swarovski, Godiva Chocolatiers, and many other specialty stores. Wrap up your shopping day with a visit at either Casinos of the Sky or Casinos of the Earth. In addition, Casinos of the Wind will open in October of 2008. After all the excitement, rejuvenate yourself with a facial or grab your significant other for a Couples Massage at the Elemis Spa. At a 34-story hotel with either a king or two double queen beds in every room, it’ll be hard to say “no” to a Mohegan Sun vacation. Check out the special packages for great deals and make reservations or if you’re that interested start planning your wedding with Mohegan Sun of Uncasville, Connecticut. 

New Hampshire Attractions

If you have a laundry list of things to do on your next vacation, your destination is New Hampshire. The state truly justifies their motto, “Live Free or Die”, with tons of indoor and outdoor activities, plenty of shopping and antiquing, all season sport events, many art and entertainment scenes, and lots more. This year spice up the adrenaline with some white water sea-kayaking in the Saco River among the White Mountains. Slow down the pace instead on a panoramic hike with your family and children or follow a tour guide. Having 48 4,000 foot peaks, your bound to find a trail perfect for you. Try horseback riding at several of the state parks, play golf with some peers, visit historic sites on hundreds of different walking routes, or rent an ATV or snowmobile for some extreme action.