We grew a massive pumpkin this year and with some daily encouragement from my youngest who desperately wanted to make pumpkin pie with this here pumpkin, we finally made pumpkin puree for lots of yummy treats! Here is a fantastic antique recipe from the 1800's we came across... Old Salem Pumpkin Muffins (Antique Recipe) Ingredients 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground cloves ⅓ cup fat total (⅙ cup softened butter + ⅙ cup softened lard) ¾ cup packed brown sugar ¼ cup molasses (or sorghum / maple syrup) 2 eggs, beaten 1 cup pumpkin purée ⅓ cup raisins (optional) Instructions Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease or line a muffin tin. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Cream butter, lard, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in molasses. Add eggs and pumpkin purée; mix until smooth. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until combined. Fold in raisins if using. Fill muffin cups about ¾ full. Bake 14–16 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Optional Antique Tweaks Darker crumb: replace 2 Tbsp brown sugar with molasses. Higher dome: let batter rest 10 minutes before baking. More tender crumb: add 1 Tbsp hot water when mixing in molasses. Crisp top (old bakehouse style): sprinkle tops lightly with granulated sugar before baking. Deeper spice bloom: warm the butter + lard just until soft, then mix spices into the fat first before creaming *I used half lard/half butter which the butter is a more modern touch than what would have been used.

The subject of belief and a person's outlook has been a focal point recently. In my opinion, belief is 95% of the nitty gritty work that will push us to the next chapter we want to write. There's a saying I am fond of and it goes, "Wether you think you can or you think you can't, your right". Our beliefs shape and mold our daily habits and efforts. What narratives are we telling ourselves that are self limiting? What is a better narrative to believe?