a lot has happened in only a short week. we booked plane tickets, train tickets, hotels, b&b's and did some research on places we would like to visit if time permitted. within that week we were on our way to our first destination: berlin, germany. frank needed to travel for work, so we scrounged around and made it possible for me to join him. berlin has completely exceeded my expectations and the little that we have seen has totally altered my opinion of this city. as a history major in college, i studied a lot about european history as well as the world wars. so my idea of germany and berlin was somewhat couched in a historical context. the first half of our day was devoted to getting some sleep (as we did not sleep at all on the plane ride over, enter monster-lindsey) and explore a bit. after a power nap and a shower we took to finding some lunch. i went off the recommendation of ashley from oh, ladycakes and her fiance who are currently travelling europe. on their travel blog they recommended factory girl!, and it did not disappoint. it was just the kind of lunch one needs after a long travel: a salad with torn romaine, bitter arugula leaves, pinto beans for protein and sustenance, sweet, crunchy pomegranate seeds, grapes, tomatoes, walnuts, with splashes of aged balsamic vinaigrette. is was quite the mashup salad but it totally hit the spot! from there we walked through the mitte section of berlin, and to the berlin wall memorial - quite overwhelming given its important role in recent history. from there we visited the brandenburg gate, the reichstag building, and the holocaust memorial. i'm not sure i have words yet to really describe the importance of seeing these landmarks and monuments, all while sharing these moments with my sweet husband. i'm excited for the next few days and our european journey ahead of us.

so, from europe i bring you an heirloom pumpkin bread. a few weeks ago a shop (saipua, you may have heard of them before - seriously talented florist, floral designer, and soap maker!) down the street from us had an heirloom pumpkin sidewalk sale (say that 5 times fast). frank and i stopped by and picked up a few little beauties to make the apartment feel all autumnal and festive. not knowing what i would do with them, i asked if they were edible. they indeed were, but i had no intention of using them for anything specific. a couple weeks later i decided to use up a can of pumpkin puree i had in the cabinet for a banana bread recipe that i wanted to adapt for pumpkin bread. the bread came out nicely, but i was looking to make a few adjustments to the recipe and tried a second time. this time i spotted that beautiful knobby pumpkin with the most perfect wooden stem sitting in our windowsill and i went to chopping it up. she gave me quite the workout - my wrist and forearm was sore for a good 5 days after. in the end it was all worth it as the homemade pumpkin puree made the second version of the pumpkin bread insanely moist - not dense - with a super velvety texture. can i say, that this by far, has been my most favoritest pumpkin bread ever? seriously people, give homemade pumpkin puree a shot!

heirloom pumpkin bread w/ sesame seeds + orange zest (and some chocolate chips too!) - gluten free + dairy free

| makes 1 loaf |

ingredients

1 1/2 cups heirloom pumpkin puree (instructions below) or canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup almond oil (or another vegetable oil)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 organic free range eggs
1 cup coconut palm sugar
zest from 1 orange
1 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup oat flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
1/2 cup toasted almonds, roughly chopped
1/4 cup enjoy life chocolate chips (optional)

instructions

preheat oven to 350° and grease and line a standard loaf pan with parchment paper, extending edges up and over the sides of the pan
in a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, olive oil, vanilla, eggs, sugar and zest. in a separate, and also large bowl, whisk together the brown rice flour, arrowroot powder, baking powder, salt and spices. using a spatula, mix the wet ingredients into the dry - stir until combined. fold in walnuts, sesame seeds (reserve ~1 tablespoon for sprinkling the top of loaf) and chocolate chips if using
transfer batter to prepared loaf pan and bake in the center of your oven for 60-75 minutes (rotating halfway through), until a cake tester inserted comes out clean
remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to let the loaf cool completely
loaf will stay fresh at room temperature under a sheet of parchment paper for 3-4 days

slice and enjoy!

homemade pumpkin puree

| makes about 3 cups |

1 medium sized pumpkin or 2 small
coconut oil to coat pumpkin pieces

preheat oven to 350° and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. carefully, cut the top off the pumpkin. then slice pumpkin in half, cut in half once more until you have 4 pieces. slice each of the 4 pieces into one-inch pieces. using a pastry brush, lightly coat the flesh of each pumpkin piece. transfer to oven and bake for 45-60 minutes, until the flesh is fork-tender. let the pumpkin cool, about 10 minutes, before cutting. slice or peel the skin from the flesh, and transfer to a food processor. pulse the pumpkin, stopping a few times to scrape down the sides, until the mixture is smooth. transfer to an airtight container or use immediately