Monday, November 30, 2009

Thanksgiving: Flowers for the table


Thanksgiving flowers
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

I like to keep my floral centerpieces simple because I don't want it to take up a lot of space on my table. It does end up off the table eventually to make room for the food so having a small arrangement also makes it easier to move away.

I almost always use this vase (by Finnish designer & architect Alvar Aalto) because it allows for a minimal flower arrangement. It's my favorite vase because the shape of the vase can stand alone as a decorative piece even without flowers. So placing a lot of flowers in the vase would cover its beautiful and interesting design.

These cute flowers are called "Button Mums". I usually put Gerbera Daisies in this vase but they look too spring/summer. But I found these cute chrysanthemums with a nice golden yellow color, more appropriate for autumn.

The Aalto vase was created for the luxury Savoy restaurant in Helsinki that opened in 1937. It has won awards for its design and is showcased worldwide in galleries and museum collections, such as The Museum of Modern Art in New York and is manufactured by iittala of Finland.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Thanksgiving: Brussels Sprouts


Brussels sprouts
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

Believe it or not, the most favored dish by most was the Brussels sprouts with chestnuts and bacon. I don't have a recipe but it's really easy. Here's how I prepared them.

PREPARING
After removing the Brussels sprouts from the stalk and washing them, cut them in quarters. Set aside.

Cut the cooked chestnuts in quarters. I cheated and bought the pre-cooked ones from Trader Joe's. Set aside.

Cook some bacon until it's about 90% done and then slice them up into small pieces. Set aside.

COOKING
Heat up some olive oil in a large pan and cook the bacon until it's 100% done. This will allow some of the bacon fat to mix in with the olive oil.

Add the Brussels sprouts and cook on medium-high heat for about 12-15 minutes. I added a little water to help it cook a little faster. Add the chestnuts when it's about half way or 3/4 of the way cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remember that the bacon is salty so be careful not to add too much more salt. Once the water evaporates the sprouts can be cooked until you see the nice brown caramelization.

I had intended to add shallots but forgot to buy them, next time I will.


I love the way that Brussels sprouts looks on the stalk. They seem to taste better/fresher when you can buy them this way. I was surprised to see them this way at my local Trader Joe's.

 

Thanksgiving: Roasted Potatoes and Carrots

Even though we were already having the traditional mashed potatoes (the one thing my husband made from peeling to the final product, with lots of butter and perfectly salted), I wanted to add some roasted fingerling potatoes (red, white and blue colored) which are super tasty.

Adding sweet potatoes and carrots added a nice autumn orange color, and along with the blue potatoes it just added a nice splash of color to the entire meal, not to mention a nice splash of taste.

I chopped up fresh herbs from my garden - rosemary, sage, thyme and marjoram. Mixed in olive oil along with a little finely chopped garlic, salt and pepper. I prepared it all the night before and just put it in the 400°F oven for about 40 minutes until they were crisp on the outside. I did stir it about half way through so it can brown more evenly.


Herbs from my garden
Living in Northern California many herbs can thrive well into the early winter. Rosemary is not affected by the cold weather but even if I lose a few leaves of the other plants in December/January, by March I have fresh leaves again.

My father used these same herbs to season the turkey he made for our Thanksgiving dinner and it was quite tasty - but you only tasted it if you were lucky enough to get one of the outer slices of turkey meat.

Back to the potatoes... here they are in the pan ready the night before because I knew I wouldn't have time to prep them the day of. Actually, it worked out well because they "marinated" over night and really infused the potatoes with flavor.

The only caution I would give is that all of these potatoes cook at a different rate so the textures varied. The blue potatoes ended up a bit dry and tough - pretty to look at but not the tastiest IMO. The sweet potatoes cook quickly and did not crisp - they were on the soft/mushy side, but I didn't mind and they tasted great.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Thanksgiving: Cranberry sauce is SO easy

It seems like a big secret... how easy it is to make fresh cranberry sauce. I bought the canned stuff for many years out of convenience, but since making it fresh for the first time about two years ago, I haven't gone back to the canned stuff. But I have never heard anyone discuss just how super easy it is to make your own.

It was actually my Mom who insisted that I make it fresh and because she had already bought the fresh cranberries, I thought I should make that and let the can be stored until... forever?

Here's what you do...


STEP 1:  Rinse the cranberries to remove any debris. I also remove the rotted and unripe fruit - I bet the canning people don't do that so doing this is probably optional.

STEP 2:  Boil 1 cup of water  and 1 cup of sugar - stir to dissolve the sugar.

STEP 3: Add the 12-oz package of fresh cranberries (about 4 cups) and boil for 10 minutes. Let it cool.

And your done!

The canned stuff doesn't taste bad and in a real pinch I would still buy the canned whole berry (not the jellied). And I really can't even say that making it fresh is tastes so much better. But making it fresh does give you the option to maybe change the recipe a bit. For example you can decrease the sugar if you like it more tart. Also making it fresh gives it a nice "sauce" look, rather than that "cylinder" look, which is fine if you're going for that kind of aesthetic. Actually, I do like the look of those neat round slices. :-)

One year I added a few persimmon chunks which was delicious. But you can also add raisins, currants, nuts and other spices like nutmeg or cinnamon.


Cranberry and Lingonberry
The jar on the left is the cranberry sauce I made from fresh berries and on the right is lingonberry jam from a jar. Lingonberry grows in Scandinavia and is a popular condiment in Finnish cuisine - they eat it with meatballs and venison (along with mashed potatoes). Both the cranberry and lingonberry taste very similar, but perhaps because the lingonberry grows wild it has a little more punch of flavor. The lingonberries (called puolukka in the Finnish language) are also a lot smaller in size.

I was just in Finland in September where the berries were ripening in the autumn forests throughout the country. I ate many lingonberries straight from the low bushes that they grown on. They are not nearly as sour as cranberries so I'm guessing that not as much sugar is needed to make the jam as would be needed to make cranberry sauce - which might be the reason why the lingonberry jam packs a lot more flavor, spoon for spoon (like the boxing term "pound for pound").

Well anyway, my Finnish husband appreciates having the lingonberry jam and he loves it with his turkey - and so did everyone else.


Lingonberries in the wild

And just in case you were wondering (or not) what lingonberries look like, I've posted this photo I took just this past September while I was in Finland. There is so much growing in the forests throughout the country it does not need to be cultivated. These berries here are not quite at their peak ripeness. Another 2 or 3 more weeks they would have been a deeper, almost burgundy color.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Thanksgiving: The Menu

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!

I cooked dinner for my family this year and as usual, whenever I make a big meal, I plan a big menu and end up dropping a few things at the last minute. I always run out of time, no matter how well I prepare and also, we just don't really need that much food.

Here's the menu I planned and the words that are striked out are the items that didn't make it to the table.

APPETIZERS
Bread & crackers
Crudités: carrots, celery, red bell pepper, cucumber, walnuts, olives, cheese cubes, falafels
Dip 1: Hummus
Dip 2: Bagna cauda mixed with sour cream
Dip 3: Cottage cheese mixed with crumbled feta cheese and chopped greek oregano
Spread: Cream cheese with smoked salmon & chives
Persimmon slices with bacon & goat cheese
Lumpia (Filipino egg rolls made by my Mom)

MEAT/MAIN
Turkey, stuffing & gravy (my Father made it)
Stuffing 2: with wild rice, mushrooms, apple sausage and walnuts
Pork chops grilled w/ rosemary served with persimmon chutney on the side

SIDES
Brussels sprouts with bacon and chestnuts
French green beans tossed in olive oil w/ fried onion
Organic greens salad with avocado, cucumber, feta, toasted almonds, O/V
Mashed potatoes
Roasted fingerling potatoes, sweet potatoes & carrots w/ garlic & garden herbs tossed in olive oil
Cranberry sauce
LaBrea multigrain bread

DESSERT
Persimmon crisp w/vanilla ice cream
Pumpkin cheesecake bars
Pumpkin bread w/ walnuts
Coconut tapioca pudding topped with persimmon fruit
Chocolate candies


I was inspired by my November 12th post where I found the photo of my persimmon-themed dinner from 2 years ago. And while our Thanksgiving dinner did not have that theme, I thought that using the persimmons to decorate the table would be nice. Everyone in my family likes the fruit (especially my parents), they're very pretty, and they add a nice splash of autumn color against my green tablecloth and white and black/gold rimmed china.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Obamas' first state dinner is vegetarian

President and Mrs. Obama hosted their first White House state dinner in honor of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The full article can be found on the Associated Press' web site.

"The menu – created by Guest Chef Marcus Samuelsson and White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford, with the First Lady is respectful of the Prime Minister's dietary concerns, being a vegetarian, as well putting an emphasis on healthy eating from the Obama White House. White House Pastry Chef William Yosses and his team created the desserts."

Some of the herbs and lettuce served came from the White House garden which Mrs. Obama helped to plant - that's pretty cool.

Here is the menu:

Potato and eggplant salad
White House arugula with onion seed vinaigrette
2008 sauvignon blanc, Modus Operandi, Napa Valley, Calif.

Red lentil soup with fresh cheese
2006 Riesling, Brooks "Ara," Willamette Valley, Ore.

Roasted potato dumplings with tomato chutney, chick peas and okra or green curry prawns, caramelized salsify with smoked collard greens and coconut-aged basmati
2007 grenache, Beckmen Vineyards, Santa Ynez, Calif.

Pumpkin pie tart, pear tatin, whipped cream and caramel sauce
Sparkling chardonnay, Thibaut Janisson Brut, Monticello, Va.

Petits fours and coffee
Cashew brittle
Pecan pralines
Passion fruit and vanilla gelees
Chocolate-dipped fruit

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Rooibos tea - unflavored - yay!

OK, I know my cupboards are well stocked with tea but I couldn't pass up this deal for rooibos tea.

World Market (formerly Cost Plus) was clearing out this tea and each box (of 40 tea bags) was only 59 cents! Actually I got an additional 20% for signing up for the free store membership. lol!

I drink lots of tea in the winter and what I love about rooibos is that it has no caffeine (and tons of antioxidants). I can't drink caffeine past 3pm or else I can't go to sleep.

Many ways to drink rooibos

Most of the rooibos I see on the shelves is flavored and expensive - plain rooibos is an acquired taste so I can see why no one sells it plain. Even Trader Joe's stopped carrying it and in the last year or 2 it has been challenging to find it. And if I do see it, it's usually relatively expensive. I know this tea is not expensive so I have a problem paying a lot for it.

There are many wonderful flavored rooibos teas and I especially love the ones offered by Teavana and Numi Tea (Ruby Chai is my favorite). And if you want to have a little flavor occasionally, adding honey, lemon or a small drop of vanilla extract is excellent. Adding honey and milk (or soy milk) makes it a real treat. In the summer I have served it iced with crushed mint leaves. Rooibos tea is really quite versatile.

When I lived in Cape Town S.Africa for several months (many yrs ago), where the plant of this tea is native, and I learned to appreciate it there. The locals showed me how you should "cook" it in hot water for about 30 minutes. But steeping it in boiling water for 3-10 minutes is also fine. Oh, and like green tea, it can be re-steeped, but I only re-steep in once.

Look for it at World Market
I'll confess that I actually bought 8 boxes, but will give the other boxes to my 2 sisters. I would have cleared out their whole stock and gift them, but I'm pretty sure that not many of my friends like plain rooibos. Here's a tip if you plan to look for them at your local World Market shop... I found them on the very bottom shelf and sort of hidden back. So if go, be sure to move things and dig around, or ask a clerk.

Now I have a good stockpile of tea and I can drink generous amounts in these winter evenings without worrying about the price. :-D

Cool Design
I adore the retro design of the packaging - simple, clean, vivid colors. It's obviously the same company but 2 different brands - I wonder why they packaged it this way? Why is one labeled "organic" but the other one not - I'm sure their from the same source. Were they targeting different markets? One of the boxes had an Australian address on it as well as the U.K. address. And interesting how the one shop was selling both brands.

I checked the manufacturer's web site to learn more but the site was down. www.ticktockteas.co.uk/

Monday, November 16, 2009

Easy Persimmon Crisp Recipe


Persimmon crisp
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

OK, I promise this will be the last post on persimmons this season but I wanted to share this...

When I have a huge bounty of fruit I like to make "crisps" because it maximizes the amount of fruit you use in the recipe. Unlike a cake or cookie where you have a lot of other "fillers" - like flour, sugar, eggs, butter, etc.

Why don't I just eat it raw you say?

I do. However, during the harvesting process much of the fruit falls to ground and get damaged. The cracked and bruised fruit are perfectly good but I can't eat them fast enough. They tend to rot very quickly and end up throwing them away. So instead of discarding them, I like to salvage the parts of the fruit that are still good and either freeze it or cook with it. I've done this with other fruit too because I have apple and plum trees that like to produce a ton of fruit every other year.

I searched and tried many crisp recipes and have arrived at a recipe modification that I like best because, as usual, I've decreased the sugar and increased the fiber. Fruit is naturally so sweet, why would you need to add more sugar? But I do like how the brown sugar caramelizes with the butter to add that extra punch of wonderful flavor in the crisp topping.

INGREDIENTS
Topping:
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
¼ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup rolled oats
¼ cup ground flax seed or oat bran
¼ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
¼ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Fruit:
2½-3 pounds persimmon, cut into cubes/chunks about ½ to 1-inch in size
1 tablespoon cornstarch or tapioca starch

PREPARATION
For topping:
Mix first 9 ingredients in large bowl. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until small moist clumps form. Cover and refrigerate 20 minutes.

For fruit:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss persimmon chunks and starch in bowl. Transfer persimmon mixture to 11x7-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle topping over. Bake until topping is dark golden brown and fruit is bubbling, about 40 minutes. Transfer crisp to rack and cool slightly, about 30 minutes.

It tastes great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Persimmon-themed Dinner


When we got the last huge bounty 2 years ago (every other year seems to be the cycle) I had some friends over and prepared a dinner with a persimmon theme. It was a hit!

1st course: sushi (no persimmons).

2nd course: salad with prosciutto, organic greens, a round slice of persimmon (like a flower) and pistachios w/ oil & vinegar.

3rd course: macadamia & panko crusted salmon w/ spicy persimmon chutney - baked garlic shiitake mushrooms on the side and brown rice lightly fried in a little coconut oil, with tofu and pine nuts.

Dessert: vanilla ice cream with fresh persimmon chunks and toasted almonds, served with green tea.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Persimmons galore!


Persimmons galore!
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

One of my favorite things about the fall season is the Fuyu persimmons that grow on the 2 trees in my parents' backyard. The Fuyu variety is the smaller and firmer fruit (and to me, more edible and easier to eat), as opposed the Hachiya which ripens into a mushy and gelatinous mess.

They are so beautiful to look at - the various shades of orange, from light golden orange to a deep red-orange, depending on its ripeness. And the shape of the fruit is lovely, looking a bit like a tomato or apple sometimes, but I hate to compare them to other fruit. They are just so photogenic, I may have taken hundreds of photos of them.

I'm always amazed at the huge bounty we get every other year. It takes a break in the off years, bearing only about 20 pieces of fruit in the case of last year. I guess it needs to "rest" and regenerate its energy to produce more the following year.

This year the trees have gone bonkers and today we picked about 200 of them. Unfortunately about 25% of them fall so hard to the ground that they get battered and bruised. I salvaged as many of the battered ones as I could and will try to consume them quickly before they get moldy. I've been scanning the internet for good and healthy recipes. If you know of any please let me know!

A friend of my just emailed me and suggested I slice them up thinly and serve them with prosciutto. I bet that would look really pretty - can't wait to try that one. Maybe I'll place them on a platter along with a small chunk of cheese. Thanks Deb for the great idea!

Two years ago I added chunks of persimmon in the cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving. I've also made a persimmon crisp - it uses up a lot of fruit, unlike a cake or cookies which has other "fillers" like flour, butter and sugar. ;-)  A crisp is pretty much pure fruit with a nice topping of a little whole wheat flour mixed with rolled oats, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and walnuts. I also add a little flax seed and keep the sugar to a minimum because the fruit is already sweet enough. But the sugar caramelizes and adds a nice touch of flavor that compliments this fruit especially well. I'll be making that crisp soon and will be sure to post the recipe!


Saturday, November 7, 2009

I'm in love with Marimekko & Finnish design



I was just reading Skimbaco Home's blog and became enamored with the colors of these Marimekko items in the images above. Reds aren't in my home's color palette - I have greens, yellows, earth tones and black accents - but lately I've been noticing red more. Maybe it has something to do with the holidays coming soon, or maybe it's because I received a red glass Maribowl  as a gift during my recent trip to Finland to visit my husband's family and friends. It's the first red decor item in my house and I love it! It's small but gives a pop of color in my earth tones bedroom where the only colors are the brown stained woods of my floor and furniture and the greens of my plants - my bedding is all white and my walls are a warm creamy cappuccino color.

I first noticed this goblet-like Maribowl (designed in the 50s) on my 2007 trip to Finland and I wasn't too crazy about it. But during my recent trip (just in September), I saw them in many Finnish households, where they collect as many colors as they can. I became mesmerized by all of the beautiful colors and how pretty they look all together, or served with sugar, tea, small fruit or candy in them. It's not your typical minimalist Finnish design, but that's what makes it stand out in the shops against all of the other wonderful and also colorful glass wares (like the famous Aalto vase or bowl that I keep sugar in).

Anyway, back to Marimekko... it's a Finnish textile company that's been around since the early 50s and made fashionable in the 60s in the U.S. by Jackie Kennedy. I love many of the new patterns, including some of the ones you see at the top of the post, but my favorite is the highly recognized floral Unikko pattern, designed in 1964 by Maija Isola - unikko is Finnish for poppy.

The Unikko pattern is recognized worldwide and I've seen it on everything from sheets, housewares, furniture, wallpaper, bags, shoes and even cars! Sometimes I get tired of looking at the busy and bright pattern, but yet whenever I see an item decorated in that pattern I'm always drawn to it. I know that Marimekko designs are coveted outside of Finland (especially in Japan) - I've seen vintage Marimekko fabric go for big bucks on eBay and I'm always amazed and wonder who's buying.

If you want to see/read more about Marimekko, I recommend going to AlwaysMod's Marimekko blog. They've done a great job accumulating images of the hip styles from the 70s, as well as great examples of modern ways the fabrics and patterns are used. The Marimekko Christmas 2009 catalog can also be found there.

OK, enough of this design talk... gotta get back to my favorite subjects of food, eating and gardening! Though I still have more to say about Finnish design... but later.

{Drives away in her Unikko-clad car - just kidding!}

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Afternoon Tea

I have a nice variety of teas in my pantry but this Royal Blend tea that I picked up at the Fortnum & Mason shop in London is my favorite of the black teas. I savor it when I drink it and I'm not drinking it often because I don't want to run out - how dumb is that? Why do I have this desire to "hang on" to things... I really just need to focus on enjoying and letting go.

I recently found the cheese at my local Costco. Mimolette is a hard cheese that tastes (to me) somewhere between an aged edam and a young parmesan. It's quite tasty and was a perfect snack to accompany the rich black tea. I normally drink my tea with milk but decided to drink it black today because I was having the cheese with it. I also sneaked in a teaspoonful of honey, but just ate it straight from the spoon.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Sweet Aalto bowls

I got this Aalto mini bowl (the 5.5" in blueberry color) as a gift from my mother-in-law, about five yrs ago. I use it as my sugar bowl and it's filled with sugar cubes I picked up during my last two trips to Finland. I also have the larger 7" bowl (or sometimes called tray) in white which works well for candy.

I love this classic glass design made by the famous Finnish architect and designer, Alvar Aalto. It's modern yet it's organic shape gives it a warmth and versatility that works well in even a more traditional setting.

I have lots to share about my recent trip to Finland so I hope to get organized and post something soon. It's an obscure country that I think many people don't know much about but you'd be surprised to learn about the design heritage the country has, especially if you're into mid-century modern decor. Stay tuned.

If you need to find one for yourself or as a gift for someone, I recommend buying from FinnStyle.com. I've made at least 4 or 5 purchases from them over the last few years and I've had a great experience - fast shipping and secure packaging. Their current promotion is a $100 Holiday Shopping Spree giveaway so check it out and sign up before the deadline! There will be 5 winners... wish me luck and I'll wish you luck too! :-)

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Cheery cactus


Finally
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

For the first time in my life I have become a cactus owner. This little guy is so cheerful and looks so cute in my little yellow vintage Pyrex dish. I love having him here next to my sink to relieve me from the drudgery of washing the dishes.

For some reason I was never drawn to cacti as houseplants in the past because I was afraid that their prickly needles would harm me if I accidentally collided with one. They just didn't seem friendly and warm and I'm all about harmony in my home.

But after seeing a Flickr member create this combination, I was inspired to re-create it so I can enjoy it too... and indeed I am!

Monday, November 2, 2009

November's desktop calendar from "Chocolate and Zucchini" blog


tartineparisienne85
Originally uploaded by love_yellow
One of my favorite blogs Chocolate and Zucchini, offers a desktop calendar every month. The photos every month are always nicely done and always has something unique or new to me. This picture is November's desktop calendar, which can be downloaded directly from the blog site.

Clotilde, the blogger, says about this photo:

"Our desktop calendar for November is a picture of what I think of as a Parisian tartine, an open-face sandwich made on naturally leavened bread (here, a slice of pain des amis from the bakery Du Pain et des Idées), lightly spread with semi-salted butter then topped with artisanal ham, thick shavings of aged Comté cheese, and slivers of cornichons. Add a side salad or a fat, late-harvest tomato -- we are still feasting on those -- and that's lunch taken care of."

Check out the blog at: www.chocolateandzucchini.com/

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Pumpkin-zucchini bread or muffins


Pumpkin loaves
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

I always crave baked goods made with pumpkin at this time of the year. Finally, I think I've nearly perfected a recipe for pumpkin bread that has whole wheat flour, less sugar and less oil.

Baking is tricky because you can't just make straight substitutions without sometimes serious consequences, so it really is a trial and error process. The biggest consequence I usually face is that my baked goods end up being too dry and tasting like cardboard (at least that's what my husband says).

Finally, through several tries and errors I have come up with a healthy recipe that is moist and delicious and doesn't give you the terrible sugar spike. The only part of the recipe that's not perfect is that I've resorted to using Splenda which I don't generally like to do - so I"m still working on how to replace that with stevia without compromising the texture and moistness and taste, of course.

I also added a few extra chopped walnuts because the crunch gives it a nice texture and of course adds other beneficial nutrients. I also like that the nuts add protein and good fat to an otherwise almost all carb bread.

So here's the recipe for 3 loaves (maybe it's 4). Or 2 loaves and about 12 muffins. Sorry I can't remember exactly the quantity - I didn't use standard size loaf pans this last time. You might as well make a big batch because the incremental amount of work to make 4 loaves is not that much. It freezes really well so if you make it soon, you'll have some in your freezer that you can whip out for Thanksgiving.

I used mostly organic ingredients - good ingredients always improves the flavor. I found organic pumpkin puree and organic zucchini at Trader Joe's.

Pumpkin-zucchini bread or muffins

* 1.5 cups Splenda
* 3/4 cup honey
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 1 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
* 6 large eggs
* 2 15-ounce can solid pack pumpkin
* 2 cups shredded zucchini
* 6 cups whole wheat flour
* 2 teaspoon ground cloves
* 3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 3 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour four 9x5x3-inch loaf pans. Beat sugar, honey, applesauce and oil in large bowl to blend. Mix in eggs and pumpkin. Sift flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt and baking powder into another large bowl. Stir into pumpkin mixture in 2 additions. Mix in walnuts, if desired.
Divide batter equally between prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. For medium size muffins it takes about 20 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool 10 minutes. Using sharp knife, cut around edge of loaves. Turn loaves out onto racks and cool completely.
If you try it, let me know how it goes.

I made some for my brunch party today.