Grateful

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Hello dear ones,

I’ve been thinking about the five languages of love and how our society has focused on gift-giving as the most authentic one to show you care. (Have you heard of this theory? There are 5 main ways people show each other that they love them: kind words, acts of service, quality time, physical touch, and giving gifts.) I get that, I mean, no one’s spending their 6-figure marketing budget to tell you to give people back rubs or to put away the laundry. The return on their investment wouldn’t leave their shareholders happy. (Although maybe they would be happier if they were getting back rubs and their boo took the trash without being asked? This bears further thinking…)

Regardless, I love that we have Thanksgiving before launching into the shopping/giving/getting frenzy of December. We can just eat and hang out and maybe even go around the table and say what we’re grateful for before we dig in.

I hope you have a wonderful meal with people you like, and that you remember to use all your languages to show them how much you care.

And since the sixth, previously undiscovered, love language is food, here’s one of my favorite fall recipes to share with you. If you double the recipe and give one away, you’ll be speaking so many languages at one: gift, service, food, and if after you hand it over you also give them a hug and tell them you love them, you’ll be speaking in touch and king words too. A polyglot in love. What a beautiful thing.

Thank you for reading my books!

Tammar

Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Bread

1 can pumpkin puree

1/2 cup vegetable oil (I’ve used olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, literally whatever I have laying around)

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour (I sometimes swap in 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ginger

3/4 cup chocolate chips

Heat over to 350. Oil a 9-by-5 inch loaf pan, line the bottom with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix pumpkin, oil, sugar and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Slowly still the flour mixture into the wet mixture. Add chocolate chips.

Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake 60-70 minutes. Inserted toothpick should come out clean.

This recipe easily doubles. Make one to keep and one to give away to your favorite neighbor.

Enjoy!