Even Jesus Liked a Good Olive

I've heard that heaven is a very busy place. At least that's what my Sunday school teacher says. Busy, busy, busy with everyone given the job they're best suited for and will best use their spiritual gifts. Well, if that's true, I can't wait. Because I know that when I get to heaven, I'm going to be in charge of a specialty food store and deli. And be able to sing with a voice that someone other than just my children will love. But, I digress.

I cannot open a store in this life for a lot of reasons. Mostly, I'm too lazy to be a shop owner. I'm also too OCD (in my own, strange, non-neat little way) and would work myself to death. I also hate finances and I've heard that being a small business owner requires one to deal at least occasionally with money and bills and other unmentionables. I am pretty sure, though, that in heaven there won't be any bills and I think that if God gives me the job of providing all of us with good creme fraiche and decent olives, he will also provide me with some good help so that I don't work myself to a frazzle. I don't think there is anything heavenly about working oneself to a frazzle, after all.

I really think that any place at all can benefit from a specialty food store. We have a few here. A cheese shop (which I am more enthusiastic about than is really normal) and a family run Cajun deli/market which is one of my favorite places in the world. We also have a delightful Asian market with produce and all sorts of things in the refrigerated section. Some of these things are wonderful and some are nothing I would ever consider cooking in this lifetime. We don't have a really wonderful grocery store, but we do have these three shops which make one feel a bit better about the general culinary taste of the population here.

There are some people who just don't have my taste in food. OK, to be honest, I don't think they have good taste in food at all. I know this is a strange revelation coming from me, who just several posts ago admitted that I like marshmallow peeps. I did admit that I knew this was not normal and so it isn't something I tell lots of people. The Scientist has some sort of low-brow taste in food sometimes. I'd give you examples, but then I might offend the type of person who prefers iceberg lettuce. And I hate to be offensive (recent posts not withstanding).

As my mother has always said, there is no accounting for taste. Lucky for you and me, I have wonderful taste in food (heehee) and the following recipe is a good example.

I have been making this for awhile and is perfect for this time of year. Pumpkin Bread Pudding. I can't even remember where I got the recipe, but in the interest of full disclosure, know that I don't come up with recipes. I only pass judgment on existing ones. Don't cheat yourself by eating this for dessert. Eat it for breakfast- we do.



Pumpkin Bread Pudding



1 loaf raisin bread, cut into 1 inch cubes

zest from one small orange

1 can evaporated milk

15 oz. solid pumpkin

1/2 plus 3 T. sugar, divided

3 eggs

1 1/2 T pumpkin pie spice

1/4 c. chopped nuts



Preheat oven to 400.

Heat evaporated milk until hot.

In separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, 1/2 c. sugar, eggs, spice and zest. Gradually mix in hot milk.

Place 1/2 of bread cubes over bottom of baking dish. Pour half of pumpkin mixture over bread cubes. Repeat with rest of bread cubes and rest of pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle with nuts and rest of sugar.

Bake 25-30 min. Can be served with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream (even I don't do ice cream for breakfast though. I do have some standards).