Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

So, I struggle with making things from scratch, because mostly I never have all the ingredients I need and it's easier and sometimes cheaper to go with a boxed mix.  Also, my parents did it that way, so that's a taste I'm familiar with.  But I love pumpkin chocolate chip bread SOOOOOOO much, and I finally found a made-from-scratch recipe that beats the box in all those areas--it's easy, moist, cheap, adaptable, dense, tasty, YUMMY, and made from things I usually have.  I'm sure you could make it healthier if you wanted, like using not-white flour or a sugar substitute, lining the loaf pans with wheat germ instead of flour, etc.  But who makes pumpkin chocolate chip bread to be healthy?  :)  So I'm going to share this recipe with you!!!  Aren't you so lucky?

3 c. sugar
1 can pumpkin (15 oz.)
1 c. vegetable oil
2/3 c. water
4 eggs
***
3 1/2 c. flour
1 Tbsp. cinnamon and 1 Tbsp. nutmeg (though I just used 2 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice)
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
***
1 c. mini chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 c. walnuts (optional)

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease and flour 3 9x5'' loaf pans. (OR, if you're making muffins and mini muffins like I did, preheat to 325.  Use paper muffin liners or grease and flour the mini muffin tin.)
• Beat together first 5 ingredients (sugar, pumpkin, oil, water, and eggs) until well blended. 
• Stir in next 5 ingredients (flour, spices, baking soda, and salt) until WELL blended.  I beat these in, too.
• Stir in chocolate chips and/or walnuts with a wooden spoon.
• Bake THREE (3) 9"x5" loaves at 350 for about 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• OR, if you're making muffins, bake at 325 for about 20 minutes.  Bake mini-muffins at 325 for about 15 minutes.  Use the toothpick to determine if they're done. 

I went with the muffins.  This made 24 regular-sized muffins for me and my family, and 48 mini muffins more for our primary kids!  Best of all, it freezes well both before and after you bake them, so you can make a ton and save them...OR, you could bake them in mini-loaf pans and share with the world.  :)  Enjoy!