Rachel's Pumpkin Bread

INGREDIENTS

1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil (I use extra light--not extra virgin--olive oil)
3 large eggs
1 16-ounce can solid pack pumpkin
1/2 cup applesauce
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (fresh-grated is best)
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (fresh-grated is best)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts and 1/2 cup raisins
OR 1 cup chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
1 - Preheat oven to 350°F.
2 - Butter and flour two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans.
3 - Beat sugars and oil in large bowl to blend.
4 - Mix in eggs, pumpkin, and applesauce.
5 - Sift flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt and baking powder into another large bowl.
6 - Stir into pumpkin mixture in 2 additions.
7 - Mix in raisins and walnuts OR chocolate chips.
8 - Divide batter equally between prepared pans.
9 - Bake just until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes.
10 - Transfer to racks and cool 10 minutes. Using sharp knife, cut around edge of loaves.
11 - Turn loaves out onto racks and cool until just warm to touch, then wrap in aluminum foil or eat.

THOUGHTS
Rachel made us pumpkin bread for the last nutty reunion and this stuff was amazing. I still haven't had a chance to try it on my own to see if mine will even come close to her's, but I'm planning on doing so this weekend. Rachel adds that the bread freezes well in foil inside a ziploc bag.