Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

I believe the word "pumpkin" should be included in the definition of Fall.  Fall is here. The leaves are slowing falling off the trees and the sights around us are absolutely gorgeous. It's definitely one of the most beautiful times of the year.  I enjoy Fall but I would enjoy it a lot more if it didn't mean Winter was right around the corner.

Anyways, here's my first pumpkin recipe to kick off the Fall season.  My kids LOVED this milkshake and asked for seconds. Little do they know it was good for them. That's always an added bonus!

I doubled the recipe below and it made enough for me and the kiddos.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
Source: www.sparkpeople.com

In a blender, combine:

1/2 c. ice
1/2 c. vanilla nonfat yogurt 
1 t. honey
1/4 t. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 c. pumpkin puree
1/2 of a banana

Puree until icy and smooth. Tastes like pie.

Pumpkin Scones

Scones always make a great breakfast! I haven't baked with pumpkin for a long time so it was nice to grab a can of it out of the pantry and whip these up for breakfast this morning.

The recipe calls for white chocolate chips. Those of you who know me personally, know I'm not a fan of white chocolate. Milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips work just as well in this recipe.

Pumpkin Pie Bites

I know it's a little late for this recipe but I just now got around to posting it. Sorry...but perhaps you can keep it in mind for next year! :)

I made these little delights for our Thanksgiving Day dinner this year. They were yummy and pretty cute too!

Pumpkin Fluff

A couple weeks ago I was talking to several of my friends and we were all sharing our love of pumpkin. Diana shared this yummy recipe with me. It was so easy to make and a delicious pumpkin dessert to snack on. I served it on graham crackers but it also goes well with cinnamon pita chips.

Pumpkin Fluff
Source: Diana B.

15 oz. can of pumpkin
5 oz. box of vanilla pudding mix
8 oz. Cool Whip (thawed)
1 t. pumpkin pie spice

Mix it all together and serve with Graham crackers or cinnamon pita chips.

Pumpkin Granola

If you are a fan of granola than you will like this recipe! It made my house smell so good while it was baking and it tasted just as good! I have been snacking on it all day and even had it with some milk for breakfast this morning.

I read some of the comments that were posted on the Two Peas and Their Pod blog regarding this recipe. Some people said it was not as crunchy as they would have liked it to be so I ended up baking it about 5 minutes longer than the directions say. Also, the recipe calls for pepitas which are green raw pumpkin seeds. I've never had a pepita before so I just stuck with almond slivers, walnuts, and pecans. In addition to the dried cranberries, I also added dried cherries and blueberries.

This recipe was delicious!

Pumpkin Granola
Source: www.twopeasandtheirpod.com

5 c. rolled oats
1 t. pumpkin pie spice
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
¾ t. salt
¾ c. brown sugar
½ c. pumpkin puree
¼ c. applesauce
¼ c. maple syrup
1 t. vanilla extract
3/4 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. pepitas ***see note

1. Preheat the oven to 325° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine oats, spices, and salt. Mix well.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Pour wet ingredients into oat mixture and stir until the oats are evenly coated. They will be moist. Evenly spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.

4. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and stir. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the granola is golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and stir in dried cranberries and pepitas. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Note: You can use almonds, walnuts, pecans, or sunflower seeds in place of the pepitas.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

My favorite part about Fall is when all the leaves turn their bright yellow, orange, and red colors. My second favorite thing about Fall is PUMPKIN! I cook with a lot of pumpkin and cinnamon this time of year and it makes the house smell so good!

These muffins were wonderful! Thank goodness because it made 24 of them! My whole family loved these. My 3 year old said, "Mommy, these are delicious!" and my husband was pleasantly surprised with the cream cheese filling. These muffins remind me of pumpkin roll. I will definitely be making these again!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Source: Annie's Eats

For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. confectioners’ sugar

For the muffins:
3 c. flour
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground nutmeg
1 t. ground cloves
1 T. plus 1 t. pumpkin pie spice
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
4 large eggs
2 c. sugar
2 c. pumpkin puree
1¼ c. vegetable oil

For the topping:
½ c. sugar
5 T. flour
1½ t. ground cinnamon
4 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1½-inches in diameter. Smooth the plastic wrap tightly around the log, and reinforce with a piece of foil. Transfer to the freezer and chill until at least slightly firm, at least 2 hours.

To make the muffins, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil. Mix on medium-low speed until blended. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; whisk to blend. Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. Transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use.

To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (1-2 tablespoons). Slice the log of cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces. Place a slice of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin well. Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely. Sprinkle a small amount of the topping mixture over each of the muffin wells.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving.

Pumpkin Pie Pudding

Oh goodness gracious...oh my! This recipe is to die for. I loved it! It tasted like eating a pumpkin pie without the crust but has a texture that resembles bread pudding. Mmmmm.... I think I'll have to make this for Thanksgiving this year!

I hear that the cold leftovers are really good too. I'll find out in the morning!!!! :)

Pumpkin Pie Pudding
Source: www.allrecipes.com

1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. biscuit/baking mix
2 eggs, beaten
2 T. butter or margarine, melted
2 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice
2 t. vanilla extract
whipped topping

In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Transfer to a slow cooker coated with nonstick cooking spray. Cover and cook on low for 3 1/2 - 4 hours or until a thermometer reads 160 degrees F. Serve in bowls with whipped topping if desired.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I had some leftover pumpkin in the fridge that needed to be used up so this morning Carson and I had Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins for breakfast. This is a recipe that my Mom always made (and still does). Sometimes I use the regular size muffin pans and other times I make them into miniature muffins. They are so yummy and easy to pop into your mouth for a quick snack.

Spiced Pumpkin Milk

I just love drinking Silk's Pumpkin Spice Soy Milk but I can usually only find it in grocery stores around the holidays. The other day I ran across the cutest food blog called Little Nummies for Little Tummies and low and behold she had a recipe for Spiced Pumpkin Milk!



Here's how you make it. There's not even any pumpkin in it!

Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese

Carson and I headed down the road to the Bagel Tree to bring back some fresh bagels for our mid-morning snack. Boy do I have a treat for you!!! I found this bagel spread on another food blog called www.pinchmysalt.com. This is so yummy that I could eat it on my bagel, English muffin, or piece of toast EVERY morning! There is also a Weight Watcher recipe out on Gina's WW Recipes for those of you trying to eat healthy. Gina has lots of great Weight Watcher recipes on her blog and she even gives you the point values.

But seriously, whether you try the original recipe (like I did) or the Weight Watcher recipe - you have got to try this!!!