Thoughts on a Pumpkin

It may not be surprising that some pretty cool metaphors and similes were made using the pumpkin, so for day 15 we shall revel in the glory of pumpkin quotations.

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This is Day 15, in my 31 Days of Pumpkin Spice. We will be continuing on into November, just like the holidays of old.

Join in the fun on Twitter with your favorite recipes, quips, or (semi)historical facts by using the hashtag #TeamPumpkinSpice

Pumpkin Slow Oats

Food made slower tastes better, but it doesn't have to be time consuming. These slow oats can be stirred together then popped in the fridge to be left to do their own thing until the morning...when they are devoured.

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Pumpkin Slow Oats

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons nut butter (hazelnut, almond, or peanut - your choice)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
  1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup milk (I used almond milk)
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tablespoon chocolate chips (I used a mix of dark and white chocos)

Note: I used a special ceramic bowl I have that can go from fridge to oven to table and has a lid. It's handy to have just one container for all the steps. A small canning jar will also do the trick - just make sure you can stir easily.

In your bowl (or jar) mix together the nut butter, vanilla extract, and maple syrup. Microwave for about 10 seconds, or until just warmed. You want to heat the nut butter up enough to combine everything easily. Stir.

Add the rest of your ingredients, except for the chocolate chips and stir well. Make sure everything is good and mushed together. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Put the lid on your container and hit the fridge. The next morning, open and enjoy with milk or by itself. Say hi to Zuul while you're there.

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This is Day 14, in my 31 Days of Pumpkin Spice. Join in the fun on Twitter with your favorite recipes, quips, or (semi)historical facts by using the hashtag #TeamPumpkinSpice

Pumpkin Spice Milkshake

Ever wished you could make a pumpkin pie drink? You could put a pie in a blender, or you could try this less gross version. I've combined the best of several pumpkin milkshake recipes and got this baby.

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Pumpkin Pie Milkshake

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 egg (I used The Vegg egg yolk)
• 1 cup vanilla yogurt (I used So Delicious Coconut Milk, unsweetened vanilla)
• 1 cup milk  (I used cashew milk, but use your favorite creamy milk)
• 1 frozen banana (see notes)
• 1 cup vanilla ice cream (I used So Delicious Cashew Milk)

Optional:

• Ginger Snap or Graham Cracker crumbs (I used ginger snaps for extra spice)
• Whipped cream (I used So Delicious brand)

Note: If you have a Vitamix, you can just throw a whole frozen banana in. However, if you are making this in a blender, slice the banana into disks before freezing.

Put all your ingredients in the blender, removing the frozen items from the freezer right before mixing. Blend until creamy goodness happens.

Pour into two large glasses (or more smaller glasses). Add the whipped cream on top and sprinkle a tablespoon or so of cookie crumbs on top. Then call all the boys to the yard.

My choices for  making this alcoholic would be adding bourbon or vodka. Or you could go the other way and make this into a healthy treat by eliminating the ice cream and adding an equal amount of frozen bananas.

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This is Day 13, in my 31 Days of Pumpkin Spice. I am behind on posting- what can I say? I'm a bad blogger. Rest assured there will be 31 Days of Pumpkin Spice.

Join in the fun on Twitter with your favorite recipes, quips, or (semi)historical facts by using the hashtag #TeamPumpkinSpice

7 Pumpkin-y Movies & Shows

It's getting closer to the big day and I'm getting in to the Halloween spirit. Therefore day twelve is a listing of 7 Pumpkin-y Movies & Shows you should see this season.

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The Halloween Tree

We delve into the origins of the holiday as our heroes try to save a boy's life by rescuing his pumpkin soul from the jack-o-lantern filled Halloween Tree at the residence of Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud.  

This animated adaption of the Ray Bradbury novel features narration by the man himself. Moundshroud is voiced by the late, great Leonard Nimoy (LLP), in a way that is loveable yet frighteningly sociopathic for a cartoon -- not that Bradbury intended this to be a kid's tale. 

It can be hard to find, but soooo worth it.

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The Nightmare Before Christmas 

Of course a film about The Pumpkin King is going to be listed here, even though EVERYONE knows this classic Burton creation about the towns where holidays come from. 

In the opening scene our hero, Jack, has a pumpkin on his head and self immolates (great kids film, huh?) plus some very rewarding scenes of people tromping through the pumpkin patches. 

You can currently find this on Netflix.

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Poirot - Hallowe'en Party

Perhaps there's something wrong with me, but I don't feel it's a holiday without at least one murder mystery TV show, and this is my pick. 

Hercule Poirot, our fussy yet brilliant detective, dismisses the British way of celebrating Halloween claiming that in Belgium it is the time to light candles for the dead, "not for ze telling of ze stories macabre." However, a macabre story soon unfolds - in real life. 

Hot pumpkin carving action begins and ends this murder mystery from the mind of Agatha Christie. 

You can currently find this on Netflix.

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It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

If you haven't seen this Halloween classic, you have missed out on a part of childhood that can never be replaced. All hail The Great Pumpkin.

And now Robot Chicken has ruined your childhood.

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The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

After hearing the ghost tale of the Headless Horseman from a rival in love, the town schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane, rides home alone at night.

This hard to find, but not forgotten Disney tale, was curiously sold as a double feature along with a Wind in the Willows take...'cause they are so similar, I guess. 

Features like Bing Crosby's musical comedy stylings and flaming pumpkin heads being thrown make this a worthwhile show to track down, even if it misses the point of Washington Irving's tale a bit. You can currently find this on YouTube as The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.

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Sleepy Hollow

A big city detective, Ichabod Crane, who is all about facts and science, is sent to solve a murder in the little village of Sleepy Hollow. He might be forced to admit to magical happenings as he finds the facts of the case are leading him to unravel the secrets of his own past.

While having nothing to do with either the Disney movie or the short story -- except for this rather satisfying pumpkin-head throwing scene -- it is a satisfying tale in it's own right, with blood splattered pumpkin scenes, and who can resist a fanged Christopher Walken.

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Pumpkinhead

Yeah, so this has nothing to do with pumpkins and you barely see one fake pumpkin in the entire show, but what a great name for a horror flick! Plus it stars Lance Henriksen, who will later go on to hunt Pumpkinhead in space.

 What, you never noticed that before?

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This is Day 12, in my 31 Day of Pumpkin Spice. I am behind on posting- what can I say? I'm a bad blogger. Rest assured there will be 31 Days of Pumpkin Spice.

Join in the fun on Twitter with your favorite recipes, quips, or (semi)historical facts by using the hashtag #TeamPumpkinSpice 

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Now that's just completely Pumpkinhead...

Pumpkin Lassi

If you don't know what a lassi is, you are missing out on one of the most delicious things India has to offer. This is what Indians used those pumpkin spices for before pumpkins came across the ocean. 

No, not that Lassie. Here's a version from the great Shanna Schad of Pineapple and Coconut that mixes East and West by adding in some pumpkin.

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Pumpkin Lassi 

This creamy, slightly sweet drink goes along perfectly with that pumpkin hummus. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt, or vanilla if you must (I used So Delicious Coconut Unsweetened for a real plain yogurt taste)
• 4 dates, pitted
• 1/2 cold water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

If you don't know what cardamom is, it's an Indian spice that reminds me of Fruit Loops. Cardamom makes this drink and cannot be omitted or substituted. It's very tasty and is underutilized by Americans, so experiment. I sometimes put it in my apple cider.

Blend everything in the blender until the dates are well liquefied. The spices tend to get odd if you leave this drink sitting in the fridge so drink immediately.

Schad suggests that this serves two, but I divided this between four people. Guess it depends on how thirsty you are.

Add a shot of dark spiced rum to each glass for an extra fun lassi. But beware, this may lead to the rum always being...well you know.

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This is Day 11, in my 31 Day of Pumpkin Spice. Due to illness, I am behind on posting- what can I say? I'm a bad blogger. Rest assured there will be 31 Days of Pumpkin Spice. 

Join in the fun on Twitter with your favorite recipes, quips, or (semi)historical facts by using the hashtag #TeamPumpkinSpice

Top 10 Pumpkin & Spice Videos

I've logged quite a few hours watching YouTube videos about pumpkin spice. Videos about spices and videos about pumpkins. Some are spicy bits of goodness, some not quite so fresh. So here's my top ten picks for pumpkin spice everything videos, from comedy, to music, to makeup.

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#1. In a world where pumpkin spice is everywhere... This mock movie trailer captures the essence of pumpkin spice -- if it was scary.

#2. Molly Lewis sings us this little art house ditty about the pumpkin spice season.
 

#3. I actually had no idea who Jay Pharoah was until watching this video. Some great humor using some of the many bizarre tweets about pumpkin spice.

#4. Soon, the day will come when no one will remember the Spice Girls and that song "Spice Up Your Life". In the meantime enjoy this great parody.

 

#5. This is a make-up tutorial, done by the most gorgeous man. It might be tempting to dismiss him as a fruitcake but brandy up them nuts, because I learned a lot from this guy, even after after years of doing theater make-up. So get your face in autumn theme and try this out...whether you're a man or a woman.

 

#6. A song about nutmeg. That is all. What? How could you want more?

 

#7. A short film of Indians preparing spices. Imagine the smells!

 

#8. All hail the god of Pumpkin Spice Starbucks. Here is tribute.

#9. This hails back to the repetitive flash video era, with the strangely addictive fascination, yet it is a full song and video - not just a 30 second loop. Check out the website for more fun.

#10. I couldn't not include this parody. You're welcome for this ear worm.

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This is Day 10, in my 31 Day of Pumpkin Spice. Due to illness, I am behind on posting, but I will post twice a day until I get caught up. Rest assured there will be 31 Days of Pumpkin Spice.
Join in the fun on Twitter with your favorite recipes, quips, or (semi)historical facts by using the hashtag #TeamPumpkinSpice 

 

 

Pumpkin Hummus

Have you ever been eating hummus and thought, "You know, this hummus needs some pumpkin?" Now you will. You just can't get any whiter than this recipe, but it's delicious. It's one of those recipes that at first sound horrifying, then you think...hmmm...

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Pumpkin Hummus

It seems sometimes the pumpkin should have been native to the East. Not only is it great with the spices, but it also makes a creamy hummus.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 cans or 4 cups cooked chickpeas (fresh is always tastier, but canned is handier)
• 1 can pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika (has to be smoked)
• 1 pinch turmeric or saffron
• Salt to taste 
• Pumpkin seeds

Note: I also added 1 teaspoon coconut fat (made from separating canned coconut) to make it more creamy without using oil. This is optional, or you can also add olive oil instead. While this recipe does not have pumpkin spice, I plan to experiment adding nutmeg and ginger in the mix.

In a food processor, blend together the tahini, garlic, salt, and chickpeas. If you are using canned chickpeas, be sure to drain them well.
Pulse and pulse. You can't blend hummus too much.

Add the pumpkin and remaining spices and pulse again. I ran the food processor for a full minute whipping up my hummus. 

Grab a rubber spatula and remove the hummus to a container to refrigerate for at least a couple of hours.

Before you are ready to serve, toast the pumpkin seeds and use to top the hummus. Add these right before serving, to preserve the crunchies.

 

And we're done! I've found the food processor is the way to go for making creamy, whipped hummus. If you don't have one, you can also try a blender, it just won't be as fluffy.

This makes a good bunch of hummus to serve a full dinner party, or to enjoy over a week, keeping the container in the fridge.

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This is Day 9, in my 31 Day of Pumpkin Spice. Due to illness, I am behind on posting, but I will post twice a day until I get caught up. Rest assured there will be 31 Days of Pumpkin Spice.

Join in the fun on Twitter with your favorite recipes, quips, or (semi)historical facts by using the hashtag #TeamPumpkinSpice

Pumpkin Spice Tea Cakes and Kahlua Caramel

In case you didn't grow up on Dickens, Dickinson, and Carroll as I did, you may not be too sure what to do with a tea cake. Rest assured that it's just as it sounds. Tea cakes are small baked goods meant to be served at tea time or as small finger foods during brunch. Similar to scones, in that they are only slightly sweet, I've also included the recipe for a Kahlua caramel dipping sauce. These babies are, of course, spiced -- just as the East India Trading Company would have it.

Day 8 of 31 Days of Pumpkin Spice is a two for one, as the tea cakes can be served by themselves and the Kahlua sauce can be used on other goodies. 

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Pumpkin Spice Tea Cakes

These usually healthy tea cakes can be eaten alone, with tea, or with the Kahlua caramel sauce (recipe below).

Ingredients

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 mashed banana
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 1/2 cups flour (see notes)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• Pumpkin seeds

Note: These lend themselves very easily to gluten-free flours. I used Bob's Red Mill GF Flour Mix, but I think I will try a mixture of bean flour and rice flour next time. You can, of course, use wheat flour.

Preheat oven to 350. In a mixing bowl mush up all your wet ingredients - pumpkin, banana, and coconut, being sure to mash the banana well.

In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients together, then combine the bowls and stir well.

At this point the dough is very manageable and easy to work with. Roll the dough into little balls about an inch and a half and lay out on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. The balls don't spread much so they can be close together. You should have about 20.

Going all arty, press the pumpkin seeds onto the tops of the balls, flattening them slightly. You can use either shelled or unshelled seeds. I used unshelled for prettiness, but shelled makes for a smoother eating experience.

Bake for 8 - 10 minutes or until just firm. If you are using gluten-free flours, they won't brown much. If you are making the Kahlua caramel for dipping make that now.

Serve the tea.

Makes 20 tea cakes 

vegan - gluten-free - plant-strong - oil-free -sugar-free

 

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Kahlua Caramel

 

This is a simple recipe, but it requires concentration. When I say stir constantly, I mean it. The secret to this recipe going smoothly is to measure out all ingredients ahead of time and have them at arms reach. Keep the heat on the low side to avoid scorching.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar (I used turbinado, but almost any will work)
• 6 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (I used vegan Earth Balance in sticks)
• 1/2 cup Kahlua
• Pinch of salt

Pour the sugar into a sauce pan and turn on a medium-high heat. Stir constantly until the sugar begins to melt, then reduce heat to medium. Let the sugar melt some more.

Add the butter a chunk at a time with one hand, while continuing to stir with the other. The butter will bubble so watch out and don't get splashed. When the butter has all melted, add the Kahlua and simmer on low for 1 minute, stirring intermittently.

Remove the pan from heat and stir in the pinch of salt. Let cool slightly before serving. 

If there are left overs, store in the fridge, and warm slightly to serve.

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This is Day 8, in my 31 Day of Pumpkin Spice. Due to illness, I am behind on posting, but I will post twice a day until I get caught up. Rest assured there will be 31 Days of Pumpkin Spice.

Join in the fun on Twitter with your favorite recipes, quips, or (semi)historical facts by using the hashtag #TeamPumpkinSpice