Pumpkins, Pumpkins, and more Pumpkins!

Hello!

School is starting, the weather here is still summer-licious, and my pumpkins are coming in beautifully!  (Considering I had about 100 volunteer starts from last years pumpkins... it wasn't too hard to do.)  I think I will try selling a good deal of them, as there are likely 50+ plants, and frankly I really Don't need that many pumpkins... who does?  If I'm going to sell these beautifully tasty little things I thought I ought to try and compile a good deal of pumpkin recipes.  And here they come...  Enjoy!

One of many ways to puree pumpkins: How to roast a pumpkin for pie

I do like pies, but I don't LOVE pumpkin pie... what I do LOVE is Pumpkin Cake!!  I could eat it all day, (and generally do when one is laying around).  So here is my Favorite, Incredibly easy Pumpkin Cake Recipe.

Pumpkin Cake

Mix up pumpkin as directed on back of can for one pie (for those using a can), other wise do the following:  

• 15 oz (about 2 cups) pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 2 large eggs
• 1 can (12 fl. oz.) Evaporate Milk - or 1 1/2 cups your choice of milk (I used almond milk and had people RAVING about it!)

Mix sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in a bowl.  Beat eggs in another bowl.  Mix in the pumpkin and the sugar & spice mixture.  Then blend in the milk.  Pour into a 9x13" pan, sprinkle on a delicious box of Duncan Hines (or your favorite brand) Yellow Cake Mix (I used to eat this stuff right out of the box... so tasty!) - Sprinkle Heavily (it gets beautifully thick!).  Then melt a cube of butter, yum delicious butter... or if your dairy intolerant use a buttery stick... not as delich but still good!  And drizzle it slowly all over the cake mix.  Stick that wonderful thing in the oven for 50 mins at 350°.   Enjoy the aromas until it is ready, then enjoy!  For those dairy tolerant people out there (PS - can you tell I envy you right now...?) add some real whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and your in heaven!  Sugar-n-Spice and Everything Nice... how can you go wrong?

I Love Pioneer Woman, you can see all her pumpkin recipes here, and I have included a few of the basic ones below.

Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Pepitas

Due to the joyful fact that our 5th little one is on the way, my body has decided that dairy is BAD... allergic/food poison type bad (gratefully this only happens when pregnant and I'm hoping that it subsides as well this time as it did last... really I love dairy, cooking with dairy, especially butter, butter, and yep butter... )!  So the below are a few dairy free ways to use pumpkins.  I also alter most of the above recipes where needed using buttery sticks, or almond/rice milk, and they all turn out pretty dang good.

Vegan Dinner in a Pumpkin

More to come...

If you have any fantabulous recipes you'd like to add please do!  (Email me or leave one in the comments!)  Thanks and Enjoy the beginnings of Fall!