Smiling Punkins

This smiling pumpkin scarecrow greeted me recently in a coffee shop. Just look at that smile! I dare you to really take a good look at it and keep from smiling back! There's something so inviting and friendly about pumpkins. Maybe it's because they are such a cheerful color and they are such fun to carve smiles into! Pumpkin season is also a season for kids! I've been hearing reports from friends who are taking their children to pumpkin patches and from others who are busy baking pumpkin bread. Others are dreaming of pumpkin pies and are eagerly awaiting Thanksgiving! Pumpkin orange surely does seem to be the color of the season! Speaking of pumpkins, are there some little punkins in your life who might enjoy some pumpkin activities? Becky, who blogs at This Reading Mama is sharing a packet of pumpkin themed printables. They are free and will keep youngsters you may know busy for hours. I thought I'd pass along the word. Click PUMPKIN here.

Piquant {Spicy} Pumpkin & Peanut Soup

It's that time of year! Time to use up all that pumpkin!

Piquant {Spicy} Pumpkin & Peanut Soup 

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 tsp. ginger, fresh, minced

1/2 tsp. cayenne

1 tsp. lemon zest

3 cups water

2 Tbsp. Bill's Best Chicknish (or other chicken-like broth seasoning)

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 - 16 oz. can pumpkin puree

1 - 13.5 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk

1/3 cup peanut butter

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp. agave syrup or maple syrup

Salt to taste

1/4 cup cilantro, fresh, chopped

2 Tbsp. peanuts, roasted

Saute' onion in olive oil. When soft, add ginger and cayenne. Then stir in lemon zest, water, chicken-like seasoning, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes. 

Strain the broth into another pot and discard the solids. Return broth to a low simmer. Then whisk in pumpkin,coconut milk, peanut butter, lime juice, agave syrup, and salt. Cook until heated through. 

Serve with cilantro and peanuts.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

We cannot let this autumn season pass by without reposting my favorite cookie recipe! These are very popular in our family!

It's recommended that we have a good source of Vitamin A every other day. It's best utilized by our bodies if the resource is cooked and served with some type of fat. Do you cook carrots or orange squash every other day? I don't, but resolve to do better. I'm quite sure my university sons aren't eating dark orange veggies every other day either. So, this evening I baked cookies to send to them. Vegan and filled with Vitamin A, I think they'll enjoy them. Here's the recipe if you'd like a sweet and tasty way to get your vitamins!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

A delicious, moist cookie that freezes very well.

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

1 (15 1/2 ounce) can solid pumpkin puree

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 cups all-purpose flour*

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

12 ounces vegan semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts

Cream the sugar, shortening, pumpkin and vanilla together. Mix until well blended. In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture. Stir gently until combined. Add the chocolate chips and walnuts. Mix together. Drop by teaspoonsful onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 12 - 15 minutes.

These cookies are delicious; cake-like and the type that melt in your mouth. I think their flavor would be enhanced by a pinch of salt in the recipe. The walnuts in this recipe add Omega-3's to the diet, and of course we all know that the chocolate is very good for us and high in anti-oxidants!

*For gluten free, Bob's Red Mill flour blend is recommended.

Piquant Pumpkin and Peanut Soup

It's that time of year! Time to use up all that pumpkin!

Piquant Pumpkin & Peanut Soup 

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 tsp. ginger, fresh, minced

1/2 tsp. cayenne

1 tsp. lemon zest

3 cups water

2 Tbsp. Bill's Best Chicknish (or other chicken-like broth seasoning)

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 - 16 oz. can pumpkin puree

1 - 13.5 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk

1/3 cup peanut butter

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp. agave syrup

Salt to taste

1/4 cup cilantro, fresh, chopped

2 Tbsp. peanuts, roasted

Saute' onion in olive oil. When soft, add ginger and cayenne. Then stir in lemon zest, water, chicken-like seasoning, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes. 

Strain the broth into another pot and discard the solids. Return broth to a low simmer. Then whisk in pumpkin,coconut milk, peanut butter, lime juice, agave syrup, and salt. Cook until heated through. 

Serve with cilantro and peanuts.

Autumn Cookies with Chocolate Chips

It's recommended that we have a good source of Vitamin A every other day. It's best utilized by our bodies if the resource is cooked and served with some type of fat. Do you cook carrots or orange squash every other day? I don't, but resolve to do better. I'm quite sure my university sons aren't eating dark orange veggies every other day either. So, this evening I baked cookies to send to them. Vegan and filled with Vitamin A, I think they'll enjoy them. Here's the recipe if you'd like a sweet and tasty way to get your vitamins!

Autumn Cookies with Chocolate Chips

A delicious, moist cookie that freezes very well.

2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1 (15 1/2 ounce) can solid pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
12 ounces vegan semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Cream the sugar, oil, pumpkin and vanilla together. Mix until well blended. In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture. Stir gently until combined. Add the chocolate chips and walnuts. Mix together. Drop by teaspoonsful onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 12 - 15 minutes.

These cookies are delicious; cake-like and the type that melt in your mouth. I think their flavor would be enhanced by a pinch of salt in the recipe. Although this is not a gluten-free recipe, I think it would be very easily converted by the use of a gluten-free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour. The walnuts in this recipe add Omega-3's to the diet, and of course we all know that the chocolate is very good for us and high in anti-oxidants!

*The gluten-free conversion works well. Sub your favorite gluten-free flour blend. Pamela's Ultimate Baking and Pancake (GF) Mix makes these into good cookies!


*If using fresh pumpkin, use the same amount but make sure it is quite 'dry'.