the pumpkin post

let's face it - every food blogger knows that during the fall season we're going to have to write our obligatory posts about apples and pumpkins. i had this post planned already for sometime in october but it got bumped up a few weeks when i  received this email from one of my friends, brittany. she writes:

sis,
i don't know if you take requests for your fabulous blog but if you do, i've got one!  this new fall weather has left me with constant cravings for all things pumpkin spice (thanks alot starbucks, like i needed something else to crave).  as you know i am what i like to call "domestically challenged"  so here is my request: could you do a healthy pumpkin recipe for those, who like me, don't cook/bake often (or ever)?  thanks love!!
xoxo
B

p.s. love the blog, if you keep this up i may start, dare i say it?....cooking!

there is nothing i love more than a challenge, espeically a cooking challenge. i have found some really easy recipes and also some for the more advanced chef. let's start with what good housekeeping had to say regarding simple ways to introduce canned pumpkin into recipes:

1. stir pumpkin and green chiles into homemade chili for a creamier texture with a mexican twist
2. whip up a smoothie with chilled pumpkin, milk, vanilla yogurt, and a pinch each of sugar and pumpkin pie spice
3. beat 8 ounces light cream cheese and 1 cup pumpkin until smooth; add 1/4 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, and serve as a dip for fruit and cookies or as a spread for toasted bagels

now for the recipes...

1. pasta with mushrooms and pumpkin-gorgonzola cream sauce
2. easy pumpkin pancakes - basically just adding canned pumpkin to pancake mix
3. 15-minute pumpkin risotto
4. penne pumpkin pasta
5. pumpkin-cream cheese napoleons
6. pumpkin-shrimp bruschetta - elegant but easy
7. pumpkin spice whoopie pies
8. no bake pumpkin cheesecake
9. chocolate pumpkin pie martini
10. cumin pumpkin soup with popcorn
11. overstuffed pumpkin with cornbread, apples and turkey sausage - definitely a little labor intensive, but i think well worth it

after all this researching, i think i'm going to have to put some sort of pumpkin dish on the dinner menu this week. enjoy!