Pumpkin Feast in April! - Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookie Pumpkin Pie + Recipe

Pumpkin pie in April? Why, yes please! I have three reasons for why this is an awesome idea:

1. It snowed yesterday - which made me want to go back into hibernation and eat lots and lots of pie. 
2. Pumpkin. I love pumpkin and if I could find canned pumpkin year round I'd just have 12 months of Pumpkin Feast every year. 
3. I'm trying to clean out our cupboard and I have one last can of pumpkin puree and I didn't want to hoard it any longer. 

Pumpkin Pie Panna Cotta

Last night I made Pumpkin Pie Panna Cotta after listening to Lynne Rossetto Kasper talk about how easy it is to make on The Splendid Table. Panna cotta, which means 'cooked cream' in Italian is basically pudding made with milk, sugar and gelatin. The recipe was very simple and only took about ten minutes for me to make, it also used very few ingredients! Lynne's recipe is a bit different from other panna cotta recipes in that it uses sour cream - but the finished product is not sour! This panna cotta reminds me of a cross between pudding and Greek yogurt, it's very creamy and the pumpkin flavor is perfect! 

Gluten-Free Ginger Pear Pumpkin Muffins + Recipe

These pumpkin muffins really make me wish I had a jumbo muffin pan (kind of like this one by Lodge).  When I was a college student at Ohio University I would eagerly wait for Fall every year so I could buy a gigantic pumpkin muffin from Perk's Coffee House & Roastery.  Those muffins were amazing!  They signaled that Fall had arrived just as much as the changing leaves and cool temperatures did.  Eating one of those muffins made me feel better after a rough day, once I even bought Kenneth a giant pumpkin muffin as a way to say "I'm sorry" after a fight (that's how good these muffins were, they could serve as a food apology) only to find out he had bought me one too!  They were pretty powerful pumpkin muffins...

Kadu Bouranee (Sweet Pumpkin with Yogurt Sauce) + Recipe

Kadu bouranee is one of my favorite pumpkin dishes!  You can make it with pumpkin or squash (this time I used butternut squash that was pre-cut to save some time).  I've made this dish a few times for Kenneth and I's anniversary - but it took my so long to cut and peel the squash I only felt like making it once a year!  Now that I've successfully made it with the short-cut pre-cut butternut squash, it may become a more regular Fall dish in our house. Today I served it with the Brazilian Pão de Queijo (gluten-free cheese rolls) and it was delicious!

OHIO Pumpkin

Last night Kenneth and I went to a Fall potluck at a friend's house.  We shared warm soups, tasty chips and dip and lots of sweet desserts and candy!  We ended the night by carving pumpkins - wonderful Fall tradition!   When my sister and I were kids we started out drawing with Sharpie markers instead of carving pumpkins, once we got older we upgraded to actual carving.  Since I really don't like the feel of pumpkin 'innards' (when I peel and cut squash for recipes it irritates my skin a little - it's not itchy, but they feel weird for a few hours after) I opted to draw the Ohio University mascot, Rufus the bobcat, on our pumpkin.   The whole evening was a lot of fun - I love Fall!

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Mac & Cheese + Recipe

This pumpkin mac and cheese is delicious and very easy to make (plus clean-up is a easy because it can be made in one pot)! The most time consuming part of the recipe is chopping the rosemary (it takes me forever to wash the stickiness from rosemary off of my fingers!), but it's totally worth it!  The pumpkin flavor is not overwhelmingly strong and the garlic and rosemary are delicious together!  You could always increase the amount of either if you're a big fan and don't forget to try the mac and cheese with cinnamon!  It sounds strange, but is really delicious (I forgot it for the photo, but I almost always eat this dish with a dash of cinnamon sprinkled on top!).

Gluten-Free Orange Pumpkin Bread & Pumpkin Chicken Chili + Recipes

I enjoyed a bowl of pumpkin chicken chili and pumpkin bread for dinner tonight (while pretending that the thermostat hadn't almost reached 80 degrees today).  It's officially Fall - but it doesn't feel that way yet in Columbus!

Thankfully, it doesn't have to feel like Fall to cook or bake some chilly weather food (though I do hope it cools off soon, I'm ready for sweater, jacket and scarf weather!).

Fall - In a Box!

Pumpkin treats from Cherbourg Bakery!  These delicious, gluten-free pumpkin donuts and pumpkin chocolate chip bars are my first pumpkin flavored treats from my favorite bakery!

We've been Pumpkin Feastin' for eighteen days now and Fall doesn't even officially start for two more!  I know some people dislike the taste of pumpkin, or just get tired of it after every other food item is "pumpkin-ized," but I don't!  I love it!  

I'm keeping a list of all the pumpkin foods we eat during Pumpkin Feast (which I see as running from about September to February... which is totally reasonable if you ignore that it goes through the end of summer, all of fall and half of winter!).  I'll share the list on the blog with my last post about Pumpkin Feast!

Pumpkin Cider

This Pumpkin Woodchuck Hard Cider is only on the production line for two and half hours!  Grab some if you can find it and are of legal age - it's gluten-free and delicious!

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies + Recipe

These are not my prettiest cookies, but they taste pretty good and were easy to make.  To make the cookies chewier and less cakey, you do have to "man handle" them a bit by flattening them when they first come out of the oven.  That's why these guys aren't beauty queen cookies - I smooshed them!

Pumpkin, Bean, and Chicken Enchiladas

Pumpkin Feast continues at our house!  Tonight, Kenneth made these Pumpkin, Bean, and Chicken Enchiladas (recipe from Better Homes & Gardens).  They were delicious!  Check out more savory pumpkin recipes on my Pinterest board, Pumpkin Feast!  

Pumpkin Patch

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice

I enjoyed my first pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks today - served with a commemorative PSL coffee sleeve to celebrate 10 years since the popular drink was introduced.  It doesn't matter that the temperature today hit 85°F it's starting to feel like Fall to me!

Pumpkin Feast Begins + Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe

Fall is by far my favorite season!  My two favorite holidays are in the Fall (Halloween and Thanksgiving) and the cooler temperatures mean I can wear my favorite sweaters and hats while hiking and enjoying the changing leaves.  The absolute best thing about this season, though, is the food!