pumpkinpalooza!

pictured above: my son, october 2007

i decided that i would get with the program and write an entry dedicated to the pumpkin. and why not? it's frickin' october month o' the pumpkin. my friend nicole who has an omni food blog has been pre-occupied with pumpkins lately and i've caught the bug.

i tried vegan crunks recipe for pumpkin pie oatmeal and i really liked it! sorry, no pictures were taken because i ate said breakfast treat with such voracity that it was gone before i turned the camera on. i have quite a sweet tooth, so i topped the oatmeal with a little turbinado, raisins, and some vanilla silk creamer. it was so decadent! pairs well with a cup of black coffee.

as mentioned before, i've been feeling under the weather and my throat hurts. i used some of the leftover canned pumpkin to make a pumpkin shake that was quite tasty. in my pregan days, i would go to DQ and get a pumpkin pie blizzard. i'm sure this one is a bit healthier:

1/2 c. pureed pumpkin (NOT PUMPKIN PIE FILLING)

1/2 t cinnamon

1/2 t nutmeg

1 frozen banana

1/2 c apple cider

3/4 c vanilla soy milk

3/4 c soy delicious vanilla ice cream

blend everything in a blender until smooth. sprinkle additional cinnamon or nutmeg on top if you wish.

i know vegans don't eat food if it has a face, but would this one count?

my favorite pumpkin recipe is by miki at random hag. it is also in la dolce vegan:
1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup applesauce

egg replacer = 3 eggs

1 16-ounce can pumpkin

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix together sugars, oil, applesauce, egg replacer and pumpkin. Sift together flours, spices, baking soda, salt and baking powder. Mix the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Mix in chocolate chips and walnuts.
Butter and flour two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans.
Bake about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until knife comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack. this makes two loaves-so give one to a friend!

how awesome!