Crock pot pumpkin apple butter! (No peeling!)

...And so the pumpkin obsession continues! This was kind of an experiment :) I just replaced some of the apples with fresh pumpkin puree in a normal apple butter recipe. I had to add a little bit more honey, because the pumpkins aren't quite as sweet, but it worked well!

I've been looking for an apple butter recipe that uses honey instead of sugar and doesn't require peeling. And yesterday, Health, Home, and Happiness blog posted THIS simple crock-pot recipe for apple butter that uses honey without peeling the apples!

So I just decided to replace some of the apples with fresh pumpkin puree. And I increased the honey since pumpkins aren't very sweet. And added nutmeg and cloves, because every pumpkin deserves some nutmeg and cloves :) So here is what I did:

Ingredients:
6 apples, cored and sliced
puree from 2 small pie pumpkins
1/2 cup water
1 cup honey (you might need more if your family is not used to minimally sweetened food :)
Cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg to taste (Sorry; I never measure :)

Directions: Put everything in crockpot and cook on low for about 12 hours. At this point you will have apple-pumpkin sauce. Puree with blender or food processor til smooth and place back in crockpot on lowest setting with lid cracked for another 4-6 hours. Stir every hour or so and it will darken and turn in to apple -pumpkin butter! Freeze or can as you would apple butter.

Healthy and Yummy Pumpkin Pancakes!

Oh, it is definitely that time of year again! You know, the time of year when any recipe containing the word pumpkin catches my eye :) Yes, I definitely have a pumpkin obsession! I've always LOVED pumpkin pancakes and there are tons of recipes out there, but I had not yet found one that meets my healthy standards (i.e. honey instead of sugar and soaking the flour to reduce the phytates and improve digestion.) So I was excited to randomly come across the Come Walk With Me blog, which discusses Nourishing Tradition-style food and recipes. Lisa's recipe for pumpkin pancakes is not only healthy, but delicious, and even my "not-so-obsessed-with-pumpkin" husband whole-heartedly approved :) She says they freeze well, also, but there weren't enough left today for me to find out :)

Squash (or Pumpkin) Pancakes
2 c. flour (I used spelt)
1 1/2 c. buttermilk ( I used keifer because it was what I had on hand; yogurt would work as well)
*12-24 hours beforehand, combine these two ingredients & cover

1 c. squash or pumpkin puree (I just used the whole can, probably 1 1/2 cups)
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ginger
1/8 t. nutmeg
2 T. raw sugar, honey, or maple syrup
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 egg
2 T. melted coconut oil

When you're ready to make the pancakes stir in all remaining ingredients to the soaked flour/buttermilk mixture. Lisa likes thin pancakes (not fluffy) so she added about 1/2 c. water and 1/2 c. milk to greatly thin out this batter. I wanted them thick, so I didn't add any, and the batter didn't pour easily but still made great pancakes! Heat additional coconut oil in a skillet over medium low heat (you want these to cook all the way through) flipping when bubbles pop.

Completely Healthy Pumpkin Muffins

Mmmmm.... I love pumpkin muffins! But since I'm trying to feed my family more nutritious food, my favorite recipe had to go (too much white flour and sugar!) Luckily, Kimi at Nourishing Gourmet blog (I get sooo many healthy recipes from her blog!) posted this fabulous recipe. I made them yesterday and everyone loved them! They are yummy both with or without the struesel topping. She uses natural sweeteners and the grain is soaked, so I can eat as many as I want :) She uses pastry flour, which would be great, but I didn't have any and my kamut worked just fine! I also just used yogurt instead of the coconut milk tonic.

Spiced Pumpkin (or Squash) Muffins with a Streusel Topping -Makes 12

This recipe is soaked for better nutrition, read about it here and here. But it would be possible to skip that step. I have also included dairy options for those who prefer dairy, otherwise this recipe is dairy free.

1 3/4 cup of whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup of coconut milk tonic (for baked goods, I use the one just mixed with water)
2 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar (or, use 1/2 cup of buttermilk, thinned yogurt, or kefir, in place of the vinegar and coconut milk tonic)
1/3 cup of coconut oil or melted butter
1/3 cup of honey or maple syrup

1 egg
3/4 cup of pumpkin puree or roasted squash
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

Streusel Topping
3 tablespoons of arrowroot powder, white flour, or sprouted flour
3 tablespoons of maple sugar, rapadura, or sucanat
3 tablespoons of cold coconut oil
n1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
dash of salt
1/3 cup of chopped walnuts

1-The night before, in a saucepan, gently melt the coconut oil and the honey together until liquid.

2-In a large bowl, combine the flour, coconut milk, vinegar, and the honey/coconut oil in a bowl, stirring just until combined. Cover and leave out overnight.

3-12-24 hours later, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease with coconut oil 12 muffin tins.

4-In a small bowl combine the streusel ingredients, except for the chopped nuts, and cut in the coconut oil with a fork, until there are no big pieces left. Then stir in the chopped nuts.

5- In a small bowl combine the egg and pumpkin, and add it, with the rest of the ingredients to the bowl. If your house is cold, the coconut oil will have hardened, making the dough a bit stiff, but it will loosen up as you gently fold in the rest of the ingredients.

6-Using a spoon, or an ice cream scoop, evenly distribute the batter between the 12 tins. They should be about 2/3’s full. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of the streusel mixture over the top of each (you will have a bit extra leftover).

7-Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the middle. Let rest for ten minutes in tins, then remove from the pans (gentle! they are fragile when hot) and let cool on cooling racks.

Enjoy!

Karis' favorite pumpkin mini-muffins

Ok, so these wouldn't fall into the healthy category, but Nina makes them for Karis everytime she comes to visit and my girl can't get enough of them! So I had to post the recipe :)

Ingredients:

3 1/3 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 and ½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinn.

1 tsp. nutmeg

3 cups sugar

1 cup veg. Oil

4 eggs

2/3 cups water

1 16-oz. Can pumpkin

Directions: Heat oven to 350. Stir dry ingredients together evenly. Add the rest of the ingredients all at once. Mix at medium speed for 3 minutes or until well blended. Use 2 greased, but not floured 9x5 loaf pans. Bake 1 hour, 10 minutes.

Pumpkin Bead Pudding

Bread Pudding used to be one of my favorite holiday desserts, along with Pumpkin Pie. So I thought this recipe that puts them both together was just awesome!

Ingredients:
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs plus 1 yolk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 5 cups cubed (1-inch) day-old baguette or crusty bread
• 3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Whisk together cream, pumpkin, milk, sugar, eggs, yolk, salt, and spices in a bowl.
Toss bread cubes with butter in another bowl, then add pumpkin mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to an ungreased 8-inch square baking dish and bake until custard is set, 25 to 30 minutes.

Pumpkin Pie Fudge

I hope someone else enjoys pumpkin as much as I do, because I keep finding yummy recipes that I just have to post so I won't lose them :) I'm always looking for holiday goodies that are different from the norm and was excited to stumble across this recipe for yummy pumpkin fudge!

Ingredients:

3 cups sugar

¾ cup unsalted butter, melted

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

2 tbsp. corn syrup

2 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice

9 oz. white chocolate, chopped

7 oz. jar marshmallow crème

1 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Stir together first six ingredients in a 3 ½ - quart saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer registers 234° (soft-ball stage).

Remove pan from heat; stir in remaining ingredients until well blended. Pour into a greased aluminum foil-lined 8-inch square pan. Let stand 2 hours or until completely cool; cut fudge into squares.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds!

Don't let your decorations go to waste! Cook, puree, and freeze your pumpkin for yummy recipes all winter. And the seeds are the best part (at least my husband thinks so!) He likes the savory recipe the best, while I love the Halloweeny :) I got this great tutorial from this link.

Directions for Making Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients and Equipment

pumpkin (see step 1) a sharp, serrated large knife Cookie sheet

vegetable oil salt pepper, general herbs

Recipe and Directions

Step 1 - Clean the seeds

When you are carving your pumpkin, separate the seeds from the pumpkin flesh and strings. Wash them well (usually putting then in a big bowl of water and rubbing them between your hands is a fast way to clean them) and let them drain in a strainer for about 30 minutes, then spread them out on a baking pan. Now just use a hair dryer to dry them quickly! It is also time to start preheating the oven. Turn it on and set it to 275 F

Step 2 - Spread the seeds on a cookie sheet and season them

Spread the seeds evenly over a cookie sheet and lightly baste the seeds with melted butter, margarine, or vegetable oil. There are many variations. Here are the most popular, in order or popularity:

1. Savory: 4 tablespoons melted butter, 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt and 2 teaspoons Worchestershire sauce
2. Lemony: 4 tablespoons melted butter, 1 teaspoon 'Mrs. Dash" or lemon pepper
3. Halloweeny: 4 tablespoons melted butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice.
4. Spicy: 4 tablespoons melted butter, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper
5. Natural: 1 teaspoon sea salt or other salt, 4 tablespoons melted butter,

Step 3 - Roast the seeds

Heat them in a 275-degree oven for 10 to 20 minutes until golden brown. DO KEEP AN EYE ON THEM, checking every few minutes and stir about every 5 minutes. Some ovens run hot and it can be as little as 10 minutes or as long as 30 minutes to roast them. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot or cold.

For milder flavor, simmer the cleaned seeds for about an hour in salted water and fry in deep oil. Or mix a tablespoon of oil or margarine to each cup of nuts and roast them at 250 degrees for 10 - 15 minutes until they're golden. Sprinkle them with salt.

Pumpkin Cornbread

This is so yummy and goes great with my new pumpkin chili recipe! I use coconut oil to grease the pans because it adds a little sweetness to the crust and is so good for you!

Ingredients:
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup cornmeal
2 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree (canned or freshly cooked and processed)
2/3 cup brown sugar
¼ cup canola oil
1 Tbs molasses

Directions:
1Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease 10-inch glass pie pan or 9-inch square baking pan.
2 Sift flours, baking powder, salt and spices in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in cornmeal.
3 In separate bowl, beat eggs lightly. Whisk in pumpkin, brown sugar, oil and molasses.
4 Make a well in the dry mixture. Add pumpkin mixture and blend batter with a few quick strokes (just until blended- don't overmix).
5 Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cornbread is browned and the surface has a slightly springy feel.


Servings: 8

Cooking Tips
*We like to use Bob's Red Mill coarse grain corn meal for an added crunchy texture.
**Terrific with chili!

Pumpkin Chili

Have you noticed that I am a sucker for anything pumpkin during the fall? :) Its just so healthy and so yummy. I love this variation of chili! I added some soaked kidney beans to it as well because my baby loves beans and they are so good for her! Then it needed a little water so it wouldn't be too thick. I also added some cinnamon and nutmeg because anything pumpkin tastes better with those spices :) I forgot to copy the website I got it from, though, sorry.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef 1 cup chopped onions 1 cup chopped green bell peppers 1 clove garlic, minced Two 14½oz. cans diced tomatoes 1 cup pure pumpkin pureé 1 Tbs ground chili powder 1 tsp ground cumin seed ½ tsp ground black pepper dash of salt ½ cup grated cheddar cheese ½ cup sour cream

Directions:

1 Brown ground beef in large sauté pan with onion, green pepper and garlic. Spoon off grease. 2 Return to heat and add tomatoes, pumpkin, chili powder, cumin, pepper and salt. Mix well. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. 3 Serve topped with cheese and sour cream.

Melanie's Delicious Pumpkin Dump Cake

My sis-in-law made this one Thanksgiving and I just couldn't stop eating it! So yummy and super easy, too!

Ingredients:

1 30 oz can pumpkin pie filling

1 ½ cup granulated sugar

3 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

3 large eggs

1 12 oz. Box yellow cake mix

1 cup chopped pecans, if desired

¾ cup melted butter

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first 6 ingredients until smooth and pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle cake mix over pumpkin batter and then cover with the chopped pecans. Drizzle melted butter over the top and then bake for 45-50 minutes. Refrigerate until completely cold and then serve with French Vanilla Cool Whip.

Volmer Farm Pumpkin Chowder

We visited Volmer Farm and I tried their pumpkin chowder...YUMMY! I asked the girl at the counter if they had a recipe and she started writing it out for me :) We like our chowder chunky, so I added some diced carrots, potatoes, and apples to the mix. This post is part of the Whole Food for the Holidays Progressive Dinner!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 Tsp. butter
1 Tsp. flour
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups packed pumpkin
1 Tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup half & half

Directions: She didn't give me any directions, only the ingredients. So this is what I did and I thought it turned out well. I melted my butter in the microwave and mixed in the flour. I poured it into the crockpot with the half and half and broth, stirring til well mixed. Then I added all my chopped veggies, pumpkin puree, sugar, and spices. I cooked it in the crockpot all day long and it was ready for dinner :)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

My roommate from Colorado used to make these and whenever it gets to be fall weather I start wanting them. Very easy and yummy!

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
½ cup shortening
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt
chocolate chips
**I added about a tsp. of vanilla and pumpkin pie spice

Directions: Mix together the dry ingredients in a small bowl; set aside. Mix together the sugar, shortening, and canned pumpkin in a slightly larger bowl. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients. Then add in the chocolate chips. Bake at 375 for 8 – 10 min.
**Can substitute white chocolate chips or Macadamia nuts for chocolate chips or combine all three 

Harvest Loaf Cake

When I was a preschool teacher, one of the parents used to make my day by bringing us this pumpkin harvest loaf in the mornings. The chocolate chips make it such a treat and for some reason Mark thinks they make it more substantial than most pumpkin breads :)

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. cinn.

½ tsp. nutmeg

¼ tsp. cloves

¼ tsp. ginger

¼ cup Crisco oil

1 cup pumpkin

2 eggs

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup walnuts – chopped

Directions: Grease a bread pan or meatloaf pan. Combine all ingredients except chips and nuts. Beat on low, then on medium for 2 minutes. Stir in chips and nuts. Bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes or until toothpick is clean. Cool

*Freezes well