all things pumpkin

I will shamelessly admit it. Once Labor Day hits here in the States, signifying the traditional end to summer, I'm all about the pumpkin. We always were growing up, so I have an excuse - I blame my mother. Gladly.

First up comes the Spiced Pumpkin candle from Yankee. They usually send me a coupon right about now, so I grab my fave for the Christmas season as well...

And as I mentioned before - I love me a good pumpkin spice frappe. Which brings me to this:

A recipe for homemade pumpkin spice syrup. To make your own latte/iced coffee. No Way. So trying this!!

And you'll find a whole series of posts {one for at least every year I've been blogging} devoted to our beloved pumpkin swirl cheesecake that makes an appearance each year at Thanksgiving.

Last year I added pumpkin pancakes to the repertoire..

This year I've pinned a few new ones to try.

Pumpkin Butter:

Or this Pumpkin Butter. Apparently the idea really appeals to me?:

The Great Pumpkin Dessert:

Teeny picture which I shall have to remedy when I make it myself!

Anyway - happy to know that I'm already passing this Autumn tradition on - as we were strolling the aisles at Whole Food last week - E got all excited when he spied a can on the shelf! And I had to promise to start making our pumpkin favorites... so it begins!

pumpkin spice pancakes

Um. I'm completely willing to admit it. I love pumpkin. I'm not sure if it has to do with it's flavor, or just the fact that we only eat it for a few short months of the year, but I have a plethora of pumpkin recipes. Pumpkin cheesecake, pie, cookies, muffins, bread... sigh. Well this last weekend, I took it to a new level and tried something new! Drumroll, please...

I had a feeling from the beginning that they would be a hit, but my husband ended up describing them as possibly "the way that pancakes were really meant to be made..." And the boys showed their enthusiasm by polishing off the entire batch. Which is a lot - even for them.

You could of course, modify your spices for this, but the ones I've added create this warm infusion in your mouth and tummy that's really hard to explain. You just have to try it, I guess! Here's the recipe! Give it a shot...

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
2 c. flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
5 T. extra fine sugar
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
pinch of ginger
1 tsp. salt
2-1/2-3 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
1 c. pumpkin puree

Place the flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, salt and spices in a bowl and whisk them together. Add 2-1/2 c. of buttermilk and eggs and slowly whisk in until it's fully mixed. Add the pumpkin puree and stir. The batter may be thick, so you can decide whether you'd like to thin it a bit more with the extra buttermilk. It'll depend on how thick your pumpkin puree is.

Warm a pan or griddle over medium low heat. My stove burners are on a scale of 1-10, and I settled on about 4-6 as the ideal heat.

Pour 1/4 c.batter into into the warm, lightly oiled pan. Cook until bubbly.

Flip and cook just another minute or so:

Enjoy with real maple syrup:

One quick tip/note. I love making pancakes with just a 1/4 cup of batter. If we have any left over, they're easy to pop in the toaster for the boys to enjoy for their breakfast!

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

pumpkin swirl cheesecake

Hey all! hope your thanksgiving preparations are going smoothly. Mine is the above
Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake. Yum. It's one of my favorites, and I really only make it on Thanksgiving. :)
I promised that I'd share the recipe for those interested, so here goes. It's slightly modified from one that I picked up on the Kraft Foods Website 3 years ago.
Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

2 3/4 c. coarsely chopped ginger snaps
3 T. sugar
4 T. melted butter

 Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Toss to combine and press into a 9" springform pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes in the preheated oven.

3 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese (softened)
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs (room temp.) ~ shh... that's a baker's secret!!

Beat the cream cheese. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat again. Add eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl between each addition. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the batter. To the remainder, add:

1 c. canned pumpkin
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
dash of cloves
(I really mix this very little with the mixer, it's easier to blend in by hand.)

Spoon half of the pumpkin batter into the crust, then dot with half of the plain. Repeat the layers. Cut through the batters with a butter knife to swirl.

Bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes in a waterbath. Cool at room temp for around 8 hours before storing in the fridge.

Tomorrow, I'll take it out and top with homemade whipped cream. :D Yum, yum!! Enjoy!

holiday aftermath

It crossed my mind at one point to take a minute to post a Thanksgiving greeting, but then I was so busy with everything it very quickly fell to the wayside. ^_^

So here's hoping and wishing that everyone had a lovely, lovely holiday here in The States!

You see, I was in charge of a good bit of the meal to accommodate 20 people yesterday. By my volunteering. Trying to take a bit of the extra work off the shoulders of my poor mother-in-law who works so very hard for others all the time. I brought the stuffing, turkey, green bean casserole and a pumpkin cheesecake. I was busy. But it was a happy busy. Everything was timed out in such a way that is wasn't hectic or stressful.

Just hanging out together as a family, football on, holiday tunes in the background, and a bit of crafting occasionally in between checking the dinner preparations... then we all headed over to the house in the afternoon - where everything was mayhem. LOL But it was all right. We had a good time.

The turkey was delish.

And now I remember WHY I have no pictures of the Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake. It was devoured. I swear I'm making two next year if we have that many people. No one eats the pie! And the person serving {ie, ME}, ends up without a slice while everyone else gets in line for a second slice! Geez. At least I know it tastes good... I did manage to get a small slice, but almost had to fight for it... Ha!

Enjoy the holiday!

Friday night pizza

Tried something new last night. Taco pizza. :D It's sort of evolved into a tradition at our house to have either pizza or chicken nuggets on Fridays. Less work for Mommy.

The dough recipe is from Nigella Lawson's How to Be a Domestic Goddess I can't say enough good things about all of her books and recipes. I love her writing style. I can sit down and just read her recipe books. She shares a lot about her food philosophy and just fun little stories. Definitely recommend. :)

Getting ready for Thanksgiving, too. I usually make a Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake to share with the family. Gathering ingredients so I don't have to scramble at the last minute. I'll be baking that on Wednesday. I'll share the recipe then for those interested. One of the things that makes it unique and really yummy is that instead of using graham crackers for the crust, you use gingersnaps. Great compliment for the pumpkin flavors. {sigh} I love the holidays. :)

Thanksgiving Recipe File

Today is all about the cooking around here. Every few years, I offer to help out a bit with the Thanksgiving meal. I guess it's my way of getting that Thanksgiving that I remember from my growing up. Every family does it differently, and since I don't get the chance to see my family for the holidays much, sometimes it's nice to experience a bit of that...

So here's what's on my list to do today!

Sage Stuffing:

I'll be writing my recipe down as I make it this year.  I love the smell even before it's baked - and everyone is always curious on the recipe, since it tastes so yummy. ^_^

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake:
I tried this recipe not long after we were married, and it's become an annual tradition around here...

I think I'll take a few shots of this lovely all dressed up for the occasion this year. I normally top it with fresh whipped cream. Heaven! Even though you can usually only squeeze in a tiny slice after the meal...

And this year, I'm making the turkey. So, I ordered the lovely bird from Whole Foods fresh - and picked it up Monday. It'll be going into a brine this morning. I've done a few different ones in the past, but decided to try the yummy orange/rosemary/peppercorn one from pioneer woman this year! She also has some fabulous tips on keeping the turkey from getting too salty when you brine. Definitely following these. Of course, I'll be making the gravy as well. I'll pop it in the oven, tomorrow morning.

And as a side, I'm trying out her green bean casserole. Because it looks to die for. And I can't stand things out of a can.

I'm sure everything will be fabulous. So looking forward. What about you? Any Thanksgiving plans this week? Or do you buck the tradition and make steak? Any way you slice it, I hope you have a fabulous holiday!