PUMPKIN EVERYTHING

(Me killing the ball. Or... actually I'm just tipping that one.)

It's official. I'm obsessed. I love anything and everything made with pumpkin. It is a flavor that I cannot and will not resist, no matter how late at night it is. Last night, my good friend, Jessi Gibbons shared with me her amazing idea to make a pumpkin ice cream pie. PERFECT. I'm in. So as soon as we got back from our tri match against Sweet Briar (and all girls school... who would go to an all girls university??) and Randolph College (oh, we swept them both, by the way), we headed on an adventure to find some pumpkin ice cream. Since wal mart did not have any pumpkin ice cream we went to Sweet Things in Lexington to buy a quart or whatever we needed. They were conveniently out. (We still taste tested Ginger and Cinnamon Graham ice cream, of course... delish!) So we went to Alexander's in B.V. They were really nice when they found out we were making a pie with it and sold us the rest of the tub of ice cream for 5 bucks. SAWEET! Here's what it looked like:

Ice cream pie is easy, because all you do is let the ice cream melt a little bit so that you can smooth it around into a pie crust, then freeze it. Then we put whipped cream on top with some pretty ginger cookies I found (not ginger snaps, although that would be good too). Jessi is a pure genius. PLUS, she taught us this amazing "Whipped Cream Game": spray a dollop on your left hand (if you're right handed), slap your wrist with your right hand, launch the dollop up in the air, and catch it in your mouth. SOOO fun and HILARIOUS. My first try was successful, but on my second try, I didn't launch it high enough and..... ya:

Then Shanny bo Banny called me and we chatted. Of course we talked about food for the majority of our 25 minute conversation. Somewhere in there she told me about the pumpkin pancakes she made from Natalie Fairboure's Blog (http://hobblecreekkitchen.blogspot.com/ ) I like to make breakfast on Sunday mornings, and so I made them this morning. Of COURSE. No words can explain the heavenly taste that was in my mouth. I'm stuffed, but there is nothing I want more in my mouth right now than these pumpkin pancakes. Oh, I like this recipe because it's based on a basic home made pancake mix. Alterations I made: I put 1/2 cup rolled oats in the pancake mixture instead of using oat flour, used half the sugar, and didn't use the butter. THESE ARE MY FAVORITE.
DIVINITY

(I'm super happy to have a happy pumpkin pancake with soy milk)
p.s. top this with buttermilk syrup, not maple.

And the other pumpkin recipe: I have made this twice this month(that's saying a lot, because usually when I a legit dinner, I have to eat it again and again for lunch and dinner for almost a week. HAHA). It's called Pumpkin Turkey Chili (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pumpkin-turkey-chili/detail.aspx) I like this web site because at the bottom of all the recipes, people comment on what they changed and if it was good etc. My comments would be: Don't accidentally put sour cream in the concoction. Smoked chicken is a good alternative to turkey, for those of you who have a freezer FULL of chicken breasts (ME), add any and all veggies, ie red, yellow, orange peppers, celery, zucchini, yellow squash, probably even potatoes, if you don't mind adding carbs to your already EXTREMELY LOW CARB dinner. And I added tofu, because I love it. Stuff like that. Also, add seasoning. It needs it. Like... nutmeg, ginger, allspice, ground cloves, cinnamon - ?, I dunno, whatever is good with pumpkin. It's low fat, low carb, has lots of protein, and it's full of veggies. Perfect! Make it. Tonight. Then comment. Please.
Sorry I don't have a picture, the stuff looks like orange/brown poopie. But I assure you, it's great.

Next pumpkin recipe I will make:

Pumpkin rice pudding
Ingredients:
• 1 cup leftover rice
• 3 cups whole milk
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup canned or mashed pumpkin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• cinnamon or whipped topping and pecans for garnish, optional
Preparation:
In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, combine the rice, 3 cups of milk, and brown sugar. Cook, stirring, until the mixture begins to boil and is thick and creamy.
Meanwhile, combine the pumpkin with vanilla, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and salt. When the rice is done, remove from heat and stir in the pumpkin mixture. Cover and refrigerate until serving time. To warm the pudding, stir in about 1/2 cup of milk or half and half and warm over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Serve with a sprinkling of cinnamon and brown sugar, or top with a dollop of whipped cream or whipped topping and chopped pecans and chopped dried cranberries.
Serves 4 to 6. Serve in a baby pumpkin.

....Or maybe these cookies: (they're Suzanne's sister in law's:)
Pumpkin Cookies – Amy
(Bake 375 10-12 min)
1 c shortening
1 c sugar
1 c. pumpkin
Cream together and add 1 beaten egg

Blend in dry ingredients:
2 c. flour
1 tsp soda
1tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt

Frosting: heat together the following:
3 tbsp butter
4 tsp milk
½ c. brown sugar
¾ tsp vanilla
1.c powdered sugar