November is here! Wow, where did the last ten months go?! I could say, that now is the time to check how your yearly goals are going, but instead I’m going to ask what you’re doing with your pumpkins!?
So, whether or not you carved pumpkins and filled them with candles, have a selection of colourful mini squashes and pumpkins on the mantelpiece or visited a pumpkin patch and got overexcited at the variety and have a giant collection of pumpkins of all shapes and sizes, the question is, what are you going to do with them!?
Photos by Julie McGinn, David Menidre and Life Diet Health
So, if you bought a cheap supermarket pumpkin, carved it and lit a candle inside for a few hours, and today it’s looking a bit worse for wear, then eating the remains is probably not a good idea! However, just because the pumpkin isn’t appealing to you, that doesn’t mean it should go in the bin! Find a space at the bottom of the garden, maybe under some trees or near a hedge and leave the pumpkin there! Lots of wildlife including squirrels, birds and insects love the tasty flesh (you could chop a bit up and put it on the bird table). Otherwise, add the pumpkin to your compost! 🙂
If you have a display of mini squashes on your mantelpiece, check if they are ornamental or edible. If they are edible, make sure you try them in at least one recipe!
If you have a giant collection of pumpkins, then choosing which variety to try first, or which pumpkin to use for which recipe are more likely to be what you’re thinking!
Last week I shared a pumpkin gnocchi recipe and this week I have a spiced pumpkin latte! and yes, there is pumpkin in the latte!
A latte made thick and creamy with real pumpkin! Spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon and totally worth making!
- 200 g Pumpkin (cooked and peeled)
- 150 ml water
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee
- 150 ml milk of choice
- pinch of nutmeg
- bigger pinch of cinnamon
- *sweetener of choice if desired
- *cream for topping if desired
Put the pumpkin in a large saucepan with the water and gently whisk to combine whilst heating. Remove any large lumps or stringy parts.
Sprinkle the coffee over and whisk in until dissolved.
Add the milk, nutmeg and cinnamon and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add sweetener if using.
Do a taste test and add more milk or spices as desired.
Pour the mixture through a colander (not a sieve as the holes are too small) into your mug or glass. Top with cream if using and sprinkle with a bit more cinnamon. Enjoy!
We think we might be drinking these all month – especially if the weather stays rainy like today… we’ve certainly got enough pumpkins to!!! 😛 We had ours with rock cakes, but I think these sticky chocolate cupcakes or these chocolate chip cookies would work too! 🙂
Oh, and Happy World Vegan Day (November 1st) 😀 Hope you find something plant based and yummy to celebrate! 😛
Have a fantastic weekend, drink lots of lattes and drop us a comment below about pumpkins, lattes, your weekend or anything foody or interesting! 😛
Speak soon
Laurena x
Hi Laurena, it’s been brass monkeys here recently, as they say? Perfect weather for pumpkin spice latte and the like! Now I know what to do with that jar of pumpkin I spotted in the supermarket the other day?I don’t want to use up my decorative pumpkins just yet lol
Ooo, so many many things to do with it… but start with the latte. I’m thinking some sort of pumpkin pie, or cookies, or cake tomorrow! What do you think?
I’m thinking a nice, squidgy pumpkin loaf…but of course it’s up to you and your family?Have a nice weekend x
You know, when I was preparing my bread dough this morning, that was exactly what I was thinking… but we’d eaten all the pre-cooked pumpkin! Just taken some out of the oven (the green one so tastes like roasted chestnuts it’s delicious… we may or may not have bought another 20!!!) Just sorting out some shampoo bars, then back to pumpkin! Hope your weekend is going well xxx
I meant to say loaf cake but if you were referring to savoury pumpkin loaf, then that sounds delicious too! Bakeries around here are including a pumpkin and orange loaf cake in their ‘range’ at the moment lol, it’s always seasonal. I think I’ve got a bit too used to these bakeries! It’s been a milder 16′ today but a ‘dreiek’ day as Scots would say (I love it really?) Hope you’re having a nice weekend too, happy baking x x
Lol… I thought afterwards that you meant cake… I have a pumpkin cake on here somewhere, but thought a bread would be less complicated!?! 😛 Pumpkin and orange sounds interesting… Distracted by sorting toys!!!
I just remembered you mentioned soap bars… One of my grans used to use Shield (or Zest?) soap back in the 80s as shampoo lol, I can well imagine yours would be a lot more natural and moisturising?
I was trying a new recipe for shampoo bars – Ooo, Shield in the green wrappers?! I remember those! I make coconut milk bars, but this time added some fresh aloe vera. Waiting for the 4 weeks curing time to be up so I can see how they are – I cut them into bars today and they smell divine!
You’re so talented! I can just picture you having your own little vegan shop full of tasty goodies, choccies and fragrant home-made soaps?I know, I know, I live in a fantasy world lol. What’s with the toy sorting?
Ahhh… I used to have a shop! 😛 and you’re not the first to suggest it! If only I knew my health would let me work so many hours again! No fantasy at all! I’m working my health back up! 😀 Toy sorting as teenagers apparently don’t need toys anymore! 😛 I’m sure there’s plenty of others who would welcome the vast collection of stuff we seem to have!!!