Pumpkin Spice And Everything Nice

Thank God October is here. I've finally ditched the crop tops and instead wear bulky over sized sweaters to compensate for my extended time of debauchery. ​

Halloween is in two weeks. So, that's exciting. I asked off in June. Then, I was informed that everyone would be working Halloween. It's not that I have any plans. But, I personally wanted to spend the day at home. Alone. Possibly watch Scooby Doo reruns. Live.

Instead I'm taking solace in the array of pumpkin additive. My father was sent out to buy bagels recently. He called me and asked me if I wanted the pumpkin bagels. I don't know why he asked this question. I am a basic white girl at heart. Of course I want the pumpkin.

Truthfully, I really haven't heard that much obsession over the pumpkin flavor. I was not on board when this was a thing back in 2012, but I've bought into it now. It's practically a holiday tradition. If I didn't have my Pumpkin Spice Latte to welcome in fall where would I be? I would probably be stuck in traffic, crying.

You could truly keep track of time just by making sure you have every seasonal flavor of oreo. I have yet to partake in the Pumpkin Oreo, but there is always time. There is a bit of pumpkin over load. They even put it in eggnog. The only thing I want in my eggnog is a shot of whiskey.

Apparently Burger King is also offering a Pumpkin Spice Oreo Shake. Just in case you needed to digest frozen chunks of it through a straw.

Pumpkins represent everything that is good about the fall. The orange color palette. LOVE. LIFE. LIBERTY and THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. There's something great about a season where everything is dying. Now I have an excuse for being pale and never leaving the comfort of my two car garage. 

​My personal favorite part of the holiday season that is October is the pumpkin infused pringles. There's a possibility that your aware that I'm obsessed with pringles. I wrote an entire Tasty Tuesday on it. It was called Pop The Fun (read here). But, I'm not sure I mentioned the sweet nothings of the Pumpkin Pringles. Are they disgusting? Do they make you want to throw up? At this point I couldn't give you an honest answer.

The only part of the pumpkin tradition my mother takes part in is the pumpkin pie. And, this is for Thanksgiving. My mother does not fuck with pumpkin until that glorious day where we celebrate taking the Native American's land and calling it home.

Funny enough, the only part of our Thanksgiving meal not made from the scratch is the pumpkin pie. We're adverse to making it ourselves. We buy it from Costco. We buy a tub of cool whip (the horror) and that is our Thanksgiving tradition.

This is probably a result of our numerous attempts to make our own Pumpkin Pie. Those recipes are not included

Good luck you pumpkin roasted souls. 

RECIPES:
Pumpkin Cookies
1 cup of Shortening
3 cups of Sugar
2 Eggs
2 teaspoons of Vanilla
1 can of Pumpkin
5 cups of Flour
2 teaspoons of Baking Powder
2 teaspoons of Baking Soda
1 teaspoon of Salt
2 teaspoons of Cinnamon
2 teaspoons of Nutmeg
1 package of Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening, and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add pumpkin and mix well.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. With mixer running, gradually add dry ingredients to creamed mixture until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Pumpkin Pickles
8 cups of cubed Pumpkin
2 ½ cups of Vinegar
2 ½ cups of Sugar
1 teaspoon of Cinnamon
1 teaspoon of Pickling Spice
1 teaspoon of Nutmeg
1 teaspoon of Whole Cloves

Steam the cubed pumpkin until tender. Remove rind.

Combine vinegar, sugar, cinnamon, pickling spice, nutmeg and cloves in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add pumpkin and continue and continue simmering, 5 minutes longer.

Ladle pumpkin and brine into hot, sterilized pint jars, leaving ½ inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles. Secure flat lids and rings. Process in a boiling water canner bath for 10 minutes.

SIDE NOTE: This is intense BUT there soooo good.

Pumpkin Maple Cream Cheese Muffins
2 cups of Flour
2 teaspoons of Baking Powder
½ teaspoons of Baking Soda
¼ teaspoon of Salt
¾ cup of Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon of Cinnamon
½ cup of chopped Walnuts
2 Eggs
1 cup of Canned Pumpkin
¾ cup of Evaporated Milk
¼ cup of Butter
2 teaspoons of Maple Flavoring
Cream Cheese Filling
4 ounces of Cream Cheese
2 tablespoons of Brown Sugar
1 ½ teaspoons of Maple Flavoring
Nut Topping
2 teaspoons of Brown Sugar
¼ cup of Chopped Walnuts

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin pan.

In a large bowl combine, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts.

In a separate bowl, combine eggs, pumpkin, evaporated milk, butter, and maple flavoring. Add to flour mixture, mixing just until blended. Spoon batter into muffin cups.

To make cream cheese filling. Combine cream cheese, brown sugar, and maple flavoring in small bowl until blended. Drop a heaping teaspoon of filling into the center of each cup and pressway into batter.

To make nut topping. Combine brown sugar and walnuts. Sprinkle topping into each muffin cup. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.