Sipping on Fall: Vegan Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Yes, we admit it.  We are those people, the pumpkin spice crazed ones.  It starts with pumpkin butter and then suddenly, half of our diet is orange.  This Pumpkin Pie smoothie is a quick way to curb those Pumpkin Pie cravings.  Roasted pumpkin creates a smooth, and creamy base while also bringing an abundance of fall flavor.   Preparing the roasted pumpkin ahead of time gives you the ability to have pumpkin pie at your fingertips. See the Recipe below. 

Recipe:

Red Kuri Squash - Roasted then Frozen

1 Frozen Banana

1 Pitted Date

2 Tablespoons of Justin's Honey Almond Butter

½ Teaspoon of Pumpkin Pie Spice

8 oz Milk of Your Choice or Water (more or less depending on your preference) 

To Roast the Pumpkin:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Slice squash in half, then into quarters.  Place on a roasting pan and cook for about an hour, or until tender.  If squash appearing to be browning place foil over top of pan.  Remove from oven and once cooled peel the skin. Then, separate into smaller portions (we split it into four), place into freezer proof storage container and freeze until ready to use.  

To make the Smoothie: Place all ingredients in blender with frozen squash and banana, blend until smooth.  We topped it with a drizzle of honey and some extra pumpkin pie spice.  

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How to Create the Ultimate Ghoulish Gathering Spot

Halloween is in T-4 days and you've volunteered to host all the neighborhood kids for a mid trick or treat snack break.  We created an entire treat table with inexpensive goodies from Target, a few treats from Williams Sonoma and the rest is from our own collection of decor.  The secret to a great tablescape is layering, we started with cobwebs and tulle to create a smoky, haunted scene.

Throw in your favorite age-appropriate beverages, like blood orange soda and equally creepy iced pumpkin matcha, green slime anyone?  We are obsessed with paper straws, they are a great addition to any beverage station.  Target always has new colors and designs for the season.  The tulle, faux leather banner, and embellished clothes pins are all from target's dollar section.  The skeleton cookie came in a bag of assorted bones, that you can put together or eat separately.  A fun activity would be to team up and build a skeleton from the bag of bones, everyone wins in this fun activity as you can eat your way through the process.  Skeleton cookies, character picks, chocolates, and caramel apple kit (see recipe here) are all from Williams Sonoma.  We combined spooky themed candies with full sized candy bars to create a ghoulish gathering for the little neighborhood goblins. 

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Dee Corum: On Walking

Three words.  Walk.  Don’t Walk.  Sounds so simple.  Yet day after day at intersections around the globe these three little words baffle dozens of people.  So, to help you maneuver with manners as a courtesy to your fellow pedestrians and to the drivers:

WALK

This signal indicates it is safe for you to cross the street.   So, go ahead, Walk.

DON’T WALK

Ah, just the addition of the word “Don’t” seems to be where common sense takes a hike.   You might think the addition of the countdown timer telling you EXACTLY how long before the light will change would help.  Alas.  With just 3 seconds to go, seemingly average people break into sprint hoping they can cross 6 lanes of traffic is said 3 seconds.  Sorry, you can’t make it.  No, really.  You can’t.  

When you walk out of sequence, cars can’t make their right turn or left turn and traffic backs up and your lack of courtesy has a direct impact on others.  Civility makes sense.    

So, Walk.  Don’t Walk.  Got it?

Be the Coolest House on the Block This Halloween: Simple Caramel Apple Recipe

Every house in every neighborhood is currently loading up on Halloween candy,  this year instead of candy, give out these beautiful caramel apples.  Making caramel apples may seem intimidating at first but we found an amazing kit from Williams-Sonoma (available in stores) that has everything you need, just add apples!  It even comes with fun toppings and instructions to lead you through the process.  Hand these beauties out to trick or treaters or keep and enjoy them yourselves (that's what we did!)

Take a sneak peek at the finished products on our Halloween table! See the whole thing in our next post!

Recipe:

6 Apples

Caramel Apple Kit: Includes

Caramels

Sticks

Toppings: Marshmallows, Chocolate Candies, Graham Crackers

Plastic and String (to wrap finished apples)

We topped some apples with granola for a "healthier" topping option!

Wash the apples and remove stems, then insert a stick into the center of each apple.  Melt the caramels in a sauce pan with two tablespoons of water over medium heat.  As soon as caramels are melted remove from heat.  Twirl apples into caramel until coated to your liking.  Then, dip into toppings, we dipped first then finished them off with a good sprinkling of the desired tipping.  Place apples on to a parchment covered tray and put in the fridge to set.  Wrap individually with the plastic provided and store in the refrigerator.  Let the apples rest at room temperature before enjoying! 

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Dee-Corum: Cell Phone

I admit.  I’m old enough to remember rotary phones and phones that were secured to your kitchen wall with a cord long enough to talk while you cooked and did dishes.  Yes, seriously.  But then came cell phones.

Ahhh, cell phones.  Just a few years ago they were a convenience for emergency only.  But now, calling, texting, selfies, movies, social media and so much more.  We check them constantly.  But, there are times, really, for real times when they MUST be tucked away and silenced to show respect and civility.   

• Any time ANYONE is speaking into a microphone – the theater, church, synagogue, funeral, wedding ceremony, remarks following dinner, seminar, concert, etc.  
• Especially in the theater – the light from your phone is very distracting. 
• While dining. Focus on those people who are there with you.
• On any form of public transportation.  You may find your life fascinating but the rest of us do not.  

Texting, but not talking, is ok when you are:

• Riding the bus or subway
• Waiting in a doctor’s office
• In a public place where your action won’t disturb the people around you, but conversation would.

And, just one final note.  When you ARE in public carrying on a conversation, remember, people can hear you.  Every word.   

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Elevated Snacking

As non-sports fans, when we think game day we think food.  Everyone loves gathering around the TV with a bowl of onion dip and potato chips, but we created a more elevated way to dip.  This onion dip is lighter, guilt-free, and just as delicious.  

Recipe:

1 cup of organic, non-fat, plain greek yogurt

1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice - creates the "sour cream" base

1 tablespoon of Simply Organic dried, minced onion (found in spice aisle)

¼ teaspoon of Simply Organic garlic salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Let sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour for flavors to meld.  

You can grab whatever is in your pantry or vegetable drawer to create a beautiful platter and tasty snack.  We used organic carrots,  organic cucumbers, organic asparagus (blanched), organic easter egg radishes, organic celery, organic kale roll-ups, and our favorite roasted organic sweet and yellow potatoes (recipe coming soon).  

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Dee-Corum: Coming Soon

Welcome to Dee-Corum, your guide to “maneuvering with manners”.  We’ll offer this every-so-often column, written by Denise McGowan Tracy, providing simple guidelines to handling every day and occasional social minefields of our ever changing world.   We will not be discussing use of a fish fork or curtsying before heads-of-state.  This will be useful, necessary and accessible information on protocol, manners and, yes, decorum. 

So.  Why this?  Why now?  Why here?  It’s simple – in the ‘olden days’ it was simply enough to tell someone to behave.  Times have changed.  The rules have changed. And too many people don’t – or won’t – behave.  This lack of civility has a ripple effect on the people and the world around us.

So, watch this space for tips to avoid being the person who receives the eye roll from others for your annoying, intrusive or boorish behavior.

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

As soon as temperatures drop the first fall treat we crave are Pumpkin Apple Muffins.  More robust than an average muffin, with all the flavors of fall.  Clean and guilt-free recipe below, with vegan substitutions.

Recipe: Makes 12 Muffins

1 Cup organic all purpose wheat flour

½ Cup whole wheat flour

1 Teaspoon baking soda

1 Teaspoon baking powder

1 ½ Teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 Cup canned organic pumpkin puree

½ Cup raw cane sugar

½ Packed brown sugar

1 Egg

1 Stick organic cultured butter (melted)

1 Apple (peeled and chopped)

Optional: Pumpkin butter - We love Muirhead Pecan Butter Butter from Williams Sonoma.

Vegan substitution

In place of butter - ¼ cup of plant based oil

In place of egg - 1 flax egg (how to)

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line muffin pan with liners.  In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice; set aside. 

In the bowl from electric mixer combine pumpkin puree and both sugars, mix on medium speed until combined, about 2 to 3 minutes.  Add egg and melted butter until blended.  Then, add the flour mixture slowly with the mixer on low.  

Remove bowl from the mixer and fold in chopped apples with a spatula.  Pour batter into muffin pan.  Optional: add pumpkin butter to the top of the muffin batter (shown in photo above).

Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes, rotate pan half way through.  Test by inserting a toothpick into the center, when it comes out clean, they are finished.  Transfer to cooling rack and remove muffins from pan.  

Muffins taste best cooled or even the next day when the favors have set!

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Simple Sunday Brunch

This meal is the perfect breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner.  All you need is three simple ingredients and you can spice it up any way you'd like.  Like Oprah, we love our bread, we eat wholewheat sourdough baked locally; because of the fermentation of the wheat, this bread is super easy for your body to digest and it tastes great!

Recipe:

1 Egg per person

1 Avocado per person

1 Slice of Bread (We use whole-wheat sourdough from Le Pain Quotidian) per person

Lemon Wedge

For an egg that is fully cooked but still soft, put the eggs in cold water and bring to a boil, once it boils turn the stove off, cover and let sit for seven minutes.  Use ¾ of the avocado to create an avocado mash, add a squeeze of lemon, and use the remaining to slice on top.  Brush the top of the bread with a teaspoon of olive oil and put under the broiler to toast.  Then, set bread on a plate, layer on the avocado mash then slices, gently peel and slice egg in half and place on top.  We love topping with red chili peppers, basil leaves, chia seeds, black pepper, or a pinch of salt.  

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