8 Great Pumpkin Recipes & Linky Party

Aren't you just in love with the cornocopia of beautifully colored fruits and veggies of the harvest season?  I've made a point to purchase as much of it as I could and challenge myself to make new recipes and also invent new recipes that would honor all of this produce.

So far I've made curry chicken with baked sweet potatoes, an artichoke salad, concord grape puree to top my organic blueberry waffles and eggplant parmagiana. A couple weeks ago I stocked up and bought several cans of pumpkin after last year's shortage due to the freeze. I knew that beyond the two pumpkin pies I make every Thanksgiving, I wanted to come up with other creative recipes that weren't just for dessert.

If you've also been on the hunt for some exciting new recipes to celebrate the beautiful, edible pumpkin; I've included 8 great recipes below.

Pumpkin & Black Bean Soup

{via Closet Cooking}

Pumpkin-Shrimp Bruschetta

{via BHG }

Gingersnap Crumble Pumpkin Parfait

{via BHG}

Pumpkin & Mushroom Pasta with Gorgonzola

 {via Closet Cooking}


Pumpkin-Praline Cheesecake

{via BHG}

New World Pumpkin-Turkey Chili

{via BHG}

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

{via Closet Cooking}

Rigatoni with Pumpkin & Bacon

{via Martha Stewart}

While canned pumpkin is super convenient, making your own is actually really simple. Kevin shares how to make pumpkin puree HERE. It can be used in so many recipes and freezes easily too.

What have you been up to in the kitchen lately? I've included a LINKY below so you can share your favorite Autumn recipes!

Warmly,

What Are YOU Doing For Thanksgiving?

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My husband and I just solidified our plans for Thanksgiving. We're heading to my inlaws home where there will be about 12 people. My mother-in-law loves to entertain and cook so it only seemed fitting that she would be hosting yet another holiday gathering. In fact, she hosts almost every year, but really enjoys showing off her skills and she is a natural.

I typically bring a special homemade pie, usually pumpkin, and some other appetizers or treats for everyone. Once we have children or we move into a larger more open concept home, I can almost guarantee that I'll be hosting at some point, but in the meantime I'm enjoying not having a mess in my kitchen and lists full of things to prepare.

I love to decorate and host small dinner parties but my husband and I aren't the kind of couple that enjoy having more than about 8 people (including ourselves) for a dinner or hosting large parties in our home. I guess you could say we are a bit more private when it comes to our homestead and we enjoy more intimate gatherings. 

We have a smaller kitchen that is not very open which can be frustrating because all of the fun and conversation is behind my kitchen wall (in the living room) and after preparing several courses I feel like I've missed out on the whole point, which is to catch up with family and friends. Because of this, I usually try to do most of my prep work beforehand to make dinner gatherings as seamless as possible and my crockpot is one of my favorite tools in the kitchen. The first year we were married our oven broke down right before family arrived for the holidays and I wound up making an entire Christmas dinner for five with my handy crockpot and it turned out great!

With this wonderful holiday being just 2 weeks away, I got to wondering what you all had planned for Thanksgiving day. Do you host a dinner in your home? Are you like me and bring goodies to a family's home or do you alternate year after year taking turns with other family members? What are your favorite dishes to bring or cook?

If you're hosting this year and you want some great Thanksgiving or Fall decorating ideas, click HERE for some beautiful indoor and tablescape ideas and HERE for some gorgeous outdoor decor. If you want to bake something other than the traditional pumpkin pie for dessert, take a peek at this heavenly caramel apple pie recipe that will leave everyone wanting more!