Pumpkin Smoothie and Herbal Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate

So, pumpkin food – we love it all!  Pumpkin bread, strudel, pancakes, with butter at dinner.  And pumpkin pie, of course.  Join us as we talk about drinkable pumpkin: Pumpkin Smoothie and Pumpkin Hot Chocolate.

For more kitchen tips, be sure to check out The Homestead Kitchen section of our book, The Do It Yourself Homestead.  There are a lot of other kitchen DIYs, plus information on a myriad of other homesteading topics.  From tips to goal setting to down-to-earth information, there’s bound to be something that will interest you in its 400 pages and four different levels of homesteading experience!  If you’d like to preview the kitchen chapter, just shoot me an email and I’ll get you set up.  Or, you can learn more about the book below:

Before the Pumpkin Smoothie

There are other pumpkin yummies to consider besides pumpkin smoothies and pumpkin hot chocolate, of course.

My favorite pumpkin soup recipe comes from the Baird House cookbook which is pretty basic except that she includes lime juice, which gives the soup an extra kick.  You can make it with coconut or cashew/almond milk if you’re avoiding dairy and I add a little cayenne to mine.

Macheesmo gave us a recipe for pumpkin melted cheese sandwiches this year which were so unbelievably…so…incredibly…I don’t even have words!   Just try making some and you won’t be sorry.

Drinkable Pumpkin

Today, though, we tried a new recipe for us – pumpkin smoothie!  I found several good recipe ideas but eventually just went and made my own, using the ideas as a guideline.

Pumpkin Smoothie

Ingredients

1. 2 cups milk – dairy, coconut, nut – I used coconut milk.
2. 1 cup pumpkin puree
3. 1/2 cup pineapple with juice
4. 1 tsp each cinnamon and nutmeg
5. 1/4 tsp cloves
6. 1/2 cup apple or pear sauce, optional
7. Handful of ice cubes

I think, aside from the delectable pumpkin, the coconut milk made all the difference; the texture was smooth and creamy.  I could have used just coconut cream and more liquid but I like all the dimensions of coconut milk.

I’m still buying mine canned since I lack the intestinal fortitude to process a raw coconut but raw is always healthier if you’re a better man than I.

Aaaaand here’s another delectable drinkable pumpkin recipe.  (You can even use any leftover pumpkin smoothie you might have in this recipe.)

Herbal Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate

To get a printable, savable and customizable version of this recipe, please click here.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup chamomile tea
• 2 cup canned, full fat coconut milk or fresh coconut milk; or whole, fresh milk
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 2 Tbsp coconut butter, optional
• 4 Tsp fair trade cocoa
• 1 tsp each cinnamon and nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• Raw honey to sweeten to taste
• Dash of sea salt
• Dash of vanilla

 To Make Your Own Vanilla

Vanilla is so easy to make yourself, please don’t ever buy it again.

Follow these links to learn how to make your own vanilla –  The Homesteading Hippy, Better Hens and Gardens, Timber Creek Farm, Ever Growing Farm,   – each one is a bit different with the author’s advice and tips, so I say, read them all!

I use vegetable glycerin instead of vodka to make my vanilla extract because we don’t drink alcohol and because I just don’t like the taste!  Common Sense Home shows you how to make vanilla, lemon AND almond extract.

Make sure you add homemade marshmallows – I promise they’re not as intimidating as they sound.

What is your favorite pumpkin dish – please, please share!