Fall = PUMPKIN!!!

(I totally wish that was my street… but alas, google images comes to the rescue since I keep forgetting to bring my camera with me when I go out)

But ohhh how I love fall!! The cool crisp air, the beautiful colors of the trees, the crunching sound of leaves beneath your feet and the amazing smells of all of that combined and……. of course the A-MA-ZING smells of squash and pies!!!

 

   There is nothing better then curling up on the couch with your fuzzy slippers (or knit moccasin booties like I wear) with the blanket wrapped around you and nice warm cup of tea, hot chocolate or apple cider and warm slice of apple pie… or wait no… pumpkin bread… or wait… no maybe pumpkin cookies?? pumpkin muffins?? AHHH!!!! so many amazing things I can’t decide!!!

   But before I delve into all that, as I still have the rest of october to decide on what I want to make, I’ll start myself off with a nice power pumpkin smoothie!! Now mind you I don’t have the best camera, I’m workin on a cheap budget these days so the photos plus my awful apartment lighting dont do these yummy concoctions any justice! 

   Oh how I love pumpkin, not to mention all of the amazing benefits that pumpkin brings with it!

It’s high in the following:

  – Fiber

 – Vitamin C & E

 – Potassium (for those runners out there HOLLAH!!)

– Magnesium

 – Zinc

   So the other day I had gotten a couple cans of pureed pumpkin, merely because I wanted to make something with pumpkin but didnt quite have it in me to disect a whole pumpkin, bake it etc..  Anyway, so I’m standing my closet sized kitchen (I’m not kidding, literally only one person can fit in there at a time, which makes dinner time when both my roommate and I are home a bit of a circus. )   Anywho, so I wanted to get re-energized to go for a run in the brisk fall air and I decided why not make a scrumptious pumpkin smoothie!! I had just recently seen Angela’s Pumpkin Pie Monster over on Oh She Glows (LOVE HER!!) and I decided to tweak it a lil.

  Pumpkin Power Smoothie

1 cup Almond Milk

1/2 cup Canned Pumpkin

1 tsp Blackstrap Molasses

1 scoop Amazing Grass Vanilla Chai

1 frozen Banana

  *Blend ingredients together until a nice smoothie like texture appears

 mmmmm so yummy!   It’s sweet and delicious and completely good for you as it’s packed with amazing nutrients.  Did you know that molasses (my new best friend) has amazing health benefits?! I had no idea until quite recently.  

Health benefits of Blackstrap Molasses

 – Iron for increasing energy

– Excellent source of calcium

– It has copper, manganese, potassium and magnesium

  For more awesome info on all the benefits check out this site

  There are so many exciting recipe ideas I have brewing in my head that I want to experiment with… perhaps this weekend! The green festival is coming up on saturday so maybe I’ll draw inspiration from there too! maybe even get a few job offers! (crossing fingers and toes!!!!!!!!)

   Thats all for today!