Spiced Pumpkin Smoothie

My little love calls this smoothie "pumpkin pie in a glass."  And it kind of is, minus the crust of course.  I look forward to making this smoothie every Fall when pumpkins are readily available.  It's one of my favorites.

I love the pumpkin and ginger flavors, they go so well together.  I go heavy on the ginger, which makes it pretty spicy.  Adjust the flavors to your liking, not everyone likes ginger as much as me (including my daughter who says "It's too spicy!", so when I make it for both of us, I only use 1 teaspoon ginger). 

Spiced Pumpkin Smoothie

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Creamy, spicy, sweet pumpkin goodness in a glass.  Enjoy it for breakfast, as an afternoon snack or for a yummy dessert.  

Equipment: BPA-Free Ice Cube Tray, Microplane/Rasp Zester/Standing Grater, Blender.

Advance Prep: Pumpkin puree needs to be frozen a day prior to making smoothie.

• 1 1/4 cups frozen pumpkin puree (10 cubes from ice cube tray)
• 1 1/4 cups raw milk* (See Resources) or full-fat coconut milk
• 2-3 teaspoons freshly grated/minced ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (buy ground cinnamon here)
• Pinch ground cloves (buy ground cloves here)
• 2-3 tablespoons raw honey or organic maple syrup grade B
• Handful ice cubes from filtered water (optional)

1.  The day before you want to make the smoothie, freeze pumpkin puree in a BPA-free ice cube tray.  1 cube = about 2 tablespoons.  Check out my post on How to Roast a Pumpkin & Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree. 

Frozen Homemade Pumpkin Puree

2.  Assemble blender.  

3.  Prep ginger - with a spoon, "peel" the ginger by scraping the skin.  With a Microplane or a standing grater, grate/mince the ginger.  

Use a tea spoon to "peel" the ginger.

3.  Add frozen pumpkin cubes to the blender.  Add milk or coconut milk, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, honey or maple syrup and optional handful of ice cubes.  Place lid on blender.  Blend/puree until everything is combined and becomes smooth.  

4.  Pour into glasses and serve immediately.    

Yield: Makes 2-3 servings.  

Note: Adjust the flavorings to your liking.  If you have a old or cheap blender like I do, you might have to use a little extra milk to help it blend.  My blender has a mind of it's own, sometimes I don't have to add any extra milk and sometimes I do.  


*For California residents, check out my favorite raw milk from Claravale Farm.  They sell to stores and co-ops all over CA. 

This post is part of Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Simple Lives Thursday @ GNOWFGLINS, Turning the Table Thursday @ Around My Family Table, Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet, Fresh Bites Friday @ Real Food Whole Health, Freaky Friday @ Real Food Freaks, Living Well Blog Hop @ Common Sense Homesteading, Real Food 101 @ Ruth's Real Food, Fight Back Friday @ Food Renegade, Monday Mania @ The Healthy Home Economist, Melt in You Mouth Monday @ Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday @ Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, and Wellness Weekend @ Diet, Dessert and Dogs.

Snowman Cake

I live in the Sunshine State, where it never snows.

We don't get to have snowball fights or make snowmen on the front lawn around here.

I suppose we could go to the beach and make a snowman out of sand,

but that wouldn't be quite the same, would it?

However, I'm not completely ignorant about snow.

I have spent 7 winters living in Idaho and Utah - LOTS of snow there.

It is so beautiful, seeing the world covered with a blanket of white.

But given the choice, I would still rather live in Florida...
and make snowmen out of white chocolate.

 

Want to make a snowman cake?

First, melt some white chocolate chips or candy melts and put them in a piping bag.

You can add some red food coloring to make scarves & earmuffs, and melt some semi-sweet chocolate chips for the hats. These snowmen would be quite easy to make freehand, but I always prefer to have some kind of guide. So I printed out this cute guy in a couple sizes for my template.

When your snowmen have set up, flip them over.

 Chocolate covered sunflower seeds make great snowman noses! (I bought these on clearance after Valentine's Day, just knowing I would use them for something.) I picked out the ones that were small and round.

 Attach the noses with a dab of melted chocolate. Pipe on some eyes, mouths and buttons. I made each of my snowpeople a little different to give them some personality. :0)

See the cute little guy on the right? My daughter thought his earmuffs were headphones. He does look like he is enjoying some good tunes, doesn't he?

Next, make a fluffy buttercream snowdrift (Wilton tip #12) for your snowmen to stand in and arrange them around your cake. They would also make cute cupcake toppers. Enjoy!

I linked up here:
Once Upon A Weekend
Weekend Wrap Up Party
Delicately Constructed Friday
Sundae Scoop Link Party
Nifty Thrifty Sunday
Craft-O-Maniac
Create and Inspire Link Party
Tuesday To Do Party
Craft and Tell
The 36th Avenue
Strut Your Stuff Link Party
30 Days Pity Party
I'm Lovin' It
Petals to Picots - Best of 2011
LilaLoa - Snowman Celebration 

This post was featured:

Creamy Herb Chicken Salad w/ Pomegranate

I LOVE this chicken salad!  I know, there are so many chicken salad recipes out in recipe land, but this one truly is a favorite of mine.  

The pomegranate arils add such a beautiful color to the salad.  When you bite into them, the juice pops in your mouth and adds such a wonderful sweet flavor.  The creaminess comes from my absolute favorite salad dressing, which is made from ground sprouted sunflower seeds.  The combination of the herbs, the sweet pomegranate arils, the crunch from the celery and the creaminess of the dressing is absolutely divine!  

Enjoy!

Creamy Herb Chicken Salad w/ Pomegranate

Make up a batch of this to have ready for the next day.  It's perfect to serve to guests and makes great appetizers in lettuce cups for parties too!

Equipment: Food Processor, Large Mixing Bowl, Cutting Board, Sharp Knife, Medium Mixing Bowl, Small Fine Mesh Strainer

• 1 3/4 cup Creamy Herb Dressing (recipe x 3)
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup pomegranate arils (juice sacs w/ seeds) + filtered water
• 3-4 celery stalks with leaves, thinly sliced
• Shredded meat from 1 whole pasture roasted chicken*
• 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, stems removed

1. Prepare Creamy Herb Dressing, set aside.  [Note: This dressing can be made up in advance and stored in the refrigerator.]

2. Prep and wash the pomegranate.  Cut pomegranate into quarters with a sharp knife.  Place pomegranate sections in a bowl of filtered water, then gently roll out the arils with your fingers.  Remove white pith and any other parts of the pomegranate.  With a small fine mesh strainer, strain out the water leaving the pomegranate arils behind, set aside.  [Note: The arils are ready to eat now (eat whole arils, seeds and all).  Eat or store (in the refrigerator) whatever arils you don't use in this recipe for later.] 

3. Wash and prep the celery.  Thinly slice celery stalks and place pieces into a large mixing bowl, set aside.  

4. Shred roasted chicken, add shredded meat to large mixing bowl with celery, stir to combine.  

5. Add Creamy Herb Dressing and fresh thyme leaves to the chicken-celery mixture and stir to combine.  

6. Add pomegranate arils to the chicken salad mixture, GENTLY fold in the arils (if you stir too hard, the juice sacs will open and release the juice into the salad, if it happens to some arils, don't worry, it just adds a beautiful pink color to parts of the chicken salad). 

7. Serve cold or store in refrigerator for later.  Make sure to garnish with extra pomegranate arils.  

Yield: Makes about 4-5 cups chicken salad.

Note: This chicken salad is delicious the next day too!  

Storage: Store in the refrigerator, keeps well for 2 days.

Serving Suggestions: Serve on a bed of mixed lettuce greens, place in lettuce cups for small appetizers, serve for lunch or a snack with some raw veggies.  

* If you are a Northern California resident, check out my favorite pastured chicken from Cache Creek Meat Co.  They sell at farmers markets in Sacramento, Davis and Elk Grove as well as select grocery stores. 


This post is part of Monday Mania @ The Healthy Home Economist, The Homestead Barn Hop @ The Prairie Homestead, Melt in Your Mouth Monday @ Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, Weekend Gourmet Blog Carnival @ Hartke Is Online, Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager, Traditional Tuesdays @ Cooking Traditional Foods, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday @ Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free, Gluten-Free Wednesdays @ The Gluten-Free Homemaker, Hearth and Soul Hop @ Premeditated Leftovers, Healthy 2day Wednesdays @ day2dayjoys, Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Lunchbox Love @ Allergy-Free Vintage Cookery, and Made From Scratch Tuesday @ From Mess Hall to Bistro.

Celery Root Mash

Celery Root Mash is unbelievably delicious!  This is my version of "mashed potatoes" and honestly, I would eat this instead of mashed potatoes any day.  It's super yummy, creamy like mashed potatoes and has just the slightest hint of celery.   

Celery Root Mash

This makes a wonderful side dish.  Make sure to make enough, I always want to eat the whole batch. 

Equipment: Medium Saucepan w/ Lid, Food Processor or Hand Mixer

• 4 cups celery root (about 3 medium), peeled, cut into 1" pieces
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups filtered water
• 2-4 tablespoons pasture butter (See Resources)
• 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt or to taste (See Resources)

1. Prep celery root - wash, peel and cut into 1 inch chunks.  

2. Add celery root chunks to the saucepan.  Add water, just enough to barely cover the celery root.  Cover with lid and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until fork tender.  

3. Strain water and place celery root into food processor.  Add pasture butter and sea salt, pulse until celery root becomes a smooth puree, about 1 minute.  

4. Serve hot or refrigerate for later.

Yield: Makes about 2 1/2 cups puree. 

Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.  

Serving Suggestions: Serve with Pasture Roasted Chicken, Pot Roast, Grassfed Lamb Chops, Pan-Sauteed Fish, Sauteed or Roasted Vegetables or top with Homemade Gravy.  Use as a substitution for any meal with mashed potatoes.  

This post is part of Monday Mania @ The Healthy Home Economist, Melt In Your Mouth Monday Blog Hop @ Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, Weekend Gourmet Blog Carnival @ Hartke Is Online, Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager, Homestead Barn Hop @ The Prairie Homestead, Real Food 101 @ Ruth's Real Food, Traditional Tuesdays @ Cooking Traditional Foods, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday @ Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free, Healthy 2day Wednesdays @ day2day joys, Hearth & Soul Hop @ Premeditated Leftovers, Gluten-Free Wednesdays @ The Gluten-Free Homemaker, Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, and Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage.

Carrot Parsnip Soup w/ Parsnip Chips

I have always loved the flavor of parsnips, even as a young child.  I remember a baked chicken dish that my mom would make.  It had julienned parsnips and carrots in it and the parsnips were always my favorite part, funny how some childhood memories stand out.

The flavor combination of carrots and parsnips is wonderful.  The carrots make this soup creamy and sweet and the parsnips add a slightly spicy, rich flavor.  

   

Carrot Parsnip Soup w/ Parsnip Chips

This is one of my favorite soups to serve as a starter course for Thanksgiving dinner.  My favorite way to eat it is topped with a dollop of organic cultured sour cream.

Equipment: Cutting Board, Peeler, Sharp Knife, Large Stockpot w/ Lid, Medium Saucepan/Skillet, Soup Ladle, Blender, Large Bowl

• 10 carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 parsnips, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 6-8 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon organic kelp granules - optional (I use Maine Coast)
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced or grated - optional
• 4-5 cups bone broth or homemade stock
• 1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)

• 1 small parsnip, peeled, sliced very thin
• 1-2 tablespoon pasture butter, ghee or coconut oil (See Resources)

1. Wash and prep carrots and parsnips.  Peel and cut carrots and parsnips into 1/2 inch pieces, reserving 1 small parsnip.  Prep small parsnip by slicing as thin as you can, these will become the parsnip chips.    

The tiny slices are for the Parsnip Chips

2. Add carrots, parsnips, fresh thyme sprigs and garlic to stockpot. 

3. Add broth to stockpot (just enough broth to cover the carrots and parsnips).  Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until carrots and parsnips are fork tender. 

4. While soup cooks, melt fat of choice in medium saucepan/skillet over medium heat.  Add thinly sliced parsnip pieces and cook/"fry" until they turn golden brown on one side, then flip and cook the other side until they are crisp and golden brown.  These can cook very fast, so watch them carefully so they don't burn.  Remove from pan onto a plate and set aside.   

5. Remove stockpot from stovetop.  Remove and discard thyme stems.  Most of the thyme leaves will have fallen off the stems, if some still remain, use your fingers to pull them off and put them back into the soup.  

6. In a blender, add small portions of the soup, filling only halfway full.  Cover with lid and puree until smooth.  Pour into a large bowl.  Repeat until all soup is pureed.  Pour soup back into stockpot.  

7. Serve hot and garnish with Parsnip Chips or refrigerate for later.  

Carrot Parsnip Soup w/ Parsnip Chips, Thyme & Sour Cream

Yield: Makes about 6 cups.

Note: Recipe can easily be doubled.  This soup can also be made a day in advance.


Storage: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for later use.  

Optional Toppings: This soup is delicious topped with organic cultured sour cream and Parsnip Chips.

This post is part of Sunday Night Soup Night! @ Easy Natural Food and Simple Lives Thursday @ GNOWFGLINS.