Tag: Pumpkin

• Hunter Farms, Union Washington

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on October 31, 2016

  HAPPY HALLOWEEN! I love October. October is my favorite month of the year, and Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I can’t say why I love Halloween so much, I don’t even dress up (boring alert, boring alert!) but there is something about this time of year that gets my waterwheels turning!

  

  

  October is not complete without a trip to a pumpkin patch/apple orchard/corn maze or if you’re lucky a farm with everything wrapped into one. Better yet, the farm NEEDS to have multiple activities wrapped into one. Before the month came to an end I made sure to venture to Hunter Farms in Union Washington to partake in their festivities.

  

  I should have known when I drove into the mud laden parking lot that my choice of footwear was not going to be appropriate for the days adventure, but I’d have gone barefoot through those corn fields if I had to. The mud was thick and slogged, and my only words of wisdom would be: don’t wear sandals to a farm. 

  

  Let the adventure begin

  Hay Maze

  The adventure starts inside an old barn filled with holiday decor. Giant hay bails stacked upon each other make up a maze that has you winding corners and ducking under tunnels. The decorations were perfect, and the creativity was delightful.

  

  

  

  Enter if you dare is right, those tunnels were dark, and quiet. Like close your eyes and stand in the woods quiet. I bow to those small children that venture into those dark corners without a care in the world. It’s tough being an adult and having complete access to the news, or watching too many horror films.

  I’ve officially discovered a new area to add to my list of “places I don’t want to be alone at night.” 

  

  Tractor Rides

  A large farm machine known as a tractor waits outside the hay barn to take us princesses to the field in style. Heaven forbid we walk in the mud with unprepared feet.

  

  

  Going to a farm on a weekday ensures automatic VIP status, and it was just my family and I in the tractor. The bumpy road took us past old rusted trucks into miles upon miles of pumpkin littered rows. It was a fall lovers paradise.

  I seem to have done something right this month, because my karma stick has been slapping me with amazing weather. The sun was shining and only a handful of passing grey clouds washed over the sky.

  

  

  Pumpkin Patch

  I liked this pumpkin patch. Like a lot. It was nestled in the heart of quiet country and the surrounding mountains made for a serene environment. Not like hay bail tunnel quiet, but very quiet. The pumpkin patch even came equipped with a furry tour guide.

  

  

  

  Outtake – I call this pumpkin bongos.

  

  I could have stood in that field for hours. The wind was the only sound I could distinguish passing by my ears, and the quiet air gave opportunity to pause for a moment with my thoughts. No pumpkins were purchased, but walking the rows of round plump squash gave me my field fix.

  Corn Maze

  The only “negative” words I have for this farm would be regarding their corn maze. The paths were just too muddy, and many of the stalks had been trampled on. My sister referred to the brown sludge as chocolate ice cream, but I had a different brown mush in mind.

  

  I had to laugh when my sister trudged through the center of the path and completely lost her shoe. We decided to skip the rest of the maze for fear of being sucked into the brown abyss.

  

  Her shoes, but how cool are those pants?

  Other Honorable Mentions

  

  Multiple Radio Flyer wagons on steroids. Or for a giant.

  

  A giant hitchhiking Santa, because Christmas is just around the corner.

  

  10+ types of animals. These two were my favorite. Be still my heart.

  So there you have it. This farm gets a gold star. Just don’t go in the corn maze without your shucking boots.

  Q: Did you make it to a pumpkin patch before the month was up? What are your plans for Halloween?

  

  | 48 Comments Tagged Corn Maze, Fall, Halloween, Hay Maze, Pumpkin, Washington

• Squashed

  Posted at 3:46 AM by Brittany, on October 21, 2014

  A few weeks ago I purchased “all the squash.” I wanted to do something fun with each of them, and I think I accomplished just that. Below are the random creations I came up with for five different types of squash. I don’t have recipe measurements because I usually just throw things together, but this will give you an idea of different flavor combinations to experiment with!You’ll see I used the outer “shell” of each squash as my bowl. Eating directly out of the squash shell is almost more fun than tormenting small children. Almost.

  Spaghetti Squash

  Named for its string like consistency, this squash is a fun substitute for noodles.

  

  In the mix: olive oil, nutritional yeast, pepper, jalapenos, broccoli and cauliflower.

  

  Butternut Squash

  The squash with a funny name and an equally funny shape. Borderline inappropriate for both…

  

  In the mix: Sauteed kale, cubed/roasted butternut squash, cranberries, cashews, olive oil, salt, pepper, and (un-pictured) quinoa.

  Leftover butternut squash was consumed for dessert with almond butter.

  Kabocha Squash

  The squash I want to wear as a hat.

  

  In the mix: Quinoa and gluten free penne pasta with tomatoes and brussels sprouts, topped with a vegan “cheese” sauce.

  For the sauce

  • 1/2 cup almond milk
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tblsp gluten free flour
  • 1/2 tsp yellow mustard
  • 1 clove (chopped) garlic
  • pinch of salt

  Combine all ingredients into a sauce pan and heat on low for about 4 minutes. Stir often until sauce becomes thick. I paired this with 1/2 cup (precooked) quinoa, and 1 cup (precooked) penne.

  Acorn Squash

  A squash that resembles an acorn. Ever seen a squirrel try to eat one of these?

  

  In the mix: Cinnamon topped honeycrisp apples baked right into the center of the squash. Drizzled with a dash of raw honey to bring out the sweetness of the apples.

  Pumpkin

  October would not be complete without pumpkin, the quintessential fall squash. Pie pumpkins are perfect for making a meal or a treat. Naturally I chose treat.

  

  In the mix: Pumpkin Joe’s O’s, cashew butter, cinnamon, and vanilla coconut ice cream.

  Perfect ending to the squashed adventures.

  Q: What’s your favorite squash recipe? INSPIRE ME, leave a link in the comments!

  

  | 49 Comments Tagged Fall, Pumpkin, Recipe, Squash, Vegan

• Not My “Standard” Deviation

  Posted at 3:43 AM by Brittany, on October 9, 2014

  My typical daily eats look a little something like this: nut buttes, fruits, veggies, nut butter, cayenne pepper, tempeh, beans, nut butter, cinnamon, and nut butter. Basically I eat the same foods day in and day out, and the only deviations I usually make are for treats. I like to think the wicked healthy diet I eat balances out the treats I allow myself once in a while.

  Sometimes my deviations take me away from my standard treats of just cupcakes and cookies. Sometimes I enjoy being wild. I’m not talking “see you on the 5 o’clock news” wild, I’m talking straying from my clean eats for season themed treats wild. When it’s fall and pumpkins are everywhere, I trip into the genius marketing traps faster than a mating rabbit.

  Let’s take a look at last weeks “pre long run” dessert of choice. FOUR pumpkin Joe-Joe’s, at least 2 tblsp cashew butter, and a solid serving of vanilla coconut ice cream. Twice…in two days.

  

  I thought I had it under control with the pumpkin themed treats by keeping it at one simple and happy box of cookies, but then I began to see pictures online of pumpkin this and pumpkin that…so after my 10 miler I went to Trader Joe’s…again.

  With a sweaty face, and a determined spirit this is what I walked out with…

  Breakfast Foods

  

  I use the term “breakfast food” loosely because I don’t actually eat these for breakfast. I need something of solid substance and these two just aren’t solid in my book. I used the cereal for multiple desserts, and the bagels for a snack. The cereal was good, but the bagels knocked my pants off. I’m talking clear across the room off. Topped w/cashew butter and cinnamon.

  If you take anything away from this post let it be this: get these bagels in your life right now. Don’t even look at the ingredient label, just put them in your cart.

  Snack Foods

  

  Fortunately for me, most of the snack items had dairy in them which made them easy to stay away from. These pita crisps however, did not. I basically had to wrestle my own arm to keep it out of the bag. This is not a safe scenario while driving. These.Are.Un.Real. Get them. Now.

  Dessert Foods

  Also known as, the most important meal of the day. As you already know I snagged a box of the pumpkin Joe-Joe’s, which took me all of two days to consume. I did have a little help. Those Joe-Joe’s were festive and fun, but Halloween would not be complete without at least one box of Halloween Joe-Joe’s, the one cookie I immediately turn into a 12 yr old child after purchasing.

  Plus, I can’t deviate toooo much from my standard treat “norm.”

  

  Fun Fact: This photo of Joe-Joe’s is from this post, where I first shared my love for pumpkin faced cookies as I finished my last week working at Trader Joe’s in 2012! I still miss that job…

  How about a recipe?!

  

  Pumpkin Pie Cereal Cluster

  • 2 cups Trader Joe’s “Joe-O’s”
  • 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
  • 1/4 cup raw honey
  • 1/4 cup cashew butter
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 tblsp cinnamon

  1. Mix together cereal, pumpkin seeds, and cinnamon.
  2. Heat on low to combine honey, cashew butter, and pumpkin puree. Once smooth pour over cereal.
  3. Set in fridge for 10 minutes. Serves three-four.

  These were meant to be cereal bars, but didn’t hold together as well as I had hoped. The flavor was TOO GOOD not to share though, so make do with a cluster.

  There you have it, my version of “PUMPKIN EVERYTHING.” I’d also like to note I did purchase substantial food items too like all this squash, pounds of honeycrisp apples, enough vegetables to power a mini van, and enough beans to (gas) power a tiny home, but these are wayyy more fun.

  Q: Have you fallen prey to the pumpkin themed treats?? 

  

  | 48 Comments Tagged Garmin, Pumpkin, Recipe, Run, Trader Joes, Vegan

• Footsteps Through the Corn

  Posted at 10:47 AM by Brittany, on October 25, 2013

  Thank you everyone for your input on my last post! If you’re at all interested in self hosting your blog, check out some of the comments! I know self hosting is my next step so stay tuned because I’m not sure exactly when it will happen! Now, onto today….

  I went to a corn maze. It’s not officially fall until you visit the corn maze/pumpkin patch. Sadly, no ninja moves were allowed so I kept my nunchuks in my pocket.

  Throughout the maze there were pumpkins with random paintings on them. My favorite was a self portrait of my child, equipped with a device for eating cereal, or ice cream.

  The objective of the maze was to solve a riddle. Random letters were sprinkled all over the maze and we were to write the letters down onto a sheet of paper, and then unscramble.

  

  S is for chicken.

  Any guesses? I couldn’t figure it out and had to resort to Facebook for help. I don’t know how I passed third grade. After finding all the letters, I enjoyed the sun through the corn.

  

  Obligatory corn maze photo.

  The farm also had chickens, goats, sheep, and one lone llama.

  To wrap up my trip, I searched the pumpkin patch for the perfect pumpkin to bake.

  

  

  This one..I want this one.

  When I went to pay for my pumpkin, the man did not know how to use the mobile device required for payment with a card. After asking him to find someone to help me, he asked me if I could wait a while. So I put the pumpkin back and I left. UGH I was so upset. Looks like I’ll just have to visit another pumpkin patch to get my pumpkin to bake!

  Q: Have you been to a pumpkin patch or corn maze this year? Now I want to go apple picking!! I just don’t want to find any larva in my apples….eww..

  

  | 48 Comments Tagged Adventure, Corn Maze, Fall, Pumpkin, Random

• Vegan Pumpkin Pie

  Posted at 12:44 PM by Brittany, on November 25, 2012

  A few of you (5 to be exact) asked for the pumpkin pie recipe I made a few days ago! I sadly have no idea where this recipe came from, and since I made some alterations of my own I think it’s safe to post it!

  Vegan Pumpkin Pie

  Ingredients:

  For the crust

  • 1.5 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 4-8 tablespoons almond milk (vanilla)

  For the filling

  • 1 (15oz) can of pumpkin (I ended up adding more as the taste testing went on before baking, not much maybe another half of a cup)
  • 15 oz firm silken tofu
  • 3/4 cup raw sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon (and then some!)
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves

  Directions:

  For the crust

  Preheat oven to 400F and get your pie plate out. In a large bowl sift mix together the flour and salt. Add in the oil slowly bit by bit stirring with a fork until it’s all added in. The flour should resemble coarse sand. Sprinkle in the almond milk 2 tblsp at a time and mix with your hands until you form a solid dough. Be sure not to over work the dough. Form the dough into a ball and set on a piece of wax paper. Place another sheet of wax paper ontop and toll out the dough until it’s in a wide enough circle to fit your pie plate.

  The directions then say to poke all over the dough with a fork, and bake for 12-15 min before adding the filling. I did not do this step. I actually didn’t see this part until right now as I type this..oops. The pie turned out fine, but you may choose to include this step.

  For the filling

  Empty silken tofu into your blender of food processor, I used my blender. Blend until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until everything is combined well. Pour the filling into the pie pan lined with your crust and bake at 375F for one hour, or until a toothpick comes out smooth.

  I did have a piece right as it came out of the oven, and found that this texture holds up better when it’s cooled overnight or for a few hours. Once left in the fridge for the night, it solidified enough to be an exact replica of non vegan pumpkin pies. The tofu blends in well to the myriad of other flavors and adds some great protein to accompany the fiber from the pumpkin. Who said eating pie was bad!?

  

  Q: Have you ever made a dessert using tofu? Would you?

  

  | 45 Comments Tagged Dessert, Pumpkin, Recipe, Vegan

• Sweat and Satisfaction

  Posted at 1:51 PM by Brittany, on November 23, 2012

  Thanksgiving has come and gone in what feels like the blink of an eye. I was woken yesterday by a text message at 6 am (sad to realize I used to think 6 am was sleeping in!) In that message was a photo of my younger siblings dressed in workout gear, equipped with a running bib. I immediately felt bummed I was not partaking in a Turkey Trot of some sort. I let it go, and fell back asleep for a while.

  When I woke later on, I discovered my wonderful mother in the kitchen about to prepare some vegan rolls for her crazy vegan daughter. We were low on flour thanks to my adventure the night before making pumpkin pie, and this meant it was my turn to go get flour.  That’s when I was given the genius idea to run to the store to get the flour. It’s a little over 4miles round trip, so it was nothing I couldn’t handle.

  While running to the store I had another genius idea: Use the store bag to make my own running bib. I told this idea to the lady who rang me up for my flour and she looked at me like I was insane. Perhaps I was, I ended up having to run the two miles home with a 5lb bag of flour under my arm. I channeled my inner quarter back and alternated between arms. SO long story short I got a run in, and I played some traditional turkey day football.

  Uh yeah, so that looks more like a mug shot than a proud running photo. I’ll just stash that on in the “do not open” folder. 4 miles done with a 9:44 pace, yay. Moral of the story: If you miss out on a race, make your own! Moving on..

  Dinner couldn’t come fast enough. In case you’re curious what a vegan eats on T-day here’s my plate. It’s very similar to last years vegetarian T-day. The only difference this year was dessert. Pumpkin pie isn’t vegan friendly, so I ended up making my own.

  

  

  THE best part of the meal. Potatoes and cranberries ON the bread.

  My plate looks a little lacking in the protein department, but fear not my pie was full of protein. I’d be lying if I said I waited until after dinner to eat my pie. In fact I had a slice the night before, and that morning to fuel my run.

  The secret ingredient in this delicious masterpiece? Tofu. 

  
  There is nothing more satisfying than a skeptical outsider eating a vegan dessert and swooning more than you did.

  This pie definitely stole the show, and my heart. An entire 15 oz of tofu in this beast and you’d have no idea unless I told you. Spices are an amazing thing.

  

  Best part of the pie, the last few bites with extra crust.

  This was my first time making a pie completely from scratch (including the crust!) and it turned out amazingly. I may just have to find another excuse for pumpkin pie when this one is gone!

  So that was my day. I had satisfaction from running, and creating new foods, and I got sweaty while eating. Or maybe it was the other way around. Or maybe a combination of everything! To end this post right, I must share what I am thankful for. I am thankful for my family, my friends, my health, my body, my mind, and my motivation to create new foods and try new adventures! Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some Candy Cane Joe Joe’s calling my name..time to prepare for Christmas! 😉

  Q: What was the highlight of your Thanksgiving? If you didn’t celebrate, or you celebrated earlier in the year, what was the highlights of your week!?

  

  | 52 Comments Tagged Pie, Pumpkin, Race, Running, Thanksgiving, Vegan

• The Final Harvest

  Posted at 7:52 AM by Brittany, on October 1, 2012

  I harvested the beets from my wine box garden. These were the last to be harvested.

  

  Baby beets. This was what my parents called me when I was a small drooling child. Beeters, beets, and on taco night–beaners. I have no idea where I get my odd quirks from. My favorite harvested beet was the largest of the bunch.

  They may be small, but I am still proud of these bite sized beets. I must admit, pulling these final veggies out of the final wine box was a bit sad. With the final harvest comes the complete reflection of the garden. It was a complete success, and I couldn’t have asked for a better first time. One last reflection…

  1. Swiss chard came first. This was eaten for months until finally the deep green faded from the leaves, and the stalks grew tall and frail.
  2. The onions were the next to be harvested, however the first harvest was simply to “thin” out the wine box to make room for some of the onions to grow larger. These were harvested over the course of a few months, and finally at the final harvest I had three giant onions that lasted for days!
  3. Next up were my carrots. These took their time to grow and were harvested twice. Once to thin them out, and one final harvest to finish off the box. I may have bragged about that carrot the size of my hand.
  4. Lastly, are the beets seen here in this post. Smaller than I hoped for, but bigger than the seeds they started as.

  I can’t wait to start another mini garden. Right now I am trying to grow jalapenos. I actually planted these a few months ago, and they are moving pretty slow. Stay tuned for the progress on this.

  Random pumpkin photo in 3..2..1..

  It reminds me of Cinderella, or Jack and the Beanstalk, or a pumpkin with a funky stem. I love it. YAY FALL!

  Q(s):

  • Did you garden this year?
  • Favorite inspirational quote of the week?
  • Any funky pumpkin sightings?

  

  | 25 Comments Tagged Fall, Gardening, Pinterest, Pumpkin, Wine Box Garden

• Pumpkin Lentil Soup

  Posted at 6:09 PM by Brittany, on September 24, 2012

  The first pumpkin of the season has been consumed by my face.

  

  TJ’s pie pumpkin, whopping price of $1.99. This happens to be the same price as the canned pumpkin. Why buy a can when you can use the real thing? This pumpkin was sliced, diced, chopped, emptied, and eaten like it was my job. I was able to get three uses from this bad boy.

  Coconut oil and sea salt pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds happen to contain a variety of minerals, vitamins, protein, fiber, and are low in carbohydrates. Ideal snack for my vegan diet.

  Half the pumpkin was saved for the next mornings breakfast, pumpkin pancakes.

  

  Early morning shadows

  I have missed my pumpkin pancakes. I do prefer canned pumpkin for pancakes because it’s much creamier than fresh pumpkin. My favorite part of this pumpkin was the deliciously spicy soup it was initially purchased for.

  Pumpkin Lentil Soup

  • 1 small red onion
  • 1 small cayenne pepper (or if you don’t like spice, a mild pepper works too)
  • 1tsp cumin
  • 1/2 pie pumpkin
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup red split lentils (I used the ones from TJ’s)

  –The first thing I did was cut the raw pumpkin in half (actually Manfriend did, I’m a wimp) and bake the halves at 350 until the pumpkin was pliable. When the pumpkin was done I set it to the side and started getting the other ingredients ready.

  –Dice up the onion and pepper into a pan to saute. Add the cumin and cook until the onions turn translucent. Once these are done you can then add the vegetable broth, water, pumpkin and lentils (make sure your pan/pot is big enough.) The lentils need a few minutes to cook. Once the lentils are done to your liking, pour the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth.

  This is the perfect fall soup. I knew I had to start the first day of fall the right way with pumpkin, pumpkin, and more pumpkin. I even tried my first pumpkin spice latte (soy) from Starbs! I hope to find plenty more fall inspired recipes over the next few months!

  Q: Favorite ingredient that reminds you of fall? Pumpkin…and cinnamon. 

  

  | 32 Comments Tagged Fall, Pumpkin, Recipe, TJ's

• Brace Yourselves

  Posted at 12:33 PM by Brittany, on September 20, 2012

  I AM SO FREAKIN EXCITED!! Need I say more!? It’s happening folks, pumpkin is coming. I don’t think I have ever used the word folks before. Something about using it makes me feel like a mature English teacher. I am rambling..

  I purchased my FIRST pumpkin the other day. I literally squealed when I saw it, I probably would have peed had I not just emptied my badder..too far?

  BABY pumpkin!!! I had to pose with it, and with other pumpkin decorations. My favorite decoration is my Mickey Mouse pumpkin head from Dland.

  I specifically bought this pumpkin to sit on my windowsill so I can stare at it all day. Soon I will buy a pie sized pumpkin to eat, and a large pumpkin to carve.

  I am so jazzed. Along with pumpkin comes..OTHER SQUASH!

  I am going to turn into a squash this year, you just wait and see. I want to find a vegan spag squash meal similar to this one. 

  Monday I did something I haven’t done in a while. I worked 4am-11:30, came home to change, got on a ferry boat, and went to Seattle to celebrate my best friends birthday.

  I even had a drink, WHOAAaaA there.

  My partying days have long been expired, so it was fun to put my party pants on and spend time with my homies. Needless to say on the 9:00 ferry ride home I passed out. It was a long day. That’s about all the wildness I can handle for now.

  Oh and lastly, I caved..and I made a Pinterest account. I made a side bar link right under my bio, or just click here. You should follow me..if you want.

  Q: WHO’S EXCITED FOR PUMPKIN!? Have I mentioned that I am excited?

  

  | 32 Comments Tagged Birthday, Halloween, Pinterest, Pumpkin, Squash, TJ's, Trader Joes

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• BRITTANY- Self proclaimed minimalist "granola" striving to maintain a balanced, healthy life with good food, long hikes, strong relationships, exploration, lots of broccoli, and laughing like it's my J.O.B. Currently living and working in Germany, join me on my adventures abroad!
• Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com

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