Autumn Spice Pumpkin Soup

This turned out a bit thicker than I like my soups, but it was still great. However, it had so many yummy spices that I added chicken chunks to it and poured it over rice as more of an Indian dish. I love my Indian food!!!

2 small cans pumpkin

2 T. olive oil

1 c. onion, diced

3 T. minced fresh ginger

24 oz chicken broth

4 T. apple juice concentrate

1 tart apple, diced

4 T. maple syrup

2 bay leaves

1 tsp. ground thyme

1 T. cinnamon

2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. pure vanilla

1/2 tsp ground clove

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 c. cream (I generally just use milk)

Saute onion and ginger in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add remaining ingredients except cream and simmer for about 1 hour. (Remove bay leaves unless you like pokey pieces in your food.) Use either an immersion blender or pour soup into blender and puree with cream. Serve warm over rice with cooked chicken chucks or as a soup. OR eat it as soup one day and use the leftovers with the rice the next day!! 2 for 1 meals!!

Pumpkin Blondies

I love baking in the fall! My absolute favorite spice is nutmeg. I actually named my dog Nutmeg when I was a kid. Poor Nutmeg, she was a bad, bad dog. My brothers wanted a dog so bad and they were determined to take care of her, crazies and all. She would drag them up and down the streets Literally, Cody and Dylan were riding on their tummies as she ran. She never stopped barking, and she clamored every single visitor that came into the backyard to the ground. She got sent to live in Idaho on my Aunt and Uncles' farm. Anyway, I still love nutmeg (the spice). Normally I make a huge batch of pumpkin chocolate chips at the first sign of fall. This year I decided to try something different. Pumpkin Blondies. They will definitely be reappearing next year. They will not, not, not be made again this year however, since I could not keep my hands off of them. So mix it up a little. Make these for a change, they're good. I promise. :)

PUMPKIN BLONDIES

Slightly adapted from Sugarcrafter

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 ¼ tsp cinnamon

¾ tsp nutmeg

¾ tsp cloves

1 ½ sticks of butter

1 ½ cups brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ cups pumpkin

1 cup white chocolate chips

½ cup coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 9″ baking pan. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla, and then mix in the pumpkin.

Gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing until well-combined. Stir in the chips and coconut using a spoon.

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out (mostly) clean.

Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let cool completely before cutting. (Makes flavors more robust)

*photo from sugarcrafter. I didn't get any pics before the missionaries dug in.