We are back with our fall line-up of ideas to inspire your pumpkin spice sober journey this fall. You can put them all in one big pumpkin patch bash or drip out the theme over the season and into your Thanksgiving table.
Before we jump in, let me add my immunity-boosting reassurance that both pumpkin and pumpkin spice pack a lot of healthy punch when you are using actual spice (not a syrup from you know where) and pumpkin puree:
Homemade Pumpkin Spice Recipe:
- 3 Tbsp. ground cinnamon – elevate with Ceylon cinnamon
- 2 tsp. ground ginger
- 2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1 tsp. ground allspice
- ½ tsp. ground cloves
Benefits of these natural spices include:
- High in Antioxidants
- Reduce Inflammation
- Balance Blood Sugar
- May Help Protect Your Heart
- Enhance Your Digestive System
Benefits of Pumpkin:
- Pumpkin Helps Digestion
- Pumpkin Regulates Blood Pressure
- Consuming the antioxidants in foods like pumpkin, corn, and beans leads to less oxidative stress, a major factor in decreasing cancer risk.
- The phenolic phytochemicals in this superfruit have been shown to control blood sugar levels, lowering the risk of diabetes.
- Boosting fiber consumption can also help maintain blood sugar levels, which can aid in weight loss and help manage diabetes.
- Pumpkin Improves Immunity
- Peptides in pumpkin seeds may also have antimicrobial effects.
- Beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A in the body—and is found in spades in pumpkin. That boosts the “natural killer” cells that fight diseases, including ear, bladder, and kidney infections.
- Pumpkin Improves Eye Health
- Pumpkin Boosts Muscle Function
- Pumpkin seeds are a substantial source of muscle-building amino acids and muscle-relaxing magnesium.
Your Pumpkin Spice Fall Activation Bar
The Setting
Imagine a crisp evening under the stars, around a fire pit, or a beautiful inside table. The flavors are spicy, warm, inviting, and rich with immunity-boosting properties and colors. Fully embracing the season’s harvest and letting go of anything that no longer serves as we energetically hunker down for the soon-to-be winter months. Spicy, crackle, and fire pops as you enjoy NA bevies with friends and family this fall.
List:
- Giant and/or mini Pumpkins
- Assorted Squash
- Soy Candles
- Fall Twigs and Leaves from the Yard
- Cinnamon sticks
- Apples
- Canned pumpkin puree *not pie filling
- Plus+ take a peek at the shopping list and the Pinterest board to see what you wish to feature at your event.
Set-Up:
- Table or picnic table outside
- Fall color cushions and blankets
- Spiced Hot Apple Cider
- Pumpkin Spiced Lattes
- Pumpkin Soup
- Optional spice cake, fall cupcakes, or pumpkin spice muffins.
Pumpkin Spice Playlist:
Pumpkin Spice Pinterest Board
Sober Curator Wellness tip: add Ashwagandha into your hot beverages this fall to help calm your nerves.
Pumpkin Recipes Drop
Over the years, I have shared a lot of seasonal recipes with pumpkins, so I thought I would share them here in one place:
Vegan Raw *Gluten-free Healthy + Delicious Pumpkin Pie
- Crust
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/2 cup dates
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- teaspoon of cinnamon
- orange zest and/or a few drops of orange essential oil
- One tablespoon of coconut oil
- Combine all the ingredients in the food processor until well combined. Transfer the mixture to a circular pie mold and firmly and uniformly press down to form a nice crust. Refrigerate it while you prepare the pie filling.
- Pie
- 1 cup cashews, pre-soaked for 4 hours
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 tbsp of each: vanilla, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice
- Four pitted dates
- 2-4 tablespoons coconut milk
- Combine all the ingredients in the food processor until a homogeneous paste is formed. Start with 2 tablespoons of milk and add more if necessary to achieve the desired smooth texture.
- Pour the mixture on the crust and put it in the freezer for 20 minutes or in the refrigerator for 2 hours to allow it to set. Serve chilled out of the fridge.
- Enjoy a cup of coffee with friends.
Cinnamon Stewed P U M P K I N muffins ????!!
Do you have leftover pumpkins around the house that you didn’t carve? Chop them up and remove the seeds. Cook on low with a bit of water for several hours with a few cinnamon sticks or tbsp of cinnamon, stirring occasionally. Set aside and cool.
Or buy canned puree and add extra cinnamon.
To make the muffins:
- 3 cups stewed pumpkin, or you can use canned
- 2 1/2 cups gluten-free pancake mix, or you can use regular flour
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup date/coconut/brown sugar
- 1 organic egg
Combine all ingredients in the food processor and pour into a greased muffin tin. Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes or until done. These are super moist and delicious. Enjoy them as is, or the next day, cut them in half, toast them, and spread them with peanut butter, almond spread, or a bit of jam.
Pumpkin Spice Banana Smoothies
- Frozen banana ????, almond or oat milk (unsweetened), and tsp of pumpkin spice!
- Optional additional sprinkle of spice on top ????
- almond milk
- 1/2 banana
- 1/4 cup roasted/canned pumpkin
- 2 tsp pumpkin spice or
- 1/8 tsp cloves
- 1/4 grated fresh ginger
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- Tsp cinnamon
- Tbsp flaxseed
ROASTED Pumpkin Tahini Soup
Scoop out the flesh + use the pieces you cut out to make this delicious soup.
- 3 cups pumpkin cubed
- 1 clove of garlic
- Chopped white onion to taste
- Tbsp curry
- Tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 1 1/2 cups of water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt + Pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Use 1 tbsp of oil to coat the pumpkin before roasting it in the oven @350F for 35-45 min or until done.
- Sauté the garlic, onion, and curry in olive oil, and then add the pumpkin, salt, + pepper to taste.
- Purée in the blender with the water & cinnamon until smooth.
- Makes four servings.
P U M P K I N Chocolate Chunk Cookies ????!!
Just the perfect cake texture cookie, low sugar with that delicious fall pumpkin spice flavor. Great for school lunches ????????
- 1/3 cup of butter or ghee
- 1 tbsp coconut oil + one to grease the cookie sheet
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 organic egg
- 1 1/3 cup @bobmills all-purpose gluten-free flour
- 3 tbsp brown/coconut/date sugar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 chocolate chunks or chips, 70% cacao or higher
Mix wet ingredients first, then add dry. Scoop with a 1/2 tsp spoon onto a greased cookie sheet. Gently flatten a bit with your fingers. Bake @350F for 12 min. Makes two dozen.
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#ADDTOCART: We love a good throwback! Check out our Sober October Gift Guide from 2023. Buy something for you and your sober boo!
