Halloween

Happy Post: Pumpkin

Little boy in denim jacket sitting on orange pumpkins

Two of my most *happy* things in that photo. My sweet little guy and giant orange pumpkins! That bright squash is the gateway food into everything that symbolizes my two favorite seasons, fall and winter. Gosh, I can’t believe this photo was taken back in fall 2009. The time is moving quickly…..

It is ridiculous how much I LOVE pumpkin. From here until the weather gets hot again you will see it featured here every way I possibly can. Are you OK with that? I really hope so. From what I gather around the web you guys are obsessed with it too. That is why I am giving you the go ahead to link to your favorite recipes in this Happy Post.

Here are some of our favorite recipes and in the next few months I will be creating many, many more…..

Carved Halloween Pumpkins and Muffins

I love that my daughter is missing her two front teeth in that photo above. Ahhhhh, the memories. This year she has those teeth but is missing the ones on either side…..

First up let’s talk about muffins. Everyone loves muffins right? They are happy food over here and even more so with pumpkin and tiny chocolate sprinkles. My Pumpkin Chocolate Oat Muffins would be a great surprise in the lunch box.

Healthy muffin recipe with pumpkin and chocolate sprinkles

You guys know how addicted I am to my Stuffed French Toast creations? You gotta fire up your skillet to try this Pumpkin Ricotta Stuffed French Toast recipe. You can thank me later.

Homemade french toast for family breakfast or holiday brunch.

Peanut Butter Banana Coffee Cake…..moist, full of flavor, sweet and fabulous. I don’t think I need to go into too much detail here. The name says it all. I also make french toast with this. Remember my Breakfast Cookie French Toast? I do the same with cake.

Coffee cake with peanuts and pumpkin for breakfast and snacks.

You might like these Cranberry Pumpkin Ricotta Cookies too…..great for breakfast, snacks, brunch, any time at all. Keep a side of whipped cream, cream cheese or nut butter handy as a dip.

Homemade, healthy oat cookies on MarlaMeridith.com

Even though this recipe is called Sweet Potato Crisp, I want you to try it with pumpkin purée instead. Don’t think about it. Just do it.

Healthy sweet potato crisp or pumpkin recipes

Here is a savory for you. Don’t snicker at the vintage photography throughout this post (well giggle if you must)

The tilt below is pretty hilarious. Don’t do that in your food photography, OK?! This has actually been one of the most loved recipes around here. Pumpkin Coconut Curry with Chicken Meatballs.

Homemade pumpkin curry recipe

I must draw your attention again to my recent Pumpkin Pie Popsicles. If you want something a little more warming you can try Pumpkin Vanilla Applesauce. The applesauce is awesome on it’s own or used as an ingredient in baked goods.

Homemade Summer Popsicles with pumpkin and goats milk

These Chocolate Pumpkin Pancakes could charm the pants of the most finicky of eaters. The shapes are way easier to make than you might think. You simple mix the two batters and use a squeeze bottle to outline and then fill them in.

Little girl eating pumpkin pancakes on Halloween

Link up your favorite pumpkin recipes that made you *happy* from the past few months or years. Be sure to link back to this post or MarlaMeridith.com  you can also add my Happy Post Badge to each of your submitted post(s), the code for that is on my my badges page. Let’s spread the HAPPY. I will share a re-cap of your favorite links sometime soon.

Graphic for Happy Post on MarlaMeridith.com blog

Contribute as many posts as you like. Pumpkin inspiration beyond the recipes are cool to link up too. Maybe you have a post about travel, a pumpkin patch, got a groovy Halloween theme or maybe fall themed crafts that tie in? Do share….as always I encourage you to think outside the box.

Halloween Jack o lanterns at Disneyland

So let’s hear it…what are your favorite ways to use pumpkin?! Check out my recipes page for more ideas.

Link up your Pumpkin Recipes Here:



Relevant Recipe Links

Tidy Mom

This post has been included in TidyMom’s I’m Lovin it Fridays

~ Marla Meridith

Join the Conversation

78 thoughts on “Happy Post: Pumpkin

  1. Pumpkins are just starting to make an appearance at the farmers’ market here in Serbia, and I am just waiting for the heat to subside to start with fall recipes (it is unusually hot for September).
    Thanks for putting the recipe round-up together – just in time:)

  2. What a perfect time for this post!!

    After we parted ways yesterday, I came home and shot my pumpkin spice latte pics AND edited them AND posted them at 1am 🙂 I was DETERMINED to post about pumpkin!! 🙂

    I love all of these pumpkin recipes of yours…my goodness. Where do I even start…

    It all looks…Amazing!!!

    Awesome seeing you yesterday
    xo

  3. Your children are adorable and so are your pumpkin pancakes. I always took my kids (now 29 and 25) on a “pumpkin run” the first weekend of October to pick out their prospective jack-o-lanterns and bring home some fall favorites — apples, honey, squash. What a wonderful time of year.

  4. There is literally NOTHING that makes me happier than pumpkin season! Can’t wait to try some of these recipes this year! I linked a few of mine up!

    1. Carrie, now that sounds like a great plan! In the mean time you can do all kinds of custards & puddings….now that sounds good right about now 🙂

    1. Nancy, ya think we can find a pumpkin festival? I would be all over that! Can’t wait to see you in a few hours for lunch. Two times in one week, how cool is that!

  5. Just love all these pumpkin recipes and pics of your cute kids! We love pumpkin in our house and will be making lots of pumpkin muffins and bread around here. Love that tilted picture – I’ve done that a few times in my earlier posts too ;).

  6. I’m primed for pumpkin time, thanks to this fun post! I can’t wait for pumpkin patch pickin’ and all of the October/November recipes to come. Anticipation has arrived! I’ll be working on some wheat-free pumpkin adventures this fall… fingers crossed!

    1. Thanks Kate! I must get out & take gobs of pumpkin related photos this year. I had to go through the archives to find those. Glad they make you *happy* Yes, you should try those little muffins, they are awesome!

  7. I love your post!! Fall is still our favorite season – our kids are teens – but thankfully they still love fall and pumpkin carving! They are going to one and planning to have one of their own! We love stuffed french toast too – have never tried pumpkin but will very soon! Thanks

    1. Hi Marylouise, first off I am THRILLED to learn that pumpkin carving can be loved & enjoyed as your kids grow bigger. I hope to always be able to do it with mine. The fact that yours are doing it a few times makes it even more FUN 🙂 Let me know if you try the Pumpkin Stuffed French Toast.

  8. Fun post! Now I am ready for fall. Let the pumpkin smorgasbord begin! How about pumpkin soup?! One of my favorites. xo

  9. This is one of the best posts I have ever seen… and clearly the most fantastic because it’s all about pumpkins. I LOVE IT. So I have to quickly end this so I can scurry over to your pumpkin pie popsicle because I think I am in love.
    Laura @ A Healthy Jalapeño

    1. Oh good Laura…glad to hear that pumpkin makes you as happy as it does me 🙂 Sounds like a great deal of us are smitten by pumpkin. Let me know if you try the popsicles.