Pumpkins Pumpkins Pumpkins
Let me preface by telling you all how much I love fall!
I love leaves - watching them change colors, feeling their textures, crunching them under my feel, raking them into a pile to jump in, burning them, using them for crayon rubs...
I love the cooler weather - blankets on the couch, hot cocoa, fireplaces, wearing scarves and hats, the welcome feeling of the warming sun early in the cold morning...
I love the smells - burning wood, the cold air, pine needles, soups, toast, hot cider...
I love the sounds - crunchy leaves, birds busying for the winter, squirrels collecting nuts and burying them, the wind in the dry leaves...
And, I love the tastes - apples, pears, cider, root vegetables, soups of all sorts, hot tea and chocolate, baked goods, baked potatoes, and PUMPKINS!!!!
Sunday, I made pumpkin bread for the first time, and posted about it on Vegan Cookalong (the recipe of the week was pumpkin pie but the store had no crusts so I made bread instead). I used the Pumpkin Bread recipe from The Joy of Cooking and just veganized it using Earth Balance, Ener-G egg replacer, and almond milk instead of butter, eggs, and milk. We liked it so much that I made it again last night, but as muffins instead since the two muffins I made with the extra batter turned out better in texture than the bread. Oh, they were heavenly! These will be in regular rotation all fall and winter! It's a fairly small recipe but perfect for our tiny family. The batter made 6 jumbo muffins plus two big spoonfuls of batter for me to eat while they were cooking - another benefit of veganism!
I'm with you on loving fall! I didn't appreciate it as a child, but I'm sure that had more to do with being back in school than anything else. Your pumpkin muffins look wonderful!
Posted by: Sarah | October 17, 2006 at 12:27 PM
Oh my! Those muffins looks positively DIVINE!!! I am with you, Fall is my favorite time of year. I like the nip in the air!
Posted by: Ima Mystery | October 17, 2006 at 04:27 PM
I'm a spring kinda gal myself. I like the idea of fall, but really it marks the beginning of cold dreary days.
I wish I had a muffin.
Posted by: Desirée | October 17, 2006 at 04:36 PM
making. me. hungry.
Posted by: lorinda | October 17, 2006 at 07:19 PM
They may be cold and dreary sometimes, but since we're also birdwatchers, fall marks the beginning of the migration period, and living on the pacific flyway as we do means lots of birds to watch all winter!
Posted by: Vegan Knitting | October 17, 2006 at 08:20 PM
Yum! I second Lorinda!
Posted by: ellie | October 17, 2006 at 08:26 PM
I love fall too. I could eat pumpkin flavored *anything* every day and never tire of it!
Posted by: Sarah | October 17, 2006 at 09:13 PM
Everyone else has been so polite .... Can we have your recipe??? :-)
Posted by: me,Mavis | October 18, 2006 at 07:05 AM
Those pumpkin muffins look great! Put them on your Thanksgiving menu! :P
If Americans love pumpkins so much, why can't you get them all year round? In Australia, the pumpkin is just another vegetable and you can get it any time of year. Though, in Australia, they fear pumpkin sweets and desserts. Only savoury pumpkin there! I'm the hero in the middle who appreciates it ALL!!!
I'm with you, Sarah. I could eat pumpkin flavoured anything!
Posted by: Simone | October 18, 2006 at 09:59 AM
BTW, I don't understand how being vegan helped you eat the remaining batter. Sounds like some twisted logic to me. Oink!
Posted by: Simone | October 18, 2006 at 10:02 AM
They look yummy! :)
Posted by: Michelle | October 19, 2006 at 10:42 AM
Simone - Being vegan helped b/c we don't have to worry about salmonella from raw eggs. =)
(I'm a batter-eater myself)
Posted by: Desirée | October 19, 2006 at 03:13 PM
Desiree - Whatever helps you batter eaters sleep at night...:P
I don't bake, but if I did, I'd be batter eater too. Mmmmm.
Posted by: Simone | October 20, 2006 at 09:12 AM
Emily! Happy Birthday! I hope it was a great one!!! I'm working on a box for you, I hope to send it soon! :) xoxo!
Posted by: Sarah | October 20, 2006 at 06:58 PM
14 comments! I'm finally popular!!!! LOL
I'm putting the recipe in the next post.
Thanks, Sarah! I can't wait!
Simone - they have pumpkins at the el cerrito natural food store almost all the time.
Posted by: Vegan Knitting | October 21, 2006 at 04:04 PM
Ooh, just thinking about pumpkin muffins makes me hungry.
Posted by: Gluten-Free By The Bay | October 23, 2006 at 01:22 PM
Emily, I'll be sure to run up to El Cerrito next time I need a pumpkin! You can get pumpkins ALL THE TIME at even the crappiest supermarket in Australia all year long. It's just funny because it's by no means the most popular vegetable or anything!
Posted by: Simone | October 29, 2006 at 01:10 PM
Your pumpkin muffins and bread ROCK! vegan schmeeegan. they are just addicting.
I enjoyed knitting and chatting with you outside the shop- what a perfect way to spend a weekend... with yarn, knitting friends, good food, in a beautiful house...
thanks for sharing them with us at the knitting retreat :-)
I look forward to taking that walk (or going for a hike- i can hike and knit) that we didn't get around to on saturday night...
Posted by: Lady Cashmere a.k.a . Maya Papay Foxy Crochet Gurtrude girl | November 05, 2006 at 04:38 PM