As indicative of autumn as yoga pants and Ugg boots, pumpkin is a tell-tale sign of the changing seasons. After the great Pumpkin Spice Latte Fiasco of 2012 showed America what it was taking for granted, it seems time to embrace the squash that makes fall awesome—without ever having to make a pie crust.
This is a classic to pair with an early morning cup of coffee, and if you’ve fallen victim to the Starbucks shortage, this breakfast bread might just get your through your cravings. Though the recipe above is more of a classic pumpkin bread recipe, there have been several variations popping up all over Pinterest, including my personal favorite, Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread. Beware though, it’s a bit more work to make two different kinds of batter for this recipe. But if you have a sweet tooth or just a fondness for cheesecake, this bread is a cut above. If you want to add an extra little something to regular pumpkin bread, try adding chopped nuts, raisins or white chocolate chips.
Check out this week’s recipe on pumpkins. (CU Independent/Gary Sheer)
BAKED ZITI WITH PUMPKIN AND SAUSAGE
This pasta dish is insanely filling and produces a lot of leftovers for very little money. Though pumpkin is one of the main ingredients, the taste isn’t overbearing. Luckily, this recipe is pretty easy, too—the hardest part is cooking the pasta. I left the sausage in the skillet the whole time so it was even less work, and I added a LOT more cheese because I’m a bit of a fanatic. If you can chop an onion and brown sausage, you can prepare this dish.
Cutting down on caffeine now that midterms are cooling down? This smoothie is sweet enough to stand in for a dessert, after-school snack or an on-the-go breakfast. I made these smoothies in bulk one afternoon, which took under fifteen minutes for a week’s worth. These are incredibly rich, however, so feel free to cut the recipe in half. Just be sure you freeze your pumpkin puree before you make the smoothies.
And finally…because we never know when disaster will strike: your very own Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Sarah Elsea at Sarah.elsea@colorado.edu.
