It's Pumpkin Time

So today marks the official first day of autumn so Happy September Equinox everyone! Most people would think with living in southern California, summer would be the best season bu I'm a huge fall fan. We've still got the warm weather during the day but the nights are crisp. I can also think of two major reasons I'm loving on autumn. Halloween and pumpkins.

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday, even more than Christmas which is crazy for a kid considering the whole gift receiving thing. There's something about getting to dress up and take on the persona of anything you want to be that is intriguing. Since I'll be two weeks away from my due date on Halloween I may choose OctoMom as my costume this year. If you're looking for your little one's first Halloween costume, check out the Baby Lobster we found. For those who love this holiday for decorating reasons, the Skull Shower Curtain we featured on our site will be a boo-tiful addition to the bathroom.

Second thing autumn has going for it is pumpkins. I'm not the biggest Starbucks consumer but once the featured drink of the day is a Pumpkin Spice Latte, I'm buying a venti. A perfect Sunday would start off with a batch of Pumpkin Pancakes and coffee (check out Martha Stewart's delicious recipe below). After some breakfast and raking up those fall leaves, it's time to watch some football and sip on Wolaver's Certified Organic Will Stevens' Pumpkin Ale. And don't forget, pumpkins are loaded with beta-carotene which is a cancer fighting anti-oxidant so eat and drink up. Here's to a great Fall 2009!

Pumpkin Pancakes
from www. marthastewart.com

For a spiced breakfast treat, whisk 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 2 tablespoons sugar; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt; 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg; and a pinch of ground cloves. In a separate bowl, stir together 1 cup milk, 6 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and 1 egg; fold mixture into dry ingredients. Melt some butter in a skillet over medium heat; pour in 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook pancakes about 3 minutes per side; serve with butter and syrup. Makes 8 to 10.