We took a break from harvesting apples in our orchard today and got creative. We decided to make a little gnome fairy cottage for our halloween pumpkin this year. It couldn't have turned out any cuter!

Directions: 
Hollow out your pumpkin as normal. Carve out windows and door. We even carved out little window in our pumpkin door. Attach door hinge using a skewer. Use the cut out windows to cut little peices into window boxes. Attach with tooth picks. Forage in your yard for berries, flowers, and grasses. Put berries across the top of the pumpkins, place the flowers in the window boxes. We used grass and tied them with a string to look like fall decor. Then We covered the bottom with moss and berries and added little gnomes for fun. 

This is the perfect non-spooky and fun jack-o-lantern and even little hands can help. The foraging as a family for the decor was the best part. Enjoy!

Would this even be a real food blog if we didn't feature pumpkin chocolate chip bread in the fall? Call me a sucker but I love love love when the pumpkin flavored deserts and treats start making their debut after labor day. This treat just sings cozy on up with me in your socks and long johns and enjoy yourself. This bread has a deep rich flavor of chocolate, pumpkin, and spice. You will probably regret not doubling it so you can freeze yourself a second loaf for next week. Don't say I didn't warn you. 

Ingredients: 

2 eggs

3/4 cups sugar

3/4 cups brown sugar

1 can pumpkin puree (about a cup and a half) 

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup orange juice

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 3/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup chocolate chips 

Directions: 

Mix together all of your ingredients in a standard mixer in the order listed above. Pour batter into a greased 9x5 loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 65 minutes. 

This is a wonderful recipe to double or triple. You can make loaves for your neighbors and they will probably be so grateful they will rake your leaves for you. 

Enjoy!

I love recipes that have hidden health benefits. Waffles are traditionally laden with butter, sugar, and are considered a gluttonous treat. However, these wonderful little waffles actually have very little butter, and are loaded with nutrients from the pumpkin and chia seeds. They have a delicious fall spice to them and will leave you coming back for more. 

Ingredients: 
4 tbs butter, melted
2 eggs
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin
1 cup water
2/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup chia seeds
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp lavender
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp lavender salt

Directions: 
Mix together your wet ingredients, slowly incorporate your dry ingredients. Cook on hot waffle iron. Makes a large batch, but extra waffles may be frozen and reheated in the toaster for a quick and easy thoughtless breakfast. 

Need culinary lavender? Find some here: www.lavenderapple.com

Bon Apetite! 

 This moody spooky lavender wants to wish you a happy halloween! Doesn't this look like a bunch of witches brooms? (Order your own lavender bundles at www.lavenderapple.com)

Well our cute little grand baby Mimi also wants to wish you a a spooky holiday. Remember to use lavender as a pallet cleanser between all your M&M's and Butterfingers! 

Have a spooky weekend!