Pumpkin Spice-tacular

October has flown by at a wicked pace. Here we are at the end and I've only cracked open one can of pumpkin purée so far. There was some talk of a shortage of the slimy orange stuff this year. But then there was talk last year of a shortage too. Whether an actual deficiency exists or not, when people are afraid that they won't be able to get something, they buy lots of it, stocking up so they won't be without. I've personally not seen any evidence of a shortage, but I still bought two big cans of it when one small can would have sufficed. Hey, it's not like I won't use it or anything, right?

Of course, if the pumpkin in the cans is simply a melange of winter squash, then... I may just make my own stash of frozen purée using these directions from The Kitchn. It will of course depend upon the price difference between winter squashes and the canned pumpkin. But in the meantime I bought the big cans of pumpkin anyway. What did I do with them? Take a peek....

Pumpkin-Ginger Pancakes (with Ginger Butter and Maple Syrup) from Sunset.com
Ever since I saw these beauties on the pages of Sunset magazine back in January 2005, I've been in love with them. Let me tell you, it is a love that will last. Do I really need to say anything about this recipe? Nope. The name says it all. Make them and you'll understand.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls from King Arthur Flour
Just a little FYI: don't start these at 4 pm unless you want them for a late-night snack. These are no quickie fake cinnamon rolls people. These are the real deal. Genuine cinnamon rolls with a decidedly Autumnal slant to them. Not just pumpkin, but ginger and cranberry too. I was pretty nervous about making them, and was sure I'd goofed them up each step of the way... but no, they came out beautiful and delicious...actually quite forgiving. Righteous rolls.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal from Tasty Kitchen
I made this with our favorite steel-cut oats instead of the rolled oats... a few cranberries and nuts stirred in, a little maple syrup drizzled over the top. I am all about Fall.

DIY Pumpkin Spice Lattes
It's been too many years for me to remember what the "real" Pumpkin Spice Lattes taste like and I'm too broke (and uninterested) to go buy one just to compare. These fakes are however, more real than the drink they seek to imitate. In other words, they actually have pumpkin in them. If you're a PSL-junkie, try making them at home and save yourself a few bucks. I've tried each of these recipes and they're all slightly different. Experimentation is the key to finding the ratio of pumpkin/milk/spice/coffee that makes you go "mmmmm". Pick a recipe and tweak it until it tastes like caffeinated Autumn bliss (then write down what you did so you can make them all season long)...

• The first PSL recipe I ever made was this one from The Kitchn
• Peace, Love & Muesli has a yummy version that is the most pumpkin-y of all
• Don't miss out on all that pumpkin goodness just because it's 82° out... make it iced like this one from Cozy Kitchen

...and that was just the first can...

Other pumpkin-centric posts:

• Pumpkin Chip Cookies  
• October = Pumpkins