Serves: 4

Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes, the thicker around the better for shapes
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. white pepper
*Cayenne pepper (optional), a small sprinkling for spicy version

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with a silpat, or parchment paper to prevent sticking.

Peel sweet potatoes and cut into ½ inch thick rounds.

Using a paring knife, or a small pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter, cut rounds into a pumpkin shape, making a stem, and trimming the bottom slightly. Each one will be different and unique, just like real pumpkins!

​In a large bowl, gently toss the pumpkin-shaped sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Place the sweet potatoes, spaced evenly apart on a baking sweet.

*Spicy Version – Add a small sprinkling of cayenne pepper to the pumpkins for a boost in flavor!

Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until a fork can be easily inserted into the sweet potatoes.

Ingredients:
4 lbs. apples, approximately 8 large apples
½ cup + ½ tsp. coconut sugar, divided
2 Tbsp. brown rice syrup
2 Tbsp. lemon juice (juice from ½ a lemon)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
¼ cup + 2 Tbsp. vegan butter
2 Tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. apple pie spice
¼ tsp. sea salt
2 disks pie dough 

Directions:

Peel, core, and thinly slice apples about ¼ inch thickness.

In a large bowl toss the apple slices with lemon juice, brown rice syrup, coconut sugar, and vanilla.

In a very large skillet melt ¼ cup vegan butter.

Sauté the apples over medium-high heat for 15 minutes. Juices will be released as the apples soften and that’s OK.

Add the flour, apple pie spice and sea salt and continue to sauté for 2 to 3 minutes longer.

Cool the filling completely in the fridge. The filling can be prepared the day before if desired!

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Put first disk of pie dough into the pie plate, and prick the bottom with a fork a few times.

Add the apple filling, and dot with the remaining 2 Tbsp. vegan butter.

Carefully roll out the top crust over the filling, and pinch along the sides to close the top and bottom crust together. Cut a few slits in the top crust.

*Decorative Option – Roll out the top crust with flour. Using a cookie cutter cut out 3 shapes, such as hearts. Place the top crust over the filling mixture. Pinch along sides to close top and bottom. Gently place the shapes back over their holes slightly off center so there are still openings to allow the pie to vent.

Brush a light amount of water over the top of the pie and sprinkle with ½ tsp. coconut sugar.

Put the pie in the oven and turn the temperature down to 375 degrees F.

Cook for 1 hour.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/16 tsp. cloves, ground
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/3 cups vanilla soy milk

Directions:

In a large bowl add flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Whisk to sift and combine. 
 
Add the pumpkin puree and soy milk to the bowl and whisk until combined.

Poor about ¼ cup batter per pancake onto a hot, greased griddle. When the pancake is bubbly, slightly dry around the edges, and lightly browned on the bottom; flip and brown the other side.
​

Yields: 12 muffins

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour (Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Flour also works)
¾ cup cane sugar
½ brown sugar, packed
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/16 teaspoon cloves
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin pan with 12 paper liners.

Combine flour, sugars, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves in a medium bowl, gently whisking to sift ingredients.

In another large mixing bowl, add coconut milk and apple cider vinegar, stir and allow to rest for 2 minutes. Next, add the olive oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree to the coconut milk mixture. Whisk together until well combined. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the bowl and gently stir just until combined. Distribute batter evenly among muffin cups.

Bake for approximately 25 – 33 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

Yields: 6 pumpkin cinnamon rolls

Ingredients:
Dough:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. vegan butter spread, room temperature, plus more for greasing pan (I used Earth Balance Organic Whipped Buttery Spread)
¼ cup Almond milk
½ tsp. apple cider vinegar
¼ cup + 2 Tbsp. pumpkin puree
Filling:
1 Tbsp. vegan butter spread, melted
¼ cup brown sugar
1 ½ Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
Frosting:
½ cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. vegan butter spread, room temperature
Seeds from 1 vanilla bean
1 ½ tsp. almond milk, plus more if needed to reach desired consistency

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Line a cake pan with parchment paper, grease paper and pan with vegan butter spread to prevent sticking.

In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, blend vegan butter spread, pumpkin puree, almond milk and vinegar until smooth.

Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl, half at a time; gently mix until combined being careful not to over mix the dough.

On a generously floured surface (flour the rolling pin too!) roll the dough into a rectangle ¼ inch thick. Cut the edges of the dough with a pastry cutter or knife into fairly straight lines. The approximate size of the rectangle should be 8 inches wide, by 14 inches long, and ¼ inch thickness.

In a small bowl mix together the brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice.

In another small bowl, melt 1 Tbsp. of vegan butter spread, and brush evenly over the top of the dough.

Sprinkle the sugar spice mixture over the dough, leaving a ½ inch border along all sides of the dough.

Starting on a smaller side of the rectangle, the 8 inch side; gently roll the dough into a log. Cut into 6 equal size pieces.

​Place cinnamon rolls into the greased cake pan.

​Bake for approximately 16 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the vanilla bean frosting. Mix together the powdered sugar and earth balance.

Cut a vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Use a knife to scrap out the seeds of each half, placing the seeds into the mixing bowl. Add 1 tsp. of almond milk and mix until seeds are evenly distributed throughout the frosting. Add ½ tsp. at a time of almond milk until you reach the desired consistency. I like the frosting on the thick side so I only did that one time.

When the pumpkin cinnamon rolls are done baking, spread the frosting evenly over the tops of each roll, and serve.

*Tip: Reheating cinnamon rolls for leftovers takes about 10 seconds in the microwave. 

Pumpkin Spiced Donut Holes
Yields: 24 donut holes

Ingredients:
Donut:
1 ½ cups gluten-free all-purpose baking flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Flour)
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. sea salt
½ cup cane sugar
1/3 cup vegan butter substitute, + 1 tsp. for greasing pan (I used Earth Balance Organic Whipped Buttery Spread)
2 Tbsp. pumpkin puree
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
½ cup vanilla rice milk

Topping:
1 cup cane sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
½ cup vegan butter substitute, melted (I used Earth Balance Organic Whipped Buttery Spread)


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a mini muffin pan with vegan butter alternative.

In a medium bowl add gluten-free flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Whisk to sift ingredients, set aside.

In a large mixing bowl add 1/3 cup vegan butter alternative, ½ cup cane sugar, and pumpkin puree. Beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the flour mixture ½ at a time, and mix until combined.

Add the rice milk and beat until smooth.

Divide the batter amongst the 24 mini muffin cups, about 1 Tbsp. batter or a rounded melon baller per muffin cup.

Bake for 12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

For The Topping:

Add 1 cup of cane sugar, 2 tsp. cinnamon and 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice to a large zip top bag, and shake to mix ingredients together.

Melt the ½ cup of vegan butter alternative.

Dip each donut hole into the melted vegan butter, turning to coat the entire donut hole.

Drop the donut hole into the bag of spiced sugar. Shake to evenly coat each donut hole. Repeat for all 24 donut holes.

Yields: 10 medium-size caramel apples

Ingredients:
1 cup vegan butter substitute, I used Earth Balance Organic Whipped Buttery Spread
2 cups cane sugar
2 cups almond milk
1 cup light organic corn syrup (organic recommended to avoid GM corn)
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

You Will Also Need:
10 cookie or Popsicle sticks
Candy thermometer

Directions:
Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper to prevent the caramel from sticking.

Insert cookie or Popsicle sticks into the apples.

In a large pot over medium heat add butter substitute, sugar, almond milk, corn syrup, and salt. When the ingredients combine turn heat up and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

Insert a candy thermometer to gauge the temperature of the caramel. Continue to boil and stir the caramel until the temperature reaches 245 degrees F, soft ball stage. It may take a little while but this process makes your home smell marvelous! Please use caution it is very hot.

​When the caramel has reached 245 degrees F, remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Stir caramel for 1-2 minutes to allow it to cool and thicken ever so slightly, making the caramel a little less liquid.

Working near the baking sheet, dip each apple in the caramel, turning and evenly coating all sides, then place it on the lined baking sheet to cool. (*Tip - You will need to work quickly because when the caramel becomes too cold it doesn't stick to the apples as easily.)

Allow to cool so that the caramel becomes firm and holds its shape.

​This is what fall happiness looks like…

Nothing screams fall like cinnamon sugar!

This time of year I love to sauté apples and bananas with a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar.  You can also add cinnamon sugar to flavor fall inspired drinks, or use it to make cinnamon sugar toast. 

It's great to combine the ingredients in an empty spice jar that's cleaned out. Making cinnamon sugar is super simple. 

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon (or a pinch) of salt

Directions:
Stir or shake to combine. Store in a clean airtight jar. 

I'm really enjoying decorating our home with fresh flowers lately.

And of course pumpkins! I love pumpkins!!! We just picked this one from our garden. You'd be amazed how much you can grow on a small standard city sized lot.

Before work today, I've also been experimenting with making my own berry syrup with berries we harvested over the summer.

And a picture of my kitchen towel that makes me smile every time I see it. 

With love & gratitude,
Wendy Irene 

Light, slightly sweet, and absolutely delicious! These scones were the perfect Sunday morning breakfast in our home. We used fresh raspberries and rhubarb picked straight from our garden. The extra scones were packed up and made a fantastic treat in our lunches. Does life get any sweeter?!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour, all-purpose
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold vegan butter, cubed 
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1/2 cup fresh rhubarb, sliced into small chunks
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup oat milk

Egg Wash optional (omit if making vegan)
1 large egg
1 Tbsp water

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
• In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and cubed butter. Using a pastry blender cut the butter into the dry ingredients until you have course crumbs.
• Gently stir in sugar, raspberries, rhubarb and white chocolate.
• Add oat milk and stir until combined. The dough should feel somewhat sticky but if it's too dry you can add an extra tablespoon of milk, 1 at a time.
• Scoop the dough out onto a well floured counter-top or mat, bringing it together and flattening it out into a 10 inch circle. Add more flour if the dough is too sticky.
• Cut dough into 8 wedges using a sharp knife. Carefully place wedges onto a baking sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper.
• Whisk egg and water in a small bowl and brush onto the top of the scones.
• Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown when using egg wash.

We hope you enjoy!

With love,
Wendy Irene

Give this a try for 1 month and let me know if it works for you!

Share: https://youtu.be/XAZsN4RKyrA

​Also, here are a few homemade gift ideas you might enjoy making!