In a Tizzy

A special month-long edition of #KTTeats: The Pumpkin Challenge is an annual tradition where I embark on a month-long journey of daily pumpkin consumption.

Join me for my 8th annual challenge and the new treats that go along with it!

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It has been a bit of a scramble these past two weeks, so I would like to apologize to no one in particular about my delayed pumpkin updates. I started a new job and sitting down to write about pumpkin after finding time to acquire pumpkin has proved surprisingly challenging! But, here we are: the third week of Pumpkin Challenge 2018.

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Day 15: Pumpkin Spice Baklava (Samaya Delights)

I’ve had Samaya Delights baklava before and was so excited when my mom found a pumpkin spice version!

If you haven’t had baklava before…. You need to. It is flaky and gooey-sweet with honey or agave syrups in it, and the nuts or other goodies thrown in give it a great texture! The pumpkin spice wasn’t super perceptible in this version, but there was a nice pumpkin-esque sweetness to it.

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Day 16: Pumpkin Marshmallows in Pumpkin Spice Cocoa (Dandies Marshmallows and Sillycow Farms)

I LOVE THESE MARSHMALLOWS.

They are highly flavourful and sweet but they are so much like traditional marshmallows that you would never know they’re… vegan.

I’ve used these for baking and snacking in the past in addition to putting them in pumpkin spice hot chocolate like I did this year.

As beautiful as those little orange clouds looked floating inside equally-delicious hot chocolate, I had to cover them up to complete the beverage with coconut whipped cream (by Gay Lea). Isn’t the geometric elephant mug (with a spot to put your tea bag) adorable?

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Day 17: Pumpkin Pepita Loaf (Quantum Coffee)

On this particular day I knew I would be too tired to whip something pumpkin-y up after another day of training at work, so I decided to hunt for pumpkin during my lunch break. I opted to try Quantum Coffee, which is in the neighbourhood, since I was already interested in checking out this place with its funky

While this is the only item I have tried from their cafe, we felt the quality of loaf was high enough to warrant more visits in the future!

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Day 18: Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars (Chocolate-Covered Katie)

These beauties were a HIT in the office!

2 whole cups of peanut butter (or an allergy-friendly alternative), so you can imagine that they were pretty moist and gooey. My favourite parts were the edge pieces because they had the most firmly-baked crust, but every one was deliciously peanut buttery and pumpkin-y. I found they worked best when kept in the fridge and eaten from there, because it kept them firmer!

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Day 19: Pumpkin Hummus Quesadillas (A Couple Cooks)

Ah, the weekend – we made it!

I had one of those strange days of eating where nothing was quite hitting the spot or satisfying my hunger. Further, I hadn’t brought enough food to work with me to tide me over during an event after the day wrapped up, so by the time I got home I was huuuuuuuuuuuungry.

Last year during the pumpkin challenge I had tried a really delicious recipe that mixed hummus and pumpkin and spread it onto quesadillas, and I knew that this was what would finally bring my cravings peace.

I didn’t opt to make my own pumpkin humms from scratch, but I did mix some classic hummus with pumpkin puree and achieved pretty delicious results. I spread that onto the tortilla and shredded some soy-based cheese on top of it to get that truly stretchy-cheesy texture. For extra protein, I threw some vegan bacon on and had myself a feast.

This seems like a seasonal meal, but it is truly delicious and should be enjoyed by everyone at ANYtime of the year!

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Day 20: Pumpkin Spice Mylkshake (Mythology Diner)

Oh boy. I was so excited for the weekend so that I could make the trek to Mythology and try this seasonal item I had seen promoted over the last couple of years. My friends – it lived up to the hype.

I watched it being made behind the bar in their mylkshake mixer and saw the pumpkin ice cream pouring into a mug lined with graham crackers and caramel before being topped with coconut whipped cream, more caramel, and a cinnamon stick! It was very much like drinking pumpkin pie and was so good, though I am glad I shared it because it was a whole lot of mylkshake. WOULD RECOMMEND.

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Day 21: Colin the Caterpillar Gummies (Marks and Spencer)

GD had told me that I should expect something very exciting in the mail sometime soon, and while I didn’t expect what I found the excitement was highly warranted!

When I went to the UK for the first time last summer, I was pretty thrilled to discover a range of “kids’” gummy candies that were free of gelatin. I had so many little piggy tails and gummy worms! When I saw those same gummy worms slide out of the envelope from Ireland, it took all of 10 seconds before I tore in and started to indulge.

Much to my surprise, however, one of the natural ingredients to colour the gummy worms was pumpkin!!! So, not only did I get to enjoy these worms for the short time they lasted, but I was able to include them in the pumpkin challenge!

October is full of small wins like this for me. Ingredients are more exciting than people give them credit for.

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We’ve only got 10 days of pumpkin goodness left
in this year’s challenge, friends. Stay with me as I
continue to fill the remaining days of October
with as much orange gourd as is possible.