Pump up the Pumpkin!

DIY Pumpkin Pie Spice

I'll never forget the time I was forced to spend $4.99 on the smallest jar of Pumpkin Pie Spice known to man. From then on, I vowed to never get caught without this spice blend during Pumpkin Season! 

4 T CINNAMON
2 T GINGER
2 t NUTMEG
1 t CLOVES
1 t ALLSPICE

Blend your spices in a jar of your choice, seal, and store to use as needed all season long! 

[gluten-free, vegan, allergy-friendly]
PUMPKIN GRANOLA 

Add a little fall flair to your lunch boxes this month! Use our basic Gluten-Free Granola Bar recipe (below), using 1 cup of pumpkin seeds as a mix-ins and adding 2 t Pumpkin Pie Spice.
Make this as bars or loose granola. 

Gluten- Free Granola Bars

(click for printable recipe)

What you need: 

scant 1/4 cup coconut oil + 1 T palm shortening to equal a full 1/4 cup
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
1/3 cup coconut sugar
2 cups [gluten-free] QUICK cooking oats
1 cup of mix ins (use anything- seeds, chopped nuts, dried fruit- we used 1/2 cup hemp hearts + 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Just don't use chocolate, as it will melt.)
optional:
1 tsp vanilla (or extract of choice)
1 tsp cinnamon (or spice of choice)
2 T Enjoy Life brand chocolate mini-chips

What you do:
1. Mix your oats and mix-ins in a large bowl. Set aside. 
2. In a small pot, melt oil/shortening, honey and coconut sugar together over medium high heat until it comes to a bubble. Boil for about 30 seconds. 
3. Remove pot from heat. Stir in any extracts or spices and pour hot liquid mixture over dry ingredients. Mix very well to incorporate all ingredients. 
4. Pour into a lightly greased (or line with parchment paper) jelly roll pan and press out to be about 3/4 inch in thickness. This makes about 12 Little Piggy sized bars- so you won't use the entire jelly roll pan. Keep it packed together on one side of the pan. You really want to press them down so they stick together. 

5. Optional: While granola is still a little warm, sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and press them down. 
6. Cool to room temperature or until the chocolate chips are set before cutting into bars. Store at room temp in air tight container or freeze and thaw as needed. 

Notes:

To make loose granola, simply follow steps 1 - 3. Instead of pressing into bars, crumble your granola mixture and spread it out over a parchment lined baking sheet. It will stick together into bits of various sizes. Allow to cool to room temperature. Store the same as the bars. 

Piggy Playtime: How Does Your Garden Grow?

The Shire Market Garden: Pick & Pay Produce

3890 Old Ranch Rd, Colorado Springs, CO

Saturdays 8 - 11 am (seasonally)

If you live in northern Colorado Springs, rejoice! We now have a local, organic garden for fresh veggies. Just north of Briargate, (right off Powers) The Shire Market also has convenient ready to go options, all at great prices. Be sure to bring your cash, shopping bag, and questions! The employees of this family owned property (run by Phelan Gardens) are helpful, patient, and informative. 

The Piggies learned to pick carrots! 

It was super exciting. 

They had a dance party in the green house, with all kinds of basil, tomatoes, and peppers. 

Most of the lettuce had gone to seed this season, but squashes are kickin!

Freshly picked, pre-packaged options. 

Eat Local! 

Ever wonder what to do with your haul? Give these farm to table recipes a try. 

Our picks from Saturday,  8/29:
tomatillos, banana peppers, kale, giant zucchini, spaghetti squash, various leafy greens


[gluten-free, paleo, vegan, allergy-friendly]
Roasted Salsa Verde
(click for printable recipe)

This easy, creamy twist on a regional favorite combines lightly roasted veggies with fresh avocado! Depending on the peppers you use, your flavor can range from mild to spicy. 

Roasted Salsa Verde

What you need:

2 red onions, peeled and quartered

1 lb tomatillos, peeled and rinsed

2 poblano peppers, hatch chiles, or jalapeños (you can mix & match here), sliced in 1/2 and deseeded

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 t sea salt (or to taste)

1 t cumin

1 T avocado oil or other mild tasting oil

2 ripe avocados, remove seed and peel

1 t lime or lemon juice

What you do: 

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2. Place onions, tomatillos, peppers, & garlic cloves on baking tray. Drizzle with oil and roast 15 minutes or until they begin to blister. 

3. Put roasted veggies in food processor and pulse until slightly chunky. 

4. Add seasoning and avocado. Pulse until avocado has been mixed in smoothly to the salsa. 

5. Add splash of lime or lemon juice and pulse to mix. 

6. Refrigerate in sealed container or freeze. 

[gluten-free, paleo, vegan, allergy-friendly]

Z'apple Pie + Cassava Flour Pie Crust

(click for printable recipe)

This mock apple pie will fool your grandma! Made with a giant zucchini, instead of apples, makes it a much more economical treat and a sneaky way to get in those veggies. 

Z'apple Pie

What you need: 

10 - 12 cups chopped zucchini (peel & cut lengthwise, scoop out seeds, cut into 1/4 inch slices and then chop into pie sized pieces)

1 cup granulated sugar of choice

3/4 cup brown sugar or SUCANAT

1 1/2 T cinnamon

1/2 t nutmeg

1/4 t cloves 

or use apple pie spice of your choice

2 t cream of tartar

1 1/2 T arrowroot 

1/2 t sea salt

1 t apple cider vinegar

2 T ghee, butter, or cold coconut oil (in small chunks)

2 ready-bake pie crusts 

1/2 t sugar & 1/4 t cinnamon for sprinkling on crust

What you do: 

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Cook zucchini pieces in boiling water for a few minutes, until just tender. You do not want them too soft! 

3. Remove zucchini from stove, drain and allow to cool. Spread zucchini over several paper towels and press paper towels on top to squeeze out more water. 4.  

    Repeat until you've removed as much moisture as possible. 

5. In a bowl, toss zucchini with sugars and spices, cream of tartar, arrowroot and sea salt until well coated. 

6. Put your ready-bake pie crust in a 9 inch pie pan and poke some holes around the bottom. 

7. Fill pie crust with zucchini mixture. If you have a lot of liquid that settled to the bottom with your zucchini mix,   
    you'll want to put some of it into the pie crust, but don't overflow it. 

8. Dot the top of mixture with chunks of your ghee, butter, or cold coconut oil.

9. Drizzle vinegar over top of mixture. 

10. Gently place top pie crust, seal edges together, and poke a few holes in top. 

11. Brush crust lightly with water and sprinkle on the sugar & cinnamon. 

12. Bake for 15 minutes at 425. 

13. Place a parchment or foil liner over the edges of your crust to prevent burning (cut a hold out of a square piece of parchment or foil)

14. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 45 minutes, removing the crust liner during the last 10-15 minutes . 

[gluten-free, paleo, vegan, allergy-friendly]

Kale Chips

(click for printable recipe)

Kale is the ultimate green leafy veggie. You can sneak it into smoothies, sauté it with onions and garlic, add it to your favorite soups or bakes...or eat it like a chip. Now, go get crunchin!

Kale Chips

What you need:

1 bunch of kale, rinsed/dried/de-stemmed & cut into somewhat uniformed sized pieces. 

liquid oil for drizzling

desired seasonings

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Toss prepared kale leaves in a little bit of oil. You just want them lightly coated, not soggy. 

3. Toss oiled leaves in seasoning of choice 

4. Lay leaves in a single layer on a baking pan and bake for about 10 - 15 minutes or until crispy (but not burned!). For more even crisping, toss your kale chips several times during baking.