FOOD: SPICY PUMPKIN SOUP

Hello... Fallon of Sage + Sparkle here this Monday morning & I'm so excited to share a pumpkin soup recipe with you! You see, I love pumpkin... okay, I'm obsessed.  Every year, for the past four years (this is my first year blogging about it) I have done "12 Weeks of Pumpkin", where I make a new pumpkin dish weekly, starting in September, ending after Thanksgiving!  With Halloween coming up - it also seemed quite appropriate!

I like to do a mix of sweet and savory dishes and today I want to share with you one of my favorite savory options, one that has a little bit of kick. Fall is the perfect time for soup, and what better way to enjoy a soup, than with pumpkin.  What I love about soup, is that it's the perfect thing to make and then freeze and have yummy little lunches to take with you to work our enjoy on a night when your crunched for time.  This soup is hearty, healthy, and delicious... and super easy to make.  Give it a try and please, be sure to let me know how you like it.

 Ingredients: serves 8 

• 8 cups vegetable stock
• 1 Tb. olive oil
• 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 red onion, copped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 1 1/2 Tb. ground cumin
• 1 1/2 Tb. dried oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 16 oz. can pure pumpkin puree
• 15 oz. can white beans, drained
• 4 large handfuls of baby spinach
• 2 Tb. red wine vinegar
• 2 - 3 Tb. honey for drizzle
• Pumpkin seeds and cayenne pepper for garnish

Directions: 

• Sauté oil, garlic, onion, and jalapeños for 3-5 min. until soft;  add cumin, oregano and salt and store;  Sauté for an additional 3 min.
• Stir in vegetable stock, pumpkin puree, spinach, and white beans; let simmer for 20 min., uncovered
• Add red vinegar and drizzle with honey; simmer for an additional 5 min.
• Serve warm and make it sparkle with cayenne pepper and pumpkin seeds

 Happy Pumpkin Season!

 - recipe & photos by Fallon Carmichael ,  Sage + Sparkle

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DIY: Rockstar Pumpkin

I posted this cute little Rockstar Pumpkin on my Instagram not long ago & it got a lot of great feedback! So I thought, why not turn this into a little DIY feature? It's so easy.

Pumpkin decorating is essential for Fall – it's a great accessory to keep around the house, whether at a desk or a dinner setting during the Holidays. The best part is, you can't do it wrong! You can decorate your pumpkin however YOU want! So, if you're inspired by my Rockstar Pumpkin, and want to give it a shot – I've prepared some easy-to-follow instructions:

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• Pumpkin – I used a 5" one, but the size is completely up to you!
• White acrylic paint – I used Liquitex® Basics from Michael's
• Foam Brush – you can find a similar brush that I used here
• Golden Pyramid Brass Studs – I used these 3/8" studs, but sizes vary!
• A sheet or old fabric you don't mind getting paint on!

HOW TO ROCKSTAR PUMPKIN:

• Begin by simply painting your pumpkin in its entirety. I chose white because I like how the white and golden studs looked together, but you can choose whatever color speaks to you!
  
  The size of your brush should depend on the size of your pumpkin. The bigger the pumpkin, the bigger the brush should probably be to make the process easier. A smaller brush should be used around the bottom of the stem to avoid getting any paint on it. Careful – that area is tricky!

• I'd suggest 3 coats of paint but wait a few hours in between in each. After the paint on your pumpkin has dried, it's time to apply the studs! I used the Medium 3/8" studs, but you can choose whichever size you'd like. If you want a more "flashy" pumpkin, you can go ahead with bigger studs!
• Push in the studs wherever you'd like. I scattered mine around the circumference of the pumpkin – play around and see as you go to decide whether you want more or less. You can also arrange the studs to spell out a word or create a shape!

• Ta da! You have your pumpkin!! Use it to add a touch of fun to your desk like I did, or display it on the table at your next dinner party. Enjoy.

Maybe next time I'll try adding a mohawk. Ha.

- images by jen ramos

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DIY: Spruce up your Pumpkin

Hey everyone! I hope that you all are having a great day so far. It's Anna here, and today, I am sharing a little inspiration to take that pumpkin of yours to the next level. I love Fall, and I am always looking for fun ways to decorate around the house in good taste. I hope this quick fix fits the bill.

I bought a couple of small pumpkins to paint and got out my collection of acrylic and spray paints. There were no rules… I just did whatever I wanted. 

One had a touch of white paint on top. One was spray painted gold. The other was painted with black stripes (taped with painters tape first). 

You could paint a chevron pattern, polka dots, etc. Get creative! There are no rules.

-post and images by anna weaver

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