October 06, 2010

1 Pumpkin, 3 Milkshakes

Pumpkin-Snap Milkshake*Java-Squash Milkshake*Ban-umpkin Milkshake


October brings a whirl-wind of crisp cool air, leaves, and HALLOWEEN...

Growing up, my family never really made a big deal over Halloween. Some years we trick-or-treated, some years not. So you can imagine what a shock it was to buy a house in a neighborhood with Halloween FEVER! Yes, we live in one of THOSE neighborhoods...every town has one. A SPOOKTACULAR neighborhood where houses are decked out in ghoulish garb, children and adult alike are adorned in ghastily get-ups, and candy flows like milk and honey one night a year!

~Halloween 2009~
It just so happens that we bought a house on the main drag, so our road actually gets closed off for hundreds thousands of people to stroll (or creep) down Halloween night. Year after year we watch our neighbors out-do each other with magic shows, man-powered floats, and Hitchcock movies blasted on the sides of houses. A former art professor down the street, carves masses of the most amazing pumpkins you've ever seen and hangs them in trees! It's a full-moon affair, you could say.


The candy has become an issue. Last year we gave out 1200 treats! No, that's not a typo. Can you imagine buying enough treasures for 1200 little goblins? We have to buy bigger items so we can give each child ONE, in order to keep count for the next year! But it's part of the package deal, living in this neighborhood. We'll just call it an association fee!


We have collected our fair share of lawn ornaments for Halloween, but my participation lies more in the kitchen. Every year we plan a menu for the 80+ guests that will attend our party, then proceed to come up a  dangerous dungeon full of delectables. Our goal is ALWAYS to create treats that are fun and festive, but that taste GREAT! It's a horror to bite into a meticulously decorated witch cookie, only to howl with disappointment over shortening-laden frosting! PLECK!

So here is the beginning of my trial Halloween recipes. I promise to only include those that were screamingly scrumptious and are likely to end up at our party!

Of the milkshakes, the coffee version was MY favorite. I thought it would be fun to garnish them with bloody lady fingers! Hubby liked the gingersnap best and the kids liked the banana.

Sommer


NOTES~ I used canned pumpkin puree, but needed to sweeten and spice it up. If making these in mass, I would  buy canned pumpkin pie filling, then skip the extra sugar and pumpkin pie spice! Also, the Pumpkin-Gingersnap Shake doesn't need quite as much pumpkin as the other two with stronger competing flavors.

Each recipe makes 1 large (larger than the photos) milkshake.


Pumpkin-Snap Milkshake

1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 Tb. brown sugar
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 LARGE scoops vanilla ice cream
6-8 broken gingersnap cookies
1/4 – 1/3 cup milk

Puree in the blender until smooth. Garnish with extra cookies pieces or pepitas (pumpkin seeds).


Java-Squash Milkshake

½ cup pumpkin puree
1 Tb. brown sugar
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 LARGE scoops vanilla ice cream
1 tsp. finely ground coffee
1/4 – 1/3 cup milk

Puree in the blender until smooth. Garnish with extra coffee or lady fingers.


Ban-umpkin Milkshake

½ cup pumpkin puree
1 Tb. brown sugar
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 LARGE scoops vanilla ice cream
½ large ripe banana
1/4 – 1/3 cup milk

Puree in the blender until smooth. Garnish with banana slices.

Other fool-proof sweets that could be used for Halloween:

Pumpkin-Gingersnap Milkshake on Foodista

55 comments:

  1. These shakes are spooky!! Great way to get into the festivities. I LOVE your neighborhood. I wish everyone could grow up in a fun neighborhood like that - where trick or treating hasn't lost its cool.

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  2. The milkshakes look so good! And the neighborhood really fun!!

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  3. The shakes look great! What a fun fall treat :)

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  4. You had me at "pumpkin," but when I saw "java-squash," you sealed the deal.

    Cheers!

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  5. I love the milkshakes! Yumm!

    The decorations are adorable!

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  6. How fun to live in a neighborhood like that, I couldn't imagine passing out that much candy...that is insane! I love the decorations, I bet it is such a sight on Halloween night:) All these milkshakes sound yummy, I have to try them all!

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  7. Wow! You really make Halloween a BIG treat. I love these shake ideas. They all sound yummy to me! I think the most we do is carve a few pumpkins and make some tasty festive food. I can't even imagine giving away that many peices of candy,can you ask for tricks instead?

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  8. This is just what I ♥ about October! Fab ideas!!

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  9. Gorgeous milkshakes! I particularly like the Java-squash one... I wish our houses in Switzerland would be decorated like that!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  10. I love this milkshake:) it sounds really good. I love this post. Thanks for sharing.

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  11. Great recipes! I have to try some of them...I found you through MBC...Thanks for sharing.

    Jo
    http://joshealthcorner.blogspot.com

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  12. I love your milk-shakes. My son would love them too.

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  13. Wow! What delicious looking milkshakes! I wish I lived in your neighbourhood, it looks like so much fun:)

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  14. how fun! those are so cool! i am jealous of your neighborhood- looks like a ball!

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  15. I love Halloween food! And that banana pumpkin shake looks amazing! Um, if I call it a smoothie can I have it for breakfast even though it has ice cream in it?

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  16. I've been adding pumpkin to my milkshakes too! It makes such a difference...I feel like I'm sipping on Fall! I loved the different varieties that you created, and I'm eager to make my own pumpkin milkshake a bit more exciting!

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  17. I'd like to try each and every one of those! I love how festive your street gets :) We have a neighborhood like that for Christmas- Juniper Lane..its like they had to do it just because of the name! Halloween is so much more fun though!

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  18. you really do Halloween right in your neighborhood!! we get maybe one or two kids....no one really decorates...its just not the same when they come out in the daylight, modern times have really taken the fun out of Halloween...sigh...
    I could use a good party, yours sounds like it would be a blast!!! and I am really diggin' that banana pumpkin shake!!

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  19. I love the pictures of the shakes. They are really modern! I can't wait to try out the pumpkin shake.

    We have a neighborhood like yours that goes all out at Christmas. In fact, it's a requirement to live on that street! I think it's great that you participate. Did you run out of candy your first year?

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  20. What an interesting milkshak...can't say I have ever thought of a pumpkin milkshake...may have to try this come Halloween!

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  21. wow great milkshakes was so much fun to meet you come to Winston Salem next time he he Rebecca

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  22. You live in the kind of neighborhood I dream about! Halloween is my favorite holiday - my neighborhood is lame. I love all your shakes - especially the pumpkin snap!

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  23. We don't do Halloween over here on such a grand scale - wish we did though! To most people, it's just the last day of October *sigh* Your neighbourhood looks like so much fun - LOVE the Hitchcock movies on the sides of houses :D

    Your shakes sound gorgeous and the spooked up photos are so fitting!

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  24. Those decorations look so wonderfully festive and fun! The kids must love it! Those milkshakes look absolutely delicious! I think I would like the pumpkin snap milkshake for the spicy sweetness.

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  25. Ok, now I know where I'm trick or treating this year. I thought our neighborhood got into it but clearly we don't! That's amazing! Your desserts look spooky and delicious all at once. What time should I be there? :)

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  26. Absolutely fantastic pictures and shakes!

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  27. Your neighborhood looks so fun! I'm jealous! :)

    Your milkshakes are perfect for my pumpkin-obsessed cowboy! Thanks a million!

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  28. Halloween is not celebrated, neither here in paris nor in BA...We certainly miss the fun! VERY creative milkshakes!! I love the atmosphere!

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  29. The Halloween decoration is so fun and I almost got the goosepimples just looking at the pictures. Love the shakes...I have not tried using pumpkin in making shakes as yet.

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  30. What a fun neighborhood! Your house looks so great :)...as do all of these shakes...YUM!

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  31. Each and every one of the pumpkin milkshakes sound incredible :)

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  32. Hi dear,

    Thanx for the recent visit to my blog!!Keep visiting!!Lovely milkshake...i love milkshakes...

    Dr.Sameena@

    www.myeasytocookrecipes.blogspot.com

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  33. I cannot pick which one I like best...I know my kids would go for the bana-umpkin shake. It's right up their alley. I think the most kids we have ever had trick or treat is about 350. I just cannot imagine 1200!!!

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  34. Wow - these sound great! And the color enhancement you've done with the photos makes them look super-spooky. :)

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  35. Hi-Nice blog you have! I put your banana pumpkin shake on my recipefood review site and credited you so perhaps you will get some traffic!

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  36. I think I love Halloween much more as an adult than as a kid. Don't get me wrong, I loved it as a kid, too. But as an adult I love getting in costume and going to a party with all my "grown up" friends. It's just fun. Our dogs are so obnoxious with trick or treaters, Halloween night is always stressful. My poor husband sits on the couch and holds both of our oh-so-tough, viciously barking, scary Dachshunds while I pass out the candy. It's a real team effort. (I think I should post a blog entry about this now) I can't imagine having to deal with that with 1200 little goblins coming to our door. I think all 4 of us would need anti-anxiety meds!

    On another note, the milkshakes sound delicious. I especially like the first one garnished with pumpkin seeds. I should make these when I have my annual pumpkin carving party (also with my adult friends, but kids are welcome too! ;) )

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  37. Sommer, I was dreaming about pumpkin milkshakes the night before last. You know, when you're in that state of half asleep/half awake? I started to dream/think about pumpkin milkshakes (smile). Yours sound delicious!

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  38. Sommer, I think it's so cool that your neighborhood goes crazy over Halloween. I wish that it was like that where I live. I love Halloween and I think it's great to see the occassional house on the block that goes all out with the scary stuff on the lawn. I would get a kick out of seeing every house on the block decked out. That must be so much fun for your kids!

    The milkshakes all sound awesome. I really like the way the banana pumpkin one sounds. I wish I was invited to your party!

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  39. Sounds like your house is the place to be on Halloween (my favorite holiday :) Love these milkshakes, the Java squash sounds wonderful :)

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  40. We live in a neighborhood with Halloween Fever too! We host a party and sit on the front porch because there is no sense in ever closing the front door. I love seeing the little kids in costumes, even dogs and of course grown ups too. I have never put pumpkin in a drink but hey, why not?? It sounds delicious and I love your spooky colored photographs, you're really getting me in the mood:)

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  41. I love all of the three pumpkin milkshakes - so creative!

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  42. Delicious. I love what you did with the photos. They look spooky :)

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  43. Java squash milk shake sounds delicious. They all do! Love the decorations:)

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  44. These sound fantastic! I love pumpkin, but would have never thought of making a milkshake with them. Now I'm thinking smoothies, and that coffee one would be perfect for fall mornings. So glad you found me--I've bookmarked your blog, cause everything looks delicious.
    :)

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  45. Three great ideas...they all look tasty. I think the pumpkin-snap would be my fav.
    Can't imagine getting so many trick-or-treaters...we get about 5!

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  46. Wow! These are such a fun idea for halloween!!!

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  47. Wow, love how you go all out for Halloween! It was always my favorite. fun "holiday". Fantastically ghoulish looking shakes :)

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  48. Lovely smoothies and a great fun idea!

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  49. These shakes are perfect. I have never thought of using pumkin to make a shake and now im thinking how i lived all this time without this wonderful idea. Looks gorgeous!

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  50. How fun, to have such a motivated street, our is very boring....I love these milkshakes and the topping are fab, have fun creating new treats!!

    sweetlife

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  51. Wow, sounds like your house is the place to be for Halloween. Love the milkshakes, how creative!

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  52. Wow. I utterly adore the Halloween spirit in your neighborhood! I have no idea how you manage to cook/bake for 80 guests and hand out treats to 1200 AND get your own kids out the door for trick or treating. But I bet everyone appreciates it. Can't wait to see what you post next.

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