Pumpkin Spice… much like cilantro, you either love it or you hate it.

I happen to be in the love group, so when the Autumn season hits, I put this spice mixture in everything!

This Homemade Pumpkin Spice Mix Recipe is from Catherine Boeckmann at the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Does pumpkin spice contain pumpkin? Nope! But the flavors go perfectly with any squash, pumpkin, bread, coffee or tea, or really anything you want to spice up.

According to the Almanac’s article, A Century-Long Passion for Pumpkin Spice, the Pilgrims developed this spice mixture. The Native people of America introduced them to the pumpkin an abundant crop that could help sustain them in the winter. The Pilgrims cooked the pumpkins with warm and aromatic spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove or allspice.

““They would cut the top off of the pumpkin, scoop out the seeds, and fill it with cream, honey, eggs, and spices. Then, they would place the top back on and cook the pumpkin in the ashes of a fire. When the pumpkin was cooked, they removed it from the ashes and scooped out the contents along with the cooked flesh. It was like a custard or pudding.””

— Almanac.com

What’s great about these spices is their immune boosting properties that help us to stay well in the winter. They help to reduce inflammation in the body and activate healing. Here are some attributes of each from GreenMedInfo’s research database.

Cinnamon: balances blood sugar, improves lipid profiles (cholesterol), and cardiovascular health

Clove: antioxidant, antimicrobial, and potential anticancer effects
Ginger: anti-inflammatory, digestive, and helps to regulate blood pressure
Nutmeg: antibacterial, pain relief, and antidepressant
Mace: antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antiproliferative effects on cancer cells
Allspice: antioxidant, antitumor effects, and helps to lower blood pressure

Try making a mix and see where it takes you!

Pumpkin Spice Mix Recipe

To create pumpkin spice mix, combine the following:

1/3 cup ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg or mace
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1-1/2 teaspoons ground allspice

Tip: Sprinkle a teaspoon of pumpkin spice mix into your carved pumpkin before lighting the candle. Your jack-o’-lantern will still look spooky, but smell delightful!

Looking for an easy autumn gift? Make a gift jar of pumpkin spice and add a tag with these instructions: “For pumpkin pie, add 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons of spice mix to your other ingredients.”

Try these other sweet and Savory Pumpkin Recipes from The Old Farmer’s Almanac, a Slab Pie or the Joy of Cooking’s Perfect Pumpkin Pie. If you’d like to try the spice already made, check out Pinch Spice Market! Or stop by October Cafe in Chicago where you can get Pumpkin Spice-flavored items all year round!

Recommended by Claire at Gnosis Natural Health, this pasta salad is perfect for any summer potluck. It’s also nice because you can make parts of it and assemble it when you get there so it’s perfectly fresh.

This can be made with meat or without and this recipe uses gluten-free pasta. Greek dressing is a wonderful addition with a delicate flavor, but a good olive oil and seasoning salt is also delightful.

This is such a nourishing and refreshing dish to share :) Thanks Claire!

Ingredients:

1 bag rotini GF pasta, (365 Whole Foods brand is a good one)

1 medium purple onion, diced

3 baby cucumbers, sliced

5 green onion stalks

1/4cup fresh parsley

2 tablespoons of minced garlic

Olive oil, Gibson's seasoning salt, kosher salt

Method:

After cooking pasta in kosher sea salted water, drain and put in flat pan.

Sprinkle a layer of Gibson's seasoning, parmesan cheese fresh or ground and add the red onion. Drizzle olive oil

Then; layer the rest of the toppings (cucumber, onion, parsley). Follow with a light layer of more Gibson's, and a little sea salt.

Optional: add seasoned meat (like bacon), additional lemon, olive oil dressing or Mediterranean dressing of choice (a good one is Strompolos Authentic Greek Dressing)

Scoop and enjoy.