​Pumpkin is packed with incredible nutrition to support the development and strength of our eyesight, bones, and immune systems. For years I have been making pumpkin muffins, pancakes, and cookies and love how this nutrient dense vegetable adds to their flavor and nutritional value. This year I decided it would be fun to try using pumpkin in a new way and since my family loved it I couldn't resist sharing it here for PUMPKIN month at Veggie Buds Club! You can find the tasty PUMPKIN SPICE CHICKEN recipe below. And to make a really festive meal on Halloween you could serve it with orange sides such as carrots, orange peppers, golden berries, mashed sweet potato, roasted butternut quash, or turmeric spiced cauliflower rice!

Ingredients

• 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup pure canned pumpkin (or your own homemade puree if you prefer)
• 1/4 cup honey mustard
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric

Instructions

1. Place chicken breasts on a baking stone or in a glass baking dish whole or in strips.
2. Mix chicken broth, pumpkin puree, mustard, maple syrup, and spices together and pour over chicken. Add a small amount of additional chicken broth or water to the edges of the pan to prevent the chicken from drying out. 
3. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until chicken breasts are cooked through. (NOTE: Larger pieces will take longer to cook and oven temperatures can vary slightly leading to varying cooking times.)

With the leaves beginning to change and fall in the air, it’s the perfect time for pumpkins! We gathered some orange foods at the grocery store to make a family favorite for this week’s #eatprettycoloroftheweek. We had a lot of fun exploring the cheese department this week. There are so many varieties of cheese and they have such different tastes and textures. We settled on cheddar cheese, smoked gouda, butternut squash pasta, and of course pumpkin! Throwing these ingredients together makes a delicious mac & cheese that both my picky eaters and I devoured. The pumpkin isn’t too noticeable but it helps make it the creamiest texture.

Whether you use homemade pumpkin purée or pumpkin from a can, these wholesome baked donuts are the most delicious way to celebrate the veggie of the month! Don’t worry if you don’t have a donut pan. You can bake up the same batter in a mini muffin pan and call them donut holes! Your little chef is going to love measuring, mixing, and scooping the batter. The pumpkin spice-sugar coating to top off the donuts is optional but really makes them a special sweet treat. 

Makes 6 large donuts, 12 mini donuts, or 12-14 mini muffins
Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour (or gluten-free flour blend)*
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon fine salt
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, pinch of ground nutmeg and cloves)
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons pumpkin purée (from a can or homemade)
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• ½ cup coconut sugar (or 1/3 cup brown sugar)
• ½ cup milk (any kind)

Topping

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil or butter, melted
• ¼ cup maple sugar, granulated sugar, or coconut sugar 
• ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a donut pan or mini muffin tin.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
3. In a second bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients (besides the topping). Add the wet ingredient to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined.
4. If making donuts, scoop batter into a small zip-top bag. Twist the top then cut the tip off of one corner of the bag. Squeeze the batter into your donut pan, filling them each about ¾ of the way. If making donut “holes,” scoop batter into muffin tin using a spoon or small ice cream scoop. 
5. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the donut or mini muffin comes out clean, about 10 to 12 minutes for large donuts and 8 to 10 minutes for mini donuts or muffins.
6. Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes then transfer donuts to a cooling rack. Mix sugar and extra pumpkin pie spice in a small, shallow bowl. When donuts are cool enough to handle, use a pastry brush to coat the tops of the donuts with a thin layer of oil. Dip into spiced sugar mixture.
7. The sugar coated donuts are best enjoyed the same day they are made. Plain donuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

 *I used Bob’s Red Mill white whole wheat flour, oat flour, and gluten-free flour mix with success.

October's featured veggie is PUMPKIN at Veggie Buds Club, and we are very excited to bring you a recipe from Stephanie Middleberg's new cookbook, "The Big Book of Organic Toddler Food" for this week's post!

These no-bake pumpkin balls are tasty, and they freeze well so they're perfect on-the-go snacks your toddler (and probably everyone else in your family) will enjoy. I also find with energy bites that you can really add anything to them. Check what's in your pantry - these would be excellent with shredded coconut, dried fruit, or cacao powder added in. Use gluten-free oats to keep them gluten- and allergen-free.

Serves 10 to 12
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
• 1/2 cup sun butter
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• Pinch sea salt

Instructions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, sun butter, pumpkin puree, flaxseed, honey, pumpkin pie spice, and salt, mixing well.
3. Form the mixture into 1-tablespoon balls and place on the prepared tray. Serve immediately, or transfer to an airtight container and store, refrigerated, for up to 1 week.

Substitution Tip: For vegan, you can replace the honey with 3 tablespoons of pure maple syrup. You may need to add up to 1/4 cup more of the oats to adjust the texture of the balls.