How can you tell that summer is over? Labor Day weekend has passed by. The leaves start to turn colors. Restaurants and cafes start offering pumpkin flavored drinks and pastries! You can enjoy plenty of foods that have pumpkin in them from the comfort of your own home. Here are a few tasty, and inexpensive, recipes with pumpkin for you to try!

Did you know that you can cook a (small) pumpkin in a crockpot? Make sure you wash it first. Remove the stalk. Cut the pumpkin in half and take out the seeds and pulp. Cut the rest into small pieces and put them in your crockpot. The Happy Housewife blog has a step-by-step set of directions (with photos) for you to follow. Substitute this for the canned pumpkin in any recipe.

Pumpkin Oatmeal

This recipe is from the Food Network website. It is from Aarti Sequeira. Start your day with a pumpkin flavored breakfast! This recipe will serve 4.

You will need:
* 1 can of unseasoned pumpkin puree (14 ounces)
* 2 cups water
* 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
* 2 tablespoons raisins
* 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
* 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon plus 1 / 4 teaspoon ground cloves
* 2 cups of quick cooking oatmeal (Don’t use the instant kind!)
* 1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
* Honey or maple sugar
* Heavy cream

In a saucepan over high heat, combine the pumpkin puree, water, milk, raisins, salt, and pumpkin spices. Bring it to a boil. Add the oatmeal. In a skillet, toast the pepitas until they are golden brown. Serve the oatmeal with honey or maple sugar, sprinkle the pepitas on top. Offer heavy cream to those who prefer porridge.

Pumpkin Soup With Spiced Croutons
This recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens. It serves 8.

You will need:
* 2 medium carrots (sliced)
* 2 tablespoons of butter
* 1 medium onion (chopped finely)
* 1 celery stalk (chopped finely)
* 1 minced clove of garlic
* 2 of the 15 ounce cans of pumpkin
* 1 can (32 ounces) of chicken broth (reduced sodium)
* 1/2 cup of half-and-half (or light cream)
* 1/2 cup water
* 3 tablespoons maple syrup
* 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
* Some salt, pepper, and a package of your favorite spiced croutons

Get a saucepan. Cook the carrots in hot butter over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and garlic. When vegetables are tender, stir in the pumpkin, broth, maple syrup, water, and pumpkin pie spice. Season to taste. Add croutons on the top of the soup when it is ready to be served.

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