Pumpkin Potpourri Week Begins

Update: Giveaway is now closed. Winners are posted here. Thanks!

Welcome to Pumpkin Potpourri Week! I'm glad you're here. Can you smell the pumpkin and spice scents wafting from the kitchen? It's the perfect way to announce that Fall is officially here today! Please stick with me to the end of this post so you get all the giveaway info and the yummy pumpkin recipe at the end!

Melissa from The Inspired Room got me to start thinking about Fall with her Fall Nesting, which got me thinking about pumpkin, eventually leading to a pumpkin week. Why Pumpkin Potpourri Week? Well, pumpkin recipes cooking in the house smell fantastic - better than any potpourri - and I'm covering a variety of things about pumpkin this week.

Be sure to stop by each day this week. I'll have a pumpkin fact and a pumpkin recipe every day. On Wednesday, you'll have the opportunity to link up with your favorite pumpkin-themed posts. On Friday (as always), you can link up a chocolate-themed post, but this week you can also put up pumpkin posts in honor of Fall! Oh, and there are giveaways!

I'm having 3 giveaways. There is one for commenters, one for linkers, and one for promoters. (You can enter all 3!) I'll explain.

Commenters' Giveaway: Leave a comment on any post this week (1 entry per comment - max 1 per day) and you'll be entered to win this:

Book will have recipes featured during the week.

Linkers' Giveaway: Link up* to Wednesday's or Friday's posts with your themed posts and get entered to win this:

*If you don't have a blog, leave your recipes or ideas in the comments and I will enter you.

Promoters' Giveaway: Promote* Pumpkin Potpourri Week and let me know about it so you'll get entered to win this:

Missing from picture is a pumpkin bread mix with recipe, and it should be noted that I am not actually a Southern Lady, but don't "y'all" think I would fit in?

*To promote you can post about Pumpkin Potpourri Week, put a link on your sidebar (with or without the button), announce it in a forum or on a board, stumble the posts, e-mail your friends and family with a link, etc. Be sure to let me know what you've done, so I can check it out if possible!

Sound exciting? I hope so! I will close down the giveaways on Sunday night 9/28 and announce the winners on Monday 9/29. Winners will be notified by e-mail and will have 4 days to respond before I have to pick a new winner. Fun, fun!
OK, enough of that, let's get to the pumpkin!

Pumpkin Fact of the Day

*** Pumpkin is a member of the squash family. ***

You probably knew that one. Butternut squash is similar - have you ever had butternut squash pie instead of pumpkin pie? Just wondering...

To start off the week, I thought I better start with a pumpkin recipe for breakfast. The recipe is for muffins and they are actually good for you! Stop a second and drool over the picture (my husband took that one).

Pumpkin Blueberry Streusel Muffins
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups canned pumpkin
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Streusel Topping (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or paper-line 24 muffin cups.

Combine flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Combine pumpkin, eggs and vegetable oil in medium bowl; stir well. Stir into flour mixture just until moistened. Gently fold in blueberries. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 full. Sprinkle with Streusel Topping.

Bake for 28-30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool slightly. Serve warm. Makes 24 muffins.

FOR STREUSEL TOPPING:
Combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon in medium bowl. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter or margarine with pastry blender or two knives until mixture is crumbly.

(If you're a Weight Watcher's person, these are 4 pts per muffin - not bad for a yummy, moist muffin.)

*******************

These muffins are a hit wherever I take them. Once I took them to church and was complimented on my "cupcakes", so you know these must be good - LOL!

Hope you enjoyed our first day of Pumpkin Potpourri Week! Come back tomorrow to see what's happening and be sure to enter the giveaways!

Lisa :)