Pumpkin Recipe Round Up (And Giveaway!)

I know it's only August, but Starbucks has recently announced that they will be releasing the pumpkin spice latte EARLY this year!  August 25th to be exact, and I couldn't be more excited. In fact, we're reaching that time of year where it's socially acceptable to put pumpkin in pretty much anything.  I love that when I show up to MOPS meetings in September and October that there's always a full spread of pumpkin loaf, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin dip.... everyone has their own favorite pumpkin recipes and everyone has their own spin on how to make them "the right way."

I know that we all have pumpkin boards on Pinterest these days that are full of thousands of things that you can do with a pumpkin, but today I'm going to save you some time and share with you some of my favorites.  Because, don't get me wrong, some of those recipes on Pinterest are absolutely wonderful..... BUT, have you ever looked around at some of the Pinterest fails?  So, here's some recipes that are tried and true.  The testing has already been done for you and I can confirm that it turns out lovely every single time.  Some recipes are my own that I've honed over the years, and some are from here and there around the web... so hold on tight!

We'll start with a classic, my recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins.

This doesn't have real pumpkin in it (although pumpkin candy corns should count, right?), but another Fall favorite is this Cheerio Candy Mix.

Putting pumpkin in an entree is going to sound weird to most, but you have GOT to give this Pumpkin Patch Pasta a try!  Stuffed shells with chicken and spinach, and a delicious pumpkin sauce.  I don't have a photo for you, but trust me that it's delicious. 

The most delicious Pumpkin Scones with maple-cinnamon glaze.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread, you really can't go wrong when you match pumpkin and cream cheese.  It will ALWAYS be amazing. 

And last but certainly not least are these super cute and super easy Baked Pumpkin Wontons, my only critique to this recipe is that some of my edges ended up burnt while the middles were still cooking.  I think next time I'll try them at a lower temperature. 

What are your favorite pumpkin recipes?  Do you like Pumpkin Spice Lattes?  Do you want to go grab a latte with a friend soon?  Well here's your chance to win a $10 Starbucks gift card so that you can get the pumpkin season started off right.  Simply fill out the rafflecopter below.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Giveaway open to US residents only.  (Sorry international friends)  And you must be 18 or older to win.  Winner will be contacted via email and will have 72 hours to respond, at which point their prize will be forfeited and a NEW winner will be drawn.  Giveaway is open until September 1, 2014.