Pumpkin Juice and Cheese Shell Stuffed Shells

People everywhere are getting into the swing of autumn. Pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks are back, Halloween costumes are out for buying in stores, the state fair is in full swing here and fall and winter weather clothes are coming out from storage boxes. The pumpkin is such a celebrated food in the fall, I thought I would share my favorite pumpkin recipe and it's actually a drink. This pumpkin juice is from a recipe that was on MuggleNet and I looked at the recipe just the other day and saw that it was changed from how I originally made it so here it is how I remember it.

Half a can of pumpkin puree
1/2 c pineapple juice
1 1/2 c apple juice
1 tbsp honey
water to thin *optional

Add contents to blender, blend till smooth. Taste, add more honey if you want it sweeter or a pinch of cinnamon to spice it a little. If you want to make a treat of it, add a couple scoops of vanilla ice cream.

I'm not going to make any promises on this but when I was younger and I drank this I lost weight with it. I am going to make a pitcher of this and try and drink two glasses of it a day all through October. I hope to be able to lose some weight with it again.

Cheese Shell Stuffed Shells
I was scanning the main page of one of my favorite blogs and I found this recipe and I'm going to make it later today. Any pasta recipe from The Noble Pig has always been a winner in my book which is why I'm so excited to try this recipe!

From Better Homes and Gardens

24 dried jumbo shell macaroni
8 oz. dried tiny shell macaroni (2 cups)
2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded (8 oz.)
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8 oz)
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/8 teaspoon white pepper or pepper
1 24 oz. jar vodka sauce (Emeril is my favorite brand)
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 cup)
Fresh basil leaves for garnish

Preheat oven to 350^o F. Cook jumbo shells according to package directions. Using a large slotted spoon, transfer shells to a colander. Rinse with cold water; drain well and set aside. In same pan cook tiny shells according to package directions. Drain; set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan combine Gruyere cheese, cheddar cheese, half-and-half and pepper. Heat over medium-low heat until cheese is melted and smooth, stirring frequently. Stir in tiny shells.

Spread 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce in the bottom of a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Spoon cheese-shell mixture into drained jumbo shells; place stuffed shells in prepared baking dish. Top with remaining pasta sauce.

Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, about 15 minutes more or until heated through. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Top with fresh basil and serve.

Hope everyone has a good weekend!