Pumpkins are more than jack-o-lanterns. Sure, that's the sexiest (and scariest!) use of the glorious pumpkin, but really, they have so much more to offer. I refuse to see them type-cast as the hot blonde of the gourd kingdom, forced to spend their prime days rotting on someone's porch. Not surprisingly, 80 percent of the pumpkin supply in the United States is available in October, so there is no better time to get out there and save a pumpkin today! From roasting pumpkin seeds to creating a Pumpkin Spice Infused Vodka, you cannot go wrong with this delicious beauty. Oh, and they're filled with potassium and vitamin A so they'll help fortify you for the winter months. Is there anything the pumpkin can't do!? Well, it probably can't get a driver's license. You got me.

Check out some of our favorite pumpkin lover recipes on VegWeb:

• Chocolate Pumpkin Pudding
• Amazing Pumpkin Cornbread
• Pumpkin Curry
• Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake
• No-Bake Pumpkin Cookies

One of the things I thought I might have to give up when I became vegan was bread pudding. Filled with cream and eggs, I didn't know how to replicate that "bounce" I loved so much. Enter the slow cooker. My mom gave me this as a gift for my 25th birthday and I thought she'd gone mad. I was a free-wheeling lady about town, why would I have use for a slow cooker!? Honestly, I was disgusted. It sat unopened in my closet for no less than four years. I broke it out one day when I saw a recipe on VegWeb that I had to make and people, I haven't looked back since. I love this thing. You just set it and forget it and it works like magic! Well, maybe not magic but it seriously feels like that. Throw a few ingredients into the slow cooker in the morning, and come home to a piping hot feast. Love! This slow cooker bread pudding recipe is bouncy, gooey perfection. It's also my all-time favorite recipe for fall. The smell of pumpkin will fill your house, and you'll have no choice but to curl up with a good book and a fire (or several blankets) and celebrate the season.

What You Need:

1 tablespoon margarine (I use Earth Balance)
1 loaf bread, cut into cubes (about 8 cups, divided)
3-1/2 cups soy nog (I use Silk brand. If not available, soy, rice, or almond milk will work well)
1 16-ounce can of pumpkin
1/4 cup bourbon
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional but delicious)

What You Do:

1. Grease slow cooker with margarine. Place 4 cups of the bread in the slow cooker.
2. Pour the soy nog into a sauce pan and bring to a soft boil. Immediately remove from stove and let cool.
3. In a large bowl, mix the pumpkin, bourbon, sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Stir in the slightly cooled soy nog into the pumpkin mixture.
4. Pour some of the mixture over the 4 cups of bread in the slow cooker. Push the bread down so that it’s covered. Add the rest of the bread and pour the remaining mixture over the that. Make sure everything is covered and put the covered slow cooker on low for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. If you want extra deliciousness you can stir in raisins and chocolate chips halfway through cooking. You know it’s done when it’s bouncy and firm. Serve with vegan whipped cream or ice cream. Enjoy!

Lisa Jervis is the founder of Bitch Magazine and the all-around coolest person on earth. She's also way into eating easy, healthy, and local. Oh, and vegan. Yay! Her new book, Cook Food, is a "manualfesto" that teaches people how to make nutritious, inexpensive, fantastic food. Filled with mouth-watering recipes like "lentils with wine" and "spicy brownies," this book will have you eating on the cheap, without sacrificing taste. For a chance to win a copy, just head over to our Weekly Giveaway Thread and let us know what your favorite inexpensive vegan dish to prepare is.

Good luck!

Peace in your kitchen,

Webmistress Laura
VegWeb.com
San Francisco, CA

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