Five Eats and Treats for a Fantastic Friendsgiving

It's now November and you know what that means; lots of cooking! Between Thanksgiving, Sunday football games, and hibernation due to the cold weather -- you bet you'll constantly be in the kitchen. But don't sweat it! We've got some great recipes for you that show how thankful you are for your friends, family and people that may need some extra love during tough times. Share some smiles with these five eats and treats for a fantastic friendsgiving!

Roasted Pumpkin with Feta and Honey Bruschetta

We love bruschetta! And we love the use of honey with the pumpkin. Sweet and savory! For ingredients you will need:

1 butternut pumpkin or squash (about 600g or 1.3lbs)
3 tablespoons oil (I used a herb oil but regular olive oil will do)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
50g/1.7 ozs feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
salt and pepper to season
French baguette or crostinis

To create this appetizer check out the cooking directions provided by Not Quite Nigella here.

Pumpkin and Sage Ravioli

For ingredients you will need:

1 1/2 cups of pumpkin purée
1 cup of ricotta cheese
2 oz. of goat cheese
3 tbsp of fresh sage, minced
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp of fresh/coarsely ground black pepper (if using finely ground pepper, start with 1/2 a tsp and adjust to taste)
3/4 tsp nutmeg
2 batches of egg pasta dough

These look amazing and the directions are easy to follow! Check out the preparation and cooking instructions by Reclaiming Provincial here.

Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash and Quinoa

There is nothing better than soup. My favorite food of all time! Truly warms the soul. For ingredients you will need:

1½ lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded & chopped into ½-inch pieces
3½ cups chicken broth
1½ lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
½ tsp kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
1½ tsp dried oregano
1 can (14 oz) petite diced tomatoes
⅔ cup uncooked quinoa
¾ cup pitted and quartered kalamata olives
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cooking instructions by Cookin' Canuck can be found here. We do love your recipe (even though you appear to be a Vancouver Canucks fan). Go B's!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

We are obsessed with these! You can even add a little bacon to top off the cupcake for an extra savory element. For ingredients you will need:

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing pans

1 cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk mixed with 1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin

Frosting

Two (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/4 cup pure maple syrup
Optional: Bacon

Enjoy these delicious treats with all of your companions! Get the baking instructions by Honey & Jam here.

Carrot Cake

Last but not least, everyone's favorite fall dessert; carrot cake! For ingredients you will need:

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp allspice
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
6 egg whites
3 cups peeled, grated carrots

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick butter or margarine, softened
powdered sugar (2 1/2 to 3 1/2, depending on how stiff you want your frosting to be)
2 tsp vanilla.

Get the preparation and baking instructions provided by Mary Mary Quite Contrary here.

You can totally make all of these awesome eats and treats for one gathering but we also recommend giving one recipe a try for each November celebration you'll be attending or hostig! Your family, friends and people in need will be quite impressed by the way you devour the details of the busiest cooking month of the year!