Thanksgiving, a time to celebrate gratitude with our loved ones, is rapidly approaching! As everyone knows, Thanksgiving day ends with a large feast to indulge on, but what about during the day?  If you are looking for some simple recipes that will wow your whole family and hold them over before night falls, then you are at the perfect place. Now, we will venture into the land of spice and sweet to prepare you for the upcoming holiday.

Our first recipe is a five-ingredient, five-minute hummus that will add some fun pumpkin spice

before you can indulge on a sweet pumpkin pie.

You will need:

• One 15 ounce can of chickpeas that are rinsed and drained
• One cup of canned pure pumpkin
• 1/4 cup of water
• Two tablespoons of torn sage leaves
• One and a half tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• One and a half teaspoons coarse kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh sage

First, in a food processor, add all the ingredients, except the minced sage, and process until it’s smooth. Disclaimer: you may need to scrape down the sides a few times while it’s processing. Next, transfer the hummus to a bowl and garnish it with the minced sage. Serve it immediately with pita chips or store it in the refrigerator. You can get the full recipe at 5-minute-savory-pumpkin-hummus!

Our next recipe is continuing on the pumpkin trend with a twist on your classic pumpkin pie:

spiced pumpkin pie dip. The dip can be served with apple slices, graham crackers, or anything that you’d like. The full recipe can be found at spiced-pumpkin-pie-dip.

The ingredients are:

• One-15 ounce can of pumpkin puree
• Four ounces cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup of packed brown sugar (dark or light)
• Two teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
• One teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ cup of chopped pecans (optional)
• ¾ cup of mini marshmallows

The steps are as follows:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Beat the cream cheese in a bowl with an electric mixer till it’s soft and creamy.
3. Add your pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pecans, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon.
4. Mix on medium speed till everything is incorporated.
5. Scoop the mixture into a two cup baking dish.
6. Add marshmallows to the top.
7. Bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes.
8. Serve with whatever you fancy.

There you have it, Knights! Your very own pumpkin pie dip that is as good as the star of the night, pumpkin pie.

Now, here is a drink option that your whole family can enjoy. Sip on it during the day or with your feast at night.

The drink is a sweet yet sour citrus-berry punch that requires a minimal amount of ingredients:

• Six ounces from a 12 ounce can of frozen citrus juice blend concentrate (thawed).
• Six ounces from a 12 ounce can of frozen berry juice blend concentrate (thawed).
• Chilled 12 liter bottle of ginger ale
• Optional: Orange half-slices

Here are the simple instructions to make your drink. Add your juice concentrations and orange half-slices into a large pitcher. Slowly pour in the chilled ginger ale. Stir and serve the punch with ice. There you have it, Knights! The detailed recipe can be found at citrus-berry-punch.

I hope you enjoy all of the recipes and have an amazing Thanksgiving with your loved ones. Don’t be afraid to experiment in the kitchen and learn a bit more about the cooking process leading up to dinner. As always, don’t forget to strive for the impossible and be extraordinary!