It’s time to make use of the last of the fall pumpkins, and this granola is the perfect venue. Low in saturated fat and cholesterol, pumpkin is a great source of vitamins E, A, C and B6; thiamin; niacin; folate; iron; magnesium; potassium and fiber. I love making granola because it’s not an exact science. I can use whatever nuts, seeds and dried fruits I have on hand. This batch is not overly potent (though that depends heavily on the strength of the oil you use), and I can divvy it into pocket-sized portions for a portable snack.
 
Making this with fresh pumpkin requires more prep time; the pumpkin and its seeds need to be roasted the day before. This adds several steps, and you can easily substitute canned puree and store-bought pepitas (pumpkin seeds). A 5-pound pumpkin makes about 5 pounds of puree, so store the leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer to use in other recipes. You’ll probably have extra pepitas to snack on as well.
 
1 small sugar or pie pumpkin (about 5 pounds or smaller)
1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds (or store-bought pepitas)
2 to 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
½ cup sliced almonds
8 –dried dates, pits removed, chopped (a few more if you like dates)
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
3 tablespoons coconut sugar
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup cannabis-infused coconut oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
Parchment paper
Baking sheets
Colander
Blender or food processor
Wooden spoon
 
To make pumpkin puree:
 
Preheat oven to 350 F.
 
Cut pumpkin in half, scrape out seeds and stringy flesh (an ice cream scoop works great for this). Reserve seeds and set aside.
 
Line baking sheet with parchment paper and bake for about 45 minutes until flesh can be easily pierced with a fork.
 
Remove from oven and place on a baking rack to let cool. Scrape out flesh, remove any peel and puree in blender or food processor or mash by hand. (Store extra in fridge for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.)
 
To make pepitas:
 
Place seeds in a colander and rinse under cold water, removing as much pumpkin flesh as possible. Spread seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Let set for several hours or more until completely dry.
 
Preheat oven to 250 F.
 
Drizzle seeds with olive oil and toss with your fingers until seeds are evenly coated. Season lightly with salt to taste.
 
Cook for about an hour, until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
 
To make granola:
 
Preheat oven to 340 F.
 
In a mixing bowl, combine 1/3 cup of the pepitas, almonds, dates, coconut, pecans,
coconut sugar and sea salt.
 
In a saucepan over medium-low to medium heat, whisk together coconut oil, syrup, ½ cup pumpkin puree, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice until thoroughly combined.
 
Pour liquid mixture over dry ingredients and mix thoroughly with wooden spoon.
 
Put parchment paper on baking sheets. Spread granola in a single layer on baking sheets. Bake 20-35 minutes, until golden brown. Stir about halfway through cooking time.
 
Remove from oven and place baking sheets on wire racks until granola has cooled.
 
Transfer to labeled airtight container. Granola can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks or frozen for several months.

​For this gluten-free recipe, I can use up the last of the fall vegetables I have on hand along with cannabis bone broth from my freezer. I use a third of a cup of thawed infused broth, but you can adjust the soup’s potency by using more or less of it. Just make sure your stock and broth measurements add up to 2 cups total. For an extremely potent soup, add a teaspoon or two of ground cannabis when you add your spices. This soup simmers in a slow cooker for six to eight hours, so I can make it in the morning, go about my day, and enjoy a relaxing medicated dinner. Garnish it with roasted pumpkin seeds or a few crumbles of organic bacon and enjoy with a big, fresh salad. 
 
Serves 4
 
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 sprig fresh sage
½ teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 -2 teaspoons ground cannabis flowers (highly optional)
1/3 cup cannabis bone broth
1-2/3 cups chicken stock
½ cup coconut milk
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Roasted pumpkin seeds or crumbled bacon to garnish
Slow cooker
Blender
 
Place everything except coconut milk in slow cooker. Stir. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
 
Remove sage leaves. Place mixture in blender and puree until smooth.
 
Pour in coconut milk and pulse until well blended.
 
Return to slow cooker. Cook on high for 20 minutes.
 
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with pumpkin seeds or bacon and serve.
 
Store leftovers in a labeled container in the refrigerator.

It’s bone broth season! Days are cold, nights are freezing—and warm, nutrient-rich broth from slowly simmered bones, herbs and vegetables makes sense. The shops and restaurants in Boulder charge ridiculous prices for bone broth, even though it’s cheap and relatively easy to make. My Midwestern grandmas made it because they never wasted anything, especially precious food. Every type of bone, from goat to fish, can be simmered into nutritious broth full of minerals and amino acids that are great for our joints and guts.
 
I simmer chicken feet, wings and backs along with a few vegetables and dried herbs   from the garden, then shred a  few cured cannabis flowers into the mix. They give it a rich, pleasant flavor and more potency than you might expect. If you’re looking for psychoactive effects from this broth, don’t skim off the fat and foam that floats to the top. THC binds to the fat, and the foam adds flavor and nutrients as long as you use organic, pasture-raised meat
 
This broth can be drunk like a bullion and used like stock to medicate and enhance the flavor of everything from sauces to smoothies—and it makes a great base for egg drop soup. You’ll get very high if you gulp down a mugful, though, so sip this slowly. Or, instead, stir an espresso shot or less of this medicated broth into non-infused broth during the last 10 minutes of heating (You can also add salt, crushed red pepper and crushed garlic at that time).
 
For easy dosing, freeze infused broth in ice cube trays and pop out one or two at a time.  

Makes about 1 gallon
​ 
3 pounds organic, free-range chicken feet, wings and necks
About 1 gallon filtered water
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
1 or 2 small raw or cured cannabis flowers (about 1 gram), coarsely crumbled
Fresh or dried parsley, thyme and/or oregano, coarsely crumbled, to taste
Crockpot with very low setting
Colander
Heat-resistant bowl or pot
Fine mesh strainer
Cheesecloth (optional)
Medium-size bowl
Labeled gallon-size glass jar or ice cube trays and airtight freezer container
 
Tear cannabis flowers apart with your fingers or crush with mortar and pestle. Place bones, vegetables, cannabis and herbs in crockpot. Cover with water. Simmer gently on low heat for 24 to 48 hours.  Replace water as it evaporates, making sure the bones and vegetables remain covered.
 
Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Pour bone bits, vegetables and broth through colander into heat-resistant bowl or pot. Discard vegetables or save for another use. Let broth cool to room temperature as quickly as possible to prevent bacteria growth.
 
Line fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth (if using) and place over bowl. Pour broth through strainer to catch final solids. Discard solids or save for another use.
 
Transfer broth to labeled jar or ice cube trays. Store jars in refrigerator for up to 5 days. If freezing, transfer cubes to labeled airtight freezer container as soon as they freeze and keep for up to 3 months.

Infusing an entire Thanksgiving turkey with cannabis has never made sense to me. I don’t want my guests falling asleep in their mashed potatoes. I like to serve this gently infused cranberry sauce, a riff on a recipe my friend Sarah Belk King dreamed up for Natural Home magazine 15 years ago, so people can take a little or a lot based on their tolerance and needs. I always make a batch without cannabis so we can eat as much of it as we want—and we eat a lot. These cranberries are so good.
 
Serves 6 – 10
 
2 cups cannabis flowers or trim
¾ cup Meyer’s dark rum
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
10 ounces Harvest Spirits Cornelius applejack
3 cloves
1 cup coconut sugar
¾ cup water
1 orange rind, cut into ¼-inch pieces
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
12 ounces fresh organic cranberries
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
Jar or bottle with airtight lid
Coffee grinder or mortar and pestle
Baking sheet
Fine mesh strainer
Cheesecloth
 
Preheat oven to 180 degrees F.
 
Using coffee grinder or mortar and pestle, grind cannabis to a fine powder.
 
Place cannabis in single layer on baking sheet and heat in oven for 30 minutes.
 
Meanwhile, combine raisins, rum, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon and nutmeg in small pan and simmer over very low heat. Stir occasionally until raisins are plump and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
 
Remove cannabis from oven and let cool slightly.
 
Combine cannabis with applejack in a saucepan and bring to a low boil. Boil gently for about 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to stainless steel container and place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
 
Line strainer with cheesecloth. Place over jar or bottle and pour applejack through to remove solids. You will have plenty of extra applejack to use in cocktails and other recipes. Set aside 3-1/2 tablespoons and store remainder in a labeled jar or bottle with an airtight lid in a cool, dark place.
 
In a medium saucepan, combine coconut sugar, water, orange rind, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and cloves. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
Add cranberries and return to a boil. Gently boil cranberries for 10 minutes without stirring.
Pour into a medium-size mixing bowl. Gently stir in raisins, pine nuts and 3-1/2 tablespoons of the infused applejack. Cover and cool to room temperature. Transfer to labeled container and refrigerate.
Bring to room temperature before serving.