Pumpkin Pie Yogurt

This was not the recipe I had intended to post today, but it came out so well that I really couldn't resist. I can credit its creation to two things: 1) fall and 2) acid reflux. I know, I know. How can these both possibly have influenced such a delicious treat? Let me explain. After Labor Day passes, everybody pretty much switches over to fall mode, regardless of the weather. So everywhere you look, everybody's blogging and social networking about pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice, especially those amazing Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks. So yep, there's already pumpkin in the fridge and pantry in this kitchen. And then I woke up at 3 am this morning with horrible acid reflux, most probably a result from indulging in a few too many tortilla chips while out with friends the other night. The acid reflux has been coming and going since then, and Tums just weren't cutting it anymore. So I needed a new approach and figured since food got me in this mess, the right food might be able to get me out of it. Now I know that ginger is great for digestive issues of all kinds, but I've had a few different teas and they're rough to get down. And then I started thinking that probiotics are great for digestive issues also (Activia, anyone?). Greek yogurt is so much easier to eat than drinking a ginger tea, so I wondered if I couldn't just combine the two and add some spices to enhance the flavor. The result was basically a pumpkin pie spice yogurt. And then the lightbulb moment: I have pumpkin in the fridge! Even if my weird reflux remedy isn't successful, the taste makes it so worth it!

Pumpkin Pie Yogurt
1 cup full-fat, plain Greek yogurt

5 tbsp canned pumpkin puree (not the pumpkin pie mix)
1-2 tsp honey (preferably raw and/or local)

½ tsp fresh, crushed ginger*

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Dash or two of ground cloves

Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly in a small serving dish. Garnish with a dash of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice if desired and serve.

Note:

*You could also use ¼ tsp ground ginger or instead of creating your own spice mixture, use a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. Adjust the level of spice to your preference. You can also add a dash or two of ground cardamom for a Pumpkin Pie Chai taste. If you're looking for acid reflux or indigestion relief, I used approximately a teaspoon and a half of fresh ginger.