All About Pumpkins!

I love this time of year and you can't go wrong with anything pumpkin, so I just wanted to share some of my favorite pumpkin recipes. Some healty, some, not so much. :) But first, did you know...

*Six of the seven continents can grow pumpkins including Alaska! Antarctica is the only continent that they won't grow in.
*The tradition originally started with the carving of turnips. When the Irish immigrated to the U.S., they found pumpkins a plenty and they were much easier to carve for their ancient holiday.
*Pumpkins contain potassium and Vitamin A.
*Pumpkin flowers and seeds are edible.
*In early colonial times, pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling.
*Colonists sliced off pumpkin tops; removed seeds and filled the insides with milk, spices and honey. This was baked in hot ashes and is the origin of pumpkin pie.
*The largest pumpkin pie ever made was over five feet in diameter and weighed over 350 pounds. It used 80 pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, 12 dozen eggs and took six hours to bake.
*Pumpkins are 90 percent water.
*Pumpkins are a fruit

Pumpkin Nutrition Facts
(1 cup cooked, boiled, drained, without salt)

Calories 49
Protein 2 grams
Carbohydrate 12 grams
Dietary Fiber 3 grams
Calcium 37 mg
Iron 1.4 mg
Magnesium 22 mg
Potassium 564 mg Zinc 1 mg
Selenium .50 mg
Vitamin C 12 mg
Niacin 1 mg
Folate 21 mcg
Vitamin A 2650 IU
Vitamin E 3 mg


Some of my Favorite Pumpkin Recipes:

Pumpkin Cake by Candice

2 c sugar
4 eggs
1/2c oil
1/2c applesauce (you can do all oil or all applesauce depending on how healthy)
2c canned pumpkin
1c flour
1c ground oats (or all flour)
1/2tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon - I use a whole tsp - I like lots :)
2tsp baking soda

beat sugar and eggs till fluffy - add oil/sauce, sift in dry ingredients. Add pumpkin till well blended. bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes. Then I use cream cheese icing and sprinkle with cinnamon :)

Amount Per Serving (20 servings)
Calories 260.5, Total Fat 9.8 g, Saturated Fat 2.0 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 1.9 g, Monounsaturated Fat 5.2 g, Cholesterol 42.5 mg, Sodium 47.2 mg, Potassium 113.4 mg, Carbohydrate 44.3 g, Dietary Fiber 1.8 g, Sugars 32.4 g, Protein 2.7 g


Pumpkin Seeds by Candice

Seeds are edible - just wash the gunk all off with water and spread out on a flat surface to dry for a day or two. Once dry, toss on a cookie sheet with 1-2 TBSP of melted butter and sprinkle with garlic salt. Bake in oven at 350 for 15-20 minutes, flipping every 5 minutes.

1/2c plain pumpkin seeds = Calories 142.7
Total Fat 6.2g, Saturated Fat 1.2 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 2.8 g, Monounsaturated Fat 1.9 g, Cholesterol 0.0 mg, Sodium 184.0 mg, Potassium 294.1 mg, Total Carbohydrate 17.2 g, Dietary Fiber 0.0 g, Sugars 0.0 g, Protein 5.9 g


Pumpkin Pie by Candice

-1 pie, just double for 2
1 c cooked pumpkin
5 oz evaporated milk
3 eggs
4 tbsp flour
1 tsp vanilla
2 c sugar
1/2 c butter

Double boil ingredients until thickened.
1/2 bake pie crust
place mix in crust and bake at 350 for 45 min or until browned.

Serves 10
Calories 353.0
Total Fat 14.9 g, Saturated Fat 7.7 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 1.1 g, Monounsaturated Fat 5.0 g, Cholesterol 88.8 mg, Sodium 242.3 mg, Potassium 148.3 mg, Total Carbohydrate 51.9 g, Dietary Fiber 0.5 g, Sugars 43.3g, Protein 4.3 g


Pumpkin Smoothie
by www.trainermomma.com
source: Fit Momma Catherine

1 cup skim milk (I used vanilla soy milk for fun)
1 scoop protein powder
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice
5-6 ice cubes

320 calories

Pumpkin Pancakes
by www.trainermomma.com
adapted from Delicious Memories of Mine

2 c whole wheat white flour - (I used 1c flour-400cal, 1c ground oats-300cal)-CE
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c skim milk
1 c pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 tbsp canola oil - you can cut all together and just add 2 extra TBSP of pumpkin or apple sauce - CE
2 tbsp vinegar
optional - a couple of chocolate chips :) -CE


Heat up griddle at 350 degrees or pan at medium to medium high heat.

Mix all ingredients well. Take a 1/4 cup of batter and spoon it onto the griddle*. Brown on both sides. Serve with real maple syrup, or yogurt (my favorite!).

* This batter is thicker than I am used to working with. After spooning it onto my griddle, I took the back of a spoon to spread it out a bit.

Makes 14 pancakes. 107 calories per pancake.

(I got 20 out of this recipe - which nutrition info would be: Calories 70.6, Total Fat 2.0 g, Saturated Fat 0.3 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6 g, Monounsaturated Fat 1.1 g, Cholesterol 11.0 mg, Sodium 101.1 mg, Potassium 104.7 mg, Total Carbohydrate 14.8 g, Dietary Fiber 1.7 g, Sugars 3.8 g, Protein 2.3 g, plus your chocolate chips :)



BHG - Pumpkin-Chocolate Cheesecake Bars - these are definitely not healthy, but yummy!!!

Ingredients
1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1-3/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut up, or 1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1-1/4 cups sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
Grated fresh nutmeg and/or milk chocolate or semisweet chocolate curls

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and 1/4 cup sugar. Stir in the 1/3 cup melted butter. Press mixture evenly into bottom of the prepared baking pan; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and the 1-3/4 cups sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Beat in pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and salt on low speed just until combined. Remove 1-1/4 cups of the mixture.

3. In a small heavy saucepan, combine the 6 ounces chocolate and the 2 tablespoons butter. Cook and stir over low heat until melted. Whisk chocolate mixture into the 1-1/4 cups pumpkin mixture. Pour over crust, spreading evenly. Bake for 15 minutes.

4. Carefully pour the remaining pumpkin mixture over baked chocolate layer, spreading evenly. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes more or until filling is puffed and center is set. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.

5. In a small bowl, combine sour cream and 1/4 cup sugar. Gently spread over cookies. Cool completely. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours. Cut into bars.* Before serving, sprinkle with nutmeg and/or chocolate curls. Makes 24 to 36 bars.

*Test Kitchen Tip: To make triangle-shape bars, cut the cookies crosswise into four strips. Then cut each strip into five triangles (you'll end up with two half-triangles from the ends of each strip).

To Make Ahead: Bake and chill cookies as directed; cut into bars. Place in a single layer in an airtight container; cover. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Do not freeze.



HAPPY HALLOWEEN - ENJOY!