Pumpkin Bundt Cake

My husband and I have switched over to a plant based, vegan diet mainly for health benefits.  If you read my blog, you know we are meat eaters.  My husband being a major meat eater.  But we have always had meatless meals before they started gaining in popularity.  This has helped us a lot.  We were already enjoying great bean burgers.  And please, please, please, if you have never had homemade, it is a completely different experience.  Don't judge all bean burgers like you judge the one in the box from the store.

Since the day after Mothers Day (Mothers Day was the day I made this cake) we have been 95% vegan).  We have not eaten any meat but there may have been some parmegan on our spaghetti a few times.  We have lots of it to use up. If a recipe calls for an egg, I use an egg but we no longer have eggs for breakfast.  Our egg consumption has about 15 every week to less than one.  I am not going to ever be 100% probably, but mostly, yes.

I started a new blog, check it out.  It is called VEEG. My daughter named it.  It's all about my husband and I stepping into a vegan, plant based life.

What will happen to Lori's Lipsmacking Goodness.  Well, I probably will post here when I make things for my kids or for pot lucks, things that will not be appropriate for Veeg.  So Lori's Lipsmacking Goodness will go on, albeit, with fewer postings.

PUMPKIN BUNDT CAKE

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home.  You can find the original here on the net.

2 cups sugar

1 cup canola oil

3 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin

*sugar glaze drizzle of confectioners and sugar mixed together about the consistency of a thin pancake batter or heavy cream.

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine sugar and oil until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cloves; add to egg mixture alternately with pumpkin, beating well after each addition. 

Transfer to a greased bundt pan. Bake 60-65 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack. Remove pan and cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Yield: 12-16 servings. 

Originally published as Pumpkin Pound Cake in Country Extra November 1999, p49 

Nutritional Facts (Since I reduced the sugar content the carbs and sugar values would be slightly lower)

1 slice: 351 calories, 15g fat (2g saturated fat), 40mg cholesterol, 245mg sodium, 51g carbohydrate (32g sugars, 2g fiber), 4g protein.

It's Tea Time With Pumpkin Chai Scones

Me and my friend Sandy of Quilting For The Rest Of Us have teamed up together to do a Tea Time Tuesday Event.  Each Tuesday, Sandy will review a tea from Plum Deluxe Teas and will pair it with one of my scone recipes.  I am crazy over scones!

Check out Sandy's picks for tea this week and check out her BEAUTiful header!

I am going to do a book review with mine.  Well, I am going to try and do a book review every time. Today, I want to tell you about Ladies Night , by Mary Kay Andrews.  First, let me tell you what kind of reader I am.  Since I have had children I can't sit still to read a book.  It just isn't happening.  So, if I "read" a book, it's more like I listened to a book on tape riding back and forth to work.  The kind of books I read are light.  Not too heavy.  No serious issues.  The rest of my life is filled with enough serious issues.  Being a social worker does that.  But personally too, I have enough going on.  So when I read... or listen, as the case may be, I like it light.

Ladies Night was right up my alley.  There was a lot going on in the story but the overall flavor of the book was pretty light.  The Ladies Night group, is a group of divorced women who are thrown together in a support group type of setting.  The story is woven together pretty well with a few twists and turns leading you through the tangled mess of divorce/break up.

This is the second Mary Kay Andrews book I have enjoyed.  I am looking forward to listening to the rest of her books.  They are a pleasure to listen to.  I am always so sad when the book ends.  I miss the characters.  They keep me company on my commute to and from work.

Pumpkin Chai Scones

2 cups flour
7 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ginger
6 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 large egg
3 tablespoons cream

Glaze
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons cream or milk
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Mix dry ingredients together: flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, ginger.

Add in butter in small pieces, blend with pastry blender or in a food processor. Flour should become kinda mealy.

In a separate bowl combine wet ingredients, add to dry all at once. Mix just until blended.  Remove from bowl onto a floured surface and pat into a round.  Divide into 8 "pie" wedges.  Place on baking sheet and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes.  They should be just lightly golden around the edges.


Disclaimer:  I received no compensation from Plum Deluxe.  

Freezing Pumpkin Puree and 15 Things To Do with it!

When you find small pumpkins, usually pie pumpkins or another variety (or other squashes you like, such as Honey Nut, tastes a lot like pumpkin but sweeter), you can freeze them.  It's really handy to reach in the freezer and grab one that is already measured in a two cup portion for most recipes.  Or grab a container and make pumpkin soup.  The hard part is over.  All you have to do is put it in your pot.

Here are some of the recipes I have made with pumpkin puree or squash (interchangeable for the most part).  If you have leftover pumpkin puree from Thanksgiving, great, it will work in these recipes too!


Smoked Gruyere and Butternut Squash Scones



Pumpkin Rolls



Browned Butter Pumpkin Cake



Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies



Ginger Pumpkin Pie



French Pumpkin Soup



Curried Butternut Squash Soup



Butternut Squash Bread



Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Gouda



Roasted Butternut Squash with Bacon 



Positively Butternut Squash Pizza



Pumpkin Almond Bars



Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars



Pumpkin Pie Bars



Pumpkin Cheesecake

You can find more recipes for squash and pumpkin be searching in my search bar.  There are so many!

How To Do The Puree

I cut the pumpkins in half and scoop out the innards with a ice cream scoop, it is the perfect tool for the job. I like to lay them on parchment paper on the baking sheet.  This makes clean up a whole lot easier.  You can use aluminum foil but have to be careful about it sticking to the squash.

Roast at 425F in middle of the oven.  When you can push on the pumpkin and it totally gives, then it is ready to be taken out.

Scoop all the fleshy parts away fromt he skin with a large spoon, scraping as much as you can.

Place in a food processor or blender to puree. Measure out how you like and freeze.

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

I saw these and knew I had to make them.  Matter of fact I am making them again today.  Why? Because they were so good, so tender, so cute!  This time I am going to change some of them up a little.  I will let you know how that goes.

By the way, these are obviously not just for dinner.  I only called them that because I did not want them to be confused with cake like pumpkin roll.  My daughter did have hers with some butter and maple syrup.

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
The idea for these rolls came from this recipe at Handle The Heat but I changed it up a bit.

1 cup milk scalded
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
3 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoons or 1 package Instant Yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin spice

1. Heat the milk until it just begins to bubble, like its going to boil.
2. Mix hot milk with butter, letting it melt.  Add in pumpkin puree until combined and finally the egg. 3. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together. When adding them to the bowl, don't let the yeast and salt touch.  When it is all combined, no worries.
4  Mix the wet into the dry, thoroughly.  If you have a mixer, great, if not, your hands will work just fine.
5.  If the dough is super sticky add a tablespoon more of flour. You want it a little sticky though.  You don't want to add too much flour.
6.  If you are using your hands, clean your hands and your work surface and spread a little oil out.  Stretch the dough onto itself from the bottom up, making a ball.  This will make it easier to handle.
7. If you are using a mixer, turn the dough onto an oiled surface and do the same thing. Once it is in an more smooth ball, place in oiled bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap.
8.  Rise or proof in a warm spot.  I place mine in the microwave with a warm glass of water by its side.  One hour.
9.  Cut the dough into 16 equal pieces.  I weighed mine and they were about 2.5 ounces each.
10.  Shape into a ball and smush down a little.  Smush is a very technical word, don' t yah know.
11. Cut sides in five equal places.  Put and indent in the center.
12.  Rise for 30 minutes.
13.  Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes.  If you have an instant read thermometer, you are looking for an internal temp of 190 to 200F.
14.  Remove from over and put a little half pecan in for a stem.
15.  Sit back and admire the product of your hard work. Or gratefully start scarfing warm bread into your mouth like the grateful baker you are.

BROWNED BUTTER PUMPKIN CAKE

This cake is like, seriously, the BEST cake I have ever had.  Do not let this cake ever pass you by.  You must make it.  If you like cake, this is your cake.

I have been wanting to make this cake for like, two years.  My Mom's birthday was coming up and I thought I am not giving her a choice in cakes this year, I AM MAKING THIS CAKE.  Oh, I am so glad I listened to myself.  She loved it too.  She says to me after eating it.  This cake is a keeper.  Its in your top ten!

I wish I had taken more glamor shots of individual slices.  But alas, I sent my folks home with some and it was gone before I even had a chance.  The disappearing cake.  That kind of says it all.


BROWNED BUTTER PUMPKIN CAKE
slightly adapted from a recipe by Jeanne Kelley from Fine Cooking
Issue 107

6 oz. (3/4 cup) unsalted butter; more for the pans
9 oz. (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pans
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. table salt
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups [umpkin puree

For the topping
1-1/2 Tbs. unsalted butter
2/3 cup pecans
1/2 cup unsalted, raw, hulled pepitas
2 Tbs. firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. table salt
1-1/2 Tbs. chopped crystallized ginger

For the frosting
8 oz. (1 cup) unsalted butter
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
5 oz. (1-1/4 cups) confectioners’ sugar

 
Make the pumpkin purée
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Brush a 9x13-inch baking dish with the oil. Put the pumpkin halves in the dish cut side down and bake until tender when pierced with a fork, about 45 minutes. Let cool. Peel the pumpkin and purée the flesh in a food processor until smooth. You’ll need 1-1/2 cups of the purée for the cake. Refrigerate or freeze any remaining purée for another use.

Make the cake
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.

Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans with removable bottoms (or butter two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment, butter the parchment, and flour the pans).

Melt the butter in a heavy-duty 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally until the butter turns a nutty golden-brown, about 4 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and let stand until cool but not set, about 15 minutes. (*Be careful because there will be white foamy stuff on top from the milk particles in the butter. You wont be able to see the bottom browning easily.  Pay close attention because it will go from brown particles on the bottom to black particles real quick. Then it will just be bitter).

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cloves. In a large bowl, whisk 1-1/2 cups of the pumpkin purée with the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk until very well blended. With a rubber spatula, stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Gently whisk in the brown butter until completely incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.

Bake the cakes until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 28 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto racks, remove the pan bottoms or parchment, and cool completely.
 

Make the topping
Melt the butter in a heavy-duty 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the pecans and pepitas and cook until the pecans brown slightly and the pepitas begin to pop, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the brown sugar and salt and stir until the sugar melts and the nuts are glazed, about 2 minutes. Stir in the ginger. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool in the skillet.
Make the frosting
Melt the butter in a heavy-duty 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally until the butter turns a nutty golden-brown, about 4 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and let stand until the solids settle at the bottom of the bowl, about 5 minutes. Carefully transfer the bowl to the freezer and chill until just firm, about 18 minutes. Using a spoon, carefully scrape the butter from bowl, leaving the browned solids at the bottom; discard the solids.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, cream cheese, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light in color and the brown sugar has dissolved, 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar and continue beating until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.

Assemble the cake
Put one cake layer on a cake plate. Spread 1/2 cup of the frosting on the layer. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the nut mixture over the frosting and top with the second layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Arrange the remaining topping in a ring 1-1/2 inches in from the edge of the cake and serve

Make Ahead Tips
You can make the purée up to 2 days ahead. The assembled, frosted cake can be covered with a cake dome and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Serve at room temperature.

nutrition information (per serving):
Calories (kcal): 660; Fat (g): fat g 36; Fat Calories (kcal): 320; Saturated Fat (g): sat fat g 18; Protein (g): protein g 7; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 11; Carbohydrates (g): carbs g 80; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 4; Sodium (mg): sodium mg 440; Cholesterol (mg): cholesterol mg 115; Fiber (g): fiber g 2;

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Its hard to stop eating these cookies.  Make them and share them at once.


These are not a sweet cookie.  I am totally okay with that. You can certainly add in, say a 1/2 cup of brown sugar if you want them sweeter... 

Next time, I plan to add 1 cup of pumpkin puree and 1/2 cup of coconut oil and see how that goes.  Not that it isn't perfectly delicious as it is but more pumpkin is more better for me.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut oil or butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin purée
3 tablespoons ground flax
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup chocolate chips


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cookie sheets with cooking spray or butter.

In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In another bowl combine melted coconut oil, sugar, pumpkin puree, ground flax and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and blend until combined.

Fold in the chocolate chips. Place 1 inch balls of cookie dough scoop onto prepared sheets. With wet fingers smooth top of cookie down or you can use a bottom of a glass to press a little.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies become lightly golden. Let cool on a wire rack, then enjoy! Makes  about 55 cookies. Unless of course you like eating raw cookie dough.  No egg in here so you totally, safely can do that.

Roasted Autumn Vegetables With Rosemary

I love this kind of dish in the Fall! Comforting autumn vegetables roasted with rosemary.  A-mazing! The house was filled with wonderful aromas.  The thing that really makes this dish pop for me, is the apples and the rosemary.  I loved having a fork with a piece of an apple and a piece of the squash.  Apples and butternut squash go so good together. With the potatoes, a nice chunk of garlic.

Roasted Autumn Vegetables
You can adjust your amounts of vegetables.  I have a huge baking sheet that I like to fill up.

2 cups of chopped butternut squash
5 medium sized red potatoes
3 Granny Smith apples
5 cloves garlic, halved
2 cups of chopped pumpkin
5 carrots, sliced in chunks
2-3 tablespoons rosemary
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Kosher salt

In a large bowl, toss the vegetables and apples with rosemary, olive oil and salt.  Roast in a 375F oven until lightly golden.  Stir about 20 minutes in.  The total time is around 40 minutes.  More time if you have a lot of vegetables.

Ginger Pumpkin Pie

I love pumpkin pie.  Growing up, it was one of the only pies I liked. I saw this recipe for Ginger Pumpkin Pie on The Kitchn.  I adapted it a little.

Ginger Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

1 graham cracker pie crust 

15-ounce can pumpkin puree OR just under 2 cups homemade pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolk
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup whole milk

Preheat oven 375°F. Bake the graham cracker crust (9 inch pie plate) for 10 minutes then remove and let cool.

Whisk the pumpkin puree with the eggs, egg yolk, and brown sugar. Skin the ginger and grate it using a fine grater.  Whisk the grated ginger, cinnamon and ginger spices, salt, and pepper into the pumpkin mixture. Add the cream and milk and whisk until smooth. Pour into the graham cracker crust.

Bake for about 50 minutes at 375°F, or just until set.

Refrigerate the pie after it is just cool to the touch. Let cool for at least two hours before slicing and serving.

Pumpkin Empanadas

Pumpkin Empanadas. Oh, yeah!  Now, if pumpkin isn't your thing (REALLY?) then sweet potatoes could definitely be substituted.  But this is not about sweet potatoes, its about pumpkin.  I really need to write an ode to pumpkin because I love pumpkin that much.  Seriously!

This one is baked.

My daughter liked the dipping sauce but she preferred soy sauce over it.  Me and my husband went crazy for the cilantro dipping sauce.  I used this recipe here for the sauce.

This one is fried.

Pumpkin Empanadas

dough:
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
2 ¼ cups sifted flour
1 ½ tsp. salt
½ cup cold butter – sliced
1 tablespoons cider or white vinegar
1/3 cup ice cold water

filling:
2/3 cup Asiago cheese
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1 teaspoon cumin
1 15 ounce package ricotta cheese
1 quart (4 cups) pumpkin, chopped and roasted*
salt and pepper

egg wash for brushing on empanadas if you plan to bake them.
1 egg
1 tablespoon water

Make dough:  With a fork stir together egg and milk.  Set aside.  In a large bowl or in a food processor, mix flour and salt.  Add pieces of butter to the flour mixture. Process or mix until flour has become clumpy or mealy.  Add in wet ingredients all at once.  Gently stir just until combined.  Gather up the dough pressing it so it is cohesive.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.

In the mean time you can make the filling.

For filling: Roast the pumpkin until golden and tender.  Not crunchy.  You can puree some or all.  I did half and half.  I wanted some texture in there.  Mix the pumpkin, parsley, cumin, ricotta and salt and pepper.  Stir to combine. Finally, add the asiago.

Make the empanadas:  Take a ping-pong ball sized amount (like, a 1/4 of a cup) and roll it out to about a 1/4 inch thickness.  Place filling in the center and fold the dough over it onto the other side. Be careful not to get the filling near the edges or it will not seal properly.  Crimp the edges. Place on greased sheet, brush on egg wash and bake in a preheated 350F oven.  Or fry in about a 1/2 inch of oil.  Make sure your oil is good and hot before you lay the empanadas in there.  If your oil is nice and hot it will not absorb as much oil.  Cook until golden.

Pumpkin Truffles

I could tell you that all went well with these cake pops.

But that, my friends, would be lying.  Because in fact, it went terribly wrong.

Every once in a while its good to eat a piece of humble pie.  Right? Today, was my day.  It was an EPIC fail doing cake pops.  I have never really had great luck with cake pops anyway.  I even took a class on Craftsy and  I still cant get it right.  I can never get the viscosity of the melted chocolate right.  It clumps. It sags.  I blobs. 

My kids never care because it is still delicious. 

This time though I had decided to take it to the Halloween themed retreat.  I wanted it to come out cute because I know these ladies will appreciate it.

I will say.  They are delicious, nonetheless.  I popped one in my mouth and hallelujah, at least they taste good- if nothing else.

If you want to make these.  I am quite sure you will do a better job than I because really, how much worse can they be?  Cracks and blobs galore. But I digress.  Make the pumpkin bread.  Using one of the loaves, turn on a beater and mix it with cream cheese that has been brought to room temperature. Blend until there is no white showing.  Grab some with a scoop or with your fingers and ball it up.  Roll it into a nice smooth ball.  Freeze the balls.  Melt your dipping chocolate and dip them in. Decorate with pretzel sticks and piping.

Pumpkin Bread
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cooking oil
4 eggs
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
2/3 cup water
1 15 ounce can pumpkin

Directions
Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of two 9x5x3-inch, three 8x4x2-inch, or four 7-1/2x3 1/2-x2-inch loaf pans; set aside. In a very large mixing bowl beat sugar and oil with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add eggs and beat well; set aside.
In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add flour mixture and water alternately to sugar mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Beat in pumpkin. Spoon batter into prepared pans.
Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 55 to 65 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks. Wrap and store overnight before slicing. Makes 2 loaves (32 servings).

Nutrition Facts (Pumpkin Bread) Per serving:
191 kcal cal., 8 g fat (1 g sat. fat, 27 mg chol., 197 mg sodium, 29 g carb., 1 g fiber, 18 g sugar, 2 g protein

French Pumpkin Soup

I love my pumpkin soup with gouda- its by far one of the best pumpkin soups I have ever had. But I like to try new things and branch out a little into different tastes and such.  I decided to try this pumpkin soup to change it up a little.  I found it here on this blog, Bunky Cooks. A great food blog to be sure.
 

 Looks like some kind of agate, doesn't it?

French Pumpkin Soup

Adapted from this recipe at The (ex)Expatriates Kitchen

1 5-6 pound pumpkin (Galeux D’Eyesines)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 leeks, sliced (white and light green parts only)
1 yellow onion, diced
2 sprigs rosemary, chopped
3 sprigs thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped sage
1/2 bunch Italian parsley, chopped
8 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup half and half
1 tablespoon sugar, optional
grated fresh nutmeg, to taste
salt and pepper to taste

First, get a sharp knife. Cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out seeds. Cut the halves into manageable chunks, then cut away the outer rind. Dice the flesh into 1-inch cubes. It's really not so hard if you have a good chef's knife.

Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot, medium heat. Add the leeks, onion and herbs and sweat the aromatics until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the pumpkin cubes and the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and let simmer until the pumpkin is tender, about 20-30 minutes.

Puree using an immersion blender. Swirl in the butter and the half and half. Add the nutmeg, then taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Use the sugar if you like a slight sweetness to your soups.

If you can, make this soup a day in advance.  It is much better the next day when the flavors have had a chance to marry.

Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

My husband and I, well, really, our kids too, have been learning a lot through three movies.  Watching these movies- "Fed Up", "Hungry For Change" and "Forks Over Knives" has been pivotal for our health.  Some of it we knew.  Some of it we thought to ourselves after we heard it- "duh, of course, that makes total sense" and some of it was shocking.  Like, did you know that MSG makes fat cells.  That is how they fatten up rats.

     "MSG stimulates your pancreas to output three times as much insulin as it     does normally. This unnatural amount of insulin converts the sugar in your blood into fat very efficiently; and to make things worse, that excess insulin sends your blood sugar levels crashing down so low that you get hungry all over again—much sooner than you should be." (The Gabriel Method)

Here is a link for the many names of MSG. The blog is called Fooducate.

I am astounded by all this new information.

I know some of you are saying, I am just a "crunchy girl" and I may be over the top.  But, I pretty much guarantee if you watched these three movies you would have some epiphanies yourself.

The MSG alone could explain why so many people are overweight in our country.  This is why they keep saying over and over again, if you want to lose weight- stop eating processed food.  And processed food means diet soda.  YES, DIET SODA IS VERY BAD FOR YOU! It kills brain cells.  Pilots are not allowed to eat artificial sweeteners.  Did you hear that, it kills brain cells and makes you less alert.

Okay, I will stop.  WATCH those movies.  If you or someone in your life is overweight or unhealthy- bad numbers from your labs- then do yourself a favor.  Watch these movies!

So, make your own food.  Eat whole foods.  In the wise words of Michael Pollan, "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants."

This recipe is good for a quick morning breakfast.  One of these bars is very satisfying.  This is the second time I made it.  That tells you I like it.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Squares

2 large eggs
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups milk
2 cups pumpkin puree
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 375F.  Spray an 8 x 8 pan with cooking spray or grease with butter.

Mix wet ingredients separately from dry ingredients.  Combine the two and then pour into the prepared pan.

Pumpkin Almond Squares

Let me start out by saying that if you are looking for a sweet treat, you might need to go somewhere else.  Or you could up the sugar content pretty easily.  But that is not what I was looking for and if you are also looking for something with minimal sugar, this is your treat!  I like to have it in the morning with three egg whites (210 calories).  Delicious.  Not sweet, more like a biscuit in its level of sweetness. Fills me up until lunch.

Honestly, I am all about counting calories these days.  I have struggled with my weight for years, ah hem, all my life.  I come from a family of thin people.  I was the most active in my family.  I had tons of energy.  Literally my Mom would make me sit down and watch television sometimes just so I would stay put for a few minutes.  If I could have played tag all night with my neighborhood friends I sure would have.  My absolute favorite thing to do.

I played soccer for three years, starting in fifth grade, then basketball, then track and field...  I wasn't any good mind you but I was moving.  I would go to the local weight loss center and work out there- aerobics, step, dance, whatever.  I have always kept myself moving.  Honestly, I think in a lot of ways it is the reason why my blood pressure, despite my weight is still normal.  I have always had good eating habits.  My parents always went to market every week and brought home tons of fresh fruit and vegetables.  And I loved them.  Okay well, maybe not onions and peas at the time, but all the rest of them.  We rarely went for fast food and really I still don't- ask my kids, they feel like they missed out.  So, what the heck is my problem?  I am not a binge eater, though when I was young I did binge a little.  For me, at least for the past 25 years, it has been more about portion control and making poor choices.  Probably genetics has a lot to do with it too.

I have been counting calories.  I use My Fitness Pal.  There are a ton of apps out there and I have tried a few others but this is the one I am currently using.  I have built up my database so it is easier for me to log my calories. Recently I went down to 1200 to 1300 calories.  1500 sure wasn't working for like, six weeks.  Can't even begin to tell you how frustrating that was.  Giving up sugared things and gluten and still not losing weight was making me crazy.  But unlike before I am not giving up.  I am getting this weight off me! 

I am tired of getting winded going upstairs.  Ha, sometimes at night pulling myself up the 12 stairs that I need to go up to go to bed.  I want to tie my shoes easily.  I want to not worry about sitting in restaurant booths- whether I can fit or not. I want my ankle pain to decrease.  I want more energy to do more of the things I like to do.  Like bike riding.  I love biking.  I can go for an hour but I want to do that effortlessly! I want to shop in the small girls area. I want to have clothes that hang nicely around my body, that don't pull where I don't want them to pull.  I want to get rid of mounds of clothing that I have held on to for years because clothing is so hard for me to find. I want to fit into the seats at the amusement center so I can have fun with my kids! Oh, there is so much I want to do! 

If you are not into dropping the sugar- add a 1/2 cup of sugar to the recipe and you will find it sweet enough. 

I will share with you where I am today as soon as I get up the courage.  Probably, when I have lost a little so you know how serious I am about this!

It was, like, a really big strawberry.

Pumpkin Almond Bars


1 cup pumpkin puree
2/3 cup pure brown rice syrup
4 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cup blanched almond flour
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Grease a 9x9-inch baking dish.


In a small bowl, combine the almond flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.

Combine pumpkin, brown rice syrup, eggs and vanilla, until well combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet and continue mixing for a full minute, until smooth and well blended. Pour into prepared pan

Bake for approximately 28-30 minutes, until a toothpick insert in center comes out clean. Allow to cool for at least 10-15 minutes, before cutting into bars.

12 servings, calories 145 per square

Gluten Free Pumpkin Tart

It's been an interesting gluten free journey.  I'm back to being gluten free.  I feel silly going back and forth.  I think my friends might think its all in my head or I don't know what I am talking about.  I want to go to the doctors and get checked for gluten allergies and Celiac disease.  But there are two things that prevent me.  One is money, since we pretty much pay the full shot for everything these days.  I hardly think it is worth it since nothing really changes- I still would be gluten free. Secondly, getting tested for gluten sensitivity or Celiac means that I have to start eating it again.  This means all of the symptoms that I get will return and that is no picnic.  Waking up in the morning with my joints aching, numbness in my hands, swelling of all my joints, blood pressure going up, metallic taste in my mouth (immediately when I eat a gluten product, bathroom problems and a few others that I will not get into.

The thing of it is, they don't always see a gluten allergy either. 

For a while in between the last time I quit gluten I went back to eating it.  Not a lot, I kept it to a minimum most days.  But all my symptoms started coming back.  I knew I needed to make a change.

Obviously, some of the other changes I am making is watching my calories.  I am definitely not at a speed course for losing weight.  I reduced my calories a little, a livable amount.  I am still exercising and really kind of amped that up to a more aerobic level (lots of jumping).  With all of this, I lose about a pound a week.  No big deal really, but this would mean 50 some pounds at the end of the year and that would be a very welcome change.

I made this pumpkin tart a few weeks ago.  We loved it.  Everyone.  The only thing I would change next time is to make the crust thinner.  Make two tarts with the dough or halve the dough part of the recipe.  I will write the recipe with the original amount and if you make it, you can decide how much dough you want to make.

Calorie wise you really need to reduce the dough if you want a "leaner" piece.  This particular size slice is about 420 calories.  If I am going to have 420 calories of a dessert, I need something more... chocolaty, if you know what I mean.  Something more gooey. Now, if I reduced the dough and this widdled down to about 300 calories, then, yes, I would eat it again.  It's that good- 300 calorie good.  But then I am a pumpkin fiend.  If you go to Pinterest and find me (button upper right) you will see that I have a whole file dedicated to pumpkin.  It's called Pumpkin Palooza.

Pumpkin Tart
Original recipe found here at Land O Lakes®.

Topping
1/4 cup oatmeal (quick cooking)
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
2 tablespoons butter, softened

Crust
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 (3-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups Gluten-Free Flour Blend

Filling
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Heat oven to 375°F. Prepare a tart pan by greasing it.

Combine all topping ingredients in bowl; mix with fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

Combine 3/4 cup butter and cream cheese in another bowl; beat at medium speed until well mixed. Add gluten-free flour blend; continue beating until dough forms.

Press dough onto bottom and up sides of tart pan.

Combine all filling ingredients in bowl.  Whisk until smooth. Pour into unbaked tart shell.  Sprinkle with topping. 

Place in preheated oven. Bake 25-35 minutes or until golden brown and set. Cool 5 minutes in pans; run small sharp knife around inside edge of cups to loosen tarts. Place on cooling rack.