How to cook a fresh pumpkin?

Found this article over at "This mommy cooks"  Go over and check her out, for more pumpkin recipes!

How to cook a fresh pumpkin


1. Start with small pumpkins, about two to three pounds. The smaller pumpkins are easier to handle and sweeter in taste.
2. First, wash the pumpkins over running water and pat dry with a clean dish towel or paper towel. Next, cut the pumpkin into large chunks and scoop out all the seeds (save them for roasting!) and stringy bits.

There are several easy ways to cook the pumpkins chunks. Use whatever method is best for you.

Oven roasting pumpkin: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place pumpkin chunks, skin side up, in a glass baking dish. Add 1/4 inch of water and bake, uncovered, for 45-60 minutes (depending on chunk sizes) until flesh is tender, checking occasionally to add more water, if needed.

Microwaving pumpkin: Place pumpkin chunks, skin side up, in a glass baking dish. Add 1/4 inch of water and cover pan with plastic wrap or wax paper, and vent. Microwave on high for about 10 minutes (or about 5 minutes per pound) until pumpkin is tender.

Steaming pumpkin: Heat water to boiling in a saucepan that fits a steamer. Place pumpkin chunks in steamer container and place over pan. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes or until pumpkin is tender.

Cook pumpkin in a slow cooker: Place pumpkin chunks, skin side down, in slow cooker. Cook on low for 3 to 3-1/2 hours or until pumpkin is tender.


How to make fresh pumpkin puree

1. For all methods after pumpkin is cooked, scoop out pulp and discard skin.
2. Pulp can be pureed in a blender or food processor or stirred by hand until smooth. Or you can keep it chunky, if desired.
3. Pulp keeps in the refrigerator for a week or it can also be frozen in airtight containers for six months.
4. A two to three pound pumpkin will make about 2-1/2 cups of puree.

How to make roasted pumpkin seeds

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place seeds in a colander and rinse.
3. Pick out all pieces of pulp.
4. Place seeds on a baking sheet and pat dry.
5. Drizzle a little vegetable oil over seeds and sprinkle with some salt and toss.
6. Bake for 10 minutes, stir, and return to oven.
7. Bake another 10-15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes until golden and crispy.

Enjoy the fall!!!
~Mommy of 6 <3

Homemade Baby Food

Here is a really good link that describes how to make your own.. with ease!!!
http://babyfit.sparkpeople.com/articles.asp?id=648

Cooked Meats and Poultry: Place ½ cup cubed, cooked meat into the blender. Add about 4 tablespoons of liquid (such as meat broth, water, breast milk, or formula). Blend until smooth.


Fruits and Vegetables: Put ¾ cup cooked fruits or vegetables into the blender. Add 2 tablespoons of water or juice. Process until smooth.

Creamed Fruit and Cottage Cheese: Put ½ cup of cottage cheese and 3 tablespoons of canned or cooked fruit into a blender. Add breast milk, formula or juice to reach the desired consistency. Process until smooth.

Meal-in-One: Place 1 cup cooked meat, 2/3 cup cooked vegetables, ½ cup cooked rice (or noodles, potatoes, or baby cereal), 1 cup liquid (brother, vegetable juice, breast milk, or formula) into a blender. Puree to desired consistency. Freeze in ice cube trays. Makes 3 cups, or 15 food cubes.

Homemade Babyfood

I have gotten many request for homemade babyfood lately...  so I thought I would share.  Do you want to offer your baby the best that nature has to offer? You can skip the pricey jars of organic baby food and head to the produce section for ingredients to make your own.  With my oldest I didn't make our own baby food, and he turned ou to be my pickest eater.  With all the rest, I made our own, and they eat everything!  There is such versatility with flavors when you make your own food, that you can really get your little one experimenting with new flavors.  You would be surprised at what your little one wil eat!  Mine would eat turnips, cabbage, esparagus, etc.

Here are some advantages to making your own organic baby food:

1. It's less expensive. A pound of fresh organic carrots will run you about $1. A four-ounce jar of organic baby food carrots cost about $.75--or $3 a pound!

2. It tastes better. Homemade baby food actually tastes like food, and your baby will grow accustomed to the flavor of fresh fruits and vegetables, possibly making them more likely to accept those foods later.

3. You know what's in it. You know for sure that it's free of additives and preservatives.

4. You can tailor the texture to your baby's preference and developmental stage.

5. It is more nutrient-rich than jarred. Since you made it, you know it hasn't been sitting for months on the supermarket shelves.

6. It's fun!

Tip I had share: Gerber started canning baby food in 1928. Before that, babies ate food that their parents mashed and stained for them. Now that we have blenders and food processors, making homemade baby food is a breeze

I will share some of our favorite recipes this week!  Enjoy!
~Mommy of 6 <3

DESSERT WEEK!

This week is gonna mess up your DIETS!!!  You would swear that that word is a swear word around here! 

How could one not like desserts?  They are the best!  So we decided to do a dessert week!  We will be posting, and encouraging you to share, recipes of your favorite, and our favorite desserts!  If you have a recipe you would like to be posted, please email it to Sweetgirl8082@gmail.com.... {we would love some good gluten free, sugar free, high fiber, or just all around healthier desserts that are yummy}

DROLLING YET?  These are just ones that you can find already on the blog! 

~Enjoy
Mommy of 6 <3

This baker actually needs help???

So, I married this typical country boy at heart, and as most country boys, he loves pecan pie!  I have tried a few recipes and none of them are just mouth watering delicious to him!  I NEED A GOOD RECIPE!!! 



this is not my pie, but gorgeous isn't it!!!

 So I am sending out this blog message to all my other bakers out there! 

~Mommy of 6 <3

A leave of Absence

I know it has been like forever, since I posted last, at least it feels like it.  Just wanted you guys to know I am working on some new recipes and hopfully will have them posted for you this week!  New recipes, how exciting!!!  For now, I hope you all are enjoying the warm summer weather, or terenchal down pours which ever you may be experiencing!  Keep cooking!!!

Happy Cooking this summer to all my fans!
~Mommy of 6 <3

A new Food Pryamid Icon

The first lady and the USDA revealed a new easier to read food group icon.  The news is everywhere about it.  This new food group plate icon will replace the older food guide pryamid.  This new icon is a pie-graph-like image which places more visual emphasis on fruits and vegetables.  Unlike the pryamid, I do find it easier to read.  The USDA is hoping that the plate metaphor will help more people portion their foods so that: half the plate is fruits and vegetables and it looks like a little more than a quarter should be grains and the rest protein, plus some dairy. Like the old pyramid, there's no mention of serving sizes, since those can vary greatly and be very confusing.  I can not wait to print this and show it to my kiddos!  We love our diet full of fresh fruits and vegies, so this makes us happy! 

What is your take on the new icon?  What are your opinions?  What does your ideal Myplate look like?

Will have sex for food!

I thought that title would catch your attention! 

Did you know that what you eat can affect your libido, your sex drive!  There is no doubt that the unhealthy American diet is contributing to the obesity epidemic! This same unhealthy-fat filled diet that contributes to the obesity also is the root of the national sex crisis.  Changing what you eat can change your performance in bed as well!  In 1996 the average American had sex 138 times per year compared to just 85 times per year in 2007.  That means it dropped 38% in a little mroe than a decade.  Psychologist estimate that as many as 1 in 5 couples are in a sexless (less than 10 times per year) marriage.  WOW, right?  Obesity being the biggest factor because as a persons weight soars, the libido drops!  This plummet is due to a biochemical change that result in a diminshed bloodflow.  There simply can not be sex without a strong blood flow!  According to David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding, co-authors of the national best seller EatThis- Not That!, with simple changes to your diet you can recharge and revitalize your sex life and reinvigorate your relationship!  Here are four recipes they recommend to do just this!

The Smoothie For Him
Ingredients:
1 cup blueberries

1 cup vanilla yogurt
2 Tbsp flaxseeds
1 cup orange juice
1 cup ice

Consider this man's ultimate erection insurance. The main reason? It's loaded with two of the most potent circulation enhancers out there: soluble fiber and antioxidants. Soluble fiber helps push excess cholesterol through your digestive system before it can be broken down, absorbed, and deposited along the walls of your arteries. Antioxidants attack free radicals before they have the chance to lower nitric oxide levels. And since nitric oxide helps deliver oxygen to your blood, the higher the level, the better your bloodflow

The Her Smoothie
Ingredients:
2 shots of espresso (or 6 ounces of strong coffee)

1 cup skim milk
2 Tbsp dark chocolate syrup
1 cup crushed ice

More than just providing a caffeine buzz and a host of antioxidants, java increases bloodflow to your genitals, making sensitive nerve endings more easily accessed and stimulated. A Southwestern University study even found that female rats wanted more sex after a shot of caffeine. Add to that a big hit of calcium, another important contributor to effective bloodflow, and a swirl of chocolate, and you have a scintillating shake to wake up to. Chocolate contains a host of chemicals to brighten your mood, including anadamine, which targets the same receptors as THC, and phenylethylamine, which produces a cozy, euphoric feeling. It's no wonder a new Italian study of 163 women shows that those who regularly eat chocolate report enhanced sex drive and sexual satisfaction

Breakfast for Him:
The scent of baked cinnamon buns turns a man on. That was the conclusion of neurologists following a unique experiment in which they monitored penile bloodflow in 25 medical students while the students sniffed different smells. The researchers exposed the students to a wide range of fragrances, from lily-of-the-valley to rose to musk, but found that cinnamon buns turned men on most. The scents of pumpkin pie, doughnuts, and black licorice also ranked high. Researchers speculate the smells may evoke a nostalgic memory that relaxes a man, making him more aware of sexual cues

Breakfast for Two:
The foolish see an Egg McMuffin; you should see the ingredients for sex. The combo provides extra zinc—a mineral that she needs to stay well lubricated and you need to keep producing semen—and niacin. This B vitamin is essential for the secretion of histamine, the chemical that helps trigger explosive sneezes and orgasms. It also has a perfect balance of fat, since studies have found that too much or too little dietary fat can decrease levels of libido-boosting testosterone.


Mid Morning Snack
It might be kids foods, but it has some very grown-up implications. Here's why:

Celery
Every stalk of the stuff is packed with androstenone and androstenol, two pheromones that can help men attract women the way Tom Brady attracts tacklers. Every time you chew on a stalk of celery, you release these odor molecules, which helps boost your arousal, turning you on and causing your body to send off scents and signals that make you more desirable to women.

Peanut butter
Research shows that men with diets high in monounsaturated fat—the kind found in nuts—have higher testosterone levels than those who don't eat enough of the healthy fat. Plus, nuts are also the best food source of arginine, an amino acid that improves bloodflow throughout your body—including below the belt.

Raisins
Raisins are loaded with lignans, phytoestrogens that play an important role in balancing hormones for women. They're also a potent source of antioxidants, which help encourage bloodflow to the nether regions.




Snack for her:

There are about 8 million cases of urinary tract infections diagnosed each year in the United States, the majority of them occurring in sexually active women—sex can cause bacteria to spread upward into the bladder. Furthermore, 20 percent of women suffer from chronic urinary tract infections, increasing their risk of kidney infections. Ward off the painful infection and keep your sex life vital by drinking half a cup of unsweetened cranberry juice, a natural antibacterial, each day. Research shows that tannins in the juice decrease a woman's risk of an infection by 34 percent.


If unsweetened juice is too bitter to stomach, try yogurt with "live active cultures." The yogurt contains probiotic bacteria called Lactobacillus, which helps prevent the spread of E. coli in the urethra. Finnish researchers found that women who ate this type of yogurt three times a week were almost 80 percent less likely to have recently developed a UTI than those who ate it less than once a week.


Have Fun,
Mommy of 6 <3

Homemade Baby Food

I have had many moms ask me what to feed their baby, or what did I use?  how do I get my little ones to eat all thier veggies?  I have been a mom for going on 8 years, and although it didn't always work out the way I wanted it, for the most part my kids eat well!  They get a full days worth of veggies and sometimes don't even know it.  Thats right, I am a sneaky chef!!!  I hide it everywhere...  But it all starts when they are babies, because I have always made my own baby food.  Yes thats right, even when I had three babies under the age of 1, I still found time to make my own baby food.  I felt it was easier (ok maybe not, but give me a break), cheaper, and healthier (no preservatives, or added anything). This worked great as a foundation to getting my little ones to eat all ther veggies!  :)

1.  First thing first, be patient.  Kids refuse greens because it is in our DNA.  We naturally eat whites and orange colored veggies before we would greens and this goes back to caveman days. 
2. Always offer them so they have the choice.  You can hide them too in things they like, but always offer them on the side, and make them take at least one bite.  This doesn't mean make it a battle, but coax them (as my husband would say).
3. Start off with smooth texture veggies, babies especially are turned off by texture before taste.

So I found this little article on  Babyfit.com, and thought anyone asking these questions would enjoy this article!
Enjoy,
~Mommy of 6 <3