Pumpkin What?

Had a jam packed day yesterday! WHOA!  I was privileged to have a one-on-one conversation with the fabulous Barbara Conelli - it was a whirlwind!  She gave me some fabulous advice (and a kick in the butt) about my business and I really look forward to working with her again.

So I made the dreaded ribs, lol for dinner.  The men were happy! But my plate was nothing to sneeze at I can assure you of that!

See? Delicious dinner!

So did anyone try the Date Me smoothie?  I just loved it!  And it was a great filler that kept me going until lunch time.

After lunch I enjoyed a homemade Iced Cappucino Smoothie - an excellent afternoon pick-me-up.  That recipe will come soon.  In the meantime start saving the last bit of coffee in your pot every morning.  Don't pour it down the sink.  Pour it into ice cube trays and freeze for later!  You'll love the Iced Cappucino Smoothie.

Recently I had a craving for pumpkin pie (one of my faves!) and wondered if I could figure out a matching smoothie minus all those calories...YES!

What are the benefits of pumpkin?

- Pumpkin fruit is one of the widely grown vegetables that is incredibly rich in vital antioxidants, and vitamins. This humble backyard low calorie vegetable contains vitamin A, flavored poly-phenolic antioxidants such as leutin, xanthin, and carotenes in abundance.

- A cup of cooked, mashed pumpkin contains more than 200 percent of your recommended daily intake of vitamin A, which aids vision, particularly in dim light, according to the National Institutes of Health.

- Pumpkin is an often-overlooked source of fiber, but with three grams per one-cup serving and only 49 calories, it can keep you feeling full for longer on fewer calories.

- Like their orange comrades the sweet potato, the carrot and the butternut squash (to name a few), pumpkins boast the antioxidant beta-carotene, which may play a role in cancer prevention, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Source: Huffington Post

 

You need not overlook its fabulousness anymore!

PUMPKIN PIE SMOOTHIE

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt*
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk OR ½ cup skim milk
• 1/2 banana, frozen
• 1/2 cup pumpkin
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice or gingerbread, to taste **
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon, to taste**

Blend and enjoy! 

 

** Add more if you like a stronger, spicy taste (I do!)

* You can also use plain yogurt and add vanilla extract for taste.

 

 

I buy my pumpkin in a can (not to be confused with pumpkin pie filling - you want PURE pumpkin), measure out 1/2 servings and freeze them.

 

Did not get as much batch cooking done as I would have liked (hey, I was pooped!) but I did manage my all-time favorite pea-soup!

 

Split Pea Soup

Ingredients:

• 16 oz bag of dried split peas
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove or more if you like more garlic, use 2-4 cloves of garlic
• 8 cups fat-free chicken broth
• 2 tsp of olive oil
• 2 large carrots - chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 ham hock

Directions:

 

- Rise peas and drain them.
- In a pot, lightly fry onions and garlic in about 2 tsp of olive oil.

- Add peas, carrots, ham hock and your chicken stock, then cover the pot and let it come to a boil.
- Once boiled, reduce heat and cook for about two hours (beans should be very soft by then).

Make sure to check the water and consistency. You may need to add hot water if it becomes too thick. Remove ham hock and serve. 1 cup = 3 points

 

Whatcha got planned today Peeps?  Let me know what you think of the Pumpkin Smoothie!!

Be good, be kind, be beautiful!