Pumpkin dessert

I love pumpkins whether its dinner or dessert. Every year I buy pie pumpkins and try to make something new. This is new a new one for me. I got the idea while researching. There are a lot of similar recipes online but they call for unnecessary sugar or use methods that didn't seem as easy. This will take a couple hours to make BUT most of it is just baking time. Prep time is about 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

1 medium sugar pumpkin or 2 small pumpkins, washed

5-6 granny smilth apples, cored,and chopped

1 (16 ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce

1 (20 ounce) can pineapple tidbits, drained

1/2 cup broken walnuts opt.

1 TBSP ground cinnamon

1 TBSP ground nutmeg (preferrably fresh ground)

2 TSP fresh grated ginger

1/4 tsp salt

Preparation:

Cut the top off the pumpkin and remove the seeds. Place cut side down in a baking pan and bake at 350 degrees F for about 40 minutes or until soft. Cool for a few minutes.

With a metal spoon, scrape out the cooked pumpkin, leaving a 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick shell. Stir together scraped out pumpkin, apples, pineapple, walnuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt. Spoon mix into the pumpkin shell. Cover with the top. (At this point you can put it aside to cook later when you are ready) Bake in a preheated oven at 400-degree F oven for 45 minutes or until the filling is hot. Serve plain or over vanilla ice cream.

Greens Pizza...delicious AND healthy

One of our favorite meals at our house is homemade pizza. It's so easy and there are so many versions that we never get sick of PIZZA! About a week ago I came up with another version. Dark leafy greens are so nutritious but can be a challenge to add into the diet. Well, I made a small pizza with this topping (because it was an experiment) when I should have made more. It was a hit with everyone...It may seem a little involved but it's not.

Here goes:

1 medium precooked sourdough pizza crust (or other of your choice)

12 ounces chopped chard

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tsp fresh grated garlic clove (or more if you like)

2 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp black pepper

1 cup dried tomatoes (I dried from the garden)

3-4 Tbsp water

Feta cheese

In a medium pan put greens, water to cover and salt. Simmer 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a pan on low gently heat oil and garlic. allow to infuse for 3 minutes. Add rosemary, pepper and tomatoes. Toss together. Add water and cover. When greens are done strain and press water out. Add to tomato pan. Toss together and keep over low heat until water is absorbed. Spread on pizza crust. Top with feta cheese and bake in a 450 degree oven 7-10 minutes until done.

Olive oil is a healthy oil. We should all know that we need generous amounts of HEALTHY fats in our diet every day to aid in weight loss, help hormone regulation, encourage healthy heart function, and in reducing cancer.

Garlic has been used for centuries as a medicine that helps fight infection and helps clean the blood.

Dark green leafy vegetables are, calorie for calorie, perhaps the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food. They are a rich source of minerals (including iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium) and vitamins, including vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins. They also provide a variety of phytonutrients including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which protect our cells from damage and our eyes from age-related problems, among many other effects. Dark green leaves even contain small amounts of Omega-3 fats.

So you see, pizza can be tasty, filling and nutritious. Enjoy!

Mmmm, Mmmm, Miso soup!

Miso soup is a wonderfully nourishing soup that has been consumed all of over the Orient for over 2,500 years.

What is miso? It is a fermented soy bean past that is so delicious and good for your health. Many people will have a bowl or cup of miso soup before their meal to help digestion and increase meal nutrition. Below is a list of SOME of the benefits of miso

1. Contains all essential amino acids, making it a complete protein.

2. Stimulates the secretion of digestive fluids in the stomach.

3. Restores beneficial probiotics to the intestines.

4. Aids in the digestion and assimilation of other foods in the intestines.

5. Is a good vegetable-quality source of B vitamins (especially B12).

6. Strengthens the quality of blood and lymph fluid.

7. Reduces risk for breast, prostate, lung and colon cancers.

8. Protects against radiation due to dipilocolonic acid, an alkaloid that chelates heavy metals and discharges them from the body.

9. Strengthens the immune system and helps to lower LDL cholesterol.

10. High in antioxidants that protects against free radicals.

(Taken from www.care2.com)

I love having miso when i start to feel like I'm getting sick, when the weather changes or need something quick. At Wal-mart I buy the little bead containers and fill them up with this recipe, then just add water. it's great on the go and you can make it a light broth OR a filling soup.

1 Cup hot but NOT boiling water water

1 TSP white miso

¾ TSP fish sauce

1 clove of grated garlic

¼ TSP tamari

Optional add-ins (in small amounts):

Fresh Ginger juice to taste

Crushed arame (seaweed)

Pressed tofu

Cooked brown rice

Fresh or frozen peas or carrots

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy.

On the GO:

Combine all ingredients BUT water in a small container. When ready to enjoy add ingredients to a cup of warm water and stir for an instant, nourishing soup

So, there's the Yummy recipe. There are a few ingredients that I was skeptical about eating, like fish sauce, but it makes all the difference in the taste. Trust me I DON'T LIKE FISH FLAVOR.