Fall cooking!

Ok, so, I haven't had "Fall" in about 5 years and I missed it terribly! There's tons of stuff to catch up on for me (like just a walk in the park to shuffle through beautiful red leaves!)

In between all of this, I have to maintain my sustenance, and I thought, what is more "Fall" than PUMPKINS? (Okay, maybe APPLES! But I've already had my apple fix for the year!)



Yummy "Pie" Pumpkins for eating!


Scoop 'em out just like any other squash and prep them for baking! (No more canned pumpkin for us!) - Why not make extra and freeze it for when you need more? Any recipe that calls for a 15 oz can of pumpkin can be substituted with approximately 1.875 cups (so, about 2 cups minus 1 tablespoon).


Pop 'em in the oven at 400 degrees for approximately 40-60 minutes (until they brown slightly and get really soft)


Scoop 'em out, pop 'em in a blender and smoosh 'em up, then drain through a sieve overnight...et voila, you have pumpkin (sans BPA) that you can use in ANYTHING - I also saved the drained juice and froze it because I am going to plop that in my next soup creation...

I'm hearing of a trend recently where people are adding pumpkin to pasta sauce, and I think it would be a FABULOUS addition (next time I have pasta, I am trying that!) But I prefer things of a sweeter variety!


SPICED PUMPKIN MUFFINS WITH MAPLE CREAM TOPPING (in lieu of cream chese icing) I took these puppies into work, and I have to say, I am quite a popular young lady! :) I have very good reviews on this recipe that I converted to whole foods (I even use 100% whole wheat flour and it still turns out light and fluffy and YUMMY!)

I know I also have been posting a bunch of 'new' recipes for everyone, but how about converting a classic favorite to a whole foods version?
How about a nice SHEPPARD'S PIE?


Easy and YUMMY (and everybody loves a good SHEPPARD'S PIE with tons of ORGANIC KETCHUP! MMMMMMMMM!)

Everyone has their own recipe for this time-tested favorite, but here's how you convert it to whole foods (EASY!) 1) makes sure your potatoes, onions, garlic, corn, and any other veg you plop in there are FRESH (or frozen) - brownie points if they're all organic and locally sourced! (Mmmmmm brownies!) 2)This is important - use ground meat that is 'crap-free' (or as my grocer calls it:Free Form) No antibiotics, no growth hormones, fed what the animal is supposed to be fed (i.e. vegetarian meals for cows! hellllloooooo!) more brownie points if the meat is locally sourced! Cook as normal, et voila! Whole foods Sheppard's pie! Easy Peasy!