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The first day of Fall just around the corner, pumpkin recipes are a popular trend among food bloggers right now. It is amazing what ingredients are paired with pumpkin. Keeping with the trend, this weeks shopping alert will include awesome pumpkin products and recipes finds as well.  A creative pumpkin appetizer that screams fall flavor, Parmesan Pasta Crackers with Pumpkin and Cauliflower, was found on Foodalogue, one of my favorite food blogs. Joan’s culinary and creative talent never ceases to amaze me!

My dear foodie friend Catherine, author of The Living Gourmet, shared her spicy Pumpkin – Tomato soup. Tomato soup recalls fond childhood memories for many. With the addition of pumpkin, I  classify this one as a childhood favorite for adults.

Another classic recipe with a pumpkin twist is this Pumpkin Macaroni & Cheese. The recipe originated from cooking light and includes 2 cups of pumpkin or squash and a crumble topping. 

The breads, muffins, and sweets category proved to be swoon worthy and oh my gosh there was already an abundance of awesome recipes available. My top recipe finds include Dinner, Dishes, and Dessert who offered up a lovely Pumpkin Bread from the food network while Joelen of What’s cooking Chicago served up beautiful Glazed Pumpkin Cranberry Scones. Finally, Mommy’s Kitchen share these yummy Butterscotch Pumpkin Muffins {W/Cream Cheese Frosting}. I have to admit the Glazed Pumpkin Cranberry Scones is my favorite of the pumpkin baking recipes and one I will definitely attempt!

Pumpkin Shopping ~ Cookbooks, Crafts,  and Carvings

Don’t like pumpkins? Shop for funny t shirts! Parental Discretion Advised!!

Kathleen

Hey, there I'm Kathleen. My friends call me Kathy; to my kids I'm Momia. Life has afforded me many hats: Mom, wife, sister, friend, business owner... and most recently a midlife blogger. From college to marriage and babies, in the midst of business and wealthy boomers, midlife retrospection validates this extraordinary journey called life.

Website - Twitter - More Posts

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As the boys became social, our house then became “the neighborhood hang-out”. As such, frequent dinner guests resulted along with lots of experience with veggie haters. As I recall the most common complaint was canned vegetables. On more than one occasion, different children and teens told me fresh steamed vegetables tasted nothing like the canned vegetables their family ate. Outside of beans, fresh or frozen vegetables were the only type I served.

While I’m no child professional these tips and tricks helped to entice kids to each veggies.

Require them to eat new vegetables

Offer one tablespoon-

1)      With explanation, “You have to eat one spoonful. If you like these as much as I do you can have another serving.”

2)      With consequences, “You have to eat one serving or no dessert.”

Mask or Enhance the flavor

1)      Steam fresh veggies and serve in a cheese sauce

2)      Serve salads with fresh fruits and vegetables

3)      Add diced vegetables to yellow or brown rice

4)      Serve vegetables with condiments like sour cream, BBQ sauce, or honey mustard. Let them choose the vegetable and the condiments. My niece always chose the BBQ!

Make Veggies Fun to Eat

1)      Serve celery sticks filled with peanut butter or cream cheese and jelly

2)      Serve raw veggies with dipping sauce at dinner to exemplify a fun snack appeal.

Sneaky Alternatives

1)      Prepare fruit smoothies and add veggies – The easiest to hide are spinach, kale, chard, romaine, and carrots.

2)      Add white vegetables such as turnips, cauliflower and parsnips to mashed potatoes.

Vegetables are a vital element for a healthy and happy body.  In addition to being packed with essential nutrients, minerals, and antioxidants a diet rich in vegetables and fruits:

1. Lowers blood pressure
2. Reduces risk of heart disease, and stroke, as well as eye and digestive problems
3. Helps level blood sugar
4. Can help keep appetite in check.

Let’s all do our part to entice those kiddos to eat their veggies!

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Peas and Thank You blogging program for a gift card worth $30. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Social Moms: About Peas and Thank You
Peas and Thank You is a collection of recipes and stories from a mainstream family eating a not-so-mainstream diet. It’s filled with healthy and delicious versions of foods we’ve all grown up enjoying, but with a Mama Pea twist—no meat, lots of fresh ingredients and plenty of nutrition for growing Peas. From wholesome breakfasts to mouth-watering desserts, there’s plenty here to satisfy the pickiest Peas in your life. It’s easier than ever to whip up crowd-pleasing meals that will have the whole family asking for, “more, Peas.” Sarah Matheny’sdelicious recipes and entertaining stories draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to her blog, peasandthankyou.com each month, where she makes raising a vegetarian family easy and fun. She is the author of  “Peas and Thank You: Simple Meatless Meals the Whole Family Will Love.”

Kathleen

Hey, there I'm Kathleen. My friends call me Kathy; to my kids I'm Momia. Life has afforded me many hats: Mom, wife, sister, friend, business owner... and most recently a midlife blogger. From college to marriage and babies, in the midst of business and wealthy boomers, midlife retrospection validates this extraordinary journey called life.

Website - Twitter - More Posts

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1. National Eat Your Vegetables Day
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Choosing to increase the amount of the fruit and vegetables richest in carotenoids is important for long-term preventative health among women as well as improving their skin. Where skin conditions exist, especially acne prone skin, the use of topical acne products may be necessary along with a fruit and vegetable rich diet.

A few of these easy substitutions will “power up” your plate and add new flavors to your meal plan:

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Green: A serving of cooked kale provides triple the amount of lutein/zeaxanthin as a serving of raw spinach.

Red: A serving of guava delivers more than one and a half times the lycopene in a raw tomato.

Yellow/Orange: A serving of sweet potatoes has nearly double the beta-carotene as a serving of carrots.

A good goal for most individuals is to consume 10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, with an emphasis on quality, not just quantity. If this proves challenging, consider a natural, plant-based dietary supplement which includes phytonutrients such as carotenoids.

For more information about Nutrilite Nutritional Supplements and to get more practical tips, visit www.nutrilite.com/color.

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Kathleen

Hey, there I'm Kathleen. My friends call me Kathy; to my kids I'm Momia. Life has afforded me many hats: Mom, wife, sister, friend, business owner... and most recently a midlife blogger. From college to marriage and babies, in the midst of business and wealthy boomers, midlife retrospection validates this extraordinary journey called life.

Website - Twitter - More Posts

You might also enjoy:

1. Fruits & Veggies—More Matters™
2. National Eat Your Vegetables Day
3. 10 Eat Your Peas and Thank You Tips