There was something last year about pumpkins not doing well - I can't remember if it was a weather thing or if something was spreading and killing them off.

Every year, I buy the "ugly" pumpkin in the batch and cook it up. I cut it up and bake it in the oven (with a little water in the bottom of the pan) until it is soft. A big pumpkin makes about a gazzilion cups of mashed pumpkin. I run it through my Cuisinart to get that nice smooth consistency... then I make pies, muffins, breads, and sometimes cookies.

This year, though, I want to figure out how I can make it healthier. I use King Arthur's flour that looks prety white, but has whole grain in it. I could toss in some ground flax seed (does flax seed go bad?).

I was joking with my SIL yesterday that I might add broccoli and peas to the muffins, b/c I am sure my toddler would eat them! I bet if I cooked and pureed veggies, he would never know??

OK, don't shoot me over this. But, for many years while traveling through a little town in Ohio, we use to stop and buy pumpkin fudge during the Fall. They have a pumpkin festival every year and you can go to their website and they have a lot of pumpkin recipes. Unfortunately, a few years ago the little shop that we bought the fudge from was torn down. I really miss that fudge, it was wonderful.

I love love love pumpkin!!! So is the canned pumpkin good for diet? I'll have to look at a can next time I'm shopping!

I made Hungry Girls pumpkin fetticuni last night! It was great, but didnt have that sweet pumpkin taste I like.

Bumping this thread for the recent pumpkin thread started! :)
BTW I made a homemade pumpkin latte this morning :) Pretty good if you ask me, but not as good as Starbucks :(

http://www.rachelwilkerson.com/2009/...pumpkin-latte/

ok,.. all the talking about pumpkin and now I'm craving some... I'd also like to know if yous are using the canned pumpkin puree? I'm thinking I can add some to my greek yogurt with cinnamon or my oatmeal.

I make an amazing pumpkin soup to welcome in the fall each year. Basically I roast the pumpkin (or another winter squash) until it's soft enough to be scooped out of the shell. I add this to vegetable/chicken broth, water, coconut milk, and red curry paste. Let it simmer for a good hour at least. You can also add mushrooms, or other veggies for an extra treat.

So sorry I double-posted on the same topic!

I made this recipe over the weekend & it is YUMMY:

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/pumpki...ns/Detail.aspx

Substituted:
1/2 of the sugar in the recipe (doesn't need it with all those apples!)
1/2c natural applesauce for the oil
made 20 muffins vs. 18 (could have made even more, easily!)

Nutritional info w/the above substitutes:
123 calories
1.5g fat (0.6g saturated)
23g cholesterol
147mg sodium
26g carb
1.4g fiber
14g sugar (hey...they ARE muffins!)
2.4g protein

I would cook them slightly less next time, and consider using 1/2 of the oil and 1/2 applesauce to improve the texture even more. However, they were delish per the above!

punkrprincessa's talk of pumpkin spice lattes got me thinking about them & wishing for something creamy & yummy. So last night (and again this morning!), I made pumpkin pie yogurt.

Plain 0% Greek Yogurt (I like the 6oz Fage Total, but you can choose whatever floats your boat)
1/4c pumpkin
pumpkin pie spice (or just cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg - whatever you like in your pie!)
sweeten to your liking with your sweetner of choice (honey, sugar, brown sugar, sugar subs, etc. I used sugar free vanilla syrup & LOVED it)

Mix it up & enjoy! You could also add 1/2tsp vanilla, which would be great. If you really want it to be like a dessert & have room for a few extra calories, crush up 1 graham cracker square on top.

Hmmmm I think I'm going to try buying a pumpkin and mashing it myself, that seems like a good idea. Then I can portion it out and freeze a bunch. Yay! Question though, how do I take the skin off? Does it just peel off?

You cook the pumpkin first and then scoop the flesh out. The ones sold for Jack o lanterns are not good for eating- stringy & watery. Winter squashes like butternut, acorn, kabocha, etc are more tasty & good for cooking

We are having this for dinner in a couple of days. I got the recipe from a Libby's website and cut and pasted it to notepad, so I don't have the link but if you google Libby's canned pumpkin recipes, you should be able to find this one plus others. When I figured out the nutritional values, it is well within my range for dinner

Pumpkin Chili Mexicana

Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 lb. ground turkey
2 cans (14.5 oz each) no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (15.25 oz.) kidney beans, drained
1 can (4 oz.) diced green chiles
1/2 cup loose-pack frozen whole-kernel corn
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

HEAT vegetable oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for

5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Add turkey; cook until browned. Drain.

ADD tomatoes with juice, pumpkin, tomato sauce, beans, chiles, corn, chili powder, cumin and black pepper. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low. Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

I'm sure you could make adjustments to fit your own needs/style/preferences.

Barb

If you mix a canned of pumpkin with devil food's cake and make cupcakes, it is delicious!