Pumpkin Recipes
 

I'm back with Pumpkin Recipes as promised. I've not tried these so I can't tell you how they taste. Apparently, people usually only cook with the smaller ones (the pie ones or "sugar pumpkins") They usually weigh about 2 lbs each.

First recipe is from George Stella who is the low carb cook on the Food Network. It is for a Stuffed Pumpkin

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cup chopped celery
1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup beef stock
1 1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tbsp brandy
One 2-2 1/2 lb pie pumpkin
1/4 cup brown sugar substitute
1/4 cup sugar substitute (splenda recommended)

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a large saute pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until tender. Remove and set the vegetables aside.

3. Place the same pan over high heat. Add the meats, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and cook until the meat is thoroughly browned. Drain off the excess fat.

4. Turn the heat off and stir the sauteed veggies, beef stock, cloves, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and brandy into the meat mixture.

5. Prepare the pumpkin as you would for Halloween: Cut off the top and set it aside for later. Scoop out the stringy fiber and seeds and discard. Mix the sugar substitutes together and sprinkle inside the cleaned pumpkin.

6. Fill the pumpkin with the cooked meat mixture and replace the top.

7. Bake in a shallow pan for about 1 1/2 hours, until the pumpkin is tender when stuck with a fork. Remove the pumpkin from the oven, take off the top, cut into 6 wedges and serve the pumpkin and meat together.

He says 4 net carbs per serving.

Next recipe is from Dana Carpender's 500 More Low Carb Recipes for Chili Lime Pumpkin for those of you who like spicy food.

1 little pumpkin (about 2 lbs)
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp oil
1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds (buy these separate, don't try to use the ones from your pumpkin)
1 tsp chili garlic paste (located in the Thai food section)
2 tsp lime juice

1. Whack your pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Peel off the hard rind, then cut the flesh into slices about 1/4" thick.

2. Put the butter and oil in your big, heavy skillet over medium heat. Swirl them together as the butter melts. Now, lay the pumpkin slices of pumpkin flat in the butter/oil mixture and saute until lightly golden on both sides, and tender, yet still al dente. You'll need to do this in more than one batch.

3. While this is happening, toast your pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until they swell a bit--about 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat when they are done.

4. When the pumpkin is all cooked, put it all back in the skillet. Mix together the chili garlic paste and the lime juice, and gently mix it in, coating all of the pumpkin slices.

5. Lay the pumpkin slices on serving plates, top each serving with a tbsp of toasted pumpkin seeds, and serve.

8 servings, each with 89 calories, 5 grams of fat, 2 grams of protein, 10 grams of carbs, 1 gram of fiber.


Third recipe is for Baked Pumpkin Wedges from Saving Dinner the Low Carb Way by Leanne Ely

1 small pumpkin prepared and cut into four pieces (although I suspect one pumpkin really makes 6-8 servings)
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 425
Lightly oil the pumpkin on the fleshy side, salt and pepper to taste, then sprinkle with nutmeg.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender

4 servings each with 61 calories, 4 grams of fat, 1 gram of protein, 8 grams of carb, and 1 gram of fiber.

Dana Carpender also has a recipe for Chicken Sancocho which is a carribean stew that includes fresh pumpkin but takes all day to make. I doubt anyone is interested in that so I didn't include it.

That should give you some ideas of what to do with fresh pumpkins. If anyone finds an easy way to whack them open and peel them let me know. Too much work for me. I just buy the canned stuff.

whew!!! Lots of posts in the last couple days. It really really does help keep the inspiration flowing :)

I went to the city yesterday and got a new car!! We stopped at Marie Callenders for lunch and to see a freind there and I did good (I think) with a salad and slice of quiche. I DID NOT eat the crust hehe. Then we got to the Honda dealer and wound up having to wait like 7 hours for the car cuz they had to go to another dealer near Oakland to get it. We got really hungry so wound up going to Applebees for dinner and I didn't do so well. I saw the awesome ww meals, but opted for deep fried shrimp with garlic mashed potatos :( I ate all the shrimp, and my veggies but left most of the potatos. Anyways.... i can't let myself get so hungry. Soooooo today has been good. chicken, squash and green salad for dinner!

Nice to meet you Dee!!! Welcome back. I was hoping to see you post someday. This is such a great group of Ladies. Thanks

L2L~ Welcome back to you too! Keep coming back ;)

Lisa_WY~ Great words of wisdom all the way around :) I'm glad we have such a straight forward speaker among us... Tell it like it is, with love and kindness thrown in.

Curley~ The pumpkin cake thing was great. Hubby liked it too! 'cept i messed up and bought a pumpkin pie mix instead of 100% pumpkin so it already had nasty ickky sugar in it. I'll try it again the right way next time.

Petra~ So the carbs in the pumpkin are ok? I was a little concerned cuz they seemed a bit high...... btw thanks for all the great info too.

everyonje else~ dinner is about ready so i'm gonna get going. Congratulations to every one of us, for losses or for just being here! :grouphug:

PUMPKIN-RAISIN MUFFINS

1 c. pumpkin
4 eggs or (8 whites)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. non fat dry milk
5 pkgs. sweetener
8 tbsp. raisins
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. vanilla
Spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ground cloves

Add grated carrots, if you wish. Makes them fatter. 3 muffins equals 1 bread, 1 milk, 1 protein, and 1 fruit. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Makes 12.

Iwmonn-I wouldn't exactly call pumpkin a "carb bargain" like raspberries, strawberries or blackberries, but I think it is an exceptable amount for 1 serving. You can make your own judgement call on that from the recipes above. You just can't eat half a pumpkin in a day. I'm not sure you'd want to either.

BTW, did anyone actually get The Four Corners Diet book yet? One of the secretaries at work is reading it and she is loving it.

Drum roll please!! I lost 3 lbs this week. I may make my Halloween goal after all. Onederland, here I come!

:cheer: Go Petra! :cheer: that is AWESOME!!!

Personal Inventory
 

Good Morning Everyone:

Petra - you absolutely hit the nail on the head. Those are exactly my issues. I am an overweater, and it is the refined sugar.

Years ago, my father went to an inpatient 6-month treatment program for those very same things, and many others, which he had made changes for life. I had a long talk with him last night, because I basically am walking in his footsteps. He asked me to do the sugar test. I don't know how many of you are familiar with this, he used to have my sister and I do this every once in a while just to show what we are doing to ourselves.

Anyway, you pour your hand full of real granulated sugar, and make a fist, not tight, just enough to hang on the the sugar, then place your arm out to the side. Your arm will grow heavy very quickly and begin to drop because of the effect of the sugar .

I forgot how eye opening that is. :eek: He gave me the number of a lady he went through treatment with, as they still keep in contact, and she runs one of the local OA groups in our city, and told me when I am ready, to give her a call...and take a step towards changing my life.

Back to square-one. I need to make baby steps, and just change back 1 thing at a time.

God bless you all, and I will post soon,
Congrats to all the losers on your turkey take-off!!, and for all the things you do each day, that make you who you are.

Hats off to you all.
Love & Hugs, L2L

Hi Everyone,
TGIF!! I had to take a few hours off this moring to get some of my out of work things done. I don't know why but I can't seem to get everything done lately and I'm feeling overwhelmed. All these yummy pumpkin recipies, I'll have to try some. My son has a few of the small pumkins but I dont' think he will let me cook them, we will probably carve them so I'll have to get some just for cooking. What do you guys think about using the canned stuff is it just as good?
So this week I have been really good. Eating just what I should, excersisng, but for some reason, the scale is saying I've gained a lot. My official WI isn't til Sunday so maybe its water or something, hopefully.

Petra yeah!!! You did so well. 3 Pounds that is great. I know you'll beat me to Onderland but I'll get there soon.

L2L- It sounds like you are ready to take that big step. I have a big problem with sugar as well. I have to just stay away from it. which is so hard. I'm going to try that sugar test just to see what it does.

Iwmonn- new car! that is so cool. I want a new car, I've always had VW but I think my next car (probaly not for a few years so this might change) will be a PT Cruiser, they are very afordable and comfy I'll keep dreaming.

Angel- I want to go to isoball class. I love classes that make you sore and all. I did kickboxing last night hopefully I'll feel it, that is how I know I'm doing the right things.

Lisa, Zoey, Dee, TEB, Turtle, and everyone else, Have a good friday and stay OP.
Jennie

Iwmonn....Congratulations on your new car!!! I love Honda's!! I've owned 2 so far and they've been really good to me and very easy for servicing. Love the new car smell.

Petra..... :cb: WOOHOO :cb: Way to go...another 3 lb loss!!! Keep it up and you WILL be in onderland soon. Awesome job!!

Jennie.....I would think that the pumpkin can stuff would be just the same without all the hard work!! I read a little trick this morning.....after carving your pumpkin, sprinkly the insides with cinnimon and nutmeg and it will smell nice when the candle burns!! Kinda neat.

Lisa.....How is the sewing coming? Didn't you need to have it ready for a recital tommorow? Good luck!!

L2L.....I have never heard of the sugar test!! What happens if your hand/arm doesn't fall by your side? You take your time and do what is best for YOU....it will all work out. We are here for you. {{hugs}}

HI everyone!!.. just checking in.. I still havent gotten back on plan yet, but I have been eating smaller portions.. this weekend me and my hubby are going to clean out the kitchen and get rid of all the junk.. (he just doesnt know it yet).. and hopefully by monday, I should be back on track.. I'm trying to catch up on all the posts but there is over a 1000 of them.. WOW...!! I plan to sit down and read all day Sunday.. well I hope everyone has a great weekend.. and keep on keeping on


-DeeRod

BY CHANGING YOUR THINKING

By Changing Your Thinking, You change your beliefs;

When you change your beliefs, You change your expectations;

When you change your expectations, You change your attitude;

When you change your attitude, You change your behavior;

When you change your behavior, You change your performance;


When you change your performance; You Change Your Life!

L2L- I'm glad I was able to be helpful. Realizing that I was addicted to sugar was one of those AHA! moments for me this time around. Thinking that I can have an occasional cookie or brownie or whatever is just like an alcoholic thinking they can have an occasional beer. It inevitably leads to more and the next thing I know, I have fallen off the wagon and have gained half my weight back. Like all addicts, I have to abstain from my drug of choice. May sound harsh but for me I do believe it is the only way I am going to win this battle. Fortunately, splenda and sugar alcohols don't seem to have the same effect on me so I can have an occasional treat without falling off the wagon. I guess it's sort of like the alcoholic having an O'Douls.

Deerod-cleaning out the kitchen is an important first step. I did that when I started this last spring. I gave all my high carb junk to the food bank. You can't eat it if it isn't in the house.

Lisa-thanks for the words of inspiration.

This is completely off topic but I'm going to tell you something sort of poignant about my job. I made a house call today. I usually only do this for my patients who are on hospice care but I did this as a favor to a geriatrician in the community that I know. I went to see a lady who is only one year older than my mother but she has such severe dementia she doesn't even know her children's names anymore. We showed her her wedding picture while I was there and she didn't recognize it despite the fact she had been married to her husband for over 50 years. She was very sweet and kept telling me how pretty I am, LOL. Mostly she babbled incoherently the whole time I was there. Her children are taking care of her at home, God bless them. I can't imagine my parents in that state and hope I don't have to see it. It really struck me because she is so close in age to my mother--that could be my family! I see demented patients all the time but have never really been able to put myself in the family's place quite like this before, seeing them in their home and all. Obviously, it made a big impression on me.

OMGosh! I literally got so excited reading the Jillian Michaels thread, I put my clothes back on and went to the bookstore and got her book. Does anyone else have it? I hope I like it better than the Denise Austin book! I think I should start a diet book of the month club, LMAO!

Winning By Losing
 

I see I'm being quite the loud mouth here lately. :lol:

I'm going to give you guys the Dr. Mary review of the book, at least so far. I read the first two sections last night. I give it two thumbs up! She has divided the book into three sections, Self, Science, and Sweat. In the first part, she talks about some of the psychological stuff that gets people into their weight problems and keeps them there. There are some biggies she omits but she deserves a lot of credit for even including as much as she does. Most diet books don't even try to do this.

In the science section she recommends metabolic typing yourself as either a slow oxidizer, a fast oxidizer or a balanced oxidizer. Then choosing a diet that is best for you based on your metabolic type. This is very similar to Diana Schwarzbein's principles. In fact, you could probably figure out how these two correspond if you wanted to take the time to do it. I can tell you off the bat that the diet she recommends for balanced oxidizers is The Zone. Metabolic typing is still somewhat controversial but just based on what I have seen in clinical practice, we all know that not all diets work equally well for everyone even if they stick to them, so there probably is some truth to this. I haven't lost weight very quickly on low carb despite my faithfulness to it while I'm sure many of you know people who just about melted away on low carb diets. Certainly, not everyone is insulin resistant, and even those that are don't have the same amount of insulin resistance. You get the idea.

The last section of the book which I've only browsed so far is Sweat, or her exercise program. Here she differs significant from Diana Schwarzbein! :lol:
It appears to be intense and in fact, I might have to hire a personal trainer to learn to do it properly if I were to follow her complete program. Maybe others could do this on their own. The big difference between this and the Schwazbein principle from what I can tell is that Jillian is definately selling a weight loss program and Dr. Schwarzbein will tell you that she is not (she is selling a holistic approach to health) and that Jillian's book is much more to the point. In fact, if you want more info on some of things Jillian browses over, the best source would be Dr. Schwarzbein. I wouldn't be surprised if they know each other.

I think I should tell Suzanne I like this book after shredding Denise Austin last month. :lol:

Good Morning everyone!! :wave: What a gorgeous day. I was up and out of the house this morning by 7:45 heading to the gym. I had a great treadmill workout and then stayed for the body sculpting class. There is something to be said for all this excercising early in the morning!!! I feel so alive and pumped!!! :cb:

Petra......If you read the posts on Jillian's thread; you can't help but get pumped and excited. EVERYONE there is on fire!!! :flame: This book is catching on like so fast. Quite the thing, and whats really neat....is Jillian herself actually posts the odd time to comment or correct a statement from her book. VERY COOL!!! If I'm out Barnes Noble way today, I'm going to take a peak also.

COME OUT COME OUT WHERE EVER YOU ARE??? What's going on? :yikes: Where is everyone? Hotcup, Zoey, Curly, Jackie, L2L, Dee, Iwmonn, Lisa2, Mom, Jennie....did I miss anyone?? WE WILL HUNT YOU DOWN!!! :lol: