As promised, here are some pumpkin recipes:
Pumpkin Nut Bread
An old family favorite, pumpkin nut bread makes a wonderful snack, breakfast or dessert. This recipe makes one large loaf or 2 mini loaves for gift giving. The bread also freezes well. Freeze on a plate 6 hours, wrap frozen loaf in heavy duty aluminum foil and return to the freezer for up to six months.
2 cups all-purpose flour or 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon each: salt and nutmeg
1 cup fresh pumpkin puree or 1 cup solid pack canned pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup skim milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup each: chopped pecans and black walnuts (may substitute raisins or any combination to equal one cup)
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, salt and ground nutmeg.
In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, milk and eggs. Mix well.
Add dry ingredients, oil and nuts mixing until just moistened. Batter will be slightly lumpy. Do not over mix.
Spoon batter into well greased (use vegetable oil) 9 x 5 inch loaf pan or two 7-1/2 x 3 3/4 inch loaf pans, may use aluminum pans.
Bake (in the middle of the oven) large loaf for 65 minutes or two mini loaves for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool 10 minutes in the pan.
Use a knife to go around the edge of the pan to loosen bread from the sides of the pan, invert, cool on a cooling rack or plate. Slice and serve.
Pumpkin Nut Bars
1 cup cooked pumpkin puree, fresh or canned
1/2 cup butter or margarine (melted)
2 egg whites, slightly beaten
2 cups oats
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup shredded coconut, toasted
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 cup chopped salted peanuts, pecans, or almonds
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, beat egg whites slightly; add pumpkin and melted butter or margarine beat until smooth.
In another bowl combine oats, brown sugar, coconut, wheat germ, and nuts.
Fold oat mixture into pumpkin mixture to form stiff dough.
Press dough into a lightly greased 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 inch jelly roll pan.
Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. While still warm, cut into 2x3 inch bars.
Yield about 30 bars. Serve warm or cool completey.
We thought these were the best. You can find more recipes and nutrition information at: http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/pumpkins/nutrition.html
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Reducing stress over holiday season: The PLAY Model
The PLAY model is the key to getting through the “stress season”.
The fall season can mean many things to us. It is back to school season, the end of the summer season and time to prepare for the holidays. All of these definitions can lead to a season of stress. So how do we cope with “stress season”?
I call it the PLAY model. By focusing on these steps, you can actually enjoy the coming months!
1. Planning- Planning your events and obligations can make it more manageable. Before committing to everything, take a look at when and where things are taking place.
2. Listing- Once you have decided which events you will attend, list them or put them on your calendar. Seeing them in an organized (planned) way can feel less overwhelming.
3. Attending- This seems odd, I know, but by attending the events and consciously and making an effort to enjoy yourself will remind you of why you are going in the first place. Some people like to list all of the positives of attending events before they go in order to focus on the positives.
4. You- It’s all about you. This should probably be the first step, but that would ruin my acronym. YOU can decide what is realistic and what’s not. Making sure you stick to your plan through busy times will help you stay energetic. If you are feeling good and taking the time for yourself, you will be able to prevent unnecessary stress from ruining your holiday season.
Keeping this in mind will help you keep your routine in mind. When your routine is in mind, life is easier and you can keep progressing. More importantly, you can enjoy it.
The fall season can mean many things to us. It is back to school season, the end of the summer season and time to prepare for the holidays. All of these definitions can lead to a season of stress. So how do we cope with “stress season”?
I call it the PLAY model. By focusing on these steps, you can actually enjoy the coming months!
1. Planning- Planning your events and obligations can make it more manageable. Before committing to everything, take a look at when and where things are taking place.
2. Listing- Once you have decided which events you will attend, list them or put them on your calendar. Seeing them in an organized (planned) way can feel less overwhelming.
3. Attending- This seems odd, I know, but by attending the events and consciously and making an effort to enjoy yourself will remind you of why you are going in the first place. Some people like to list all of the positives of attending events before they go in order to focus on the positives.
4. You- It’s all about you. This should probably be the first step, but that would ruin my acronym. YOU can decide what is realistic and what’s not. Making sure you stick to your plan through busy times will help you stay energetic. If you are feeling good and taking the time for yourself, you will be able to prevent unnecessary stress from ruining your holiday season.
Keeping this in mind will help you keep your routine in mind. When your routine is in mind, life is easier and you can keep progressing. More importantly, you can enjoy it.
Monday, September 22, 2008
3 Steps to Getting Active
Do what you like best. If you like running, run. If you like doing aerobics, do aerobics. The exercise that will work for you is the exercise that you will do consistently. There are many programs out there that will tell you what the “right” way or “wrong” way is. That is not something that I put any stock in at all. There is no right and there is no wrong. The only right is exercise and the only wrong is living a sedentary lifestyle.
So how do you get active? Well, it starts with the mode. Choose to do something you like to do. But you also need to select a time that will work for you. Many will debate what time of day is best, but the fact is, the time of day that exercise will help you the most is the time of day that you exercise. Often the selection of a time is the single step that allows people to get started on a routine. Pick a time that you can realistically see yourself not only exercising, but keeping the time dedicated to your exercise.
Now that you have decided what you are going to do and when you are going to do it. The only thing left is actually doing it. But there is a subtle step that can help your routine not only get on track, but also help keep it on track as you go. That step is the duration of your exercise session. Again, you may have heard the recommended 30 minutes or more. You may have also realized that you have not been doing any exercise lately. If you are starting from square one, you don’t have to do it all at once. Setting your goal to start gradually can be the difference between failure and long-term success. As you progress your goals will increase and so will your results.
The process is simple. The following steps will get you started:
1. Pick a mode that you enjoy
2. Pick a time that you will be able to do it
3. Pick a duration that is realistic and can be improved as you go
By taking these 3 steps, you will be on your way. The only step that can make these easier is to put the step of talking to your health coach in front of it all. By assembling your support team around you, all 3 steps are much easier to complete. Getting started may be a challenge, but with your coach, you will adjust and stay motivated. You can do it. You can reach your goals.
So how do you get active? Well, it starts with the mode. Choose to do something you like to do. But you also need to select a time that will work for you. Many will debate what time of day is best, but the fact is, the time of day that exercise will help you the most is the time of day that you exercise. Often the selection of a time is the single step that allows people to get started on a routine. Pick a time that you can realistically see yourself not only exercising, but keeping the time dedicated to your exercise.
Now that you have decided what you are going to do and when you are going to do it. The only thing left is actually doing it. But there is a subtle step that can help your routine not only get on track, but also help keep it on track as you go. That step is the duration of your exercise session. Again, you may have heard the recommended 30 minutes or more. You may have also realized that you have not been doing any exercise lately. If you are starting from square one, you don’t have to do it all at once. Setting your goal to start gradually can be the difference between failure and long-term success. As you progress your goals will increase and so will your results.
The process is simple. The following steps will get you started:
1. Pick a mode that you enjoy
2. Pick a time that you will be able to do it
3. Pick a duration that is realistic and can be improved as you go
By taking these 3 steps, you will be on your way. The only step that can make these easier is to put the step of talking to your health coach in front of it all. By assembling your support team around you, all 3 steps are much easier to complete. Getting started may be a challenge, but with your coach, you will adjust and stay motivated. You can do it. You can reach your goals.
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