Category Archives: ideas

Pumpkin Powder

Have you ever heard of pumpkin powder? I hadn’t either until my recent ongoing pumpkin quest lead me to this nutritious item. What is it for and What is is all about? Well, let me tell you. Dried pumpkin powder can be used to replace some of the flour in breads and baked goods to produce some interesting foods.

Here is what you do:

  • Replace up to 1/4 c of flour with dried pumpkin powder in your favorite recipe.
  • In your pasta recipes, start with 1 T of pumpkin powder and adjust according to the intensity of flavor you are looking for.
  • Use dried pumpkin powder as a natural colorant to foods.  This is especially helpful if you are trying to color yogurt coating for dog biscuits. See my post on pumpkins for pets from a few days ago.

Where to your buy it? Pop on over to Barry’s Farm. They have it for sale for around a dollar an ounce.

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Pumpkin is for the Dogs

Just when you thought that the only place to find pumpkin was in the grocery store baking isle. Look a few isles over and you’ll find that there is now pet food that is pumpkin based. Hey I am not the only one obsessed. Find the goods for pets pureed, as kibble and as dog biscuits and treats. Why you ask? Because it is high in vitamin A and high in fiber and pets need the ruffage too. Pumpkin is good for pets with tummy troubles as it aids in digestion but use in moderation because it can pack the pounds on your pup.

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Honey Love

September is National Honey Month, and in celebration of this event, here are some facts from the National Honey Board that will both inform and entertain you.

  • There are approximately 300 varieties of honey in the United States. They vary from water-white fireweed to rich dark amber buckwheat. In general, lighter-colored honeys are milder in flavor while darker-colored honeys are bolder in flavor. Darker honeys also tend to have a higher mineral content and antioxidant potential.
  • Because of the floral sources from which honey originates, no two honeys are exactly alike in flavor or nutritional content. Since honeys may contain pollen, studies are underway to determine if eating local honey could relieve allergy symptoms.
  • Honey is an natural source of energy that contains a unique mixture of glucose and fructose. Recent studies suggest that this unique mixture of sugars works best in preventing fatigue and enhancing athletic performance.
  • All-natural honey is an effective treatment for minor abrasions and burns. A recent review of medical research documents its effectiveness as an antimicrobial agent.
  • Research has shown that unlike most other sweeteners, honey contains small amounts of a wide array of vitamins, minerals and trace minerals as well as antioxidants.
  • All-natural honey has been used a beauty product since the days of Cleopatra and it continues to be used today in manufactured and homemade products for skin and hair care. Honey is naturally hydrating and non-irritating.
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