Lenten Kitchen Pretzel Recipes: Kinky Twists for knot-your-average boring pretzels

 As the Catholic Christian world approaches Lent, we think of meatless and vegetarian ways to simplify our eating habits. One thing I always made was homemade pretzels. Did you know there's actually a National Pretzel Day? Yes, we actually celebrate those boring breadsticks. If pretzels as salty snacks leave a ho-hum taste in your mouth, how about some kinky twists on pretzel recipes for "knot" your average pretzels? Many of these are gluten free pretzel recipes. 

For gluten free pretzels swap out that wheat flour for oatmeal, oat bran, milled flaxseed, ground edamame, fava bean or chickpea flour and enjoy. 

Lowfat pretzel recipes: Are you calorie counting? So make your homemade pretzel recipes with lighter oil that's high in MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acids) like olive oil. Or try avocado, flaxseed or coconut oil for (seriously!) Twisted Sister pretzels. 

How about some kinky twists on pretzel dips? Lots of people go nuts over Nutella. And it's a perfect sweep fondue dip for salty pretzels. dip pretzels in warmed Nutella, melted dark or white chocolate. Roll in crushed almonds and serve with fresh raspberries. 

Sweet pretzel recipes for weight loss. Nutella is super high in calories so do a lighter pretzel dip version mixing yogurt and fresh fruit. To choco-fy it, blend cocoa powder into light vanilla yogurt. 

Knotted Guac pretzels: Make an easy batch of guacamole by blending avocado, celery salt, lemon juice, minced onions, garlic, cilantro and chopped tomatoes. Add a dash of cumin and serve with sides of mango salsa and sour cream. These are great calorie -trimmer recipes for Super Bowl tailgate parties or backyard BBQs. 

Deutsche Pretzels: Serve warm soft pretzels with spicy German horseradish mustard. Serve bratwurst on pretzel buns with German Pilsner. Make hot German potato salad by serving regular potato salad immediately instead of waiting for it to cool. Prosit! 

Dutch pretzel dogs. Spread corned beef, pastrami and/or smoked Gouda cheese with your favorite mustard and sauerkraut. Place a pretzel rod in the middle and roll. Serve with creamy cole slaw of cabbage, carrots, apples and raisins. Dress with vinegar, oil, and celery seed. 

Omit the meat in these pretzel to make Lenten Kitchen dishes to enjoy during Lent. Photo is my Screaming Pretzels recipe for Halloween. 

Diet foods that feel decadent but aren't: weight loss without self-deprivation

Hello my fellow foodies! Chef Omi (grandma) here to share some diet foods that feel decadent. At Great Foods 4U, we are about healthy as much as hungry. A few years ago (wow 15, where did the time go?) I began a mission to lose weight I'd gained from depression, anti-depressants (yes, both) and loss of two stillborn babies. One part of  how I lost 100 pounds was by amending my eating habits. Calorie counting, intermittent fasting and portion control worked for me. But more surprising methods did too, such as periodic indulgence and eating foods that felt decadent (but aren't). Because we're also about emotional self-care, here. And constant self-deprivation helps no one. It can actually lead to obesity, when starvation or deprivation mode kicks in. Our bodies take control of the helm and store fat because they wisely know we can't be trusted to take care of ourselves and eat right. So, on with my list of foods that feel decadent that aren't. 

 --olives. Fermented foods are getting a lot of attention in weight loss communities for their antioxidant, probiotic, fat-burning properties. Olives are nutrient-dense, calorie forward (with fiber balancing out fat). They're loaded with antioxidants and MUFAS (monounsaturated fatty acids) that burn fat, boost metabolism, lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and reduce inflammation. The thing to watch out for is salt or sugar content. I rinse pickles and olives before eating to reduce sodium. Also, I eat them in  moderation as I would any other treat. 

--pickles and pickled vegetables. Pickled vegetables aid weight loss in similar ways. With zero calories, pickles fill you up. And by making them yourself, you can cut down on salt. 

--pickled turnips and beets. Oh my, so delicious! I'm going to do a separate post on these Mediterranean diet treats! 

--capers. These brined flower buds are my new obsession. They have similar fat-burning properties to olives. And they're high in quercetin and rutin which reduce inflammation and improve circulation. 

--pumpkin seeds. Hulled and lightly salted, I use these in salads as a gluten-free replacement for croutons. Pepitas are high protein and a good MUFAS boost. 

--sunflower butter. In place of peanut butter, sunflower butter kicks protein fat-burning into high gear.  Plus it fills you up and curbs cravings. Sun Butter is my go to for weight loss. And believe it our not, lightly sweetened SunButter has more protein and fewer calories than the unsweetened kind.  As always, practice portion control 

-- figs, dates and dried cranberries. Dried cranberries, figs and dates are nutrient dense metabolism boosters with high fiber, potassium  and good sugar. Get the Medjool dates as they taste so much better than regular. And I get the reduced sugar dried cranberries. A handful adds a nice zest to salads to offset the saltier foods. Figs and dates are great for curbing hunger and sugar cravings. 

Fun Food Fact: Olives, figs and dates are part of the Jewish Seven Species of ceremonial and cultural food, along with lemons, pomegranates wheat and barley. Which brings me to..

--pomegranates and lemons. Pomegranates and other seed-dense fruits (like figs, blueberries, and raspberries) are great fat-burning fruits. The high fiber in the seeds balances out the sugar to make them calorie forward. I use lemons in cooking all the time. As lemon water, they boost weight loss in fat-burning and antioxidant vitamins. 

--mushrooms. The health benefits can and have filled volumes. There are too many to list here so I'll let UCLA list mushroom health benefits for me. We portabellas as meat substitutes in meatless dishes during Lent and on Fridays. Mushrooms are a must-have for my Lenten Kitchen. 

--sprouts (broccoli, clover, alfalfa, radish, lentil, mung and wheatgrass) For the longest time, didn't buy because they were so costly. But now I  make my own for cents on the dollar. I also love brussels sprouts roasted with garlic. 

--ghee (clarified butter) Could anything be so addictive and still good for you?! Ghee has as high smoke point and is great for grilling but beyond that, it's lactose free and fat-forward in that its MCTs and CLAs have some fat burning properties. Ghee is a good keto fat source. Ghee should be consumed in moderation.   

--smoked salmon. I cannot get enough of it. One tin gives like 26 grams protein for only 100ish calories. But be sure to get smoked salmon packed in oil. It tastes so much better. 

--arugula (aka rocket salad) and other spring mix greens. I only used to buy iceberg lettuce but now I treat myself to the fancier, healthier greens. Give me that bitter crunch of arugula with a dash of avocado oil, lemon juice and cracked pepper, topped with spicy sprouts and I'm a  happy girl. 

All these foods were part of how I lost 100 pounds, without drugs or gastric bypass surgery. Above photo is my foods that feel decadent salad with spinach, smoked salmon, lemon juice, capers, cracked black pepper, pomegranate seeds and freshly grown sprouts! 

Super Bowl halftime appetizers that won't supersize: diet food swaps for tailgate favorites

Super Bowl party hosts, did you know you don't have to serve junk food at your halftime appetizers buffet? Nowhere in the Super Bowl Sunday code does it say "thou shalt overindulge." If folks have learned anything from TLC's reality TV show "My 600-lb Life" it's that more people are overweight to obese. Why not serve these vegetarian and ketogenic diet Super Bowl recipes? These are my own Super Bowl snacks and recipes with diet food swaps for tailgate favorites and football halftime appetizers. 

Super Bowl of Salad for the ultimate vegetarian halftime appetizers A lot of mindless snacking goes on during football games--might as well get some veggie goodness in. Plus, diet food swaps are good for football fans who are packing on weigh in the end zone. Set it up stadium snacks style. Put salad greens in a rectangular cake pan (for football field). Mix baby spinach, spring mix and chopped romaine lettuce. Throw in shredded purple cabbage and shredded carrots. Arrange Super Bowl of Salad toppings around salad to look like football stands. Set out square dishes of broccoli and cauliflower florets, alfalfa spouts, sliced sweet onions, sliced red and green peppers, chopped and zucchini and tomatoes, cubed avocado, shredded cheese, sliced mini bella mushrooms, green and black olives, raisins, cottage cheese, sliced almonds, beets, grilled chicken cubes, chopped hard boiled eggs and croutons. Add an assortment of salad dressing, vinegar and oil. These halftime appetizers are meals in themselves. 

Super Bowl cauliflower buffalo wings. These super yummies won't supersize with diet food swaps. For vegetarian halftime appetizers, make buffalo cauliflower. Parboil cauliflower. Remove skin from wings. Swap butter in buffalo sauce for non-stick cooking spray or light yogurt butter. Baste wings and cauliflower. Mix red pepper, paprika, black pepper, garlic, onion juice, lemon juice and celery seed. Shake cauliflower and wings in seasoning. Bake in oven till tender. Or simmer in crock pot with a little water. 

Vegetarian rainbow chili halftime appetizers. Swap Hambeens 15 bean soup mix, protein pasta,  baby bella mushrooms and/ or sweet potatoes for meat. Ramp up the vegetables and use lowfat cheese. I add chopped rainbow peppers, cilantro, tomatoes, red and sweet onions, scallions, garlic, cauliflower, shredded green and purple cabbage, garlic, jalapeno, turnips, leeks and celery. Season with bay leaves, smoked paprika, red pepper, oregano, cumin and celery salt. 

Breadless rollups for halftime appetizers. Roll up lettuce leaves, sliced turkey, avocado and cranberry sauce. Make breadless sandwiches using romaine leaves, your favorite lunchmeat and cheese slices and little avocado mayo and Dijon mustard. Or skip the lunchmeat and substitute tuna salad or salmon or apple slices. 

Lighten up salty snacks for Super Bowl. Serve cut vegetable tray, pretzels and baked tortilla chips with hummus and salsa instead of chips and dip. 

Homemade hummus and pickled turnips for the win.. For hummus, blend chick peas or black beans with lemon juice, garlic, tahini, cumin and celery salt. To pickle turnips, slice turnips and beets into  sticks. Coat with salt allow to dehydrate a few days. Then add sliced jalapeno and celery sticks and cover with vinegar. Turnips will turn a dazzling shade of pink. 

Dessert diet food swaps for tailgate party favorites.. Trade cakes and cookies for fruit desserts. Make "Super Bowl Sundaes" with light ice cream or frozen yogurt. Put out fruit toppings in team colors. Serve bowls of sliced strawberries, bananas, blueberries, kiwi, mandarin oranges and sliced pineapple. Use light whipped topping and nuts. Layer fruit, angel food cake and whipped topping in a glass bowl to create a pretty Super Bowl trifle. Or make Jello salad in team colors. Make sugar-free Jello and allow to partially set. Blend in sliced fruit and whipped topping. Continue to chill.

My tummy is rumbling just thinking of these yummies and I don't even watch Super Bowl! 

'My 600-lb Life'-inspired diet hacks, weight loss food swaps to beat obesity now

The holidays are notorious for binge eating, indulging in poor eating habits and weight gain. If we've learned anything from reality TV shows like "My 600-lb Life" it's that morbid obesity is a growing problem and ending it means taking action sooner rather than later. New Year is the perfect time to start a weight loss regimen to eat healthier. Here are 35 diet food swaps to eat healthier and lose weight today. Using diet hacks was part of how I lost 100 pounds. 

Start to eat healthier slowly and steadily. Weight loss is like the old slogan "think globally, act locally." Begin by being mindful of what you eat. It's easy to overreact and bite off more than you can chew (pun intended) in weight loss. When you go overboard, it's easier to get overwhelmed and give up. Eat healthier one day at a time, in little ways. 

Practice healthy diet food swaps. Don't think "diet food" instead think food swaps to eat healthier overall. Cleaning up eating habits will lose weight today. 

Beverage food swaps for weight loss. Start by swapping juice or milk for pop. Then swap substitute whole Vitamin D milk for 2%, skim milk for 2%. Substitute protein flax, cashew or almond milk for skim milk. Then switch to water as your go-to bevvie. 

Substitute calorie laden coffee beverages like Cappuccino, Frappachino and latte with healthier alternatives: Non-fat, low-cal sweeteners and almond milk make coffee creamers. 

Condiment diet food swaps. Cut condiments to eat healthier. Substitute coconut, avocado or olive oil for butter or margarine. Blend butter half and half with coconut, avocado or olive oil; this makes butter easier to spread and healthier. Replace transfat margarine with Olivio or other trans fat free butter or margarine. 

Replace sweet dips, jams and spreads with blended peanut butter and plain Greek yogurt (makes a protein packed sandwich spread and fruit dip). 

Change out sugar in diet food swaps. Replace bleached sugar with raw sugar (Florida Crystals or Sucanat), blue agave syrup, pure maple syrup, stevia or Splenda. 

Replace one meat meal per week with a vegetarian fish, cheese, egg or vegan meal to lose weight today and eat healthier. 

Replace bleached flour with unbleached flour, whole grain breads and cereals. Try using almond flour or cauliflower as a bread base. I started eating more breadless meals and sandwiches. These diet foods swaps work well for eating gluten free. 

Substitute one restaurant meal a week for a home-cooked meal. Substitute one packaged food meal a week with a home-cooked meal. 

Order fish or chicken instead of beef, pork or processed meat to lose weight today. Substitute broiled chicken for fried or baked chicken to lose weight today. Substitute tuna or broiled fish for chicken. Explore flaxseed, miso or avocado in place of cheese and creamy products. 

Substitute raw almonds or sunflower seeds for honey roasted or salted nuts. Eat more vegetables and less potatoes and pasta. Eat more brown rice than white rice for weight loss. Substitute edamame, rice cakes and plain popcorn for salty snacks. 

Swap nuts and beans for meat as protein sources. Substitute hummus (chickpea paste) in place of cheese in main dishes. 

Substitute frozen vegetables for canned vegetables and fresh vegetables for frozen vegetables.

Substitute real cheese for processed, Neufchatel cheese (reduced fat cream cheese) for regular cream cheese, then cottage cheese for cream cheese and finally Greek yogurt for cheese to lose weight today.

Replace lowfat cold cuts for bologna. Substitute turkey cold cuts for pork. Substitute MSG, nitrate and nitrite free cold cuts. Eat tuna fish or nuts for diet food swaps. Eat trans fat free, hydrogenated fat free, natural or organic peanut butter or almond butter instead of plain Jif. 

Drink 100% juice instead of soda or fruit drink, then drink green tea for juice. Eat whole fruit instead of drinking juice. Drink one less alcoholic beverage (beer, glass of wine, cocktail) daily. 

Use plain, unsweetened applesauce in place of oil in cake mixes and muffins. Substitute healthy muffins for cupcakes. Substitute bagels for donuts. Swap diet bread for regular. 

Eat a vegetable salad with every meal. Eat it before the main meal and you will not be as tempted to over eat. Watch less TV. It's easy to engage in mindless snacking while staring at a screen.  For TV snacks, try raw carrots, celery and edamame. 

Fast one day a week on bread and water. That's part of how I lost 100 pounds was to do intermittent fasting. 

Weight loss isn't easy but it not as hard as I thought it would be. 

Gluten-free breadless sandwich recipes for weight loss

 Do you love sandwiches? Lord Montague, the 4th Earl of Sandwich did — that's why he invented them! The story goes, he didn't want to bust up a rocking poker game to eat supper. He told the servants to slap a hunk of whatever meat there was between two slices of bread. And enfin, the sandwich was born. 

But what about those with gluten allergies? Carb addiction leads to all kinds of unsavory outcomes: obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, liver problems and more. And eating gluten-free can aid all of them.  So how about some recipe hacks for breadless sandwiches, for weight loss, paleo, or gluten-free diets. We'll see your bread and raise you one better, Lord Montague!  

Inside out sandwiches. You could buy gluten-free bread, but here's a better, more diet-friendly alternative. Turn sandwiches inside out. Fill lunchmeat with toppings or use lettuce leaves. Rinse and pat dry large romaine lettuce leaves. Stuff with your favorite sandwich fillings. Best diet choices are sliced avocado, tempeh, tuna, salmon, low sodium ham or turkey. Or mix beans, rice and salsa. Light cheese options are Mozzarella, non-fat feta or shredded Parmesan. 

Fill your breadless sandwiches with any and all vegetables you like, the more the healthier! Personal favorite are tomatoes, sprouts, cilantro, dill, cucumbers, spinach, kale, basil, onions, scallions, shredded carrots, mushrooms, green or other colored peppers, broccoli, pea pods, zucchini.

Low calorie gluten-free toppings for breadless sandwiches include avocado mayonnaise, hot sauce, stone ground brown mustard, horseradish, wasabi, light raspberry vinaigrette dressing and Maple Grove Farms or Bolthouse Farms Greek Yogurt dressings. Or homemade tzatziki or hummus! 

Here's my coup de grace gluten-free breadless sandwich: romaine lettuce filled with shaved light turkey breast, sliced tomatoes, red onions, avocado, spinach, sliced yellow and orange peppers, carrots and sprouts. Topped with Bolthouse Farms Mango Chipotle dressing and a dash of Herdez cilantro lime salsa cremosa and my homemade cumin hummus. 

Last-minute Thanksgiving dinner menu, meal planner, time table and recipes for holiday cooking

Arrgh!! Someone bailed and left you with the entire Thanksgiving dinner preparation two days before showtime! You could get drunk and cancel the holiday, or glitter bomb their car (yeah, definitely do that one) but the best plan is to use this last-minute holiday planner to pull off a Turkey Day extraordinaire. You'll find the Thanksgiving grocery shopping list, but budget tips to keep cost low, on my blog Shop Chat (grab paper plates, napkins, cups and plastic cutlery if desired).

Here's the timetable you need to follow to pull this off. You will seen ITMT in recipes. That indicates "in the mean time", meaning do this while the previous stage of cooking is happening). Preparing Thanksgiving dinner is all about multitasking.Oh and if anyone asks if they can bring something, LET THEM! And don't feel badly if you need to ask people to chip in. The entire dinner can cost $40-$50.

On T-day minus 2 (two days before Thanksgiving):

Thaw turkey in refrigerator.
Use up leftovers.
Clean out refrigerator.
Grocery shop--Aldi, Walmart, Dollar Tree and Save-a-Lot have best prices.
Use large blunt bread knife to cube loaf of bread for stuffing. Spread bread cubes in a single layer and cover loosely with towel. (Protect from pets and kids who for some reason love bread cubes.)

T-day minus 1 (one day ahead)

Bake frozen pies (Save boxes to store baked pie. They will keep for one day.)

ITMT start mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes. Set two large kettles, filled about two inches with water, to boil. You will add more water later but they will boil faster with less water. Wash white potatoes and sweet potatoes. Add sweet and white potatoes, jackets on, to each pan. Add about two more inches of water. Cover. Cook till tender: white potatoes cook about 20-30 minutes and sweet potatoes cook about 45 minutes.

ITMT rinse cranberries. Place in sauce pan with one cup of water and 1/2 to one cup of sugar (brown or white). Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes. Berries will begin to pop and whistle as they soften.

ITMT prepare Thanksgiving turkey giblets. Remove turkey from refrigerator and packaging from turkey. From chart on wrapping, calculate cooking time based on size of bird and when you plan to eat. Remove giblets bag from neck cavity and tail from tail cavity. Discard neck and liver and rinse giblets for stuffing. Simmer until tender.

ITMT prep Thanksgiving turkey. Rinse entire bird, including cavities to get any ice out. Pat turkey dry and spray with non-stick cooking spray or use butter if it's not basted already. Place bird in foil pan with lift out handles. Cover loosely with foil and return to refrigerator

ITMT start stuffing. In a large frying pan, melt 2 sticks of butter on low. Season with one teaspoon of sage, poultry seasoning, garlic, 1/2 black pepper and marjoram if you have it. Watch it as butter burns easily. ITMT pare and chop onion. Add to melted butter to saute. ITMT, wash, pare and chop celery. Add to onion and butter. Simmer until vegetables are tender.

ITMT drain and cool potatoes in cold water until you can handle them without getting burned. ITMT, start sweet potatoes sauce recipe. Melt 3 sticks of margarine and add one pound of brown sugar and one can orange juice. Blend and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce is thickened.

ITMT continue Thanksgiving stuffing placing dried bread cubes in a large mixing bowl. Pour butter, onion and celery sauce over bread. Add chicken broth.Blend until butter and broth have soaked into bread. Place stuffing in baking dish and refrigerate overnight. Stuffing is best if it marinates. After you stuff the bird, you will have extra. Bake this separately in baking dish. Don't stuff bird till T-day.

ITMT remove skins from sweet potatoes. Arrange in disposable baking dish and set aside. Remove skins from white potatoes and place taties in large bowl and blend or mash until smooth. Return to cooking pan along with two sticks of butter, garlic, one cup of milk, salt and pepper. Optional: add sour cream, Parmesan and cheese if desires. Heat on low and blend all ingredients, stirring constantly. Pour into another disposable baking dish. Cool, cover and refrigerate.

ITMT pour orange brown sugar sauce over sweet potatoes. Cover and place in refrigerator on top of white potatoes. Pour cranberry sauce into baking dish. Cool, cover and refrigerate. Put feet up and have a glass of wine!

On Thanksgiving Day:

Chill beverages. Preheat oven 325. Remove turkey from pan and stuff neck and tail cavities. Replace in pan, cover loosely with foil and place in oven. Bake leftover stuffing separately in baking dish.

ITMT assemble green bean casserole. Rinse and drain green beans and place in baking dish. Add mushroom soup, stir and season with pepper. Top with French fried onions and bake about 30 minutes with turkey. Bake rolls or biscuits. Bake cold mashed white potatoes if you have room in oven, about one hour.

ITMT tidy kitchen, set table and in the last 30 minutes of baking turkey, remove foil and increase heat to 400 to brown. Remove other dishes, add sweet potatoes and bake for 30 minutes. Remove turkey from oven when timer pops up. Let turkey sit for 15 minutes before you cut. Open wine to breathe. Serve on good paper plates and use plastic tableware and cups to make Thanksgiving cleanup easier on you. Enjoy your labors and your family. Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin recipes: Pumpkin spice treats, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin soup recipes for fall

I am a pumpkin fanatic. Every fall and through the winter, pumpkin appears in dozens of foods from my house. Pumpkins are brimming with Vitamin A and beta-carotene. Pumpkin is perfect for vegan and vegetarians delicious and nutritious. Here are some of my very best pumpkin recipes.

For these recipes, you will not use a jack-o-lantern pumpkin (the variety you carve). Select the smaller pumpkin known colloquially in supermarkets as the 'pie pumpkin'. These have richer flesh, thicker rinds and better flavor. You can cook down and can or freeze pumpkin. The other option which is just as delicious and nutritious is canned packed pumpkin. I admit to cheating and using canned pumpkin. If you choose the canned pumpkin option, but sure to buy plain pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling is sweetened and has spices added. I don't even buy pumpkin pie filling for my pies.

Pumpkin Soup: Perfect power packed nutrition for chilly fall days. In a large, deep skillet melt two sticks of butter or margarine (olive oil if you are a vegan). saute one medium chopped onion, one small stalk of cleaned, pared and sliced celery, five chopped sage leaves (or 1 teaspoon of ground sage) and one half teaspoon cracked pepper. Pour contents of saute pan in soup pot. Add one 29 oz. can of pumpkin and a carton of Progresso chicken broth (vegans and vegetarians, replace chicken broth with vegetable broth). Fill the pumpkin can with milk (vegans, use water) and add that to the pot. Simmer until blended and heated through. Just before serving, add chopped cucumbers and butter croutons. Send a jar to an elderly neighbor, a family with a new baby or a sick friend.

Pumpkin Upside-Down Custard: In a large bowl, blend 1 29oz. can of pumpkin, one teaspoon of cinnamon, one half teaspoon of nutmeg and ginger, one quarter teaspoon of cloves, one teaspoon of salt, four large eggs, one cup of packed brown sugar, one tablespoon of flour Refill pumpkin can with milk and add to ingredients. Blend until smooth and fold in one cup of peeled, chopped apples (optional). Placed in 9x13 glass baking dish coated with non-stick pan spray. Bake at 400 degrees about 40 minutes until set. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

For topping: blend 1 cup finely chopped pecans with 1 stick melted butter and one quarter cup brown sugar. Mixture will be crumbly. Sprinkle over surface and bake for five to ten minutes to set. Vegans can replace eggs and milk with two packages of silken soft tofu also.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Custard: Using the same ingredients as above, cut milk down to 10 oz and add two 8 oz packages of softened cream cheese. You will need to use blender or electric mixer to blend. Using two cartons of whipped cream cheese will be easier to blend also.

Pumpkin is one of my favorite comfort foods.