Pumpkin Spice Recipes and Pumpkin Themed Kids Lunches, Treats, Snacks

Boy, pumpkin and pumpkin spice sure is a shtick for fall foods--everything from IHOP pancakes to coffee creamer, Oreos to beer. So I thought, why not tap into that beta-carotene goodness for my +Week-of-school-snacks and +Five-day-school-lunch-menu series? Here are healthy kids lunch and snack recipes featuring pumpkin. But no pumpkin beer, promise :)

Use fresh pumpkin (be sure to get pie pumpkin, not a jack-o-lantern) or take my lazy way out and use canned--not pie filling. Or substitute yams, sweet potatoes or squash. Involve toddlers and preschooler in preparations.   You can vegan-ize any of these recipes that call for dairy and eggs but swapping tofu, TVP or almond milk. These recipes are kosher, halal and diet-friendly, too! Click to read more. 

Pumpkin Soup/Pasta Sauce: Perfect power packed nutrition for chilly fall days. In a large, deep skillet melt two sticks of butter or ghee (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:</b></i> 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.

Red White and Blue Recipes for 4th of July, All-American Patriotic Foods

For Memorial Day, how about red white and blue recipes and creative American patriotic foods?

Here's RWB appetizer-to-dessert menu. It's perfect for July 4th, BBQs, Father's Day and summer

picnics and parties.

* Red White and Blue Chip Mixer. Make chips swing American. Blend any combination of blue corn

chips, red corn chips (available at specialty and holiday food stores) red BBQ chips, pink taro chips

(available in Terra's root vegetable chip blends), homemade parsnip chips (white) and beet chips. For

white, use white corn chips, popcorn or white cheddar cheese puffs.

* Old Glory Veggie Platter:</b> Use a tri-section platter for crudites (cut vegetables) or arrange them in

stars and stripes. For red use red pepper strips, tomato wedges, radish roses. For blue, cut purple

pepper strips, purple brocciflower, egg plant slices or shredded purple cabbage. For white veggies,

use parsnip slices, cauliflower, water chestnuts. Cut some peppers and parsnips into star shapes (with

star cookie cutter).

* Stars and Stripes Fruit Kebobs: On skewers, alternate any combination of watermelon chunks,

blueberries, raspberries, grapes, strawberries, pale green honeydew, apple stars, banana slices (dash

of pineapple or lemon juice prevents browning).

* Americana Lemonade Spritzer: Color lemonade blue with purple cabbage or blueberry juice. Or

leave plain. Garnish by spearing strawberries or colored, star-shaped marshmallows on straws. Make

star-shaped ice cubes with clear or grape soda or red pop. For clear ice cubes, put a blueberry in

each.

* All-American Cocktails and Coolers: Buy Seagram's blue coolers. Garnish with strawberry-blueberry

bow-tie (stick berries on toothpick). Use these for clear cocktails with gin or vodka. Serve blue

curacao or Blue Hawaiian Schnapps with grenadine, Raspberry or Strawberry Pucker (DeKuyers') or

Jagermeister ice cubes. Partially freeze liqueurs to make colored liquid layers.

* RBW Pinwheels:Flatten four pieces of white bread thin. Spread one with strawberry jam, another

with cream cheese and another with grape jam. Stack in alternate colors. Roll into log. Slice through

all layers to make pinwheels.

* Patriotic Cole Slaw: Mix chopped purple cabbage, red peppers and radishes. Dress with vinegar,

olive oil, salt, cracked pepper, horseradish and sugar. Cut peppers like stars if desired.

* American Flag Grill: Grill red smoked sausage, hotdogs, burgers (with beet juice added), or pink

salmon. Garnish with purple cabbage shreds, purple and red pepper stars and mayonnaise. Poke tiny

flag toothpicks in burgers.

* Festive American Fries: Julienne potatoes or use frozen French fries. Coat some in paprika or

Louisiana red pepper and leave others white. Dye mayonnaise blue (naturalistas, use purple cabbage

juice). Serve with red ketchup, plain and blue mayo. Dieters, use olive oil mayo.

* Lady Liberty Sundaes: Serve vanilla ice cream drizzled with strawberry and blueberry syrup. Mix

colored gelatin for syrup. Decorate with blue and red candies (M&Ms, Nerds, Runts). Make fruit

sundaes with blueberries and strawberries. Serve strawberry or spumoni ice cream topped with blue

colored topping. Serve Blue Moon ice cream with red and blue gummy worms, sprinkles, mini

marshmallows and red fruit snacks. Or made a RWB ice cream buffet and let guest decorate their

own.

* Star Cookies. Make star-shaped cookies easy using refrigerated sugar cookie dough. If you don't

have star-shaped cookie cutter, cut into thin circles. Cut each circle into five pie-shaped wedges.

Arrange in a circle, point side out. Place red or blue M&M or hard candy in the center. Hard candy will

melt to clear "stained-glass" look. Or sprinkle with colored sugar. Or draw stars on cookie with colored

spray frosting. Frost with strawberry cream cheese

Disney's 'Frozen' Party Food Recipes, Winter-Themed Snacks

 If you see one movie this winter, make it "Frozen." It's an arctic adventure like Hans Christian Andersen's "Fairy Snow Queen." It's the top-grossing cartoon of all times. Disney's Frozen is a perfect theme for a winter birthday or just-because party. Here's a menu of Frozen-inspired snacks kids will love. BTW, Olaf is probably my favorite Disney sidekick ever. 

Disney Frozen is the perfect theme for Halloween, winter, birthday, solstice or just

because party. Here's a menu for a Disney Frozen party with Olaf the Snowman snacks, recipes and

beverages kids will love!

Olaf the Snowman snowballs: Let kids help make this snack. Melt marshmallows and add popped

popcorn. Have kids rub light margarine on hands and form popcorn (snow) balls. Roll in sprinkles if

desired.

Disney Frozen party: Melted Olaf the Snowman : Uh-uh, Olaf's melted. But fear not, like with Frosty

the Snowman, he'll be back. In the meantime, enjoy this yummy melted Olaf beverage. Mix 2% milk,

melted white chocolate chips, a dash of vanilla and top with whipped cream and sprinkles.

Disney Frozen party: Olaf the Snowman cookies: Have kids roll sugar cookie dough in three

different balls for snowman body parts (good for fine motor skills). Attach in snowman shape and

bake. Frost with vanilla frosting. Add stick pretzel arms, candy corn nose, black jelly bean eyes, red

frosting mouth and Chiklets gum for teeth. This will melt the heart of Queen Elsa!

Disney Frozen party: Olaf the Snowman malts. Mix vanilla ice cream, milk, French vanilla pudding

and malt powder. Top with mini marshmallows arranged like a snow man and colored sprinkles for

eyes, mouth and nose.

Disney Frozen party: Olaf the Snowman snacks: Here's another interactive snack craft featuring our

favorite snowman, Olaf. Make popcorn balls above in different sizes: small for head, medium for

middle, large for snowman base. Use raisins for buttons and eyes and matchstick carrots for nose.

Cut Fruit Leather or Fruit Roll-Up for scarf and smile. Add candy corn cob pipe. For hat, place round

chocolate candy like Brach's Star on head. For hat top, affix gumdrop, Hershey's Kiss, or Reese's

Peanut Butter cup with dab of frosting

20+ Easy, cheap Graduation Open House Appetizers and Snacks recipes

Oh, oh! You've been too busy and put off planning that graduation open house until the last minute? Or maybe you've been thinking about it for months and can't decide what to serve? Even if you need some last minute fillers for your graduation open house buffet, it's a good thing you clicked this article. Here are 25+ easy appetizers hors d’oeuvres, foods, snacks and recipes to make a nice graduation open house buffet. These can be used for wedding bridal shower recipes, first Communion receptions and other open house buffets also.  

cheese cubes with pretzels sticks poked in

nut cups--fill mini muffin papers  in school colors, with a nut assortment

trail mix cups--mix colored candies in school colors and serve in paper cups

rollups--spread tortilla with cream cheese, place large romaine leaf, cheese slices and deli meat flat and roll. Slice through roll to make pinwheels. 

PBJ pinwheels. Spread peanut butter and jelly on a pinwheel and voila! 

rainbow cut veggie tray with hummus--arrange baby cucumbers, radishes, broccoli and cauliflower florets, mini peppers and grape tomatoes on tray. super easy. See my recipe for homemade hummus. 

olives and feta cheese cubes (or any cheese cubes). Mix Spanish, Greek and black olives with chunk cheese

Puttin on the Ritz. Back the the 70s Ritz crackers put suggestions for dozens of Hors d’oeuvres made from Ritz crackers. Easy Ritz appetizers (or any cracker appetizers) feature a cheese spread or slice with pepperoni or lunchmeat circle and a veggie slice, or olive. 

Mini tea sandwiches. Make sandwiches with whatever filling or bread you like, and cut diagonally in triangles. You can use little deli rye bread too. 

Relish tray--serve in separated tray, different olives, pickles, cheese triangles and meat slices (Italian dry salami, prosciutto, pepperoni)

cocktail wienies--heat cocktail wieners and or mini smoky links in BBQ sauce (fruit jam, salsa, lime juice, smoked paprika or liquid smoke) 

Fairy cakes--make your favorite cupcake mix in school colors, in little mini muffin tins. Frost with a rosette of colored frosting using a disposable cake decorating tube with rose tip. 

fruit kebabs--using fancy toothpicks, spear watermelon or cantaloupe cubes, berries, grapes, pineapple chunks, canned  mandarin oranges, apple pieces, etc. 

hotdog penny kebabs--super easy dad recipe. Skewer pickle and hotdog slices plus cheese cubes on toothpick. Make hedgehog if desired (see below recipe)

open house hedgehogs: This comes from the UK Christmas traditions. Cover a large potato, or half melon with foil or colored plastic wrap. Poke your kebabs in to make quills. Make eyes and nose with frosting, raisins, whatever. Use matchstick veggies for whiskers. 

egg muffins or muffin cup frittatas. Mix different omelet addins with eggs and bake in muffin cups. My favorite is onions, mushrooms, colored peppers and bacon pieces topped with cheddar cheese. 

walking tacos--serve individual bags of Fritos or Doritos with cooked taco meat and toppings. Or mix into salad so guests can add to chips. 

graduation cap or mortarboard hat cookies (see recipe). 

deviled eggs--Cook hard boil eggs with salt. Shock eggs in ice water to loosen shells. Carefully peel and neatly cut lengthwise. Gently remove yolk. Mash with mayo and dijon mustard. Refill yolk cavity. Season with paprika and black pepper. Garnish with fresh dill and cilantro. 

Polish roses. Super easy: spread round lunchmeat (ham or turkey) with cream cheese and roll around a trimmed scallion. Fringe ends. 

Ants on a log. Fill cut celery with cream cheese or peanut butter and top with raisins or dried cranberries. 

Hostess Twinkies Minions Cupcakes for Despicable Me Party

"Despicable Me", "Despicable Me 2" and "Minions" are huge hit movies with kids and adults. Gru's yellow capsule-shaped minions are especially popular. Need ideas for Despicable Me or Minions birthday cakes? Here are recipes for Despicable Me birthday cakes, using Hostess Twinkies to make Minions. You can actually make Twinkie cake Minions recipes as party games or crafts. Use Twinkies Minions for party favors or edible decorations (eating the party decorations would be very Minion-like indeed!) Here are recipes for Despicable Me Twinkie cake Minions.

Hostess Twinkies: Party guests should get to decorate their own Twinkies Minions to eat.

Bowls of frosting or spray cans of decorator frosting in these colors: blue, black and white

Pep-O-Mint Lifesavers or other small round white candies with holes. If you can find candy necklaces or bracelets, cut the string apart and remove the candies. Cheerios or Alpha-bits cereal would work for Twinkie cake Minions.

blue Betty Crocker Fruit Roll-ups, blue fruit leather or blue frosting

string black licorice

yellow licorice, cylinder Good n Fruity, Runts or Mike 'n Ike Candies or cylinder cookies (for arms)

Tootsie Roll midgets

To make Despicable Me minions birthday cakes, unwrap Hostess Twinkies. For Minions' safety goggles, attach white candies to front with frosting. Fill in with white frosting then black dots in the center. You can also make a ring of silver frosting with white frosting inside and tiny black dots of frosting in the center. Use black frosting to draw goggles band around the Twinkie cake Minions heads.

Make Minions overalls by wrapping a strip of blue Fruit Roll-Ups wrap around base of Twinkie cake Minions. Draw overall straps with blue spray frosting. If you wish, you can also make overalls entirely from blue frosting. Poke yellow cylinder candies or cookies in sides for arms. Put dabs of frosting on the end for gloves. Attach two unwrapped Tootsie Roll midgets on bottom for feet. Poke bits of licorice in the top for hair.

Guests might name their Twinkies Minions and give them personas. You can also arrange decorated Despicable Me Minions upright on their Tootsie Roll feet and place atop birthday cakes. Or make them into Minions army birthday cakes! Children will love making their own Despicable Me minions treats.

10 Great Tomato Snack Recipes with cancer fighting lycopene

Are you a tomato addict? Could you eat tomatoes for breakfast, snacks, appetizers, lunch and

supper? That's great because tomatoes are rich in vitamin C and lycopene (which is great for prostate

health and sexual prowess.) And, in the news, you can kick cancer butt with lycopene foods. Along

with cancer fighting lycopene, tomatoes have few calories, no fat and are satisfying. Here are the 10

best tomato recipes, tomato appetizers and healthy vegetarian breakfast recipes with tomatoes.

These cancer fighting tomato recipes help with weight loss, too.

Cancer fighting breakfast recipes of tomatoes and hummus: Mediterranean hummus, or tahini with

chickpeas, has become is a go-to protein supplement. For a snack, cut a tomato in bite-sized pieces

and dip in hummus (Greek hummus or hummus with pine nuts are the kinds). Make your own hummus

by blending chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic and tahini. For low calorie weight loss hummus swap olive

oil for liquid from chickpeas.

Vegetarian breakfast recipes with grilled tomatoes: These healthy tomato recipes are filling, quick

and light. Dip tomatoes in panko crumbs seasoned with rosemary, basil, sage, garlic, onion and

thyme. Or use seasoned textured vegetable protein. Sauté or grill in olive oil, truffle oil or non-stick

cooking spray. Top with fresh basil and crumbled feta cheese.

Bread and tomato salad breakfast recipes: Chop tomatoes, onions, green peppers (or any color

peppers) and cucumbers. Add fresh basil, rosemary, sage and stale bread cubes. Dress with olive oil,

pomegranate vinegar, cracked pepper and a dash of salt. Add crumbled feta cheese or Parmesan

cheese if desired. These easy tomato recipes use up leftover bread and vegetables. It makes

delicious, healthy delicious lunch. Bread salad is low in fat and full of healthy goodness. Or make

cancer fighting tomato recipes without bread, using couscous. Add chopped mint, lemon juice and

parsley instead of basil and you'll have tabouleh.

Tomato sandwich breakfast recipes: Toast two slices of light oat grain bread. Spread with low-fat

cream cheese. Layer with sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado and spinach. Season with black

pepper. Or swap bread for whole grain bagels and plain cream cheese for salmon cream cheese and

you'll have light bagels and lox. Or serve on English muffins, for eggless vegetarian Mc-Tomato

Muffins

Lycopene loaded tomatoes: Remove stem and core of tomato. Mix feta, Parmesan, shredded

mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese with pepper, chopped onion and garlic. Chop mushrooms and

mix by hand. Add shrimp for super fun breakfast recipes. Fill center of tomato. Grill or broil until

cheese is melted.

Tomato cucumber salad: For these vegetarian breakfast recipes, slice fresh cucumber and tomato

and fresh basil, sage, rosemary and red or sweet onion. Blend blend EVOO olive oil, mayonnaise, sour cream, acai vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour over vegetables. Add chopped green pepper if desired.

Pizza pasta salad breakfast recipes: Cook and drain Barilla Protein Plus pasta. Barilla Protein Plus has

fewer calories with extra protein and omega. Chop Roma or salad tomatoes or slice a quart of grape

tomatoes in half. Add chopped onion, green pepper, green and black olives and cubed Colby cheese

or feta cheese. Dress with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar or white vinegar. Add sliced

mushrooms if desired. Season with black pepper. Chill.

Fiesta vegetarian beans and rice: Blend equal portions canned (drained) beans with cooked Jasmine,

brown or wild rice. Add sliced scallions, fresh cilantro, chopped tomatoes, avocados, garlic, green

peppers, canned chilies and pineapple, mango or papaya (if desired). Season with cumin, red pepper

and chili powder. Serve topped with melted cheese. Use any canned beans but the best are adzuki,

black (or turtle) beans and black eyed peas.

Lycopene filled breakfast recipes of tomatoes in cottage cheese: Cottage cheese has been a dieter's

delight for decades. Low in fat and high in protein, cottage cheese is a healthier dairy product. You

can use Greek yogurt, too. Dice fresh tomatoes and blend with cottage cheese and pepper.

Cancer fighting breakfast smoothies. Blend chopped tomato, grapefruit, black raspberries,

strawberries, blueberries, carrots, spinach and Greek yogurt for off-the-charts lycopene tomato

recipes.

Healthy Popcorn, Caramel Corn and Cheesy Popcorn Recipes

I know and you know that plain, air-popped, unsalted popcorn without butter is a healthy snack, especially for dieters. But who wants plain popcorn? Do we have to sacrifice tasty popcorn snacks for health and weight loss? Not with these popcorn recipes! Love that buttery rich movie theater popcorn, caramel corn, cheese popcorn, chocolate drizzle popcorn (be still my heart) or the ultimate popcorn experience Chicago style popcorn? Here are delicious ways to create the tastes you love without the major calories, sugar, sodium and fat explosion.

Healthy "Caramel Corn" 

1/4 cup Olive oil margarine or Smart Balance Butter

1/4 cup natural peanut butter (or sunflower, cashew or almond butter for those with peanut allergies)

1/3 cup honey

2--3 quarts popped corn

crushed salted pecans (optional)

Combine first three ingredients in saucepan over medium heat until blended. Mix popcorn and nuts. Pour peanut butter sauce over popcorn and nuts and toss until well-coated. Spray two cookies sheet with olive oil pan spray or cover in aluminum foil and coat with pan spray. Arrange popcorn in single layer over both pans. Bake 20 minutes @ 350 degrees. Store in airtight container.

Healthy Cheese Popcorn

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon crushed oregano

1/3 cup ghee, melted 

2 quarts popped popcorn

Blend first three ingredients. Pour over popcorn and blend thoroughly to coat each popcorn kernel. Toast in oven for a few minutes. Serve warm. Popcorn is best if served several hours later.

Healthy 'Buttered' Popcorn

If you love popcorn popped in oil with butter and just can't abide air popped popcorn, here's a little secret. In your popcorn kettle, use olive oil to pop popcorn. Pour enough non-EVOO olive oil to cover the pan bottom and add one layer of popcorn. When popcorn is done, add a little salt and mix with hands. Ghee works too. Olive oil makes a healthy tasty butter substitute that tastes just as good as delicious.

For the grande Chicago popcorn, combine the first two! For chocolate drizzle popcorn, make healthy buttered popcorn. Melt 70% cacao or higher chocolate chips or bars and toss with hot popcorn. Or just mix chocolate chips with popcorn.