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Pumpkin Power!

Enjoy Great Food and Fun Times with Pumpkins this time of year!

In celebration of Halloween (all Hallows Eve) about 99% of pumpkins sold domestically are used as jack-o-lanterns. Hundreds of years ago, before Pumpkins were used, Turnips were carved and lit with hot embers and used as ‘lanterns’ as well as to ward off evil spirits.

But, Pumpkins have more power than warding off evil spirits.

They are Delicious AND Nutrituous!

Pumpkins are of the Cucurbita family and are actually winter squash and range in size from less than 1 pound to over 1,000 pounds. They are typically 90% water.

Pumpkins are rich in Vitamin A which is a great antioxidant and in potassium which is important for blood-pressure regulation. They are also high in fiber which is great for cleaning your intestines and helping things move along.

Their seeds, due to their high Zinc content, may help with prostate challenges and could help avoid prostate cancer in men. Pumpkin seeds will also help you keep your skin supple and your hair strong and shiny.

Roasted Pumpkin is easy and delicious as a side dish or main dish. I also like to add cubed pumpkin to any vegetable dish and casserole.

Serve it cold with salad greens (especially good with arugula), goat cheese and dried cranberries.

Here is a recipe for a delicious, low-calorie and super nutritious Pumpkin Smoothie! (from Katarina of Dublin, Ireland)

1 banana, frozen
1 cup almond milk
1 cup pumpkin, grated
a handful of pre-soaked almonds (optional)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
nectar, stevia or raw honey to taste.

What are some of your favorite ways to use Pumpkin in addition to traditional Pumpkin Pie?

Enjoy your Pumpkins all season!

And today – However you use your Pumpkin, have a Happy Halloween!

What is it about fall that seems like PIE time? Now… I agree, that summertime is also Pie time with fresh berries and other summer fruits (peaches, plums and apricots). But isn’t there something special about Apple Pie in the fall? (and of course with Thanksgiving on the horizon…Pumpkin Pie? ummm…and my sister’s Minced Fruit Pie!).

And what is it that triggers a craving? Sometimes it doesn’t take much to create a craving which then, for me becomes a Quest!  Maybe it was Norah Jones singing about “the golden crust on an apple pie…” that set me off but for some reason I have been craving Apple Pie; and not just ANY Apple Pie – a REALLY GOOD Apple Pie! (with a Golden Crust!)

So…I am off on a quest for the perfect Apple Pie (with a golden crust), when we visit the October Fall (and pumpkin) Festival at Schnepf Farm.   With several food options available around the farm, we were attracted to the Country Store and Bakery for the type of food we prefer. (Not that the delicious aroma of BBQ, Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Hot Dogs, and Burgers filling the air wasn’t enticing,  We just enjoy more fresh vegetables and salads in our meals).

There we were, being seated at a table (covered with a festive cloth) in the Country Store and Bakery, surrounded by antiques, country decor, country crafts and gifts, and shelves laden with jars of jam and jelly and PIES!

My radar was up and I spied the case of homemade pies as soon as we were seated…..”Dessert First” is a safe motto!

I perused the case before ordering my lunch (a healthy salad — always my first choice but crucial, when there is the possibility of a zag with dessert — especially with homemade pie on the menu!)  The pies looked tasty and – just maybe – I would find THE PIE I have been searching for!

Not just me…but EVERYONE in the family, found sheer delight and satisfaction with dessert — especially the Apple Pie!

Schnepf Farm’s gets my vote for the BEST Apple Pie! (and, yes — it has a golden crust!)

What is yours?

PIES, PUMPKINS, and PIG RACES…Just part of the fun you will find at Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek, Arizona.

Voted “Arizona’s Best Family Fall Experience” by Phoenix Magazine and one of the “Top 5 Pumpkin Farms in the Southwest” by Sunset Magazine…my family concurs whole heartedly!

Schnepf Farms is the largest organic Peach grower in the state, and still farms hay and vegetables crops while harvesting trees. They educate thousands of school children about the importance of agriculture and entertain thousands of families who come to the farm for festivals, jazz, good food, weddings and fresh fruits and vegetables.

A real working farm, Schnepfs offers year-round fun with special festivals, U-pick vegetable and fruit; and  we think it is the best Fall (and Pumpkin) Festival experience around!

Plan on a FULL day of FUN Festivities:   Hay Rides -  Train Rides - Pig Race - Frisbee Dog Shows – Corn Mazes – Straw Bale Maze – Miniature Golf – L’il Farmer Play Yard & Town - Country Road Rally (pedal wagons - Carousel Rides – Flying Farmer Ride – Gravity Roller Coaster – Climbing Wall – Giant Slide – Pumpkin Launch- Country Store – Sweet Shop – Gift Shop – Schnepf Famly Museum – Crafts – Bon Fires – Marshmallow Roasts – Fireworks (Friday & Saturday) – FOOD – and… Perfect Pumpkin Pickin’s!

FOOD! Choices…choices…choices….including a sitdown Country Kitchen restaurant and Fresh PIES! YUM!

PERFECT PUMPKIN PICKIN’S!

Road weary and hungry but wanting something more satisfying than the usual road-side food, we spied a place we weren’t familiar with but had a crowded parking lot…so it MUST be a good place to eat! Stepping inside, an amazing aroma alerted us to the possibility of a hearty meal and enticed us to stay, even though the waiting line was almost out the door! We were assured by others in line that the wait wouldn’t be long and was well worth it! They were right!

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® restaurants are one of my choice stops when traveling. In fact, when I first discovered Cracker Barrel, I made a point of stopping at every one we found on our annual trip across the country (from Colorado to Tennessee), if not for a meal, then blackberry cobbler or apple pie or even just coffee! At that time, Cracker Barrel restaurants had not expanded very much out of Tennessee (their home base) and were few and far between. I was so excited when one finally opened in Denver, that on our next annual trek across the country, we started with breakfast at the new Denver location!

Even now, years later, a delicious meal of ‘homestyle’ cooking in the familiar and comfortable atmosphere of a Cracker Barrel is always satisfying and always my choice when a Cracker Barrel is available!

Over countless visits, I have sampled most of the menu and have enjoyed everything I’ve been served. Since I don’t have as many opportunities to dine at Cracker Barrel as I used to, my food choice is the spicy grilled catfish (a unique seasoning only at Cracker Barrel)  with Country Green Beans and Hashbrown Casserole; UNLESS I manage to arrive on the day that Sweet Potato Casserole is the vegetable of the day!   I usually include a House Salad with Peppercorn Dressing (cold crisp greens with tomatoes, carrots, Colby cheese, bacon, and seasoned homemade sourdough croutons). And I dive into the plate of fresh hot biscuits (and/or cornbread muffins) brought to the table while the catfish cooks!

Breakfast, which is served all day-every day-at Cracker Barrel is another feast I look forward to. During those annual trips east, I even ordered catfish for breakfast!  but now I enjoy the catfish for dinner (Country Dinner Plate) and the Smokehouse Breakfast (eggs any way, grits, Sawmill gravy, biscuits and choice of bacon, sausage, or ham) if I am fortunate enough to be in town in the morning. You might like the Sunrise Sampler or Uncle Herschel’s Favorite …oooh…they are ALL yummy!

Eating at Cracker Barrel is only part of the experience. The walls and ceilings are covered with intriguing and fascinating antiques and memorabilia. Sit on the porch in one of the signature ‘Rocking Chairs’, play a game of checkers with a giant checker set next to the fireplace, or shop in the ‘old country store’ where a variety of gifts, travel entertainments and delightful seasonal items will captivate you!

The next time you are out and about, and spot a Cracker Barrel Old Country Store®, stop in and discover your favorite menu item!