Pumpkins

During our last trip to the farmer's market, we bought 2 small sugar pumpkins to roast and freeze. Not only it's very easy to make your own pumpkin puree, it's also healthier than the canned variety since these are locally grown pumpkins and there is no BPA to worry about. Do-it-yourself pumpkin puree would also make a great baby food if you have children. 

The cost of making your own vs. canned is essentially the same. We paid $5.00 for 2 small pumpkins which yielded 8 cups of roasted pumpkin. 1 can of pumpkin puree contains 1.5 cups. So, 2 small pumpkins equaled to approximately 5 cans - i.e. the cost is about the same. However, you can save a lot by making your own Pumpkin Butter - we saw a small jar of Pumpkin Butter going for $8.00 at the farmer's market when you can make your own only for a couple of bucks. 

How to make your own Pumpkin Puree:

• Use sugar pumpkin only (or any other cooking variety). DO NOT use the Jack-O-Lantern pumpkins as they are flavorless and watery - these should only be used for decorating.
• Wash the pumpkins
• Cut them in half and clean out the guts and fibers - save seeds for roasting
• Place face down in a baking pan with a little water
• Bake at 350° for 45 minutes
• Cool, take the skin off and cut into chunks
• Scoop into cheesecloth-lined colander and let drain for few hours
• Puree in food processor in batches
• Place in Ziploc bags in 1-2 cup portions and freeze.
• Use it in any recipe that calls for pureed pumpkin - pies, breads, muffins, waffles, pancakes, etc.

How to make Pumpkin Butter: 
1½ cups of pumpkin puree
honey to taste
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground allspice
¼ cup water or apple juice/cider
In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low. Let mixture simmer for approximately 30 minutes to an hour or until it thickens. Stir frequently. Chill and refrigerate in a glass jar.

How to roast Pumpkin Seeds:
Rinse the seeds and pat dry. Add a little bit of olive oil and sea salt and bake at 400° for 10-20 minutes. Let them cool and enjoy!

If you never made your own pumpkin puree before, try it. Also, check out these pumpkin posts from Money Saving Mom, or The Simple Mom, or Healthy Food For Living, or Mommy's Kitchen. Now that you have all that pumpkin, visit 100 pumpkin recipes.

KALE FRITTATA

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups boiled Kale, chopped
4 eggs
freshly grated Parmesan

Wash and cut kale leaves. Boil for 3 minutes. Strain to get rid of excess water and cut into small pieces. Preheat broiler. In a cast iron (or ovenproof) skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, cook about 1 minute being careful so it doesn’t burn. Add kale to the pan and mix with garlic. Meanwhile, whisk together eggs and cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. If the mixture is too thick, add a little milk. Pour eggs into the pan and stir lightly to make sure kale is evenly distributed. Let cook without stirring about 2 minutes. Transfer to the oven and broil another minute, until eggs are cooked on top. Cut into pizza-like wedges.

20% off Organic Eden Pasta from Eden Foods

Eden Foods is running a promotion of 20% OFF Eden Pasta. EDEN Pastas include 60% and 100% whole grain varieties, fun shapes and colors, organic vegetables and herbs. All are made with the finest organic ingredients for better nourishment, flavor, and value.

Simply enter the coupon code "GARDEN" when prompted during checkout to receive 20% OFF any Eden Organic Pasta Company pasta. Offer expires October 31, 2010.

Also, check out Eden Pasta for some delicious pasta recipes such as Spinach Ribbon Mushroom Stroganoff below:

SPINACH RIBBON MUSHROOM STROGANOFF:

1/2 cup Sliced Shiitake Mushrooms
1/2 cup Maitake Mushrooms
1 pound organic extra firm tofu, drained
2 1/2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 TBSP Brown Rice Vinegar
2 cups Edensoy® Unsweetened
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 package Eden Organic Spinach Ribbons
1 cup onion, diced
1 pound button mushrooms, sliced
2 TBSP green onions or parsley, chopped

Soak shiitake and maitake mushrooms ten minutes in 2 cups hot water. Remove mushrooms from soaking liquid, reserve liquid and slice. Bring soaking liquid to a boil, add mushroom slices, reduce flame to medium-low and cook 20 minutes until mushrooms are soft. Drain and set aside. Place tofu, olive oil, brown rice vinegar, salt and Edensoy in a blender. Blend until smooth. Cook pasta according to directions, rinse and drain. Wash button mushrooms, discard stems and slice tops. In a skillet sauté onions and all mushrooms until soft. Lower the heat, add tofu mixture and heat thoroughly. Serve sauce over pasta. Garnish with green onions or parsley.

How to get the best seats on the airplane

Check out SeatGuru.com and SeatExpert.com to virtually check out your plane and seats in advance. You can find tips on seats that don't recline, have blocked storage, blocked windows, and find out which seats are next to lavatories. Get the most for your money by becoming familiar with your aircraft's configuration and seat locations before requesting a certain seat from the airline.

Another tip is try to get to the airport early and ask for emergency seat. Those are always assigned in person and cannot be requested if you are selecting your seats online.

Basics: Salad Dressings

Simple Vinaigrette Dressing:
Mix 1/2 cup white wine vinegar, 1 clove garlic and 1 chopped shallot in a small bowl. Let it sit for 30 minutes. Mix in 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard. Whisk 1/2 cup vegetable oil and 1/2 cup olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes about 1.5 cups.

Back To School Sales

Every year, around this time, many stores start to have their Back To School Sales. Check out these wonderful deals and stock up:

JULY 4, 2010 WEEK:

Walgreens:
$.19 10 pack Penway Yellow Pencils (limit 3)
$.19 5 pack Paper Mate Mechanical Pencils or 10 pack pens (limit 3)

JULY 11, 2010 WEEK:

CVS:
FREE: Buy Paper Mate 1.2 pens 10 ct. for $.99 get $.99 back (limit 1, 7/11-7/13 only)
FREE: Buy Caliber 5" soft-handle scissors for $.99 get $.99 back (limit 1, 7/11-7/13)
$.10 2 pocket portfolio (limit 10)
Walgreens:
$.09 Novelty Pencil or Splash Mini Highlighter (limit 10, with WG coupon)
$.13 Penway 2 pocket folder with prongs (8 for $1.00, limit 16, with WG coupon)
$.29 Corner Office Legal Pad, 50 sheets, 5x8 or 8.5x11.75 (limit 4, with WG coupon)
$.39 Paper Mate Write Bros. Mechanical Pencils 10 pack (limit 6, with WG coupon)
Staples:
These deals are valid Monday through Wednesday only:
$.01 2 pocket folder with or without fasteners (limit 10, with $5.00 purchase)
$.01 #2 yellow pencils, 8/pack (limit 2, with $5.00 purchase)
$.01 Staples multipurpose paper, 500-sheet ream, 96 bright, 20 lb (after rebate)

Suze Orman and Money Minded Moms

Check out this new site Money Minded Moms. The site offers practical advice and suggestions on saving money:

"Suze Orman is on a mission to help moms manage their money with confidence—freeing them to focus on what really matters. From advice on smart saving and investing to valuable coupons that help you stretch every dollar, MoneyMindedMoms is an everyday resource for moms with financial questions and stories to share.

About Suze Orman:
Suze Orman is undeniably America’s most recognized expert on personal finance. She is a two-time Emmy Award-winning television host, New York Times mega bestselling author, magazine and online columnist, writer/producer, and one of the top motivational speakers in the world today.

Orman is a contributing editor to “O” The Oprah Magazine, the Costco Connection Magazine and for the last eight years host of the award winning Suze Orman Show, which airs every Saturday night on CNBC. Not only is she the single most successful fundraiser in the history of Public Television, but she has also garnered an unprecedented six Gracie awards, more than anyone in the 34-year history of this prestigious award. The Gracies recognize the nation's best radio, television, and cable programming for, by, and about women.

In May 2009 and May 2008 Time Magazine named Orman as one of the TIME 100, The World’s Most Influential People. In July 2009 Forbes named Orman 18th on their list of The Most Influential Women In Media. In May 2009 Orman was presented with an honorary degree Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Illinois. In May 2010 she received an honorary doctor of commercial science degree from Bentley University.

Orman who grew up on the South Side of Chicago earned a bachelor’s degree in social work at the University of Illinois and at the age of 30 was a waitress making $400 a month."

Sign up for the newsletter and download her "5 Simple Ways to Save $500" newsletter.

Also, if you haven't see her show yet, check it out - it's on CNBC every Saturday and is awesome!