<p>Great job, abasket! </p>
<p>Weather cooperated today - it was 65 when I started my run and overcast which beats 80 and hot sun any day of the week. Strong breeze which was only annoying when it was blowing against me uphill. Found a nice loop by coincidence which is superior both in surface and safety to the hilly park route I’ve been using for long runs previously. Got my 11 and change in. </p>
Awesome job, sabaray.
<p>I did another go-through of the pantry - I had previously discarded the most obvious evils (sugar, cake mix, tons of assorted sprinkles). Today I have a box of canned fruit to take to the food pantry (when did fruit become part of “fruits and vegetables” - certainly there is a big difference health-wise between most fruits and most vegetables).</p>
<p>Anyway, I have two questionable items that I am wondering whether I can turn into anything healthy enough to justify keeping or whether they should go with the canned fruit: a can of pumpkin and a bottle of ketchup.</p>
<p>The pumpkin by itself seems healthy enough but anything I know to do with it involves adding sugar and flour 
Any healthy suggestions?</p>
<p>The ketchup I have because all of my kids (none live at home but two will be back regularly for holidays) like meatloaf. The recipe I have uses an appalling amount of ketchup but maybe someone has a better one?</p>
<p>Pumpkin soup, Mathilda! Saute chopped onion, celery, and carrots. Add pumpkin and chicken broth and seasonings. Simmer and blend smooth. </p>
<p>I use ketchup from time to time (mostly in my BBQ sauce and occasionally in homemade cocktail sauce and usually on a hamburger). I would rather not, but what are ya gonna do? I can’t get hung up on t he search for perfection is cutting sugar out of my diet!.</p>
<p>“when did fruit become part of “fruits and vegetables” - certainly there is a big difference health-wise between most fruits and most vegetables”</p>
<p>Agree, if we are talking about canned fruit. Canned fruit is NOT fruit, it is loads of added sugar.</p>
<p>PlantMom, thanks for the soup suggestion. I will keep the pumpkin until the temperatures here abate a little – soup right now (currently, at 7 pm local time, 90 degrees) just doesn’t sound right but it will in a few months. I’ve never made pumpkin soup so it will be an adventure.</p>
<p>I’ve always bought the water-packed canned fruit, but even that lacks fiber (and a lot of the nutrients) because everything has been peeled.</p>
<p>Thanks, MOWC and Abasket.</p>
<p>~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~</p>
<p>Not that I’ve ever tried any of the following, but I’m seeing recipes online for pumpkin black bean burgers, savory pumpkin hummus, chickpea pumpkin burgers, pumpkin oatmeal, and even turkey pumpkin enchiladas. Who knew? Maybe one of these would be a match for somebody here depending on taste buds, preferences, requirements, etc.</p>
<p>Come this time of year Pinterest is a HAVEN for anything pumpkin. Do a search on Pinterest for “healthy pumpkin” or “gluten free pumpkin”, “low carb pumpkin” - whatever you like and you’ll come up with plenty of recipes I’ll bet. I always keep a can of pumpkin around - can’t say everything I do with it is entirely healthy, but things like pumpkin waffles make an occasional waffle splurge better for me!! </p>
<p>Waving to Deborah T!–nice to see your post! Pumpkin hummus sounds worth a try. </p>
<p>Mathilde, pumpkin soup can be served cold too. I think it might be very good cold (or hot) if made as above with some fresh ginger, a little peanut butter, some coconut milk, maybe a little spice (red pepper flakes) or curry powder; chilled and garnished with some chopped peanuts and a dollop of Greek yogurt.</p>
<p>Bonus treat. Full moon and a clear night for my stay at the hut tomorrow night!</p>
<p>Enjoy and be safe, idad!</p>
<p>Glad to see Deborah back - yay! :)</p>
<p>Now, where’s CJane?</p>
<p>Have a good one, iDad- although they all seem to be good!</p>
<p>Never tried COLD pumpkin soup but the ingredients…coconut milk, peanut butter, red pepper flakes…sound fabulous!</p>
<p>This weekend for our anniversary we tried a new Vietnamese place. Lettuce wraps with veggies & tofu! Vietnamese crepes which are evidently made with coconut milk! It was so wonderful…I was ready to stab my H with a fork if he reached for the last bite. (Hmmm…and it was our anniversary dinner too.) :D</p>
<p>Happy Anniversay Momannoyed! </p>
<p>So, it appears if you go up my hill often enough, eventually you’ll run into every form of wildlife Michigan has to offer ;)</p>
<p>Today it was a Massasauga Rattler and I who surprised each other. Fortunately, he got out of the way of my ski poles in the nick of time and my leg got out of his reach PDQ. He must be the only deaf rattler in the state…seriously, I fail to understand how he could fail to hear me coming. </p>
<p>I startled 3 deer just a few minutes later, who I’d have though would ave high-tailed it hen I sqwaked at the ratter…perhaps I am in stealth mode, just panting a little less, or they’ve all become habituated to my racket.</p>
<p>The rattler would have been my undoing. Did your heart stop?</p>
<p>Oh, wow. What a walk! Talk about adrenaline rush!</p>
<p>I’ve been on vacation for the past week and my exercise routine has hit a snag. Tweaked my back on Friday and exercise went to a screeching stop. :(. I took ibuprofen and a muscle relaxer and slept for 12 hours and the back is feeling better but still sore. I took yesterday off and am mulling taking today off also. </p>
<p>Unfortunately my eating also hit a snag. Ate my way through Michigan and although it was great it’s time to get back to normal. September is a busy month but I have to try and not eat everything. Or drink everything also. </p>
<p>Can’t imagine the snake! I see snakes occasionally and they never fail to scare me. Deer on the other hand, the good news is that the run when you yell at them. Better than dogs who I never can predict what they will do. </p>
<p>Idad, the hut sounds like fun. Even though it was one of my friends worst vacation ever! It might have been the rain and the mud that did her in though. 
</p>
<p>H and I took a 2 hour bike ride this morning and he surprised me by planning it so that we stopped at a little farmer’s market midway through. Really cute and charming. We decided that this was a new Monday morning thing and I’m just going to have to be late for work - it’s not as though I don’t work a bazillion hours a week anyway.</p>