ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

Pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, make extremely healthy snacks. They have a subtly sweet and nutty flavour. They are really delicious and nutritious. The seeds are available all year round even though they are the freshest in the fall when pumpkins are in season.

Below is a nutrients chart for pumpkin seeds but if you would like a more detailed one, click here. 

This chart was copied from here.

Medicinal properties of pumpkin seeds are briefly as below.

• Pumpkin seeds may promote prostate health: Mostly due to the components in the pumpkin seed oil, as well as the carotenoids, Omega-3, and zinc in them.
• Protection for men's bones: It is all thanks to the zinc in the seeds. According to a source, A study of almost 400 men ranging in age from 45-92 that was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found a clear correlation between low dietary intake of zinc, low blood levels of the trace mineral, and osteoporosis at the hip and spine.
• Anti-inflammatory benefits in arthritis: The healing properties of pumpkin seeds have also been recently investigated with respect to arthritis.
• A rich source of healthful minerals, protein and monounsaturated fat: Snack on a quarter-cup of pumpkin seeds and you will receive 46.1% of the daily value for magnesium, 28.7% of the DV for iron, 52.0% of the DV for manganese, 24.0% of the DV for copper, 16.9% of the DV for protein, and 17.1% of the DV for zinc. 
• Pumpkin seed phytosterols lower cholesterol: Phytosterols are compounds found in plants that have a chemical structure very similar to cholesterol, and when present in the diet in sufficient amounts, are believed to reduce blood levels of cholesterol, enhance the immune response and decrease risk of certain cancers. Of the nuts and seeds typically consumed as snack foods, pistachios and sunflower seeds were richest in phytosterols (270-289 mg/100 g), closely followed by pumpkin seeds(265 mg/100 g). (100 grams is equivalent to 3.5 ounces.) Sesame seeds had the highest total phytosterol content (400-413 mg per 100 grams) of all nuts and seeds, while English walnuts and Brazil nuts had the lowest (113 mg/100grams and 95 mg/100 grams).

You can purchase pumpkin seeds at many health stores as well as supermarkets. However, I would recommend you make your own too, since it is extremely easy and fun to make at home.

How to Make Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Here are two ways for you to choose from.

Method 1:

Preheat your oven 350º Fahrenheit (176º Celsius). 

Separate the seeds from the pumpkin glop (using 'jack-o'-lantern'). Rinse and pat them dry with a paper towel. Put the seeds in the baking pan.

Drizzle the olive oil over the pumpkin seeds and then sprinkle them with salt. Stir the seeds to coat them with oil, then spread them out evenly over the bottom of the baking pan.

Cook for 10 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven and stir the seeds. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes until the seeds are golden brown.

Let the seeds cool, then transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the extra oil.

Alternatively, experiment by adding other spices to see what flavor works for you the best! 

Method 2:

First, remove the seeds from the pumpkin's inner cavity and wipe them off with a paper towel if needed to remove excess pulp that may have stuck to them. Spread them out evenly on a paper bag and let them dry out overnight. 

Place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and light roast them in a 160-170°F (about 75°C) oven for 15-20 minutes. By roasting them for a short time at a low temperature you can help to preserve their healthy oils.

Serving Ideas

Here is what we do with them. Basically, we open the airtight jar in which we store our pumpkin seeds, pour some into hour hands or into a little container and eat them! Mr. Junior also has a mixture of seeds, nuts and dried berries in his little snack container when out and about more of than not. Additionally, at times, we add some seeds such as pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds to our salads.

If you would like to learn about more serving ideas, read these:

Grind pumpkin seeds with fresh garlic, parsley and cilantro leaves. Mix with olive oil and lemon juice for a tasty salad dressing.  

Add chopped pumpkin seeds to your favorite hot or cold cereal. 

Add pumpkin seeds to healthy sautéed vegetables. 

Note: For further reading on pumpkin seeds, you can check out this website as well as this one.

HOW TO TIE A TIE

I don't know how you are but I am not the best when it comes down to ties. My husband doesn't have to use ties on a regular basis but there are times he is not that lucky. He has to keep at least one in hand (well, actually, in his drawer at work, there is at least one) at all times in case he has to use one. So, we don't tie ties very often and when you don't do things all the time, you can lack some skills. When we need to (but have forgotten how to) do it, we simply jump online and re-learn it.

There are different types of knots that you can choose from. The choice depends on the person's style, the ties' size, the occasion and the shirt being worn. You can find some written instructions with lots of clear pictures as well as some clear videos on how to tie a tie that you can easily follow. I will share with you a few websites and videos that I believe you will greatly benefit from if you need help with this particular skill.

Some sites for written (and pictured) instructions that you can check out are:

http://www.tie-a-tie.net/
http://www.totieatie.com/
http://www.tieguide.com/tie.htm

For videos on how to tie a tie, you can visit:

http://www.tie-a-tie.net/
Also, youtube.com has a lot of videos available.

Here is one video recorded example for you:

BEETROOT DIP

This is another recipe that I have learnt from the same friend of mine who has taught me how to make the zucchini dip that I have recently shared the recipe of with you. Below, you will find an easy beetroot recipe, serving suggestions as well as nutrition information. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Grated beetroot (fresh or canned)
Natural plain yoghurt
Garlic
Salt (optional)

Method: 

If using fresh beetroot, peel and grate. Then simmer it in some water until tender. If canned, you can just grate it. After that, add it into garlic and yoghurt mix and stir well. Make sure there is no big lumps of anything in it. Serve cool.

This is yet another recipe that is great as a side dish. Due to its colour, it is also decorative and adds a nice colour to your lunch/dinner table.  It is also quite attractive for kids that especially enjoy the colour pink in their foods.

Note: Beetroot has a wonderful colour of red and it is known that the more vibrant the colours of our fruit and vegetables, the more they have to offer in terms of nutrients to help protect our bodies from damaging free radicals. It is highly recommended that you use gloves while peeling and grating the beetroot to avoid any stain on your hands.

Nutrition Information

Beetroot's distinct red colour comes from betalain antioxidant pigments. These nutrients have been shown to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support. It also contains Vitamins A, B and C, sodium, potassium, calcium and chlorine. There is also some iron and magnesium in it too.

It can help with some cardiovascular problems, relaxing muscles, regenerating of the membranes of cells and cell respiration. It is known to be remarkably beneficial for slimmers. Additionally, it is known to be good for liver. Its other affects are below that it helps stimulate normal liver function, aiding detoxification and increasing its efficiency in processing fats, it is a splendid organic cleanser, not only for the liver, but also of the kidneys and gall bladder as well as being helpful in the digestion of fats, gall bladder infections, digestive problems, anaemia and toning and rebuilding the liver.

CHILDREN'S FEELINGS

(Continuation of Positive Parenting Notes)

You can help your child to put a verbal label on the feeling by asking:

• Did that make you feel ........................ when ...........................?
• Were you feeling ..................................when ...........................?
• It sounds like that made you feel ...............................................?

Some common ways to DISMISS a child's emotions are to:

• offer advice ("You should have...")
• ask why your child did or said that they did
• talk only about yourself
• tell your child not to worry
• jump straight into problem solving
• take the side of the other person (eg. teacher, brother) as opposed to listening to the child's perspective
• offer distractions
• moralise

TONGUE TWISTERS

The benefits of tongue twisters:

Regardless of the language that you are using or in the process of learning, I highly recommend the use of tongue twisters (in that particular language) for better articulation. In other words, it is beneficial for language learners as well as native speakers. It is also an activity that drama students use too to improve on their articulation skills.

You can use them any time of the day. However, I particularly recommend this articulation improving exercise in the mornings so that you can speak clearly during the day.

In addition, I strongly recommend tongue twisters if you are trying to learn to touch type (typing with your ten fingers without using the sense of sight to find the keys). Just type up some tongue twisters until competent.

STARCHY FOODS and SALT CONSUMPTION

According to HealthDay News (20/12/2011), the types of foods given to infants seems to affect their future taste for salt, a new study that was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found.

Their study focused on starchy foods because they include processed foods -- such as breakfast cereals, bread and crackers -- which are often used as beginning foods for infants and often contain added salt.

It is claimed that early dietary experiences has influences on the preference for salty taste. 

It is also important to note that reducing sodium intake could prevent more than 100,000 deaths a year and save billions of dollars in medical costs in the United States, according to the news release.

HOW TO MAKE YOGHURT AT HOME

I wanted to share with you something refreshing, healthy and homemade on the very first day of 2012. I hope a healthy great new year is awaiting you all. 

Yoghurt is one of our essentials at home. We go through a few kilograms of natural plain yoghurt every week. Why yoghurt is good for people is a topic on its own just like how to use it and I hope to write about them sometime in the future. For now, lets look into how to make it at home.

Since Mr. Junior started eating yoghurt, I have been making some homemade yoghurt (on and off).

I make only some small amounts at a time but just to give you a good idea on how to make yoghurt for you or your family, lets work on a litre of milk for our sample here.

Ingredients:

1litre of full cream milk (I suggest fresh organic milk)
1-2 tablespoonsful of yoghurt

Method:

First, heat up your milk in a pan on the stove and bring it to boil. Let it boil for a few minutes (if you want it creamy, you may want to simmer it for 10-15 minutes so that more water evaporates) . Then, let it cool down a bit. Here is the trickiest stage. The temperature needs to be just right for fermentation. It is about 40-45C.

One tip to understand whether the temperature of the milk is right is that you dip your little finger into the milk for 7-10 seconds and make sure it is warm but it doesn't burn you.

Once the milk's warmth is right, then add the yoghurt which was stirred with a little bit of lukewarm milk to make runny into the main milk and make sure it is mixed well. After this stage, simply, pour the mixture into a container/jar and close the lid.

Wrap some tea towels and even a blanket to keep the jar warm and in dark. It should stay there for about 6-7 hours and then you can place it in the fridge. After a few hours in the refrigerator, it is ready for you to eat!

Some Notes:

• Do not use metal spoons while making yoghurt. It is better to use wooden spoons.
• When the milk and yoghurt mixture is put in a container for fermentation and wrapped with a blanket, do not shake it. Make sure it stays still.
• Most types of packaged milk do not have enough fat in them. That is why some people prefer to add some cream (or sometimes even milk powder) into the milk to make the yoghurt with a better consistency.
• There are some starter kids available at many supermarkets. It may be good especially if you don't have a live cultured yoghurt at home.

Below is also a yoghurt making video for you. Enjoy!