If you love pumpkin pie, these little Pumpkin Pie Gummies are for you! Gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free, they’re the perfect treat for fall!
This post contains affiliate links, FYI.
If your kids are anything like mine, fruit snacks and gummies are always a huge hit. And not just in the summer. My kids are happy to eat gummies any time of the year. Some of their favorites are my Kombucha Lemon Gummies, Grapefruit Gummies, and of course these Pumpkin Pie Gummies.
If you’ve never made gummies or fruit snacks before, don’t be intimidated. They’re really very easy to make, and so much more nutritious than their store-bought counterparts!
Sigh. Why do companies think these are good for our kids? Oh yeah, they don’t care.
Thankfully, we can make our own that are actually good for us! All you need is a few simple ingredients. And they’re not weird ingredients. You’ll probably already have them on hand if you like making pumpkin pie… Which I’m assuming you do, since you’re reading this post.
Coconut milk, cinnamon, pumpkin… These little gummies don’t have any refined sugar, either! They’re sweetened with honey and applesauce, making them full of antioxidants and vitamins!
They also have grass-fed gelatin. I like to use Perfect Supplements grass-fed gelatin in this recipe! Their gelatin is 100% gluten-free, non-GMO, and kosher. It’s an excellent source of protein and “good for your bones,” as my husband’s grandfather says. ��
In the recipe card I’ve linked to some of the products from my affiliate partners that I like to use. Purchasing through these links won’t cost you anything extra. Thanks!
Pumpkin Pie Gummies
Free of grain, gluten, eggs, dairy, and refined sugar.
Ingredients
Instructions
In small saucepan, bloom gelatin in coconut milk. Melt over medium low heat until gelatin is dissolved.
Whisk in pumpkin, applesauce, and honey. Add spices and pour into 9×13 inch baking dish.
Refrigerate until set (about an hour). Cut into squares and store in the fridge.
If you like these Pumpkin Pie Gummies, I know you’ll love these other pumpkin flavored treats!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Breakfast Bars {Gluten, Dairy and Egg Free}
Not sure what to do with leftover pumpkin puree? These pumpkin chocolate chip breakfast bars are simple, healthful and the perfect way to start the day!
pumpkin chocolate chip breakfast bars at TheHumbledHomemaker.com
Not sure what to do with all your leftover pumpkin puree? These pumpkin chocolate chip breakfast bars are simple, healthful and the perfect way to start the day!
Want more ideas for using up that leftover pumpkin?
A list of products and brands that are free of the top 8 allergens. Allergy friendly brands for baking, snacking, and more are included in this list.
Being a parent to a child with food allergies means that you can’t just run to the store and grab granola bars and cookies before a play date. (Obviously). You probably make a lot of your snack and treat foods at home, using ingredients that are free of the top 8 allergens. However, sometimes there are things that you have to buy from the store, whether it is baking ingredients, granola, seeds, or convenience snack foods.
Since your food allergy diagnosis, you’ve probably become concerned with cross contamination.
You’re cautious about the brands you choose, and you read labels carefully.
This is a list of products that are free of the top 8 allergens: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soy, and many of them are made in a facility that does not process any of these allergens. This is not a sponsored post.
Disclaimer: I am not a healthcare professional. Please check with your doctor if you are unsure if these products are safe for you or your family. Always read labels, as ingredients and manufacturing processes change. This information is current as far as I understand it from the websites of these companies.
Disclosure: This list does contain some affiliate links.
Baking Mixes:
Namaste Foods – Baking Blend, Brownie Mixes, Pizza Crust Mix, Cake Mix, and more, made in a dedicated allergen free facility.
123 Gluten Free – Cookie Mix, Baking Mix, Biscuit Mix, Cake Mix, Bar Mix, and more, made in a dedicated allergen free facility.
Living Now Gluten Free – Baking mixes, gluten free flour blend, and thickeners are all made in a dedicated facility.
King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Baking Blend – When I have called and spoken to the company, they informed me that the facility is allergen free. It is not advertised on the box. I would advise you to call the company yourself to confirm.
Pascha Chocolate – Chocolate Bars and Chocolate Chips. PASCHA traces their ingredients back through the supply chain to ensure that they are allergen free.
Free2b – This company very recently became dairy free, which means that their products and facility are now free of all the top allergens. You can even buy their candy by the dozen on Amazon. (affiliate link)
Yum Earth – Jelly Beans, Lollipops, Gummy Bears, and Fruit Snacks
Snacks:
88 Acres Granola Bars and Granola – We love the sea salt dark chocolate variety! 88 Acres traces their ingredients back through the supply chain to make sure that they are allergen free.
Enjoy Life Foods Plentils – Plentils are made on a line that also processes dairy products, but they do use a stringent cleaning process. Call the company to find out more.
This post contains a recipe for yummy holiday pumpkin dip–which is also full of probiotics to help fight the flu! Fighting the flu tastes delicious!
probiotic pumpkin dip at thehumbledhomemaker.com
Forget the flu shot! This year, fight back with food instead!
I’m excited to be joining the following 5 amazing bloggers in hosting a 5-week series that will arm you with recipes to stay healthy this season!
Come back each Wednesday as we reveal five different foods that are purported to support your immune system in the fight against the cold and flu viruses that run rampant this time of year.
What’s more, each post will be opened up to all our readers, who will be linking up their favorite recipes, with ideas for creative ways to serve them to their families!
This week’s flu-fighting food is PUMPKIN!
Pumpkin has always been one of my favorite foods. Along with the crisp, cool weather and colorful leaves, pumpkins make fall my favorite season!
Not only are they super yummy, but pumpkins also contain immunity boosters, like:
other healthy components, such as essential fatty acids, protein and magnesium
it is also a natural diuretic, aiding in flushing out body toxins
Now, on to a recipe for Probiotic Pumpkin Dip— where you can enjoy all these amazing health benefits AND indulge your sweet tooth!
This dip is perfect to take to a holiday party. It tastes sweet, with just a hint of honey. Maple syrup may be an alternate sweetener, but I didn’t test it.
You can even eat it by itself as a pudding, but you might want to cut the honey a tad.
Stir the dip into oatmeal or use it to spice up pancakes, muffins or breads.
Aside from these basic actions that we all should pay attention to in order to prevent cancer we can take a few other actions at home. There are many other things to do to improve health but these two common vitamins are easy to implement and have a lot of research behind them.
Vitamin C for Cancer Prevention
Vitamin C – also know as ascorbic acid or ascorbate – is perhaps the most popular supplement in this country. The RDA for vitamin C is pathetically low and will only just keep you from having the deficiency disease scury.
Humans, primates, fruit bats and guinea pigs are the only mammals who cannot manufacture their own vitamin C. Therefore, vitamin C is essential to humans (and animals) and must be obtained through diet.
Vitamin C deficiency, called scurvy, presents with symptoms and signs such as, bleeding gums, poor wound healing, extensive bruising, susceptibility to infection and depression. These are all sue to the deficiency of collagen production when vitamin C is low.
These days, not many people have a frank vitamin C deficiency, although, if you smoke, you may have one because smoking breaks down the vitamin C in the body – affecting collagen tissue needed in wound healing and gum repair. This is one of the negative effects of smoking on the gum tissue in the mouth, causing bleeding gums, gingivitis and periodontitis.
At high quantities vitamin C has antimicrobial, antiviral, antihistamine and antibiotic properties. Some of the benefits include increased collagen production, strong antioxidant, aid with utilization of other nutrients and increased immune function.
High dose vitamin C does have some controversy. There are studies in the literature that indicate that high doses of vitamin C can cause calcium oxalate kidney stones. However, this study and numerous studies have demonstrated that even in persons with severe kidney disease or gout, not on hemodialysis or suffering from recurrent kidney stones – high dose vitamin C does not cause kidney stones.
Food sources of vitamin C include; citrus fruits, vegetables and fermented vegetables. The Germans stored sauerkraut on their ships to provide vitamin C in their diet. Of course, the English stored limes for this reason as well.
Be aware that exposure to air degrades vitamin C. Freshly sliced cucumbers if left standing lose 41% of vitamin C content within the first 3 hours. Sliced cantaloupe loses 35% of vitamin C in less than 24 hours if left uncovered. Try to eat fruit and vegetables as soon as you cut them.
Vitamin C Flush
The Vitamin C Flush is used as a cleansing tool and also to determine the appropriate level of vitamin C a person can tolerate. For each person it is different and can be different at various times – for instance, if one is sick, the vitamin C requirement will be higher.
Essentially you are taking a dose of 1.5 grams of fully reduced, buffered mineral l-ascorbate powder (like this one), every 15 minutes until you reach bowel tolerance. That means that your bowels start to move at that point. You will be recording how many grams it took to get to that point. Your true dose is 3/4 of the amount it took to get to bowel tolerance. Follow these directions.
Vit C administration of up to 10 grams a day (and higher) has not shown any effect on urinary oxalate levels. Many functional medicine doctors use the vitamin C flush without any reported problems. However, be sure to discuss this procedure with your personal health care provider before attempting to do it at home. See my disclaimer here.
IV Vitamin C for Cancer
Linus Pauling and Ewan Cameron preformed many research studies showing the benefits of high dose vitamin C for cancer patients. In this study reported in the Proceedings of the national Academy of Science USA in 1976, they treated terminally ill cancer patients with 10 gms of ascorbic acid a day. Of 100 terminally ill patients 16 survived 1 year, compared to 3 out of 1000 in the control group.
Cameron then repeated this work and found similar results. You would think this would make the evening news. Vitamin C can be very powerful.
Vitamin C is critical for proper immune function whether it be to recover from infections, eliminate toxins and or support healthy cell function.
Vitamin C Strengthens the Immune System in Many Ways
It increases natural killer cell activity
It supports B and T lymphocytes in their various functions
It supports prostaglandin formation
It support phagocytes and macrophages in their clean up functions
Vitamin D for Cancer
Vitamin D is protective against certain types of cancer including melanoma. This study published in the European Journal of Cancer found that melanoma patients who exposed themselves to sunlight had a better survival rate than patients who did not. They found that intermittent sun exposure was inversely associated with the risk of death in melanoma.
Interesting. Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer yet sun exposure seemed to help. Just the opposite of what we are being told.
Importance of Vitamin D for Overall Health
Healthy vitamin D levels are needed for optimal cardiovascular health, immune system health and blood sugar regulation as well as bone, teeth and skin health and so many other benefits.
A recent study published in Journal of Cardiovascular Translational Research in April 2013, found that vitamin D protects the endothelial cells (the cells that line the blood vessels) from oxidative stress. This is just another study in the cannon of studies that finds vitamin D protective from the many diseases of inflammation.
Additionally, this recently published study in the United European Gastroenterology Journal found that vitamin D supplementation reduced intestinal permeability (leaky gut) in patients with Crohn’s disease. They also found that the supplementation extended periods of remission.
Crohn’s disease is an autoimmune diseases whereby the immune system may over-react to food, bacteria and other substances, causing an explosion of inflammatory chemicals that cause damage to the intestinal tissues. Severe inflammation is the issue here and vitamin D seems to help alleviate the root cause – leaky gut.
In functional medicine we go straight to the root cause of the problem. We are finding that inflammation is one of the most basic root causes. All of the actions listed above address the problem of inflammation in the body and can be seen as preventative actions against cancer.
Have you had cancer or had someone close to you with cancer?
Find out much more about cancer and alternative modalities at The Truth About Cancer Live Event launching October 5th through October 7th!
Original article and pictures take realfoodforager.com site
You might be wondering why there is ketchup pictured, and not Ranch dressing???
Look a little more closely, and you’ll see the Ranch…
It’s mixed in with the crushed pretzels. You could totes serve these with Ranch…but Ranch plus Ranch…might be too much Ranch. Or maybe there’s not such a thing as too much Ranch???
GONE. These were GONE, in minutes, when I served these to the boys.
You make these for your little people, and my guess is that they’ll be gone too!
Stay healthy and happy during your pregnancy with this pregnancy superfood smoothie! Raspberries, bananas, walnuts, and yogurt are loaded with fiber, vitamins, protein, omega fatty acids, and probiotics. So good!
OK guys…….. ready for Rhubarbaby posts???!!! Let’s hope so, cause you’re reading one RIGHT NOW! Here’s the deal-yo: I promise not to become an all out mommy blog. I will still be focusing on unique recipes with produce from my CSA (and cocktails again soon-ish), but guys……. this is my life right now. This little bambino has hijacked my whole world, my whole body. Yep, pregnancy and baby stuff will be peeping out of the blog now and then. Although, this pregnancy superfood smoothie could really just be called a fruit and nut superfood smoothie. You choose.
One disclaimer here: I am NOT your doctor. I’m just a pregnant chick and found that this smoothie is making my life easier and healthier right now. So, please ask your doc if you are concerned about any of the ingredients. Mmmmmmkay?
Well, now that those awkward apology paragraphs are over, onto this smoothie! You guys, the first 4 months of my pregnancy were absolutely awful. So much morning all-day sickness, dehydration, fatigue, and some crazy constipation. Not to mention the emotional ups and downs that went along with all of those on top of pregnancy hormones. Egads. Yep, it was that bad. There were days when I literally couldn’t stand up without getting sick.
Sorry for the TMI! Scratch that. NO MORE APOLOGIES!
Eventually, I started to figure out what worked at making me at least be able to stand up without getting sick. Eating and drinking a bit before I stood up was a big part of it. Crackers and electrolytes by the bed yippee! I started making smoothies to help with my digestion and constipation issues, and found my fave combination of fruit and nuts. Raspberries, bananas, walnuts, and plain yogurt. Not to sweet, not too sour, just….. delicious. And healthy.
I make a big batch of this several times per week. I divide it into 8 oz mason jars so I can grab one out of the fridge now as soon as I wake up. It’s the first thing that I do every morning. I drink it while I’m making my coffee. Being well into my second trimester has helped tremendously with the sickness, but this smoothie is loaded with so many awesome things for my body during pregnancy. WOOOOOT!
Stay healthy and happy during your pregnancy with this pregnancy superfood smoothie! Raspberries, bananas, walnuts, and yogurt are loaded with fiber, vitamins, protein, omega fatty acids, and probiotics. So good!
Blend all ingredients together in a blender until smooth.
Refrigerate leftovers in a container with tight fitting lid, and shake well before drinking.
You can really get creative with this smoothie too! Add kale or spinach. Make it will blueberries instead of raspberries. Toss in a tablespoon of chia seeds. YUM!
Anything pregnancy related you’d like to hear about? Let me know if the comments!
Trish
Remember to share your Rhubarbarians recreations on Instagram and Twitter with #imarhubarbarian!
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Thirsty for more?
Original article and pictures take d1voejzhmfdnpf.cloudfront.net site
Practical Ways to Eat Well When You Can’t Afford Organic Food
I remember feeling bad because we couldn’t afford organic food, and I wanted to feed my children healthy food. Guess what?! I learned that you CAN feed your family well on a tight budget—organic or not!
This post is part of the Dear Mom Letters series. Read part one of this post, “Dear Mom Who Can’t Afford Organic Food,” here.
Dear Mom Who Can’t Afford Organic Food,
In this post, I tackled head on the myth that everyone can afford organic food. It simply isn’t true.
“When there is a will, there is a way” is just cliche to someone struggling to meet even their basic needs. And maybe that is you.
But like me, you read; you research. And like me, you know that feeding your babies hotdogs and Twinkies is not healthy. You want something better for your children.
But you are frustrated.
I hear you, Mama. I am, too. It almost feels like a trap, right? Like you see the light at the end of the tunnel–you know what it might take to make your child healthier–but you keep running and just cannot get there. I’ve been there. Totally been there.
What my post the other day lacked was some practical ways to eat well when you can’t afford organic food. There are things you can do!
Check out these practical ways to eat well when you can’t afford organic food:
The list varies slightly from year to year, but typically the foods highest in pesticides are conventional apples, celery, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, grapes, hot peppers, imported nectarines, peaches, potatoes, spinach, strawberries, sweet bell peppers, kale/collard green and summer squash.
2. Avoid GMOs.
What are genetically modified foods? The top ones in the U.S. include corn, soy, Hawaiian paypaya, cotton, and canola (among others). I think avoiding these foods may be even more important than avoiding the dirty dozen! If it’s not organic then it’s probably genetically modified if you live in the United States. Read more about GMOs here.
3. Eat from the Clean 15 list.
Yay! Here’s a list where you aren’t just avoiding something! The EWG publishes a list of “clean” or lower-sprayed foods each year as well! These are foods you should eat from in abundance. Do note that corn and papaya are often both included on this list, and you still may want to avoid them because they are GMO.
4. Avoid processed meats.
Ideally, you would want to buy grass-fed, pastured, locally-raised meats. But our world isn’t always ideal. So instead of eating hotdogs and chicken nuggets, make the simple switch to cooking meals with plain meat that you season yourself.
Buy various cuts of chicken, beef or pork—or buy fish (preferably wild caught, but if it’s not in your budget, it’s not!). If it’s in your budget, buy hormone/antibiotic free, but don’t feel bad if you can’t. Just do the best you can.
Steam a head of broccoli (it’s the easiest thing ever!) instead of opting for the pre-seasoned, cheesy broccoli bites in the freezer section. Make your own mac ‘n cheese or Hamburger Helper instead of buying the pre-made stuff. Make homemade bread crumbs to bread your own chicken instead of opting for the frozen chicken nuggets at the store. The Recipe Index here on my site has dozens more healthy, homemade condiment and meal options!
When you cook from scratch, youcontrol the ingredients—not a for-profit company somewhere that cares only about making money, even at the cost of your health.
6. Cut the dairy subs and use the real thing.
When you look at dairy subs (think: coffee creamers, spreadable margarine, etc.), they are almost all made with high levels of GMO ingredients—like soy. Make the switch to using real butter, real yogurt (not the sugar-laden, flavored stuff!), real cheese (not Velveeta!) and real cream. If you have dairy allergies like we do, check out this post on how to choose a dairy-free milk.
7. Use healthy fats.
Canola oil is not healthy. It’s a top GMO crop, and I avoid those at all costs. Instead, use olive oil, palm shortening, coconut oil, real butter or real lard. Trina Holden recently posted this GREAT infographic on good fats!
8. Check the clearance produce.
Even during the time we had WIC, I would shop the clearance produce racks to maximize the funds I had. Sometimes, you can even score organic that is cheaper than conventional!
9. Use fresh when possible, then frozen and then canned.
Fresh produce is always best. But you may not always be able to eat what you prefer. For example, apples are in season in the fall. So, they will be cheaper in the fall. But their price will skyrocket when they are not in season. For this reason, try to shop for in-season produce that is fresh.
When you can’t get fresh, opt for frozen. Most frozen produce is frozen at its peak time in the season!
Lastly, use canned. I really do not recommend canned goods. I have read that only canned tomatoes retain any nutritional value (canned fish is OK, though). Also, most cans are lined with BPA, which is a hormone disruptor (source).
If it were left to me, our garden would never produce a thing! My husband really takes care of it; I just pick out of it!
Up until two months ago, we lived in a townhouse, so we didn’t even have a yard. Instead, we used my parents’ land to plant three to four box gardens for the past four summers. Sometimes it was hit or miss, but it was nice to have the little bit of extra when it did go well!
If you do not have any land you can use, check out Jami’s Apartment GardeningeBook, which has ideas for gardening in small spaces!
Above all, just cook with real, whole foods! If you can afford organic, great! But, if not, don’t sweat it or beat yourself up!
One of the BEST eBooks I’ve read on the topic of eating healthy on a budget is Your Grocery Budget Toolbox by Anne Simpson. I highly recommend it if you want more in-depth tips!
What are your tips for some practical ways to eat well when you can’t afford organic?
Original article and pictures take thehumbledhomemaker.com site
I was fortunate enough to be able to buy 200 lbs. of potatoes from a local farm this year, and they were only $.10 a pound.
Of course, that means lots and lots of potato soup, baked potatoes, and mashed potatoes. I found a way for us to use up some of the leftover mashed potatoes by making them into potato croquets.
All you need to do is:
Mix together 1/2 cup flour, 2 eggs, 1 cup shredded cheese, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper with 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes. Carefully shape into “patties” and dredge on both sides in cornmeal.
Fry in a traditional fat,
like beef tallow or coconut oil until golden brown, approximately 3 minutes. Butter can be used, but be careful of scorching. Flip over and fry on the other side for another 2-3 minutes.
Serve with pepper gravy, if desired.
Make the gravy by first melting 4 tablespoons butter in a pan, and adding 4 tablespoons flour. Allow to cook for 1 minute to remove the “raw flour” taste. Add 2 cups of milk, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Stir constantly, allowing gravy to thicken. Perfect as a side dish, for breakfast or any time.
Need some help getting back into the kitchen and cooking from scratch? Try this delicious collection of easy to make recipes to get you started!
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Original article and pictures take thehomesteadinghippy.com site
