Growing up, I was never big into Halloween. I mean, it was fun: getting dressed up in whatever costume my grandmother had made us, running around the neighborhood begging for candy, then realizing when I got home I didn’t really want any of the candy, so giving it all to my brother (after I picked out a few of the good pieces of course!). He would happily oblige, eating himself into a sugar-coma while I looked on with a sly smile on my face. To this day, I have never had a cavity.
Besides, Halloween was really just a stepping stone to get to my two favorite holidays: Thanksgiving and Christmas.
To me, the best part about Halloween is the abundance of pumpkins: the sweet smell of baked pumpkin filling the house, spices arising from the oven as pumpkin seeds are dried and roasted, and the endless possibilities that come with each. For me, these smells signal the transition of early Fall and Halloween to American Thanksgiving, white-capped trees and other signs of an approaching winter.
Unfortunately, we had no time to carve a pumpkin this year. Lucky for me, my husband is just as obsessed with pumpkin seeds as I am. The day after Halloween, I came home to a divine smelling kitchen, as he had already cut, cleaned and prepped the pumpkin as well as roasted all the pumpkin seeds! Thanks babe! So now, I have TONS (I mean, like 4 large containers of pumpkin!) to get through before we leave for vacation. No worries! Out come pumpkin chai muffins, pumpkin and black bean stew, a pumpkin truffle pasta (which I must share on this blog one day!) and these interesting pumpkin curry crepes. They were an experimental little food project, but I think they turned out quite well! I must still be on a yogurt and spices kick after my Seattle trip because I couldn’t help but add a dollop of harissa-spiced yogurt to the top of these babies! If you can’t find harissa paste, plain yogurt will suffice.
PUMPKIN
The orange tint of pumpkins give away its main phytonutrient: carotene, “beta-carotene”. Carotene converts to vitamin A in the body, which is one of the main antioxidants to combat free radicals in the body. It also helps prevents heart disease, cancer, and many of the degenerating signs of aging. I speak more about the benefits of vitamin A here. Pumpkin, and most squash for that matter, are a great source of fiber to keep you feeling full longer. Fiber also maintains proper elimination to help keep the colon clear and ensure the body is ridding itself of toxins. When choosing pumpkins, you should actually look for a smooth but dull skin. A shiny skin indicates immaturity. The more mature the pumpkin, the sweeter the flesh!
Pumpkin seeds might be my favorite! They are a great source of protein and contain a high amount of Omega 3 essential fatty acids (EFA’s) which are so very important for our cellular makeup. I have talked about the importance of Omega 3’s so many times on my blog so look here for more information! A bonus for pumpkin seeds: they contain the amino acid tryptophan, which converts to other substances in the brain. These substances, such as GABA, relaxes the body, calms the nerves, improves sleep and aids neuron communication.
So I am saying goodbye to winter for a bit and traveling across the world to Australia for the next 2 weeks (family wedding)! I might be a bit distant on Love and Garnish, however, you can follow my adventures on Instagram!
