pumpkin fever

Fall time . . .cooler temps, crisp nights, crunchy leaves under foot, smell of fire, corn stalks, pumpkins, mums, scarecrows, bats, tombstones but did I mention pumpkin?  I think we have a little 'pumpkin fever'.

We colored our pumpkins like this with the plans to carve them closer to Halloween.

 

Today we opened one can (large can) of pumpkin puree and made the following:  pumpkin pie spice cheesecake, chocolate chip pumpkin granola bars, chocolate chip pumpkin muffins and pumpkin granola.  All of the recipes came from skinnytaste.com which features delicious, healthy, low fat, family-friendly recipes.  Now if you'll excuse me I need to go run around outside so I can enjoy some of these treats later . . .

fall recipe

Fall brings hay rides, apple & pumpkin picking, homemade soups, raking leaves and so much more. I saw this recipe in Country Living and thought the pumpkin sounded good, it is low in fat and I after trying them . . . great in taste.

When I made them I used smaller shells than what is listed in the recipe below. If you add a salad as I did, we stretched it to 3 meals! I recommend making the shells in a couple of dishes, one for tonight and one or two to freeze for other meals.

When we sat down for dinner, Damian said 'pumpkin inside, um, interesting'! But after tasting, seconds were quickly asked for!


Pumpkin-Ricotta Stuffed Shells

• 24 jumbo pasta shells
• 1 tablespoon(s) extra virgin olive oil
• 22 ounce(s) (2 1/2 cups) fat-free ricotta
• 1 can(s) (15-ounce) pumpkin puree
• 2 1/2 ounce(s) pecorino Romano, grated (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
• 1 large egg white
• 2 clove(s) garlic, minced
• 1 cup(s) fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tablespoon(s) finely chopped fresh sage
• 1 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper
• 1 jar(s) (26-ounce) store-bought tomato sauce

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Directions

1. Cook pasta shells according to package instructions; drain. Transfer to a baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Set aside and let cool.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, pumpkin, 3/4 cup pecorino Romano, and remaining ingredients, except tomato sauce.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread sauce in bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Fill each pasta shell with about 3 tablespoons ricotta-pumpkin mixture and arrange in pan. Cover pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
4. Remove foil, sprinkle shells with remaining pecorino, and bake for 15 minutes more. (If desired, stuff shells the night before and refrigerate overnight in an airtight container, in between layers of plastic wrap; arrange shells on sauce right before baking.)