What in the World to do With All Those Pumpkin Seeds

Whether you are carving a pumpkin for the porch or boiling it down for pie did you ever wonder what you’re going to do with all those left over pumpkin seeds? Well with just a bit of dry roasting here is an idea I came up with that gives me my once a week omelette fix while still keeping close to my low cholesterol diet. I also took lots of photos so even a non cooking guy or gal could figure out how to do this. First assemble your ingredients.

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1 egg – 1 slice low fat mozzarella cheese(Or provolone) – 1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds- 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper and either the smart balance I am using or olive oil.

Heat a small frying pan slowly on a low heat while melting your margarine or oil. Add in the diced pepper and pumpkin seeds and saute while stirring till the pepper and seeds brown a tiny bit.

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Now I pour in the egg allowing it to spread evenly across the surface of the entire pan. This allows me to have the illusion of having a full sized omelette while holding myself to one egg! Just as the egg begins to solidify break your cheese into small pieces and distribute it evenly trying to keep it from the edges. Just as it melts fold the omelette so it will seal nicely.

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Finally I finish the meal by adding a single slice of whole grain bread with a bit of honey to give it some personality and have some grape juice (Yeah I’m weird I put ice cubes in my juice) on the side. Add some salt and pepper to taste.

Now if like me you are watching your LDL levels this isn’t for every day. But once a week I like to indulge and have seen my numbers drop by 15-20% over the last year!

Have a great week-end! Blessings all!

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Daily Bread

Tonight my wife was in a baking mood so she decided we are having homemade bread. The aroma of it in the oven is enough to get my taste buds tuned up for the big pot of chile simmering on the stovetop.

When Jesus taught us to pray for daily bread it was not only as a check on our tendency to worry; but also out of a fatherly concern for us to have a healthy spiritual diet. Friends will be stopping by later just to be able to eat a piece straight out of Nancy’s oven!

We need to take more seriously our prayer for daily bead. If we ask Him our Father has promised to provide fresh daily bread. Then maybe folks will stop by not only for my wife’s famous recipe bread, but for also for some bread straight out of God’s own oven!
Those who pray best, pray for today’s not tomorrow’s needs. Our prayers for tomorrow’s needs may be unnecessary because tomorrow might not exist at all” E M Bounds

Dreaming of a Sweet Christmas

And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2:11 ESV

Yes Mary and Joseph faced immediate persecution and exile not long after the birth of Jesus, but God saw to it that for at least one night something beautiful would fill their home. Have you ever stopped to think that the wise men were not known by name but by the gifts they brought? In fact it is their gifts that set the stage for our gift giving at Christmas today. Those gifts meant that their long journey was filled with the risk of attack and the loss of what may have cost them their life’s savings. But all the worry and difficulty were forgotten in the moment when they opened their treasures and worshiped.

When I think of the wise men’s gifts I am reminded of my wife’s gifts of home made candy which she has been baking and sending off to family and friends over the last forty years. The candy factory opens here in the Caligiuri household just after the Thanksgiving left overs are put into the refrigerator. Our dining room table becomes a work surface. Christmas tins, bags of chocolate chips and sliced almonds fill our kitchen along with the wonderful aroma of  butterscotch. In much the same way as the wise men Nancy gives the best she has each year for people, some of whom rarely step into a church. For those have little thought of worship her message carried by the sweetness of butter crunch has left an indelible memory of the love of Jesus Christ on their hearts. 20181207_220625.jpg

Here is her Christmas recipe. You will just have to add your own love for it to taste as good as hers!

 

Nancy’s Almond Butter Crunch

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups slivered almonds (chopped)
  • 2 sticks Margarine or butter
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 3 Tbsp. light corn syrup
  • 3 Tbsp. water
  • 1 – 8 oz. pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips

 

Directions: Toast almonds on cookie sheet for 10 minutes at 375°. In medium saucepan combine butter (or margarine) sugar, syrup, and water. Stirring constantly over a medium heat bring to 300° (hard-crack). Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of the chopped toasted almonds and pour into a greased 15” x 10” x 1 ½ ” pan (cookie sheet).Spread quickly and evenly then immediately cover with chocolate chips and spread as the chocolate melts with the back of a stirring spoon. Top chocolate with the remaining ½ cup of toasted almonds while it is still hot then set aside to cool. Once pan is cool place in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours then candy can be broken into small pieces (Enjoy!)

 

 Caligiuri Family Cookbookcookbook

 

 

 

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