The Fruits of Fall! Yummy Stuffed Pumpkin

I was introduced to stuffed pumpkin by my husband's French Canadian family. Their traditional version is stuffed with ground pork and potatoes. It has always been a harbinger of Autumn and I wanted to keep the tradition alive but a bit healthier! Serve with a crusty bread and pickled beets and follow it up with baked apples for the perfect Autumn meal.

My autumn display 

Veggie Stuffed Pumpkin

Serves 5

Serving size: 1 ½ cups

1 Medium Sugar Pumpkin

1 box Near East Rosemary and Olive Oil Quinoa blend

1 15 ½ oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 ½ oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables

1 cup tomato, deseeded and chopped

1 small onion, diced

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare quinoa mix as directed on package. Combine with remainder of ingredients in a large oven safe bowl.

Remove top of pumpkin and remove seeds. Reserve for roasting, if desired. (see below)

Stuff pumpkin with quinoa mixture. Replace top. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 2 hours or until pumpkin is easy to pierce with a fork.

Bake any remaining stuffing in the oven safe bowl for about ½ hour.

To serve: Scoop out stuffing and pumpkin flesh. Serve with a crusty artisan bread and pickled beets.

Extra stuffing can be served as a side dish with another meal or combined with any leftover pumpkin.

To roast seeds: place in single layer on lightly greased cookie sheet (or spray sheet with cooking oil spray). Sprinkle liberally with sea salt.  Roast at 350 degrees, stirring every few minutes until golden. Enjoy!

Sporty No Slip Headband Tutorial

This tutorial will help you make your own version of those popular, but pricey sporty no-slip headbands. Now you can have exactly the color and print you want in under an hour for under $5 per headband!

NOTE: You can experiment with the width of the ribbons - just be sure they are the same width and cut your interfacing 1/8 inch narrower. You can experiment with the fabrication for the "fashion" ribbon but the velvet is the key to non- slip awesomeness so be sure to use that for the "inner" ribbon. I got my ribbons from MJ Trimming I found a great selection and my order was shipped super quick! (I have no affiliation with them - I am just a very satisfied customer)

Materials

1/2 yard 7/8 inch wide printed grosgrain ribbon
1/2 yard 7/8 inch wide velvet ribbon
1/8 yard 1/4 inch wide braided elastic in a coordinating color
scrap of heavy weight fusible interfacing

Cutting
Cut grosgrain and velvet ribbons to measure
16 1/2 inches. Cut fusible interfacing at 3/4 inch wide by 15 1/2 inches long.
Cut elastic to measure 5 1/2 inches

Sewing
Step 1: Center and fuse interfacing to the wrong side of the grosgrain ribbon (if using a solid color, fuse to one side of the ribbon)

Step 2: Press ends of grosgrain and velvet ribbons under 1/2 inch.

Step 3: Place ribbons wrong sides together and pin, encasing raw edges. Sandwich and center the ends of elastic as shown in the photo below. Edgestitch all edges of the headband.

There you are, an easy peasy custom headband that will NOT slip off your head during your workout!
Enjoy!