Follow Us

Instagram facebook LinkedIn twitter Pinterest

Pumpkin Tales

October 2, 2024

October is the month most of us associate with pumpkins. Yet few of us know much about this enduring symbol of autumn. Time to learn.

It’s common knowledge today’s corn was first cultivated in Mexico as maize around 4500 BCE.

However Mexican peoples were eating pumpkin long before that, as early as 7000 to 5500 BCE.

Mexican pumpkin was one of the world’s first cultivated plants.

Pumpkins are a fruit, not a vegetable, because anything starting from a flower is a fruit, and the pumpkin has beautiful yellow flowers. Its flowers are a delicacy in themselves. Fried pumpkin flowers are a common breakfast meal especially in the South.

The greatest majority of pumpkins grown in the United States come from Illinois. Illinois farmer Sarah Frey is called the “Pumpkin Queen of America”.

She gets her queen title by selling over five million pumpkins annually from her pumpkin plantation in southern Illinois not far from where Ron grew up.

The United States produces a million tons of pumpkin yearly. China produces 1/3 of the world’s pumpkins at 7.7 tons yearly.

Check the menu if you visit China. You might be surprised.

Some of remember getting bowl haircuts from our parents when we were young. In earlier times, there was no waste of a bowl.

New Englanders used to be nicknamed “pumpkin heads” because a local law required them to cut their hair short around a pumpkin rind.

Use the name sparingly in today’s times. Since the days of Opie and Andy Griffith, “pumpkin head” has come to be known as an idiot or fool. Gomer and Goober were pumpkin heads.

The pumpkin is one of the world’s most nutritious foods.

Practically every part of the pumpkin, including the fleshy shell, the seeds, the leaves, and the flowers, is edible with high nutritional value.

Get the full scoop by clicking on the link immediately below.

Pumpkin: Nutrition, Benefits, How to Eat

But of course, there’s a dark side to every silver lining.

A Horse is a Horse,

Of Course Of Course…

Hey there. Remember me?

You watched my tv show weekly from 1961-1966.

Remember how smart I was?

Well, I was smart enough to start using the Bemer microcirculation device for horses when it came out a few years ago, and I’m smarter than ever, all while being almost 70 years old.You know, there’s a human version for the Bemer microcirculation device too.

Can’t guarantee you’ll become as smart as me, but you might want to take a look at it.

My good friend, Donna, will be glad to arrange for you to test it out.

Sincerely,

Mr. Ed

 

Pump(kin) Yourself Up by Avoiding These Common Ingredients

Learning to read labels can seem like a daunting task if you’re just getting started, but with practice, it will eventually come like second nature to you.

Here is a list of 15 common ingredients that you want to avoid.
  • Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
  • Artificial Food Coloring
  • Nitrates and Nitrites
  • Guar Gum
  • High-Fructose Corn Syrup
  • Artificial Sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose, saccharin and acesulfame potassium)
  • Carrageenan
  • Sodium Benzoate
  • Trans Fat and Partially Hydrogenated Oils
  • Xanthan Gum
  • Artificial Flavoring
  • Yeast Extract
  • Brominated vegetable oil (BVO)
  • Potassium Chloride
  • Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA)

Label reading takes a little practice, but it’s well worth it. And then before you know it, you’ll be looking at labels and putting certain foods right back on the store shelf without even thinking about it. And, if you have kids, it’s never too early to teach them too!

 

Click Here for Ways to Reduce Your Intake of Food Additives

It’s Pumpkin Time!!!

According to the American Heart Association, men should consume no more than 9 teaspoons/36 grams of added sugar per day and women should consume no more than 6 teaspoons/25 grams of added sugar per day.

Did you know a grande Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks has 50 grams of sugar? You should try this tasty, yet healthy alternative instead!

«