Pumpkin Dessert Bars Recipe

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 35 min. Bake: 20 min. + chilling Makes:  15 servings
Ingredients 1-3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs 1-1/3 cups sugar, divided 1/2 cup butter, melted 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 5 eggs 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup milk 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 envelope unflavored gelatin 1/4 cup cold water Whipped topping and ground nutmeg, optional
Directions In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and 1/3 cup sugar; stir in butter. Press into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.
In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and 2/3 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in 2 eggs just until blended. Pour over crust. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, separate remaining eggs and set whites aside. In a large saucepan, combine the yolks, pumpkin, brown sugar, milk, salt and cinnamon. Cook and stir over low heat for 10-12 minutes or until mixture is thickened and reaches 160°. Remove from the heat.
In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over cold water; let stand for 1 minute. Heat over low heat, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir into pumpkin mixture; set aside.
In a large heavy saucepan, combine reserved egg whites and remaining sugar. With a portable mixer, beat on low speed for 1 minute. Continue beating over low heat until mixture reaches 160°, about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat; beat until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved.
Fold into pumpkin mixture; spread evenly over cream cheese layer. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or until set. Garnish with whipped topping and nutmeg if desired. Yield: 15 servings.

Originally published as Pumpkin Dessert Bars in Country Woman Christmas Annual 2008, p60 Pic from http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/pumpkin-dessert-bars

Latte, Cappuccino, Macchiato: What's the difference

Espresso

A latte by any other name ... A latte is a coffee made with espresso and steamed milk. The term as used in English is a shortened form of the Italian caffè latte or caffellatte, which means "milk coffee". The word is also sometimes spelled latté or lattè in English.   Variants include replacing the coffee with another drink base such as masala chai (spiced Indian tea), mate or matcha, and other types of milk, such as soy milk or almond milk are also used. 

Caffè latte vs. latte macchiato

Latte Macchiato

A caffè latte differs from a latte macchiato in that in a latte macchiato, espresso is added to milk, rather than the reverse. A caffè latte has a stronger coffee flavor.

The latte macchiato is milk steamed to microfoam, served in a glass with a half shot of espresso poured gently through the foamy top layer, creating a layered drink with a "macchia"—a spot—of espresso on the top. As with a caffè macchiato, which is espresso with a spot of milk atop, indicating there's a hint of milk underneath the espresso foam, a latte macchiato is the opposite, to indicate there is espresso in the milk.

The use of the term 'macchiato' has been widened to include a huge array of beverages and ice creams. In some countries (like Germany), latte macchiato is the preferred term. The word "macchiato" itself is Italian for "stained" which refers to creating a coffee or milk "stain" in the drink.

Although the term macchiato has been used to describe various types of espresso drinks, a caffè macchiato is 3/4 espresso and 1/4 steamed milk. A caffè macchiato is about 4 ounces and is usually served in a demi tasse. Although a traditional macchiato is small, there are still ways to pour art into the crema of drink. The only difference between pouring latte art and macchiato art is that for a macchiato, the milk has to be poured faster and through a much smaller stream.

Cappuccino

Rule of Thumb

A Latte is more milk than foam - 2/3 steamed milk, 1/3 espresso, topped with a dollop of milk foam

A Cappuccino is more foam. - A classic cap is just espresso and foam but many North Americans take it with a bit of steamed milk - 1/3 steamed milk, 1/3 espresso,  1/3 milk foam

A (true) Machiatto is espresso with a dollop of foam

Source: WikiPedia

Don't Be Fooled By Sugar Free Labels

You have to really be careful when buying packaged and convenience foods because what the label says isn't necessarily the truth in many cases.  In "Sugar-Free Claims are Sticky Business" Tamara Duker Freuman, explains that sugar-free is being improperly used to describe foods that don't contain white sugar.  "Some folks take a very literal interpretation of “sugar” and use it to mean only the white, granulated stuff" and she goes on to caution, "sugar free is often code for 'sweetened with sugar substitutes' so you have to be very diligent when reading labels. 

The following is by Lindsey from Lean Green Bean, who is a registered dietician 1) It’s free of added sugar like white sugar or brown sugar.  Great…but check the ingredient list. You could very well see other sources of sugar like honey, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, agave nectar, date puree, molasses, etc on the list, meaning it’s not sugar-free. 2) There’s no added sugar.  Again, does not always mean sugar-free. Many foods contain naturally occurring sugars. For example, fructose is the naturally occurring sugar in fruit and lactose is the naturally occurring sugar in milk. So, say you’re drinking a glass of orange juice. It may be made from just one ingredient- oranges- and therefore have no added sugar, but there’s still 20+ grams of sugar in that glass. 3) It’s made with sugar substitutes. While the product technically may be sugar-free, it does contain artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols, etc. It’s up to you to make the choice whether you want to consume these products, but you should, at a minimum, be aware of the ones you’re consuming so you can do your research.

Deciphering food labels  Sugar goes by many different names.  To help make sense of the labels we put together this list of sugars and sweeteners (organic and artificial) used in convenience and prepackaged foods.
Monosaccharides: (simple sugars) Glucose, Dextrose,  fructose, galactose, cane sugar, honey
Disacchrides:  Sucrose, maltose, lactose Malt Syrup,  Invert Sugar, Molasses,  High Fructose Corn Syrup, Galactose, Cane Juice, Dehydrated Cane Juice, Cane Juice Solids, Cane Juice Crystals, Dextrin, Maltodextrin, Dextran, Barley malt, Beet Sugar, Corn Syrup Solids, Caramel, Buttered Syrup, Carob Syrup, Brown Sugar, Dae Sugar, Diatase, Siatastic malt, Fruit Juice, Fruit Juice Concentrate, Dehydrated Fruit Juice, Fruite Juice Crystals, Golden Syrup, Turbinado, Sorghum Syrup, Refiner's Syrup, Ethyl Maltol, Yellow Sugar, Sugarcane, Stevia, Coconut Palm Sugar, Raw Honey, Honey,  Molasses, Artichoke Syrup, Agave, Lucuma Powder, 
The Healthy Sugar Alternatives Stevia, Coconut Palm Sugar,  Lucuma Powder, Artichoke Syrup, Molasses, Raw Honey, 

Healthier Hot Chocolate by Detoxinista

Prep time:  5 mins

Total time:  5 mins

Serves: 1

A sweet and creamy hot chocolate, free of dairy and refined sugars.

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond milk 
• 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
• 1 Tablespoon Grade B maple syrup (or use liquid stevia)
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of sea salt

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients into a saucepan over high heat.
2. Keep stirring until smooth and piping hot! (Avoid boiling.)
3. Then pour into a mug and serve piping hot!

Author: Detoxinista.com

Late Summer Minestrone with Butternut Squash and Fresh Corn

Bright, beautiful, and bursting with veggies, this colorful minestrone is a great way to stretch the harvest.

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup sliced leeks
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tsp. salt, optional
4 cloves garlic, minced (4 tsp.)
1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage, or 2 tsp. dried sage
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 bay leaf

2 large tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped (1 cup)
2 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (3/4- to 1-inch cubes)
2 cups green beans or flat beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 15-oz. can or 1 1/2 cups cooked white beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
2–3 Tbs. chopped fresh mint, plus more for garnish, optional

1. Heat oil in 5-qt. Dutch oven or other large soup pot over medium heat. Add leeks, celery, bell pepper, and salt, if using. Cover, and cook 6 to 8 minutes, or until veggies are softened, stirring occasionally. Uncover, and continue cooking 5 to 6 minutes more, or until celery is somewhat shrunken and leeks are browned.

2. Add garlic, sage, Italian seasoning, and bay leaf. Stir 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add tomatoes and 8 cups water, and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes. Add squash, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. Add green beans, white beans, and corn; simmer 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Just before serving, stir in vinegar and mint.  

Source:  Vegetarian Times

Your Brain On Coffee

It's no wonder coffee is the second most traded commodity after oil.  Caffeine  (the energy bean) blocks adenosine (the thing that slows down your brain) because structurally they are the same. So you get energy when you need it throughout the day.

This video does a great job explaining the process in an illustrated, fun way.