Learn What You Can Do with Pumpkin Carving Leftovers 

We’ll all soon be carving pumpkins at this time of year. However, when the scary faces are made and the jack-o-lantern sits on the windowsill – what can we do with the innards of the pumpkin? Well, here are some solutions:

1) Pumpkin Pie:

Once you carve something silly or scary into a pumpkin, you shouldn’t let the innards go to waste. Why not make your very own pumpkin puree? You can bake a homemade pumpkin pie using it. Pumpkin has a nutty flavor that pairs well with nutmeg and cinnamon for a delicious aroma lingering around your home. Get the details on Foodal.com for the most incredible puree

2) Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Toasted pumpkin seeds are a tasty and healthy snack full of fiber and nutrition. This is why you were advised not to toss them when you carve out a pumpkin.

To make your seeds truly crispy, just clean them all out of the flesh before boiling them for about 10 minutes. Spread them out over a baking tray before drizzling them with oil and sprinkling them with salt. Bake them for 10 minutes at 175F, but stir them occasionally to be sure they do not burn.

If you’re not keen on actually eating them yourself, remember that birds love them. Clean the seeds out of your pumpkin flesh before letting them dry out on a flat surface. Then just lay them out for your birds outside. Just make sure you don’t season them.

You might even choose to keep a few of the seeds to the side so you can plant them when the temperatures start warming back up. Read more about what it takes to grow an edible garden of your own.

3) Pumpkin Soup:

Making a nice batch of some pumpkin soup for your fridge or freezer means you have something handy later on a busy day, and it might just be the most efficient use for your carved pumpkin.

4) Pumpkin-Infused Vegetable Stock:

If you use both the seeds and flesh from your pumpkin, you might be wondering what to do with those stringy insides that you might just typically compost. Try adding them to other various veggie scraps which accumulate in your fridge so you can make a flavorful veggie stock. It’s a great way to use wrinkly carrots and onion ends. You might even freeze a lot of it for use later on in the winter.

Dear Holly: Just Add Straws, a Tongue Depressor, and a Liquid Medicine Dispenser to Play-Doh for an Easy Hour Long Activity

3 years, 4 months.

Dear Holly,

After watching you brother accidentally yet successfully make creepy tapeworms to fight each other, you decided you wanted to join in on the fun.

You asked me for toothpicks like I gave your brother. I let you have two, but I decided that orange straws to match your orange Play-Doh might be more interesting to you. A few minutes later, I threw in a liquid medicine dispenser as well as a tongue depressor.

For a 3 year-old girl, this perfectly challenged you for an hour. You had so much fun figuring out the many ways you could incorporate the Play-Doh accordingly.

I will have to remember this simply yet engaging activity for next weekend too!

Daddy

Dear Jack: Making Creepy Tapeworms Out of Play-Doh, Then Making Them Fight

8 years, 9 months.

Dear Jack,

As I was cleaning the bathrooms Saturday afternoon, I noticed that you grabbed several toothpicks as you were working on a Play-Doh project at the kitchen table.

Eventually, the commentary began:

“Hey Daddy, look! This snake totally just bit the other one but the the other snake stabbed him with the spikes on his back…”

I was happy to see your creativity in action. But I did have to point out that they reminded me more of tape worms. Once I showed you a picture of them on my phone, you easily agreed that you had indeed been unknowingly making and fight giant tapeworms.

Maybe that was better, actually- since tapeworms are arguably creepier than snakes.

Love,

Daddy

Jeep Wrangler Road Trip with My Wife Along Lookout Mountain Brow: From Fort Payne, AL to Rising Fawn, GA to Chattanooga, TN

Owning a Jeep Wrangler means that suddenly, any drive immediately becomes an adventurous road trip. That definitely was the case Labor Day Weekend.

My wife and I drove from my parents’ house in Fort Payne, Alabama to downtown, Chattanooga; the while time with the top off the Jeep and the whole time along the brow of Lookout Mountain.

We traveled through 3 states in doing so: Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee.

About halfway through, we stopped for a hike along side of the mountain top, at Cloudland Canyon State Park.

From there, we stumbled upon some hang gliders who were flying all around us. This was quite a sight to see!

It was a fun date! I really enjoyed being able to spent time alone with my wife all afternoon, while my parents and sister watched our kids.

At age 38, having fun is still important. Having a cool wife and a cool Jeep helps make that possible!

7 Astonishing Benefits Of Aromatherapy 

1. Relaxation And Sleep

Essential oils have different applications, which includes help people to relax and unwind after a tough day. While the most common option in the use of these soothing oils is a direct application to the body for them to work their magic and help the body to relax, they can also be used in another way. You can use a diffuser to ensure that you take full advantage of the oils even when you are in the office. With a portable diffuser, you will be set to enjoy your essential oils of choice a the press of a button. You can partake in the same thing when at home in the evening. Place the diffuser on the bedside table and take in the scent of the essential oils as you drift into slumberland.

2. Mood Elevating

Aside from helping you to destress, a diffuser can also be an excellent answer when you want to energize your moods, especially when you are in low spirits or depressed. The diffuser can uplift your feelings by creating a positive atmosphere. As such, you can have these gadgets running in your home. It can also prove useful in social gatherings or business meetings. You also can use the diffuser to create the perfect romantic moods for the special date night with that special someone. Visit this website to find out more on the mood elevating benefits of essential oils.

3. Ward Off Illness

Are you tired of have the flu, cold or other nasty illnesses and are trying the best you can to keep them at bay in your home or office? You can use aromatherapy to achieve your goal. You will need a diffuser and an array of recommended essential oils made for such a purpose. They have powerful anti-microbial elements that are released into the air that will combat the airborne pathogens that you inhale and invade your body triggering such illnesses. The oils can also be used to enhance your immunity. Moreover, the diffuser can also be used as a humidifier.

4. Helps You Breathe Easier

The use of essential oils in aromatherapy can be useful in reducing congestion and inflammation of airways so that you can breathe with ease. Diffusing the oils when in your bedroom ready to sleep is recommendable if you are prone to airborne allergens that trigger breathing disorders. Take note that your sinuses will open and this may necessitate having a box of tissue or a few clean handkerchiefs at hand to clear your running nose.

5. Pain Relief

In as much as some people will suggest the direct application of the essential oils on the aching part of the body, you can bolster the effects of doing this by using a diffuser to extend the gains of using the essential oil. As such, the aromatherapy can be useful in combating persistent pain such as sore joints, aching muscles, back pain, and headaches.

6. Improve Cognitive Function

Research shows that the quality of the air we breath can impact the health and functions of your brain. You can super-charge your brain cells by inhaling fumes of essential oils. The effects of this work on multiple levels. Most of the essential oils are adaptogenic, that means they can have a soothing effect and able to boost your moods when you are feeling down or stressed. You will get the diffuser running with your preferred oils, and the fumes released into the air will help uplift your moods and enhance your focus. Some of these oils can also be used to balance hormones in the body. Furthermore, researchers have also discovered that the use of some essential oils can help deal with various things that hamper cognitive function.

7. Safer Alternative To Candles And Incense

If you have small kids and pets, then burning incense and candles in your home poses significant risk. But you can avoid such hazardous practices by switching to the use of essential oil diffusers. You will manage to enjoy the benefits of aromatherapy but without the risk of wax spills, fires, burns, or other incidents and accidents.