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Wednesday, October 6, 2010

The Incredible Edible...Pumpkin!

Pumpkin pie? Just the tip of the iceberg, my friend. People love pumpkin because you can use it in so many tasty ways, but did you know that it’s good for you too?

Pumpkins are part of the yellow/orange color food group (yes, color food group) that includes fruits and vegetables chocked full of beta-carotene which your body convents into vitamin A. Vitamin A helps maintain the linings of your organs while beta-carotene has been linked to lowering the risk of certain cancers and heart disease.

So really, if you think about it (in a totally roundabout non-medically proven sort of way), helping yourself to a second piece of pumpkin pie is actually good for your health!

And here are some other did-ya-knows about pumpkins:

* Early settlers filled hollowed out pumpkins with milk, honey and spices then baked them up for a treat – precursor to our favorite Thanksgiving pie.

* Pumpkins are part of the species that includes squash, watermelon, and cucumbers.

* Jack B. Little, Jack B. Quick, Spooktacular, and Cinderella are all names of pumpkin varieties (isn’t that charming?).

* Pumpkin flowers are edible and in “olden days”, pumpkin leaves were used in salad.

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