A Perfect Snack, Spicy Pumpkin Soup, and a Homemade Lamb Costume

There's nothing like seeing your child enjoying a healthy snack to make a mom feel proud. If you don't have this one on your list you should, because it's both easy and fun.

Edamame = soybean in the pod, precooked

You can find them frozen at many grocery stores, which means they are only minutes away from being devoured once you take them out of your freezer. Their benefits include 12 grams of protein and 6 grams of fat in a 3.5 ounce serving. Edamame is also high in B9, aka Folate.

Recipe:

Spicy Pumpkin Soup with Mexican Cream

Enjoy this delicious soup which is complex in flavor, but a cinch to make. It is adapted from Bon Appetit and for the kids can easily lose some (or all) of the heat but cutting or leaving out the crushed red pepper. No doubt you can feel good serving this healthy meal to your kids.

serves 6-8

Ingredients
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup sour cream
1-2 tsp. fresh lime juice
3 Tbs. butter or Earth Balance
1 onion, chopped
2 organic potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 large pie pumpkin
5 cups veggie broth
1 cup whole milk
pinch dried crushed red pepper, if desired

1. Cut pumpkin in half, discarding stem, and place the inside face down in a large casserole dish filled with a half inch of water. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until soft. Meanwhile, whisk first 3 ingredients in small bowl. Cover; chill 2 hours. (Mexican cream can be made 1 week ahead. Keep chilled.)

2. When pumpkin is done set aside to cool. When cool, scoop out seeds and pith and discard. Scoop out pumpkin from skin or pull off skin, and discard skin.

3. Melt butter or Earth Balance in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent, about 10 minutes. Mix in potatoes, pumpkin, broth, milk and crushed red pepper. Bring to boil, and simmer 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally. Puree with stick blender. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

3. Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with cream.

Project:

Homemade Lamb Halloween Costume

What You Will Need:

1 sleeveless white leotard

2 20x35 inch pieces of wool-blanket batting

8x10 inch pieces of wool felt in black and taupe

white craft glue
iron

white cotton knit cap
black face paint

This costume is inexpensive, especially if you already have the black undergarments (long-sleeved shirt and leggings). It uses wool batting, gathered and sewn to a sleeveless leotard. A cotton hat with floppy felt ears and a dot of face paint complete the costume.



1. For bodysuit, place leotard on form or stuff it with something to give it fullness as you sew, such as a pillow or bag of Poly-Fil. Bunch batting together at 1-inch intervals, and sew to leotard with a tacking stitch. Trim excess. Repeat with remaining piece of batting for back of leotard.

2. To create hat, use ear template. Use outer line of template to cut two ear pieces from black felt; use inner line to cut two smaller ear pieces from taupe felt. Use a small amount of glue to attach one piece of taupe felt to each piece of black felt. Fold each ear in half lengthwise, and use a medium-hot iron to steam a crease down the middle of each ear. Lay each ear over hat, 3 inches from the bottom, with the taupe side in, and sew to hat.

For more cute cheap and cute costume ideas check out the link above. I personally like the raven and the butterfly costume.