Hello!
As I type this, I'm partaking in the pumpkin trend that has hit blogworld.
That would be a bowl of pumpkin pudding.
Ever since I spotted Jello's version a few weeks ago, I've been craving some for myself.
But instead of curbing my craving by scooting my booty down to the grocery store to buy the mix, I did some mixing without leaving the house.
In the Magic Bullet went:
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup pumpkin
- 1/4 Cool Whip
- cinnamon
- sweetener
- splash of milk
I whirled it for about 30 seconds and voila! Talk about instant.
And yep, you read it right: I used COOL WHIP.
A few months ago, I proclaimed that I was so over Cool Whip because I'd found a healthy alternative in TruWhip. But the truth is, nothing compares to Cool Whip, in my opinion. TruWhip has an ""off" taste that I haven't been able to embrace. Cool Whip's fluffy, creamy consistency makes it irreplaceable. And the trans fats? Well, I'm taking the hit. I figure that 90% of the foods I eat are healthy, so if this is my guilty indulgence of choice, I'm not going to worry. 
Besides pumpkin, other foods I've noticed trending right now include pomegranates and squash ( particularly butternut and kabocha–my favorite.)
But there's one food that I think deserves more attention than it gets this time of year: Cranberries.
I used to hate cranberries, and felt that their strong, sour taste ruined any food they touched. However, this year, for the first time, I'm LOVING them. They're delicious thrown into salads, especially when paired with blue, brie, goat or feta cheese. They also add a nice kick to quinoa. Try it!
And let's not forget cranberries' nutritional profile. Various studies show that:
- Cranberries may have the ability to prevent and treat urinary tract infections. Their juice contains an antibacterial agent and certain other compounds, which together may reduce the ability of E. coli bacteria to stick to the walls of urinary tract.
- Cranberries may be beneficial against the formation of kidney stones.
- The antioxidant content of cranberries is five times that of broccoli. In addition, a comparison with 19 other common fruits proved that the berry has the maximum amount of antioxidant. This has been found to be important in the treatment of cancer and also helps lower cholesterol levels, to some extent.
- Cranberries may lower harmful cholesterol (LDL) and raises good cholesterol (HDL) in the body. Researchers attribute this property of cranberries to the presence of high level of polyphenols, a type of potent antioxidant, in the fruit.
- The antioxidants present in cranberry improve the function of the blood vessels, which may reduce the risk of heart diseases and heart attack.
- A handful of dried cranberries everyday may protect you from breast cancer. Laboratory studies have shown that cranberry consumption may stop the growth of human breast cancer cells.
Source: The Cranberry Insititute
