9 ways to use up leftover pumpkin

Her trio of pumpkins waited on a bed of 

newspapers on her kitchen table. She'd 

already used a portion

of the largest for Lulu's dessert. 

It only waited to be carved into the appropriate design.

She would make pumpkin bread, she thought, 

as she began on the second. 

And pie, cookies.

Dance Upon the Air

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By Давче - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64453146

There’s more to pumpkins than spooky Halloween decorations. 

Instead of wasting these wonderful winter vegetables, 

re-use them in these sweet or savoury recipes.

delicious. 

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"Want me to dump the guts for you?"

"Dump them? How would I make a pie?"

"With a can." His brow furrowed as he watched her slide chunks of pumpkin into a large bowl. "You

mean you actually use that stuff?"

"Of course. Where do you think they get the stuff in the cans?"

"I never thought about it. Pumpkin factory."

Dance Upon the Air

Creative Pumpkin Ideas for Halloween

“Ah, we’re decorating for Halloween tomorrow, if you want to

come over.”

“Are you kidding? I have major skills in this area.”

“Great, you can carve the pumpkin. The boys are 

old enough now to realize how lousy I

am at it. Come by later. I’ll buy you a cup of coffee.”

The Next Always

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Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4595130

It’s that time of year again! Time to decide how to decorate your fall pumpkins. We’ve gathered 15 project ideas and tips that will make your pumpkin the best on the block!

Family Handyman 

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The hulls would serve as decorations on her front porch. 

Big, fat, scary pumpkins to entertain the neighbors and

children.

She was up to her elbows in pumpkin meat and seeds 

when Zack strolled in the door. "I get to do the

third one." He came up behind her, wrapping his 

arms tight, nuzzling her neck. "I'm a jack-o'-lantern

master."

"The things you learn about people."

Dance Upon the Air

Birthday 🍸

"Happy birthday."
The sweetness of the gesture made up for being caught off guard, 
as she rarely was. 
Mia's smile bloomed —absolute delight. "Thank you. Cake?" 
She lifted a brow as she picked up a flute.
 "Mimosas, and presents."



Dance Upon The Air

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Never Celebrate Anything Again Without Birthday Cake Mimosas

Whether it's actually your birthday or you just want to
get drunk off of cake, sprinkles,  and rosé
— birthday cake mimosas are here for you.

Cosmopolitan

What happens to your body when you cry?

“I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

“I cry easily. You should see me after a greeting-card commercial on TV.”

All I want for Christmas

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By Rob from Sydney, Australia - Tears, CC BY 2.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10289118

Whether triggered by sad movies or happy reunions, 

stubbed toes or allergies, 

crying seems to serve many purposes.

MNN

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He brushed the hair back from her face. "You've got a right to break

down. I don't know anyone else who'd have made it this far without a blowout.

But don't cry anymore, M.J. It rips me up."

"I hate to cry." She sniffled, knuckled tears away.

"I'm glad to hear it."

Captive Star

Maintaining a sense of fun and wonder

“Still believe in magic, Faith?” 

She glanced up, and for the first time her smile was completely open, her eyes warm. 

“Yes, of course I do. Especially at Christmastime.”

Home for Christmas

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By Staff Sgt. Timothy Koster [Public domain], 
via Wikimedia Commons

“Maintaining a childlike excitement into adulthood is not only fun 
but it also contributes to the ability to enjoy life and be resilient.”

YAHOO!

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He rubbed his cheek over her hair, looked out at the colored lights gleaming on the houses below. 

“Did you hear something?” he murmured. 

“Mmm.” She held him close, smiled. “Sleigh bells.”

All I Want for Christmas

It’s time to unwrap the Christmas image

She would go away, she decided, and forced herself to move. She would pack a bag, toss it in the car and drive until she felt like stopping. She’d take a couple of days. Hell, she’d take a week. She couldn’t bear to stay here alone through the holidays. For the next ten minutes, she tossed things into a suitcase without any plan or sense of order. Now that the decision was made, she only wanted to move quickly. She closed the lid on the suitcase, carried it into the living room and started for her coat.

The knock on her door had her clenching her teeth. If one more well-meaning neighbor stopped by to wish her Merry Christmas and invite her to dinner, she was going to scream.

All I Want for Christmas

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Y

ou may not notice it, but at this time of year there is a question that runs around like a headless turkey: “How many people are you having over for Christmas lunch?” Those of us who do not want to be judged for the lack of dinner plates around the festive table, usually answer: “Oh, we’re having a quiet one.”

GUARDIAN

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"I'm just on my way home to pick up my bags. I wish you'd change your mind and come with me. You know you're welcome." She lifted a brow. "And I know Grandpa has been nagging you for weeks to come up for the holidays."

"I appreciate it, but I can't. Besides, I'm not a family-gathering type. Christmas is for kids and families."

She shook her head. "You didn't even put up a tree."

"You bought me that ugly little ceramic one."

"It's not ugly, it's tacky. That's entirely different." She wanted so much to ask him again, to find the right words to persuade him to spend Christmas with her, to be part of her life. But she'd resolved to make do and accept what she had. "I'll miss you."

"You'll be surrounded by people." He smiled a little as he stood up. "Hordes of MacGregors, even the thought of which unnerves me. You won't have time to miss me."

"I'll miss you anyway." She kissed him lightly. She pulled a brightly wrapped box out of her pocket, handed it to him.

"What's this?"

"A present. It's traditional. I want you to open it Christmas morning."

"Look, I don't have—"

"Royce, say thank-you."

Though he was as miserable as he'd been in his life, he made his lips curve. "Thank you."

"Now say Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Slim."

"I'll see you in a few days." She hurried out, telling herself it was the sentiment of the season that misted her eyes.

Laura

@The MacGregor Brides

Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

"Mia, I can't tell you how much I appreciate that, but—"

"You want to do it yourself, and blah, blah, blah." With a flick of the wrist, Mia swatted Nell's protest aside. "Please, let's behave like grown-ups."

"Are you trying to irritate or intimidate me into accepting a loan?"

"I don't generally try to irritate or intimidate, though I've been told I'm good at both. And I didn't say anything about a loan. We're discussing an investment."

Dance Upon the Air

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A 32-year-old CEO who sold her startup for more than $250 million reveals her one piece of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

Alexa von Tobel is a startup founder, a New York Times best-selling author, and a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship.

And her advice to other young entrepreneurs is simple: "Get mentors."

YAHOO!

________________

"I don't need ten thousand," Nell said, giving the bottle cap an annoyed twist. "And twelve percent is ridiculous."

"A bank would charge less, but I'm not a bank and I wouldn't ask those pesky questions."

Mia's lips curved, red and shapely over the mouth of the bottle. "But I prefer an investment. I'm a

businesswoman who likes profit. You have a skill, a marketable one, which has already proven itself of interest on the island. With working capital, you can establish a viable business, which, I feel, will enhance rather than compete with my own. I've some ideas on that, actually, but we can get into that later. I make a ten K investment, become your silent partner, for a reasonable compensation of, say, eight percent of gross profits."

"I don't need ten." It had been a very long time, Nell thought as she tapped her fingers on the desk, since she'd negotiated fees, contracts. Amazing how quickly it came back.

Dance Upon the Air

Back-of-the-Box Recipes

"Do you ever make those cinnamon rolls? You know the ones with that sticky white icing?"
"Mmm."

"I make them sometimes."

"Really." She began to cut the dough for tarts and glanced back at him. 
He looked so… male, she
thought, leaning back on the counter with his ankles crossed and a mug of coffee in his hand.
"I didn't know you cooked."

"Sure, now and then. You buy these tubes down at the market. Then you take them home, rap them against the counter and peel the bun things out, cook them, and squirt icing on the top. Nothing to it."

It made her laugh.

Dance Upon the Air

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At The Daily Meal we value preparing a homemade meal every night, but that's not often the case for everyone. For some people, the thought of standing over the stove exhausts them, and peeking into the takeout menu drawer seems like a much simpler alternative. Whether it's a busy lifestyle or the concept of making something "from scratch" is intimidating, there are things that hold some of us back from getting into the kitchen.

So stop letting the kitchen intimidate you and take some help the best back-of-the-box recipes. Before you know it, takeout menus will be a thing of the past.

SHINE

eat when you're depressed

Just a headache didn't send a woman bolting out of someone's house as if the devil were on her heels.
Which was exactly how Gladys had described it. "You look pretty rough, honey, so I'm going to fix you the traditional Todd family restorer."
 

"I'm not much in the kitchen, but I can manage this—just like my mother did when one of us wasn't feeling right. Got any jelly?"

It was right in front of his face, she thought crossly. What was it about men that struck them blind the minute they opened a refrigerator door? "Second shelf."

"I don't—oh, yeah. We always used grape, but strawberry should work. Go ahead and work. Don't mind me."
 

"What are you fixing?"
"Scrambled eggs and rolled-over jelly sandwiches."

Dance Upon the Air

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5 Foods To Eat When You're Depressed

Foods That Boost Mood

 

Feeling blue? Many people seek comfort from favorite foods like chocolate kisses, salty chips, and pillowy pastries when they're feeling down. But if you really want to boost your mood, make different choices, nutritionists say. 

 Although clinical depression is a serious illness that requires treatment beyond nutrition, changing what you eat can help beat garden-variety blues caused by stress, and will boost low energy, too.

 

SHINE

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