PUMPKIN FLUFF PIE link to Never Fail Pastry

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Before I give you this tasty recipe, I thought you might find this article I came across interesting:

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The Historical Pumpkin

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The pumpkin is actually a gourd, belonging to the same family tree as cucumbers, squash, and melons. It's name derived from the Old French word: pompion which derived in turn from the Greek word Pepon which means "cooked by the sun". Most likely native to Central America, the pumpkin was grown extensively by the North American Native Americans prior to the European invasion. It was served boiled and baked, made into a soup and was also dried and made into a meal that was used as commonly as cornmeal in breads and puddings. The fruit was also preserved by being cut into rings and hung to dry. The dried fruit was put to use through the winter months. So, it is quite likely that the pumpkin pie you serve on Thanksgiving Day had its roots in that first Thanksgiving feast. In fact, it is said that in one Connecticut community early in the nation's history when molasses could not be acquired for pumpkin pies, the annual Thanksgiving celebration was delayed until the commodity could be acquired. A seventeenth century writer described pumpkin preparation in this way:

"The Housewive's manner is to slice them when ripe and then into Dice, and so fill a pot with them of two or three gallons and stew them upon a gentle fire the whole day. And as they sink they fill again with fresh Pompions not putting any liquor to them and when it is stirred enough it will look like Baked Apples, this Dish putting Butter to it and a little Vinegar with some Spice as Ginger which makes tart like an Apple and so serve it up to be eaten with fish and flesh."

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Colonial uses of the pumpkin are also chronicled in this ancient verse:

For pottage. and puddings.

and custard, and pies Our pumpkins and parsnips

are common supplies. We have pumpkins at morning

and pumpkins at noon If it weren't for pumpkins,

we should be undoon.

The first pumpkin pies of the colonies were made by hollowing out the pumpkin and discarding pulp and seeds and filling the shell with creamery milk and spices, much like this recipe. Pumpkin pie prepared in this fashion was said to be a favorite of George Washington.

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Pumpkin Pie sans Shell .

Ingredients:

. 1 5-8 lb. pumpkin 6 eggs 2 1/2 C whipping cream 3/4 C brown sugar 2 tbsp. molasses 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ginger 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 3 tbsp. unsalted butter Cut the lid from pumpkin as you would for making a jack-o-lantern. Remove pulp and seeds from pumpkin, scraping quite clean. Save seeds for toasting later, if desired. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and add the cream, sugar, molasses, and spices. Beat smooth and pour into the pumpkin shell. Dot with butter and replace lid.

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Set pumpkin on a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil and place in a 350 degree oven for 2 hours or until the mixture has set up like a custard pie. Time will vary with size of pumpkin.

Serve directly from the pumpkin and instruct dinners to be sure to take a bit of the shell with each scoop.

Garnish with whipped cream. Serves 6-12, depending on size of pumpkin. Here's the pie recipe which I got from this cookbook from my mom which was made at a church in Calgary. (My kids and I REALLY enjoyed it.) This is very easy to make and is a nonbake recipe. I found that when I was using the oven for other baking, this helped me to get more desserts made when I was in a rush.

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If you click the title, you will get a link to an excellent pie pastry recipe. Will put a simple recipe for a graham wafer crust (if you prefer) on the bottom of this recipe. Also, if you plan to use fresh pumpkin, will give instructions on how to prepare it last but do this the day before you choose to make your pie so that you won't fill flustered for time. You can use the jack-o-lantern from Halloween. Just scrape out the wax and you're ready to go. . .

PUMPKIN FLUFF PIE RECIPE

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Ingredients: 1/2 lb Plain Marshmallows (about 32 full sized) 2 Tbsp Milk 2/3 cup Pumpkin (replacement - cooked carrots, blended) 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon 1/4 Tsp Ginger 1 Tsp Lemon Juice 1 Cup Whipping Cream, WHIPPED At med low heat, half melt marshmallows with milk folding over and over in medium pot. Remove from heat and continue folding until the mixture is smooth. Cool, add pumpkin which has been seasoned with spices and lemon juice. Fold in whipping cream.

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*** For less fattening pumpkin pie, try replacing whipping cream with plain yogurt and omit the lemon (since it has a bit of a sour taste.) Astro Original - Balkan Style is quite nice. Pour into 12" baked pie shell or graham wafer crust (whatever you prefer) Chill for 2 hours. . .

Graham Wafer Crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degree F with a rack in the center of the oven. Ingredients: 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs or about 10 whole crackers, crushed

2 Tbsp White Sugar 8 Tsp unsalted butter, melted To crush the crackers, place them in a heavy ziplock bag and roll with a heavy rolling pin until completely crushed. Melt butter in small pot. Thoroughly mix in graham cracker crumbs and sugar in melted butter. Scrape the mixture into the pie pan, and use your fingers to press the mixture evenly onto the bottom and sides of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven to cool. Pour in pumpkin mixture and cool for 2 hours

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Good with whipping cream on top. I like the real thing.

PS If you are wanting to use a fresh pumpkin, a small to medium one will do.

Preheat the oven at 350 F. Line some cake pans with tin foil. You will need 2 big bowls if you have them or 2 big pots or 1 of each. Also, you will need a blender and a large knife.

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Cut the top off and scrape the inside of the pumpkin out. Save the seeds in a bowl to bake later and throw the stringy stuff into your compost bin or in the garbage. Cut the pumpkin into manageable pieces, as you will be scraping the pumpkin off of the skin. If it is a small one, perhaps you should cut it into 8 pieces. Strategically place the pieces faced up in the tinfoiled pans so they are snug. Cover the pumpkin with tin foil also so that it cooks evenly. Bake for about 3/4 of an hour or when you poke them, the knife/fork will come out easily. Poke different pieces as some might cook faster than others. When it is done, take out and cool. Take a large spoon and scrape the pumpkin off into a large bowl and blend until smooth. Pour into the other container.

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Take out what you need for your pie and put the rest in freezer bags or in some containers and freeze.

. This site has some good tips for cooking pumpkins and some other stuff as well: .

Here is a link on doing the pumpkin seeds:

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http://www.buzzle.com/articles/baking-pumpkin-seeds.html

May I suggest trying some pumpkin soup. It is quite a nice soup.

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Here are some links for pumpkin soup recipes: .

http://www.mom-mom.com/pumpkin_soup_recipes.htm http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Soup/Detail.aspx

Cheryl's Healthy Pumpkin Cake

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The other day, I decided to make my own pumpkin cake and was it ever tasty & moist.

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Here is my recipe:

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Preheat oven to 350 F

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Add the below ingredients as mentioned:
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Into a large bowl, dump and mix the below dry ingredients.
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2 cups of Whole wheat flour (I used some freshly ground flour from a friend)
3/4 cups of raw cane sugar & 1/4 cup of demerra sugar (You could probably use 1 cup of light brown sugar or 1/2 cup of white & 1/2 cup of demerra brown sugar)
1/2 tsp of idodized sea salt
1/2 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of powdered ginger
1/4 tsp of nutmeg
1/2 cup of raisins
1/2 cup of sliced almonds
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Add and mash/cut with pastry blender or a fork until it looks like large flakes of oatmeal: 1/2 cup of soft lard or shortening (I used lard)
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 Make a hole in the middle of the above when done mashing. Then add and mix in the hole:
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2 Large eggs
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In the 1 cup measuring cup add and mix together:
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1/2 cup of milk & 1/2 tsp of apple cider vinegar (or you can use regualar vinegar).
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Pour into the eggs and also add:
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1 cup of canned pumpkin or unthawed pumpkin you cooked, blended and froze previously (click right here and read the bottom of this linked post on how to do the fresh pumpkin.)
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 Stir all the above ingredients together until smooth.
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 Totally grease inside of a 9 X 9 square glass cake pan or a regular cake pan with shortening, lard or butter and dust all over with flour
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 Pour batter and bang the pan full of batter a couple of times on your work space to get out any large air bubbles.
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Put in the middle of a preheated oven and bake for appoximately 35 minutes or until, when poked with a knife or fork the batter does not stick to it (maybe check it after about 30 minutes of baking).
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Take out of the oven, lightly dust with icing sugar and serve hot or cold with butter or if you like whipping cream on the side. (It should come out of the pan easily so you could flip it onto a plate and serve it like this if you wish.)
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 Enjoy with tea or coffee.
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Let me know how it turned out for you.
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Oh ya, if you don't have pumpkin try using cooked carrots mashed.
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Here is a link to this awesome no bake pumpkin pie:

http://cheryl-g.blogspot.com/2011/03/pumpkin-fluff-pie-link-to-never-fail pastry.html

Take Care
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LEFTY'S HEFTY CHILI - link to Crock Pot Turkey Chili

Well, Thanks Giving is over in Canada.  It is always nice to reflect on the blessings of God but this holiday really makes you appreciate them.


This year I  got some left over turkey, the organs and drippings; my Chinese friends, my son Shane and myself had a wonderful Thanks Giving meal because of the generosity of my friend. God is good!  I made some delicious bread stuffing out of the drippings, organs, celery, onions fried in butter and seasoned with salt, pepper & sage. We had some tender turkey boiled in some more of the drippings & mushroom soup; some steamed Swiss chard (from my garden) and mixed veggies. The drippings & soup made fantastic gravy for the mashed potatoes! mmmmm


To top it off, we had store bought pumpkin pie and homemade apple-crisp with medium to small green apples which was a blessing from a friends tree - turned out perfect being it was a little tangy with the addition of Breyers vanilla ice cream!


What made it REALLY special is spending it with my son, Tracy & her husband Colin. ♥  Thank the Lord for  family& friends!

A while back, my boss told me about a chili recipe that had cocoa powder as one of its flavorings.  Perfect for the cool days; such as it gets in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Because it makes so much, I decided to split it in half. If you decide to double it, it freezes really well.) This chili recipe is from a restaurant in California called "Lefty O'Doul's" He said that it is really tasty, so here it is.

Ingredients: 2 tbsp vegetable oil (Coconut oil is the best for frying anything)

1 large onion
2 large garlic cloves minced (I would put 3 cloves of garlic)
2 pounds of lean beef stewing meat, cut in small cubes - 4 cups (you could probably use lean ground beef)
1.5 pounds of bulk pork sausage - 3 cups (if you don't like pork, try other sausages such as turkey)
1 large can of cubed tomatoes

1 small can of tomato paste
3 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 small can of baked beans
1 tsp salt (sea salt for me)
1 tsp sugar (brown for me)
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 small can kidney beans drained
1 small can pinto beans drained

In a large heavy sauce pan, heat the oil. Saute the onion and garlic until soft but not brown. Add the beef and sausage and brown. Pour off fat. Add tomatoes, meat mixture, tomato paste, spices, baked beans, salt, sugar and cocoa. Simmer partially covered for 2 hours, stirring often. If mixture becomes too dry add water as it cooks. Stir in the the beans and cook 30 minutes longer or until meat is very tender.
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Makes about 5 1-cup servings.
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I think 1 cup of fresh or 1/2 a can of mushrooms and even 1/2 cup of bell peppers cut up would taste great in this. Chili is great on brown rice or brown toast. For that matter, try this on my crepes with shredded cheese on top:

 http://cheryl-g.blogspot.com/2009/08/my-crepe-recipe-link-to-how-crepes-came.html


MY APPLE CRISP RECIPE:


To make the Apple Crisp, I turned on the oven to 375 F. and then greased my large corning ware dish with lots of real butter (I think it is 10" X 10" X 3").  

To begin, I sliced one green apple at a time in segments and cut out the core, peeled each piece, rinsed it in water and placed it in the dish.  Did that until the whole bottom was totally filled with apple.  When that was done I sprinkled the apples with cinnamon, 1/16 inch of cane sugar, a tiny bit of flour and dabbed it with I would say an 1/8 tsp of butter everywhere strategically 2 inches apart.  When that layer was done, I proceeded to do another good size layer of apples & cinnamon (leaving an inch of space left on top for the crumbs). 

To make the crumb mixture, I creamed 1 cup of cane sugar with about 1/3 cup of butter.  Added to that was 1 cup of large flake oats and 1/2 cup of flour.  It was stirred all together until it looked like crumbs and was spread on the apples.  The now full dish was placed in the hot oven to bake for 45 minutes.

Num, Num.  It turned out magnifico and just finished baking when we sat down to eat. 


After I got it in the oven, I made the supper. 


Thank God for my son helping me by picking the Swiss chard and cleaning up a bit. 

PS:  Check out this AWESOME no bake pumpkin pie recipe :

          http://cheryl-g.blogspot.com/2011/03/pumpkin-fluff-pie-link-to-never-fail.html

A HALLOWEEN STORY:link - Halloween Origins and Customs . . .

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Halloween is just around the corner sooo I thought I would put this article up re the subject; written by Rev. James Smith, from J. Thomas Plumleys post.

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. Now this is really scary! . THE HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN

. . Three hundred years before Jesus was born, a civilization of people called the Celtics lived throughout the British Isles, Scandinavia, and Western Europe. They were a common group, much like many segments of society today, but they were controlled by a secret society of priests and pagans called the Druids. The Druids believed in the immortality of the soul, worshipping and serving the demonic "god of death"-- Samhain. . These satanic priests literally controlled people's lives through the mechanism of fear and human sacrifice, and much death, disease and destruction came upon the Celtics as a result of the Druids and their practices. . Each year on October 31st, the Druids celebrated their pagan god, Samhain. The "Festival of Samhain," more accurately called "The Festival of Death," was officially known, and is still recognized today by all satanists, occultists, and devil worshipers as the eve of the new year for witchcraft. . Anton Lavey, author of The Satanic Bible and high priest of The Church of Satan, says there are three important days to satanists: 1) Their birthday, 2) April 30th, and 3) THE MOST IMPORTANT DAY-- HALLOWEEN. Lavey says it is on this night that satanic, occult and witchcraft powers are at their highest potency level, and any witch or occultist who has been having difficulty with a spell or curse can usually achieve success on October 31st because Satan and his powers are at their best that night. . October 31st, Halloween, is the eve of the new year for witchcraft. The World BookEncyclopedia says it is the beginning of all that is "cold, dark and dead!" When you send your little children out to go "trick-or-treating" you're actually teaching them to celebrate all that is cold, dark, and dead! .

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TRICK OR TREAT

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The Druid priests would go from house to house demanding all sorts of strange foods for their own consumption and to offer later to "Lord Samhain" at "The Festival of Death." If the village people would not give them the foods demanded they would speak a demonic curse over the home, and legend claims that someone in that family would die within the year. Thus you have "trick-or-treat"! The Druids would carry with them a large turnip, which they had hollowed out on the inside and carved a face on the front, to represent the demonic spirit they depended upon for their power and knowledge. This spirit is called "a familiar spirit". (See Acts 16:16-18) . The turnip, lighted by a candle from within, was used as a lantern for the Druids as they went from house to house at night. Now, it was believed by the Druids that their familiar spirit would inhabit these turnips and assist them in carrying out the spells spoken over the homes and lives of those refusing the Druids' demands. . When this practice came to America in the 18th and 19th centuries, turnips weren't that prominent, but we did have a vegetable native to this country that was soon substituted for the turnips. That's right the pumpkin. The name given to the spirit which inhabited the turnip was "Jock," and upon arriving in America it became "Jack, who lives in the lantern" or Jack-O-Lantern". As you can clearly see, there is NOTHING Christian about Halloween. It is today what it has always been-- a day dedicated to the devil. .

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HOW DID IT GET INTO THE CHURCH?

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When Constantine became Emperor of Rome, he made a law declaring Christianity (which was Catholicism at this particular time in history) to be the official state religion. Having been recently converted by a tremendous martyr of that time, Constantine was zealous in his new found faith and demanded as emperor that everyone become a Christian or face the penalty of death. This was the old "throw them to the lions" that the Christians had been facing for years. Well, you can imagine what happened. The churches were flooded with pagans. Not converts, but rather pagan people forced to join the Catholic Church or lose their lives for defying the Emperor. . As this happened, the priests and especially the Pope faced some serious problems. These people were bringing all their pagan practices and ideas into the church including "The Festival of Samhain". They demanded that this festival remain a part of their lives. Since the church was unsuccessful in getting the pagan practices out of the people, it was decided to sanctify some of them. Especially this October 31st ritual called "The Festival of Samhain". . In the 9th century the Pope declared a new day to be celebrated by the church on November 1st, called All Saints' Day. This day is in honor of all the martyred saints of the church, and October 31st became the eve of All Saints' Day. Now, the church contended, the people could still have their festival on October 31st because November 1st was a holy day. . The Mass said on All Saint's Day is the "All Hallowmass" and over the years the evening before became known as: All Hallow's Eve-- All Hallowed Eve-- All Hallow E'en-- and finally Halloween. But, the problem was that nothing changed. The people didn't lay down their pagan rites and worship of demons for this "new eve" established by the church. They didn't have prayer meetings or worship services to thank Almighty God for the saints already gone. What it was in the beginning, it now still is. Halloween is a day that honors and promotes all that is cold, dark and dead. . When you start making preparations for a "Halloween Party", you don't go to the store and purchase pictures of Joan of Arc, the disciples of Jesus, or any other Christian saint. You look for ghosts, witches, black cats, ghouls, etc. Halloween is a day for devils- -not saints. What the Pope attempted to do in the AD 800's backfired, because in making "All Hallowmas" holy, Halloween became recognized by the church as a religious holiday, and nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, all Halloween is and ever will be is "The Festival of Samhain", the Lord of Death. Halloween has no roots in the Church, but is firmly rooted in the occult, witchcraft and satanism. . Doreen Irving, who was the ruling witch of Western Europe and the British Isles and was the mistress of the high priest of Satan over that same area, is now a professed Christian. She says, "If Christian parents had any idea of what Halloween really is, they wouldn't even mention the word around their children.

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WHAT SHOULD OUR POSITION AS A CHRISTIAN BE?

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The most common complaints about anyone taking a stand against Halloween is: "You're trying to take all the fun out of little children's lives," and "You're trying to make something out of nothing because we don't believe in that stuff." Now listen! Just because you don't believe in something does not mean that it's not real. . You might know some people who don't believe we've ever landed a spaceship on the moon. They believe that those television pictures are just made up. Does that change the fact that man has walked on the surface of the moon? Of course not! Facts are facts regardless of what some people choose to believe. Just because you don't visualize Halloween as "really" demonic and as something dangerous to your life does not keep you or your children from Satan's intended desire which is to instill FEAR! DEATH! DESTRUCTION! in people's minds. Think about it. What is Halloween besides fear, horror, ghosts, witches, goblins and devils? . Just because you don't "worship Satan," does that give you the right to train your children to serve him one night out of the year in the name of "fun"? That's what we do if we allow our families to participate in common Halloween practices. The Bible says, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." How can we righteously instruct our children in the ways of Halloween when everything about Halloween is of the devil? The Bible says, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." It further states, "Perfect love casteth out fear." Does Halloween cause our children to be at peace, or does it cause them to become terribly afraid? Many will remember going through the "house of horror" at the Halloween carnival at school or church when growing up and the fear that gripped them as they felt and heard all kinds of mysterious things? As adults today, maybe it's funny to some, but to a little child it's terror that causes nightmares and very unpleasant memories when alone or in the darkness of night. . The Bible says, "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: 'I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore come out from them and be separate,' says the Lord, 'touch no unclean thing and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,' says the Lord Almighty." Why should Christians not honor Halloween? Because it is paying homage to the devil! It's the spirit behind Halloween which makes it wrong.

. "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them."

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"Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord, and abhor those who rise up against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

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"Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."

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"The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

. If we really desire to honor the Lord in our lives and family, then we must teach our children concerning the truth about Halloween, and provide them with an alternative to "trick-or-treating". Don't just take away the bad; give them some Biblical replacement that will honor the Lord instead of honoring the devil. God desires for children of all ages to have enjoyment, but "fun" at the expense of serving the devil is not really enjoyment at all. .

"LEARN NOT THE WAY OF THE HEATHEN" (Jeremiah 10:2)

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Check this post on Halloween link: http://truthsvessel.blogspot.com/

FOODS FOR AN UNDERACTIVE THYROID:Link - Medicine Health

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In the beginning of the year, I had a physical and got information that my thyroid is not functioning as it ought. My doctor said that it is underactive and gave me a subscription to take to find out what I need to correct how it is functioning. I have not taken it yet, but am trying natural ways to get my thyroid functioning properly. I discovered that I need to change my diet as I was eating foods that effect it in a negative way and was not eating enough foods good for my thyroid.

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The following little bits and pieces of information I copied from various articles on the internet will help you know how to maybe get your thyroid to function better:

. Below is an interest video explaining what causes thyroid desease: .

http://video.about.com/thyroid/Thyroglobulin-Protein.htm

. . Here a video on the effects of thyroid desease: .

http://video.about.com/thyroid/Thyroid-Disease.htm

The thyroid gland is in your neck and produces hormones that affect many metabolic processes. If your thyroid is lacking hormones, hypothyroidism is the result. Symptoms of hypothyroidism include fatigue, depression, weight gain, hair loss, feeling cold often, constipation, brittle or splitting nails, memory problems, and dry skin.

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Iodine will help produce thyroid hormones and so can aid in alleviating many of these symptoms. When thyroid hormones are too low, the pituitary gland produces a hormone that stimulates your thyroid to take more iodine out of the blood. The iodine is used to produce the hormones and restore the original levels of thyroid hormones. . Usually there's about 20 to 30 mg of iodine stored in your body. When iodine becomes depleted, you aren't able to make enough thyroid hormone. This is where iodine supplementation can save you and get those hormones pumping again. . Many different types of seaweed contain iodine. Yogurt, cow's milk, sea food, and foods grown in iodine rich soil will give you iodine also. . Foods that Hurt the Thyroid Gland:

Sugar is a big problem – it's present in almost everything, and holistic practitioners and even some mainstream doctors agree that white sugar suppresses the immune system. Blood sugar changes can bring on diabetes and hypoglycemia, both of which often co-occur in patients with thyroid disease – which means thyroid patients are at risk for blood sugar disorders, and vice versa for diabetics. Some thyroid patients report better energy and that their thyroid levels stabilize when they stop eating refined sugar. . It's also a good idea to avoid chemicals like the pesticides sprayed on non-organic foods, and those in iodized salt. Pesticides usually contain estrogenic compounds which can affect the endocrine (hormone) system and the thyroid. Iodized salt is a problem for some thyroid patients and should be replaced with natural sea salt and a natural source of iodine.

The two worst offenders for suppressing thyroid function are soy foods and cruciferous vegetables. Soy contains estrogenic compounds that can interfere with thyroid hormones and sex hormones, contributing to PMS, cramps, bloating, and menopause symptoms. Some people with hyperactive thyroid find that small amounts of soy help modulate the thyroid gland, but others prefer to avoid soy altogether: no tofu, TVP, tempeh, seitan, miso, or edamame.

There are foods called goitrogens that have compounds that can interfere with iodine absorption. A family of vegetables known as "Brassica" – more commonly called cruciferous vegetables – contain goitrogenic chemicals that suppress the thyroid. These foods include Brussels sprouts, cabbage, bok choy, kohlrabi, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, kale, mustard greens, peaches, apricots, strawberries, pears, radishes, horseradish, spinach, turnips, soy, canola, pine nuts, peanuts, cress, walnuts, and millet.

Sure, these foods are good for the average person, but for those with a hypothyroidism, they can cause some adverse affects. However, when cooked, the affects seem to be lessened. When eaten cooked the goitridens are neutralized and the benefits of these nutritious foods can overcome the adverse affects. Found out that you can get an iodine supplement (have seen it in a health food store) or you can take stuff the doctor prescribes, being there are quite of few foods that have negative affects on the thyroid. I went to health food store asking advise and it was suggested to take this herbal formula called "ThyroSense" which has iodine in it along with some other stuff that is good for you. Don't know if you can get this outside of Canada, but am sure there are others similar to this one.

Include in your diet "B" complex vitamins, raisins, prunes, alvocados, dates, eggs, molasses, parsley, legumes, unpeeled baked potatoes, raw seeds, **brazil nuts, sesame seeds, onions, garlic, oatmeal (large flakes are best), brown rice and other whole grains. Eat organ meats, oysters, shrimp, tuna, salmon, cod, sardines & herring or chicken, pork, and turkey, raw milk and cheese. As well, eat foods rich in carotenoids (which the body converts to vitamin A), such as oranges, pineapple, carrots, red peppers, pumpkin, squash and yams.

Selenium may be the most important nutrient in a diet for hypothyroid. This trace mineral is an antioxidant and is essential for converting the thyroid hormone your body produces, T4, into its active form, T3. Brazil nuts are an incredibly good source of selenium, but you can also get it from some lean meats.

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A note about how switching cooking oils can rev a sluggish thyroid: Polyunsaturated oils such as soybean, corn and safflower are long-chain triglycerides (LCTs, a kind of fat that blocks absorption of iodine by thyroid cells. In addition to cooking oils, LCDs are in processed foods like some low-fat dressings and crackers. To limit LCT intake, check labels for soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, hydrogenated oil or partially hydrogenated oil. Also, switch to cooking oils that don't block iodine absoption, such as coconut, avocado, olive and flaxseed. Bonus: "These oils are powerful weight-loss tools," says Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D. " They enhance satiety and nourish the liver for optimal fat burn."

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The best natural source of iodine is kelp and other seaweeds. These sea vegetables are rich in natural iodine, an element that "feeds" the thyroid and is vital for the production of thyroid hormones. It's possible to add crunchy, salty seaweed to soups and salads, or you can find it wrapped around that favorite of Japanese foods, sushi (even the vegetarian, non-fish sushi are great sources of iodine-rich seaweed). . Coconuts & Coconut oil is another natural food that boosts thyroid function. Virgin coconut oil is praised by health experts for its ability to lower cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar. It's also been found to boost the thyroid, increasing metabolism, weight loss, and energy levels.

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Begin moderate exercise program such as walking. Exercise is very important to help enhance Thyroid function, increase rate of metabolism and raise body temperature. Brisk walking for 30 to 60 minutes daily will be found beneficial.

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Avoid fluoride (including that found in toothpaste and tap water) and chlorine (also found in tap water). Chlorine and fluoride block iodine receptors in the Thyroid gland resulting in reduced iodine-containing hormone production and finally in Hypothyroidism.

. Read more: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=135 . http://www.coconut-connections.com/ http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/ http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/ http://www.howtoopenacoconut.com/ . http://holistic-nutrition.suite101.com/article.cfm/foods_for_natural_thyroid_support#ixzz0R6YV1ORz http://www.naturalways.com/thyroid.htm .