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Harvest pumpkin dip

Makes about 3 1/2 cups Ingredients 2 cups powdered sugar 8 oz. light cream cheese 2 cups pumpkin puree 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. ground ginger Preparation In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar and cream cheese, beating until well blended. Beat in remaining ingredients. Serve in a nice bowl or hollowed out pumpkin with apples, gingersnaps, animal crackers or pretzels. Re ...

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Pumpkin peanut butter dip

Makes about 12 (2 Tbsp.) servings Equipment you will need: medium mixing bowl and spatula/scraper Ingredients ¾ cup peanut butter 2 Tbsp. brown sugar 1 tsp. vanilla ¾ cup pumpkin Preparation In medium bowl combine peanut butter and brown sugar. Add vanilla and pumpkin and stir until combined. Serve with animal crackers, graham crackers, shortbread cookies, apple slices or celery sticks. Nutrition Analysis per 2 Tb ...

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Pumpkin pie dip

Makes 24 servings Ingredients 6 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature ⅓ cup low fat Greek yogurt 1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin, no sugar added 2 ½ tsp cinnamon, ground 1 tsp allspice, ground 1 tsp cloves, ground ⅛ tsp nutmeg ground 5 Tbsp. honey ⅛ tsp sea salt Preparation In a food processor, place cream cheese and Greek yogurt and blend until smooth. Add remaining ...

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Homemade nut butter

Makes 12 servings Ingredients 1 (16 oz.) package roasted, unsalted cashews Preparation Place nuts in food processor on high. Process until desired consistency is met. NOTE: nuts will go through four stages: chopped, crumbly, pasty glob, smooth. The longer you process, the smoother the butter will become. Nutritional analysis per serving: 220 calories, 18 g fat, 6 g protein, ...

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Black bean and corn salsa

Makes 4 servings Ingredients 1 red bell pepper, chopped ½ red onion, chopped 2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, finely chopped 1 (14-oz.) can of black beans, drained and rinsed 1 cup frozen corn, thawed 1 Tbsp. lime juice 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar 1 tsp. cumin powder Preparation Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Chill before serving. Nutrition analysis per serving: 110 ca ...

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Guacamole

Makes approximately 4 servings Ingredients 1 avocado 5 cherry tomatoes, diced 1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped 1-2 cloves garlic, minced (to taste) 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar Dash of salt, to taste Dash of pepper, to taste Preparation Remove pit and peel from avocado and mash in a small bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well combined. Enjoy ...

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Beet hummus

Makes 2 cups Ingredients ½ lb. beets (about 1-2 whole large beets), scrubbed, leaves removed 2 Tbsp. olive oil 5 Tbsp. lemon juice 1 small clove garlic, minced 1 Tbsp. ground cumin 1 Tbsp. lemon zest (zest from approximately 2 lemons) Generous pinch of sea salt or kosher salt Fresh ground pepper to taste Preparation Place beets in about ¼-inch of water in a 375°F oven, ...

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Ranch flavored yogurt dip

Makes 4 servings Ingredients 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. dried dill weed 1 tsp. dried parsley 1 tsp. dried chives ½ tsp. onion powder ¼ tsp. ground black pepper 2 cups lowfat plain Greek yogurt Preparation Combine garlic powder, dill weed, parsley, chives, onion powder and pepper in a bowl. Gently fold in the yogurt until combined, being careful not to over mix. Nutrit ...

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Crowd-pleasing cocktail meatballs

Makes 32 meatballs Ingredients For Meatballs: 2 pounds 90/10 lean ground beef ½ cup breadcrumbs 1 egg 2 tsp garlic powder 2 tsp onion powder ½ tsp black pepper ½ tsp salt Preparation In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, using hands to mix until well-combined. Using cookie scoop, portion into meatballs and place into large prepared skillet. Fry until cooked throug ...

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Thyme, honey and goat cheese spread

Makes 10 (3 Tbsp.) servings* Ingredients 2 (4 oz.) packages goat cheese 1 (8 oz.) package reduced fat cream cheese 1 tsp minced fresh thyme ¼ cup honey ¼ cup toasted walnuts, chopped Preparation In stand up mixer, combine goat cheese, cream cheese and thyme. Beat until soft and well combined. Scrape mixture into a flat serving dish with a 1 inch edge (a pie plate works we ...

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Pear-pecan cheese ball

Makes 24 servings Ingredients 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 ¼ c. shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese 1 medium firm ripe pear, finely chopped 1 scallion, white and green separated, finely chopped ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon ground pepper ⅓ c. finely chopped toasted pecans Preparation Use a hand-mixer or a spoon to stir together the cream cheese, cheddar, pear, white p ...

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Easy hummus party dip

Makes about 15 servings (1 Tbsp.) Ingredients 1 (15.5-oz.) can garbanzo beans, drained with liquid reserved 2 Tbsp. lemon juice 2 tsp. minced garlic 1 Tbsp. tahini 1 Tbsp. sesame oil Crushed red pepper to taste Preparation In a blender container or food processor, puree all ingredients plus 2 Tbsp. reserved bean liquid. Add additional reserved bean liquid while processin ...

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3 nutrition myths debunked

By Sarah Brandt, RD, Gundersen Nutrition TherapyFind Healthy RecipesNutrition is an essential part of living a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation out there. It is hard to know what to believe and where to find reliable information. Let's debunk a few common nutrition myths.Eating at night will make you gain weightNighttime eating has commonly been associated with weight gain. The main idea behind this myth is that ...

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The MIND diet

By Halley Molstad, CD, RD, Gundersen Nutrition TherapyFind Healthy RecipesIt is well established that following the Mediterranean Diet or DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet can lead to improvements in many key areas of health. The MIND diet (Mediterranean-DASH Diet for Neurodegenerative Delay) is actually a combination of these two diets and has been shown to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and slow cognitive decline.One s ...

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Health and nutritional benefits of pumpkins

By Nancy Ernst, CD, CDE, RD, Gundersen Nutrition TherapyFind Healthy RecipesFall is a great season to enjoy the colors of the trees and the peak colors of fall vegetables. Rich orange, yellow, red and dark green vegetables, each with its own great flavor and color.For example, vegetables, like pumpkins, carrots and sweet potatoes are packed with important antioxidants and carotenoids.CarotenoidsCarotenoids are natural plant compounds that give or ...

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How healthy is a high fiber diet?

By Nancy Ernst, CD, CDE, RD, Gundersen Nutrition TherapyFind Healthy RecipesDietary fiber is important for health and disease prevention. It can help regulate bowels and decrease the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, hypertension, stroke, cancer and diabetes.Fiber plays a role in weight management. It aids in satiety and helps you feel full for longer after eating.How much fiber do we need?For adult men and women, 25-35 g of fiber per ...