Life Balance is a magazine published by Life Credit Union.
Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/870323
Fall Style Farmers Market, YOU WALK FROM ONE BOOTH OR TRUCK BED TO THE NEXT, SAVORING PUNGENT SMELLS AND BRIGHT COLORS. FRESH STRAWBERRIES HAVE GIVEN WAY TO GREEN AND GOLD SQUASH, RUDDY-CHEEKED APPLES AND BAGS OF PECANS. EVEN AFTER THE fi rst frost, your local farmers market can still be your fi rst stop for nutritious, locally grown foods. Search for these favorites. VERSATILE SQUASH Squash can be striped, lumpy or hourglass-shaped. Long-lasting and versatile, winter squash can become a dinnertime staple. You can store it a paper bag in a cool, dark place. Try baking it with cinnamon and a small amount of honey for a healthy dessert, or fi ll it with your favorite blend of vegetables, low-fat cheese, and lean ground beef or turkey for a lower-fat version of a potpie. Bake at least 45 minutes for best results. JUICY GRAPES Southerners may grow red or bronze muscadines, while New Englanders may harvest delicious blue Concord varieties. Depending on where you live, grapes ripen from midspring through midwinter. Grapes are rich in polyphenols, which serve antioxidant functions in lowering LDL ("bad") cholesterol. Use grape halves in salads for a sweet pop of fl avor. CRUNCHY NUTS You can often fi nd pecans and other tree nuts sold by the bag in the fall, but after the fi rst handful, what can you do with so many nuts? Try toasting them in an aluminum pie pan for a snack or grinding them to add to baking recipes for an extra bit of protein. Another way to enjoy them is to top salads, parfaits and casseroles with them for a healthy crunch. Winter Squash Casserole Ingredients: Nonstick cooking spray 1 ½ lb. winter squash, halved 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 tsp. dried herbs to taste 3 eggs ½ cup low-fat milk ½ cup low-fat cheddar cheese, shredded ¼ tsp. black pepper ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated Directions: Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Scoop out seeds from squash halves. Place facedown on sheet. Bake 45 minutes. Scoop out flesh from baked squash halves and place in an 8-by-8 inch baking dish coated in nonstick cooking spray. Stir in oil, onion, garlic and herbs. In a bowl, mix eggs, milk, cheddar cheese and pepper. Pour mixture into pan with squash and stir. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake 30–40 minutes until browned. Nutrition information: Serves: 6 Calories: 180 Fat: 11g Sodium: 180mg Carbohydrates: 14g Fiber: 3g