eat together

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta – Create Your Own

Inspired by the work of Utah State University Extension and their Create Better Health series of recipes, specifically their Create a Skillet Meal handout, this create-your-own Creamy Pumpkin Pasta is a good choice for a few reasons:

The photo shows the recipe on the left with fresh rosemary, cooked on the stovetop and the right shows the recipe with nutmeg and crushed red pepper cooked in an electric skillet with deep sides and glass lid.

  • It’s fast and easy
  • The pumpkin is a great source of vitamin A
  • It’s adult – and child – approved!
  • It’s easy to adapt this basic recipe to meet your family’s needs and preferences:
    • Choose low-sodium broth
    • Add your own protein – from cooked chicken to a vegetarian version with Cannellini beans
    • Choose your favorite seasonings

 

Basic Recipe for One-Pot Creamy Pumpkin Pasta

Approximately 4 servings

Pasta – 8 oz pasta (linguine, penne or egg noodles)
Broth – 4 cups (can choose low-sodium, vegetarian, etc.)
Canned Pumpkin – 2 cups (1 – 15-oz can pumpkin)
Cheese – 4 oz (cream cheese, goat cheese or mascarpone)
Pepper – ¼ teaspoon
Choose Seasonings
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg OR 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Decide on optional ingredients:
• Optional (to cook in the one-pot recipe): ½ medium onion (about 1 cup) and 2 Tablespoons chopped garlic, salt to taste
• Optional: (to add to the pot towards the end) a large handful of fresh chopped greens such as spinach, arugula, swiss chard to cook or wilt towards the end
• Optional (to garnish): fresh parsley, parmesan cheese

1. Choose your favorite one-pot cooking method: either a large, heavy pot on the stovetop or a medium to large size electric skillet with a glass lid.

2. Add pasta, broth, pumpkin, pepper, and dry seasonings to the pot. (if choosing to use onions and or garlic, add this also).

3. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook. Stir frequently, until the liquid is almost completely evaporated (approximately 10 minutes). The pasta should be tender and the sauce will start to thicken.

4. Remove from heat. Stir in the cheese until it is melted and combined. If using fresh chopped greens or fresh rosemary, add it at this point. Let sit a few minutes for the sauce to thicken.

5. Serve with (optional) garnishes like fresh parsley and parmesan cheese.

Other versions of this recipe can be found here and  here.

Extension Celebrates “Dine In” and FCS Day

The goal of this page is to help Extension professional celebrate Dine In Day with their local community. In addition, OSU Extension FCS professional hope to make county, state and national connections to celebrate Dine In and FCS day on December 3rd.

Lucas County Ohiophoto of gnome statue and table setting – If you are looking for information about celebrations in Lucas County, please visit lucas.osu.edu/dineIn and follow The Ohio State University Extension, Lucas County on Facebook.  Share your stories and photos on social media and use the national #FCSday #healthyfamselfie and local #LiveSmartLucas.  In addition, you can follow #LucasTheGnome on our county Extension Facebook page.

 

I'm dining in round logo Extension Colleagues and Community Partners – If you are looking for ideas to lead, coordinate and promote Dine In Day  in your own community, please complete the informal survey below and then visit the Idea Starter Page below. The survey is a short six questions and at the end it will bring you right back to this page. LINK TO SURVEY 

 

This list cannot cover all of the great material available online but it focuses on Cooperative Extension, Ohio State University Extension Family and Consumer Sciences and national community partners including, but not limited to AAFCS (American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences) and NEAFCS (National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences). This blog is just a starting point from the point-of-view of a county Extension Educator.  For this national celebration, AAFCS coordinates many national partners and collects the list of participants – make sure you and your local partners sign up to be counted and share your story on social media.

Idea Starter Dine In Day

If you’re looking for something easy to hand out at programs, AAFCS has a business card size promo piece for Dine In day.  Use Avery 5371 Business Cards (10 per page) for easy printing.  Print, double sided/flip on short edge. Dine In Day Promo – Business Card

RESOURCES mentioned in IDEA STARTER

The promotion of Dine In Day is a collaborative effort from the local level to the national level. If you have any questions about the information posted on this blog, please email Patrice at powers-barker.1@osu.edu and she will help connect you with the right person at OSU Extension, Family and Consumer Sciences. For information on the national celebration, please visit AAFCS at https://www.aafcs.org/fcsday/home

Ohio Local Foods and “Dining In” on FCS Day, 2018

Welcome supporters of Ohio local foods and families eating together.

This page is designed as a starting point for information for OSU Extension to promote both Dining In Day on December 3rd and Ohio Local Foods. A few of these resources are dated from previous years but the content that is useful for 2018 is noted on this page.

OSU Extension Local Foods Signature Program (retired)

Because the program is retired, there is some dated information on the website but it also has lots of great resources for current projects. The following links are all part of the Local Foods website but this will highlight how they might be useful in 2018.

Adding A Youth Flavor to Extension’s Signature Programs

The 4 lessons on local foods were designed by 4-H youth as a resource for other older 4-H members to facilitate learning activities with their clubs and communities. This is also helpful for OSU Extension staff as an introduction to the topic of local foods. The introduction to this set of 4 lessons includes a few Frequently Asked Questions about Local Foods.

Description of Local Foods Week (note, this is from August 2017)  “Even during wintertime, Ohio local food is available, whether it is fresh produce grown with season extenders or crops that can be held for long periods of time in cold/cool storage as well as baked, canned, frozen and dried foods”.

How do you identify and find local foods? Ohio Local Food Directories  

Please note that all the links might not be up to date but there should be some good leads. “Just like there is no one definition for “local,” there is no one best way to search out local foods. Local foods are available for purchase at businesses like grocery stores and restaurants or purchased directly from growers at farmers’ markets, auctions, farm stands or CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture). This summary of online local food directories is not an exhaustive list but it is a starting point for Ohio consumers to locate favorite local foods. No endorsement is intended for products listed, nor is criticism meant for products not listed.  This summary lists the titles of the online directories in alphabetical order.”

Farm to Health Resources

Includes Farm to Health Series Cards with a focus on different Ohio produce with information and a recipe (note: carrots includes Carrots, Winter Squash and Sweet Potatoes, all crops that could be sourced locally during the wintertime). In addition, check out the Placemats on local foods that can be printed for the family table. All of the placemats focus on local foods but the one titled “Seasonality” shows a calendar of all 12 months and some foods that are local and available during that time of year. This might be useful for a December event like Dine In Day.

2015 Dine In Blog Post on Live Smart Ohio (and short background on Ellen Swallow Richards)

“Thank you Ellen Swallow Richards: You have reminded our modern families that science is valuable, history is fascinating and family wellness is meaningful.”

 2018 Dine In and Local Foods Questions

  • What foods are local to your area? Remember, there is no one definition for “local” in regards to food. What food connections are in your community, whether it’s directly in your county or state or region?
  • Who are potential community partners in relation to local foods and “Dining In” on Family and Consumer Sciences Day? Local farmers market? Stores that sell local foods? Emergency food pantries that are helping families put meals on the tables?
  • Who are community and individual leaders who grows and raises local foods?  Who grows a vegetable garden or farm? Who does home food preservation? Who raises livestock to freeze, dry or can? Can they help spread the word about Dine In Day?
  • Who are your colleagues who can help promote Ohio Local Foods and Dining In? ANR, 4-H, CD colleagues. Community partners like Farmers Bureau, schools, FFA, 4-H clubs, FCS teachers and FCCLA
  • What local foods do you dine on?