Tonight’s the night to change your clocks if you live in the USA.

While you’re at it, do a few other things.

• change the batteries in your smoke detectors
• change the batteries in your carbon monoxide detectors
• check the charge in your fire extinguishers (look at the gauge)
• disconnect and blow out your dryer hose (dryer lint is a fire hazard)
• change your furnace filter
• check your thermostat for an appropriate temperature and check the setback times if you have a setback thermostat
• remove your showerhead and soak it in vinegar water to get rid of the mineral deposits
• vacuum out the car (and the trunk)
• make sure you have a scraper/brush, a spare set of gloves, and a blanket in each car
• swap out the screen door for the storm door (note: take the screen out before the trick-or-treaters come, and put the storm door in the next day – one less door to open, and the kids freak out when your hand comes out unexpectedly)

Image by Jasper Greek Golangco

…GHOSTBUSTERS!

Because it’s a logical choice today, don’t you think?

Bust a move with the Ghostbusters. If you have little ones in the house, it will help them release some of the pre-celebration energy. If you don’t – well, it’s just fun to dance.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Seafood is part of the Total Health Makeover® for those who choose to eat animal protein. But not all seafood is good for you. How do you know what’s good for you, and what’s really not so healthy? (Don’t trust the person trying to make the sale…)

Monterey Bay Aquarium keeps this information updated and available for everyone. We love that they’ve dedicated themselves to gathering this information and publishing it.

Download pocket guides here – they’re available by region of the US.

Or get a mobile application – iPhone users can download this application, or if you have another phone with internet service, just go to mobile.seafoodwatch.org.

Here’s a little inspiration for taking the stairs.

Fun can obviously change behavior for the better.

~ from the video

So, you know… make it fun.

Even if you have to pretend the stairs are a piano. Or the grocery cart is a sled. Or the hairbrush is a microphone (rock out, baby!).

Get active by having fun.

Thanks to member Kim in IN for passing this on to us.

These mini loaves are great if you want to give a small gift to a neighbor or childcare provider. Adults don’t expect Halloween treats, but you can always give something like this.

If you’re making these for young children, you may choose to omit the fresh ginger, or to reduce the amount. Or make both kinds – leave the ginger out, and pour the batter into 3 pans. Then add half the amount of ginger, and fill the other 3 pans. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds only on the ones with the ginger. Now you can tell them apart.

Mini Pumpkin Loaves
Yellow * Makes 6 mini loaves

3 cups raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas), about 15 ounces
3-1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoons nutmeg
3 cups canned pumpkin, about 24 ounces
1-1/2 cups Sucanat®
1/2 cup maple sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large cage-free eggs
1 teaspoon peeled minced fresh ginger
3/4 cup soymilk, or other milk substitute

Preheat the oven to 350F. Oil six baby loaf pans (5-1/4 x 3-1/4 x 2 inches).

Spread the pumpkin seeds on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until they begin to color, stirring twice, about 20 minutes. Cool the seeds. Set aside 1/2 cup of whole seeds for topping. Coarsely chop the remaining seeds in a food processor by pulsing on/off.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix in the coarsely chopped pumpkin seeds.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the pumpkin, Sucanat®, and maple sugar until blended. Gradually beat in the oil, then the eggs one at a time, then the minced ginger. Stir in one-quarter of the flour mixture, then 1/4 cup of the soy milk, repeating until everything is incorporated.

Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Sprinkle with the reserved whole pumpkin seeds. Bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean – about 1 hour.

Copyright © 2009 Hennergy, Inc. All rights reserved.

Seriously. You do NOT need to hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters. You do not.

You also do not need to hand out toothbrushes, although we know dentists who do that. It’s not a bad idea, but perhaps not so well-received.

Our favorite thing to hand out happens to be party favors from the dollar store. Look for multi-packs of things like play-doh, bubbles, plastic jewelry, rubber snakes and spiders, kids’ sunglasses, small boxes of crayons, holiday pencils, and those annoying slide whistles. (You’re giving them away, remember? You won’t have to listen to them.)

Be sure to have something appropriate for the very youngest children, and something appropriate for older kids.

We’ve been handing out toys for 8 years now, with great success. We even have kids who come to the door saying “this is the toy house!”

Younger Next Year for Women

by Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge, MD

Younger Next Year for Women>This book is about aging gracefully. The subtitle (Live Like You’re 50 – Strong, Fit, Sexy – Until You’re 80 and Beyond) makes it sound like there’s nothing useful here for women under 50, but that’s not true. A lot of this is just plain good information.

The authors alternate chapters, which is a good way to balance the sometimes “information overload” of medical details. Crowley is a normal guy, so his chapters take that medical detail and make it real for the rest of us. We particularly enjoyed the chapters on fitness and exercise (chapter 9 had us laughing out loud – for real).

The chapters on diet and nutrition aren’t quite in line with the Total Health Makeover®, but they emphasize lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and lean proteins. There’s mention of low-fat dairy, but we’d substitute non-dairy products and do just fine with the general recommendations.

There are other chapters on maintaining relationships and connections, and staying active in the community that put the book in a “total health” category. And they’re good additions to a book on healthy aging, when isolation becomes a health issue.

Perhaps “Harry’s Rules” are the best summary of the book.

Harry’s Rules

1. Exercise six days a week for the rest of your life.
2. Do serious aerobic exercise four days a week for the rest of your life.
3. Do serious strength training, with weights, two days a week for the rest of your life.
4. Spend less than you make.
5. Quit eating crap!
6. Care.
7. Connect and commit.

~ Henry S. Lodge, MD, in Younger Next Year for Women

Click on the book title or cover to purchase the book.

If there’s something you want to know at work, at school, or from your doctor, don’t feel embarrassed, ashamed, or think it’s too silly to ask about.

The question is in your head, right?

So ask.

We all walk through life with humiliation as one of our greatest fears. We do not want to be laughed at, or feel foolish, for not knowing the answer to something. And yet we all can’t know everything.

Allow yourself to learn something by asking. Just know the answer you get may not be one you expect.

Get ready for the ever-popular HOT for the Holidays class!

Class starts Monday, November 4 right here at Marilu.com, for all members.
Not a member? Sign up here.

Spend 21 days at Marilu.com and you’ll be organized for the upcoming holiday season (no matter which holidays you celebrate) under Coach JanB’s guidance.

• Prepare and organize your home
• Plan your gift and grocery budgets
• Plan your menus and prepare delicious healthy meals from traditional and vegan holiday recipes
• Practice self-care
• Manage holiday saboteurs
• Throw a fabulous party and/or be a fabulous guest

Be HOT for the Holidays – in every aspect of your life!

This week we have a few pumpkin recipes.

Enjoy these pumpkin seeds as a delicious and healthy snack.

~*~

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Purple * many servings

1 medium sized pumpkin*
salt
olive oil

Preheat oven to 400F.

Cut open the pumpkin and use a strong metal spoon to scoop and scrape out the insides. Separate the seeds from the stringy core. Rinse the seeds.

In a small saucepan, add the seeds to water, about 2 cups of water to every 1/2 cup of seeds. Add one-half Tablespoon of salt for every cup of water. Bring to a boil. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.

Spread about 1 Tablespoon of olive oil over the surface of a rimmed baking sheet. Spread the seeds out on the pan in an even layer. Bake on the top rack until the seeds begin to brown, 10-20 minutes. When browned to your satisfaction, remove from the oven and let the pan cool on a rack. Let the seeds cool all the way before eating.

You can eat them whole (the shell is digestible if you chew it).

~*~

*If you buy a pie pumpkin (they’re usually smaller, and they should be marked as pie pumpkins), you can use it for baking. Remove the seeds and stringy core as directed above. Bake the flesh on a baking sheet until soft (400F for 40-60 minutes). Remove the peel, and process the flesh in a food processor with the metal blade until smooth, scraping the bowl often. Use 2 cups when a recipe calls for 1 can of pumpkin.

Copyright © 2009 Hennergy, Inc. All rights reserved.