pumpkin flavored everything.. not quite

I have tomorrow off and it is already planned with pumpkin and other activities...

I really do like canned pumpkin, which the news pointed out yesterday is really a type of winter squash canned up and labelled 'pumpkin.'  I've known that for years.  I used to buy 'winter squash' in cans in the vegetable aisle in Minnesota.  It was one of my staples.  I could not find it here in the South at all.  Then I stumbled upon canned pumpkin in the pastry shell section.  And I knew it for what it was.  And it was good.

So I have several cans of this in my cupboard at all times.  Mark even has presented me with several cans for Christmas and anniversaries and birthdays.. along with various other canned vegetables.  It's a thing in our household and it does work out well.

I put pumpkin and rice and cottage cheese together in a container for work today, and pumpkin and avocado and rice yesterday.  There is still a pint jar's worth left from the one can that I opened.  I also saw that it is a decent thing to feed to dogs who are having digestive issues - like our Columbus.  So, tomorrow I'm going to make another big pot of rice and then look toward saving him out some of the pumpkin and chicken broth that I will be using for the pumpkin and black bean soup recipe I found.  There are lots of recipes in this vein.  Some require coconut milk, others heavy cream.  But I was looking for something that was much more simple...preferably with chicken broth in it instead of vegetable broth (we keep chicken broth as a staple in the cupboard)  .This Recipe by The Pearl Team Room in Johnson City, TX fit the bill.  I think I'll make up some tomorrow if we have time.

On the weight loss front I'm finding that the 'feel full' part of the pumpkin is working.   Yesterday I did not eat the pudding I brought with until 8 o clock at night (lunch at 5).  And today I didn't eat the other half of my lunch itself until several hours after lunch.  I stared at the vending machine and remembered those two tablespoons full of pumpkin and cottage cheese left in my container.  And it was good.