I like to make these pumpkin bars in the fall because they seem a bit more nutritious than normal cookies yet still taste delicious.  These soft pumpkin bars have just four tablespoons of butter and ¾ cups sugar–you’d need  two sticks of butter (16 TBS) and 1 ½ cups sugar for a batch of chocolate chip cookies.  Plus, these contain a vegetable!  I’ve made them with different winter squashes and even carrots, with good results.

Pumpkin Bars

1 ¾ cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ginger
4 TBS butter
¾ cup sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
¾ cups pumpkin puree (home-cooked or canned)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9 x 13″ pan.

Combine the dry ingredients and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed with an electric mixer.   Add the eggs, beat in the applesauce and pumpkin until well-mixed.  Add the dry ingredients and combine well. 

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool and cut into squares.

To make this recipe relevant to the Green Baby Guide, I would like to note that if you puree your own pumpkin, little waste will be produced in the creation of this treat.  Also, babies will like them.

Yesterday Rebecca wrote about why she doesn’t buy in bulk and now I shall disagree with her wholeheartedly.  I LOVE filling our pantry and stocking our extra freezer with wholesome food!

When I was growing up my mom canned peaches and pears, homemade applesauce and tuna in the summertime to prepare for the long winter months.  While I’m not quite as resourceful as she was, I find that stocking my makeshift garage pantry has actually saved time, money and the planet.

Since we’re conscientiously trying to lower our grocery bill this year, we’ve been amazed by how much money we save by stockpiling.  Our used Craigslist freezer is packed with six gallon-sized Ziploc bags of organic blueberries we hand-picked  for just thirty dollars total.  We loaded up on free organic blackberries and made enough homemade blackberry jam to last us for months.  Friends of mine have ordered part of a free range cow and filled their freezers with steaks and ground beef to last all winter.   Since our nearby grocery stores are extremely expensive and charge two to three times what we pay at Grocery Outlet or directly to organic farmers, it’s worth stocking up. 

Buying in bulk has also helped me overcome the temptation to order take-out when I find myself overwhelmed by dinner. After a very helpful visit to Grocery Outlet, I was able to buy boxes of natural cereals, flour and an Amy’s organic frozen pizza for just a fraction of what they would cost in a regular grocery store.  It remains tucked in the freezer for a frantic evening when I don’t feel like cooking. 

For me, saving time is the biggest advantage to having a pantry.  Since I work over thirty hours a week as a teacher, write this blog, and actively play with my son when we have time together, grocery shopping is my last priority.  With the freezer and the pantry, I can do a big grocery haul every month and supplement with the fresh produce we get weekly from our community supported agriculture subscription.  Roscoe and I go on foot to our local grocery store to keep buy dairy items now and then, but we’re amazed by how much we can do with frozen food and our weekly bags of fresh produce.  

There are also environmental advantages to stockpiling food that go beyond fewer trips to the grocery store.  Buying larger containers of food cuts down on packaging–and buying from the bulk bins is the best eco-option of all.  Someday I plan to get organized enough to bring paper bags for bulk purchases but for now I realize that recycling those plastic bags is far better than buying several small packages.  My cupboard is loaded up with canisters of oats, brown rice and beans.  

To be fair, I’m sure our freezer uses energy that might counteract some of the eco-friendly aspects of stockpiling food.  But in the years to come, we hope to expand our garden and our canning efforts.  Someday we aspire to preserve our homegrown produce along with locally grown favorites and become much more independent of the supermarket. We’ll never enjoy total freedom from grocery shopping, but every little bit helps!

Please feel free to jump in and share your eco-friendly, thrifty tips!  Just click here for directions on how to get started.  Thanks for joining us this Thrifty Green Thursday!

Also, don’t forget to enter our Organic Diaper Cake Giveaway.  Rebecca will choose a winner tomorrow!