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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

May 28, 2021 09:30AM ● By Julieanna Hever
Homemade vegan chocolate chip pumpkin muffin

1 medium banana, mashed
15-oz can sweet pumpkin puree
¼ cup 100 percent pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups gluten-free, all-purpose, whole-grain flour blend
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground ginger
1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (grain-sweetened)

Preheat oven to 375° F. In a large bowl, combine mashed banana, pumpkin puree, maple syrup and vanilla. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Transfer dry mixture to large bowl and mix together gently until well combined. Avoid over-mixing to prevent toughness in the final product. Fold in chocolate chips. Spoon batter into silicon muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes or until the muffins are lightly browned. Remove muffins from the oven and let cool for five minutes. Store in an airtight container.


Courtesy of Julieanna Hever.


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In-Print recipes vegan vegetarian National Content Plant Based Gluten Free June 2021
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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