You cannot ignore it – pumpkins are everywhere. From pies, to coffee, and even bagels, it is hard to avoid. However, pumpkin is a versatile ingredient that does not always have to mean desserts and sugar. Our Sweet Pumpkin Sandwiches, a cousin to the more familiar Sloppy Joe, shows that pumpkin can shine as part of the main course, too.Choosing & Storing Pumpkin: Look for pumpkins without cuts and soft spots, and that are firm and heavy for their size. You can store pumpkins in a cool, dark place for up to two months.

I recall getting small boxes of animal crackers as a treat as a child. I would be so excited to find some of my favorite animals inside - lions, giraffes, and horses! It sure helped that they were delicious, too.

May's five ingredients or less recipe is a super versatile side dish that you will love! Enjoy it with your favorite sandwich, serve it at a BBQ, and bring it from home as part of your lunch. We love how the different flavors mix together for a savory dish that is perfect for Spring.

A new feature we'd like to highlight each month: tasty, nutritious recipes that only have five ingredients* or less! These recipes are great for families and need fewer items stocked in the kitchen.

So many of our favorite recipes here at Illinois Nutrition Education Programs are few in ingredients and big on flavor! Our Stuffed Potatoes recipe definitely falls into this category. It has been a favorite around the office! While the recipe calls for diced ham, you can choose another cooked meat (ground beef, chopped turkey, etc.) or your favorite vegetable instead -- depending on what's available in your fridge. Let us know what you added to your potatoes on our Facebook page!

Our Salmon Melt recipe is perfect for those busy nights where you only have a few minutes to get dinner on the table. And with only five ingredients (not including pepper), you can be sure that it's affordable, too.

To many kids, cauliflower looks like 'white broccoli' when it shows up at the dinner table. While both of these vegetables are in the same family of plants, cauliflower can truly shine on its own. Plus, cauliflower can be found in purple and orange, too! Cauliflower is also having a trendy moment, and is used in many recipes in place of potatoes or other starchier items (think mashed 'potatoes', cauliflower crust for pizza, and more).

Though zucchini is officially classified as a summer squash, it is easy to find at the store all year long. Zucchini is a versatile vegetable and tastes great sautéed, baked into a casserole, added to soups, dipped raw into dip or added to top of a salad. And the extra bonus: zucchini's flowers (aka squash blossoms) are also edible! Our recipe below is a fun way to feature this vegetable and is a great one to get the kids involved in the kitchen. Zucchini Nutrition: Zucchini is fat and sodium (salt) free, low in calories, and high in vitamin C.

There are two types of grains in our diet: whole grains and refined grains. A whole grain contains the entire grain kernel and contains a much richer flavor and nutrition. Refined grains have outer layers of the grain removed during processing. Many of us eat plenty of grains (think pasta, bread, cereal, crackers, and tortillas) but are low in intake of whole grains. A great goal is to consume at least half of your grains from whole grain sources, and it can be easy to do! Whole Grain Needs:

This winter, make your plates green with nutrition from two powerhouse vegetables – kale and collard greens. Both of these greens are members of the cabbage family and are a great addition to your meal as a side dish or as an addition to your favorite soup recipe. Our Greens recipe below is a great side to go along with baked chicken or roasted turkey.