Here’s a terrific recipe for pumpkin muffins that’s sure to be a hit Thanksgiving morning. They taste and smell sinfully delicious, but they’ve only got 159 calories each—so you’ll have plenty of room for turkey and all the trimmin’s later in the day! Truth is, these muffins are good enough to be a part of your healthy, whole-grain diet any time of year, so you can skip the sugary, processed snacks.

Ingredients:
1½ cups white whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1 cup canned pumpkin
½ cup honey
3 tablespoons canola oil
½ cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a large bowl, mix the flour, spice, baking soda, and baking powder. In a small bowl, combine the egg, pumpkin, honey, and oil. Stir until well blended. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients, and stir just until mixed. Fold in the raisins, and ladle the batter into the paper liners. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Happy Thanksgiving!

As you’re making one final cleanup in your yard and garden this weekend—and let’s face it, this is probably the last chance you’ll have to do yard work before temps start to plunge—don’t be so quick to clear away everything in your flower beds. While it’s tempting to cut down flowers after the first frost, take my advice this year and leave some of the seedheads standing. That way, you’ll have more to look at during the winter. Even without their colorful petals, seedheads have a subtle beauty all their own. Plus, they catch falling snowflakes, creating fun snow sculptures that change with each flurry. Standing seedheads also provide a great natural source of seeds that’ll attract winter birds to your garden without the bother of filling feeders!

For even more terrific tips for birdscaping your yard for four-season entertainment, check out my Backyard Birdscaping Bonanza book—free for 21 days!

The chill in the air means it’s that time of year again—so fire up the ol’ furnace and let the indoor heating season begin. But before you start cranking up the heat, you’ll need to clean or replace your furnace’s filters. After all, maintaining your heating system properly is one of the best ways to put a lid on sky high fuel bills.

If your filters are permanent, simply remove them and hose ‘em off outside. Let them dry completely before sliding them back into the furnace. But if your filters are disposable, don’t clean and reuse them—toss ‘em out! Then, head to the nearest hardware store to purchase a few new ones.

Just keep in mind that “bargain” filters are less efficient and need to be replaced more often, so don’t automatically reach for the cheapest one on the shelf. And if allergies are a problem in your family, then spend the extra money and buy filters that have the highest MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) you can find. You’ll breathe a whole lot easier because these hardworking helpers will trap lots of sneezy, wheezy pollen and dander.

For more solutions that’ll cool down the high price of heating, check out my Insider Secrets book—FREE for 21 days. It’s filled with terrific tips for just about any problem that crops up around your home.