Pumpkin Bread - No One Turns It Down

When I brought home this huge bowl from a cowboy decor store, my husband said, "What in the world are you going to do with that bowl?"

I promptly replied, "Triple my pumpkin bread recipe at Christmas time. The kids will love mixing and stirring a huge recipe."

Martha Stewart won't be calling me for photo or cooking lessons, but the bread tastes good and freezes well. And, I have discovered that I can quadruple the recipe in this bowl - which saves time because we can make lots of loaves for Christmas gifts. My mom's recipe did not call for chocolate chips, but I don't know anybody who doesn't love chocolate and it tastes wonderful melted in warm pumpkin bread. Wrap the loafs in foil and tie a festive ribbon around them. I have never had anyone turn away my children when they offer a loaf of this bread. Teachers love pumpkin bread too, especially with lots of chocolate chips. Something from the kitchen spells t-i-m-e = l-o-v-e.

PUMPKIN BREAD

3 1/2 cups flour 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
2 teaspoons soda 
1 1/2 teaspoons salt 
1 teaspoon cinnamon 
1/2 teaspoon cloves 
pinch of nutmeg 
2 2/3 cups sugar

2/3 cups vegetable oil 

4 eggs 
1 16-oz. can pumpkin
 2/3 cups water 

1 cup chopped pecans (optional) 
½ cup raisins or chocolate chips

The recipe was 4Xs for this many loaves: 3 large and
14 small. "Santa, the naughty Elf must have already eaten one!"

Combine dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients. Bake 350° for 35-40 minutes in greased and floured pans. Yield: 2 medium loaves or 24 muffins. Bread will be very moist if you let it sit for a few days. 

Pecans are so expensive now that we used chopped almonds but we put lots of chocolate chips in the batter to make up for it. I have also cut up leftover Halloween candy of Hershey's chocolate bars and it is delicious in this bread.

My Kindergarten book has a chapter "Recipes for Fun Fridays" which lists at least one food idea for each letter of the alphabet including my mother's best Christmas Cookie recipe, Gingerbread cookies, Strawberry Nut Bread (a pretty pink color for Christmas) and luscious pink or green punches. 

Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you
like and let the food fight it out inside. ~Mark Twain 

For a glimpse into Kindergarten see my book. Would you like inexpensive ideas, activities, and games to teach your child through play? Mommy with Selective Memory and I can help save your sanity, one project at a time, with The Happy Mommy Handbook: The Ultimate How-to Guide on Keeping Your Toddlers and Preschoolers Busy, Out of Trouble and Motivated to Learn. Both have been Amazon no. 1 bestsellers and make wonderful gifts for parents and teachers.

What is your favorite homemade gift to receive?

Why I am Grateful I Have a Special Needs Child

A Guest Post on Closer to Lucy:     

During this time of year, our thoughts and hearts turn toward gratitude. I was very grateful and honored when Lucy asked me if I’d like to guest post. We have several things in common: We love to laugh, we love God, and we know what it is like to have a special needs child.

I never thought I’d give birth to a child. After years of infertility, several surgeries, and a miscarriage, Sarah was born as I turned forty. She was seven weeks premature weighing 3 lbs. 6 oz. Sarah is developmentally delayed and has a seizure disorder – yet she is the greatest gift I’ve ever received.

I had a dream before I knew I was pregnant. In the dream I saw a baby with a tiny tuft of hair on her head. A few weeks later, I decided to take a home pregnancy test. My husband and I were amazed that it tested positive. After Sarah was born, I realized that she was the baby in my dream. My Heavenly Father was letting me know that I was pregnant and a gift was on the way.

Pattern Naturally

Patterning helps children with Math, Reading and Science skills by teaching children through:

• Observation: Objects have different properties
• Classifying: Sort objects 
• Prediction: What comes next?
• Manipulation: Sequence of objects
• Ordering: Making sense of pattern
• Communication: Describe and express patterns building vocabulary: What shape, color, texture?
• Math: Count objects. Use simple to complex patterns - rock, leaf  / rock, leaf ; red, red, green / red, red, green. Match concrete objects with verbal expression in patterning.
• Measurement: Compare and contrast objects, using terms length, weight, size
• Sensory/Motor Integration: How does it feel? Which is heavier? Move in patterns: hop on one foot, jump, spin - repeating pattern.
• Creativity: Use objects of interest to child and let them explore using their senses: seeing, feeling, smelling
• Exploration: Objects can be ordered, measured, counted, manipulated, investigated, and patterned
• Spatial Relations: Discuss relations such as in front of, behind, above, below, left-right which helps children navigate around their world. Reading is from left-to-right and from top-to-bottom.
• Recording: Make a chart of one pattern such as apples: how many are green, red, yellow?
• Connection to environment: Patterns can be observed in nature.

We collected pinecones, rocks, "horse" apples, sticks, leaves, guinea feathers, and seeds. Natural objects were used for patterning except for Rigatoni noodles and pinwheel pasta which make a colorful necklace when dyed.  



Recipe for Colorful Pasta: In a zip bag, put 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol and at least 10 drops of food coloring and swish it around. Then, add 1 – 2 cups of pasta. Turn bag over occasionally. The longer the pasta sits - the brighter the colors. Dry on wax paper or newspaper or on cookie sheets.Children will learn about making different colors by mixing the primary colors of red, yellow and blue.

Directions for a Pinecone Turkey:

• Glue wiggly eyes on pinecone
• Cut beak by folding small piece of orange paper and cutting triangle; glue on
• Wrap a pipe cleaner over top of cone, pull down and twist forming legs
• Cut two 2" pieces of pipe cleaner and twist around bottom of legs forming 3 toes to help cone stand
• Use a paint brush or pour glue on back of cone
• Push feathers into cone

 Brody isn't sure which pinecone turkey he likes the best - using natural guinea feathers or dyed feathers. We only picked up feathers which had already fallen off the guineas. Proof the guineas are not naked is in the photo - although they did escape by flying on top of the roof.

And just for fun, we made headbands.

"Why are you wearing your hand on your head?"

"She thinks it looks like a turkey!"

Fluffy enjoyed posing in our garden and I made a fall basket for decoration.
What other natural objects have your children patterned?

Would you like more inexpensive ideas, activities, and games on how children learn through play? See my new book, The Happy Mommy Handbook: The Ultimate How-to Guide on Keeping Your Toddlers and Preschoolers Busy, Out of Trouble and Motivated to Learn. For a glimpse into Kindergarten, click my Kindergarten book. Both are bestsellers and are also available on Barnes & Noble and Kobo. 

I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do,
and I understand. ~Chinese Proverb

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Stuffing a Thankful Turkey - Tradition

I cheated and used a glue gun to assemble my Thankful Turkey. Katie’s children made a much cooler turkey on Mommy with Selective Memory.

But Katie and I have the same challenge: For you and your family to stuff your turkey with thankful notes. Help your children write or draw pictures to express gratitude. Then read the notes on Thanksgiving Day and establish a family tradition.

Katie and I share another challenge: Read a book a month for yourself! Yes, it is so much fun to blog (myself included), hop, pin, tweet, text, surf, and connect with wonderful, inspirational people via the Internet. But are you reading books? Do your children see your love of reading? 

It is all right to read ebooks but show your children that printed words are actually a book. I read much more now that I own a Kindle because it is so light and convenient. I slip it in my purse and have a virtual library. Many books are free or inexpensive when purchased in the ebook format and no trips are necessary to the bookstore or library. Although I definitely encourage you to visit your library! They offer so many wonderful programs for children. Many libraries are now offering ebooks to borrow.

Books in the printed form are best when children are young because they learn through sensory integration or using their five senses. They love to touch, pull, pop-up and maniuplate books. Turning pages is also a good fine motor skill. But if your ebook reader is the only book handy - then by all means share and enjoy it with your child. They will love the bonding experience, learn vocabulary, and be better able to express themselves.

Snuggling and Reading Books Every Night to a Child Promote:

• Security, consistency, stability, routine, self-esteem
• Literacy - a love of reading
• Learning about their world
• 3 Rs: Rhyming, Rhythm, and Repetition to enhance reading skills  

Chipmunk at Hollow Tree Lane

Children will love having this book read to them with animation and expression. There are many sound words that can be emphasized: Ch-ch-i-i-ip-pp!, Squawk! Caw! Caw! The book has beautiful illustrations of nature, teaches about chipmunks preparing for winter, and what they eat. It is a Smithsonian's Backyard Scholastic book available in hardback and softcover, both new and used on Amazon. 

“My proudest teaching accomplishment was helping children learn to read. It is priceless to see a child’s eyes light up when they realize they are truly reading on their own. The gift of reading continues throughout a lifetime. Something about everything can be learned through reading. It is inspiring to know of people who were denied an education, but given the opportunity, learned to read in their senior years. The desire is phenomenal and is not quenched unless achieved.”

For a glimpse into Kindergarten see my book. Would you like inexpensive ideas, activities, and games to teach your child through play? Mommy with Selective Memory and I can help save your sanity, one project at a time, with The Happy Mommy Handbook: The Ultimate How-to Guide on Keeping Your Toddlers and Preschoolers Busy, Out of Trouble and Motivated to Learn. Both no. 1 bestsellers on Amazon.

Some women have a weakness for shoes…
I can go barefoot if necessary.
I have a weakness for books. ~Oprah Winfrey