Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin...Bread?

 The Pumpkin. Autumn's favorite squash/fruit. What do you think of when you hear the word"Pumpkin"? I think of Pumpkin pie, Jack O' Lanterns (My last post) and Pumpkin bread. Pumpkin bread? I know what you're thinking. What's that? It's a delicious half-cake half-bread dessert with a semi-strong taste of pumpkin and cinnamon with chocolate chips, raisins/crasins (cranberry-raisins), dates, walnuts and other things. Once you try it, there's no stopping the addiction. Let me tell you what we did to make this delicious treat:

• Bought pie pumpkins at local pumpkin patch (proceeds went to charity and cost less than at a grocery store)
• Cooked them down and froze them in 2-cup portions to be used for pumpkin bread and/or pumpkin pie

We got the recipe from Joy of Cooking, but added the chocolate chips and added  chopped dates. This recipe is delicious plain, toasted, with butter/peanut butter, but best hot, fresh out of the oven. Try it. TRY IT. TRY IT! TRY IT! You'll love it.

Mr. Jack O. Lantern

Okay, I admit it--fall's here. But it's not all bad! Sure, you have to get back to the same old school routine, but Halloween and Thanksgiving are coming up! Halloween. That spooky night, also called All Hallows Eve, where kids all over the world dress up in costumes and go from door to door, collecting candy with, you guessed it, Jack-O-Lanterns everywhere. Of course, you want to have your Jack-O-Lanterns ready by All Hallows Eve, so you carve it earlier. That is exactly what I did over the past weekend. Kids, you want to have a parent do the little details, but don't be afraid to do a little carving, too. For those of you who have never carved a pumpkin before, It's not hard, but if you do it wrong, it can result in frustration. Try not to do too many little details. It also doesn't take too long, but try to set out a 45 min-1 hour period to do the project. If you haven't done this traditional Halloween project before, I encourage you to try it. If you have, do it again. For a yummy snack, roast the pumpkin seeds that you find. You should love this project!

  



*TIP: WEAR DISHWASHING GLOVES.*

                                                      

When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade!

I can't believe summer's over, can you? Back to school, where you have to learn for 8 hours of the day and then, come home and do homework for an hour. But just to remind myself of the glory of summer vacation, I like to have a glass of lemonade. MMMMMmmmmmm, lemonade. Yeah, I know what all you parents out there are thinking: "Lemonade is just sugar water and citrus, you don't need that in your body!" Well, that may be true, but the disgusting processed kind from a packet just won't do. It's unhealthy, and plus, as I said, in the fall and winter, lemonade is supposed to remind you of summer! The packet kind just reminds me of a bitter, tasteless season that doesn't exist. So, we make it homemade! It's delicious, and it's a little bit better for your body. All you need is lemons, ice, simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water) and regular water. Try this recipe the next time you want to enjoy the glory of summer before it comes:

You Need:

• 1-1 and 1/2 lemons
• simple syrup
• water
• ice (optional) 
• a cup

Procedure: 

1. Make simple syrup, then put it on the stove and bring it to a boil. YOU MUST LET THE SIMPLE SYRUP COOL COMPLETELY.

2. Pour ice into cup.

3. Roll lemon(s) and cut them in half. Then, juice them and pour the remaining lemon juice into your cup.

4. Add simple syrup and water to your desire.

5. Enjoy!