Thursday, December 20, 2012

December: The Dolls' Christmas


One of my family's traditions that is most dear to my heart is the Dolls' Christmas!  My mom adapted the idea from Tasha Tudor's book "The Dolls' Christmas" about two porcelain dolls who are treated to a special day of holiday fun by their loving little owners.   

Each year my four sisters and I looked forward to the day when we too would invite our favorite doll to a Christmas party complete with doll-sized Christmas trees,  tiny presents, and dainty finger foods and desserts. However, my mom was careful to include my brothers, who were allowed to bring a stuffed animal or another prized toy.   



As we grew older and our interests turned to things other than dolls and teddy bears, my mother still continued the tradition, as it became a cherished opportunity to invite our special dolls to come out of their boxes and spend an afternoon with us, as we revisited memories of childhood joys.  

Today, my mother loves to hold the annual Dolls' Christmas with her grandchildren. Just like when we were young, the festivities begin in the morning as dolls are lovingly taken from the shelf, or in some cases, carefully unwrapped from storage boxes, and readied for the occasion.  Their prettiest dresses are donned and their hair smoothed and tied up with ribbons, as the laughter and excited chatter of little girls getting their dolls ready carries throughout the house. 

When it is time for the party to begin, the girls and their special guests are invited to decorate miniature Christmas trees with tiny lights and ornaments.  (You can get similar trees and ornaments at any craft store!)







Tradition holds that among all of the dolls, there is one particularly special guest of honor. It is my great Grandma's doll Isabelle who is now over 100 years old. As the lid of her aging box is lifted, and her tissue paper blanket pulled aside, this fragile doll is gently set out for all to see.   My mother then reads to us a beautiful account, written from Isabelle's point of view, of how this special doll came to be and how she was so loved by my great grandmother.  Afterwards, Isabelle, in her white poplin dress, is carefully seated in a chair in the corner to oversee the afternoon's amusements. 









My mom also likes to read to us Tudor's The Dolls' Christmas  and other Christmas books about dolls, such as The Gingerbread Doll by Susan Tews. Following story-time, each little girl is invited to the table with her doll, where a feast of finger foods and pretty little confections is spread. At each place is a small present for the dolls- perhaps a new hair comb or accessory.


This scrumptious fare of bitsy bites is a delight to small hands and tummies, and I'm not talking about the dolls. It is perfect for little children! I'm sure your kids will love it every bit as much as we did! And the best part is that finding these miniature foods is SO easy and fun. I was astounded at the store how many things come in miniature sizes these days. Just look for anything that says "Bite-sized" or "Mini!" The possibilities are endless- from bite-sized Oreos and Chips Ahoy, to Bagel Bites pizza and miniature Klondike Bars! 


Since I just have a little boy, we invited his teddy bears and stuffed giraffe to the party instead of dolls. Even my husband, who had originally laughed at the idea of a "Dolls' Christmas," soon found himself seated at the table happily eating miniature quiche and tiny cheese and crackers. Hmmm, wonder who got the last laugh?


This is what I served:

Chicken Salad Sandwiches on 'Dollar Rolls' 
(These are really small rolls you can find in the bakery section of your grocery store- if they don't have them just ask, they'll make them for you)!




Babybel Cheese with Keebler Club Minis Crackers
(It looks like a tiny Brie cheese. Or you could make a mini cheese ball!)



Mini Relish Tray
  Small olives, carrots, baby dill pickles, and tiny brocoli florets. 



Tostitos Bite-Sized Tortilla Chips with Salsa



Cutie Oranges



Mini Quiche  
(Available in the freezer section at your grocery store or Sam's Club/Costco)




Mini Pigs-in-a-Blanket
(Little Smokies sausages rolled up in Pillsbury Crescent dough. Just cut each triangle of dough into 3-4 smaller triangles and roll up sausage. Bake at 350 until golden brown.)



Mini Peppermint Milano Cookies
Yes, these come miniature sized!



Mini Sugar Cookies
Just use tiny cookie cutters to cut out shapes!




Mini Cupcakes
I got mine ready-made in the bakery section at the grocery store!




To drink we have Cherry 7 Up - somehow sparkling pink soda is perfect for a Dolls' Christmas!

How primly and straight you sit in your places
With velvet bonnets, ribbons and laces.
Too rare, too valuable now to hold,
Somehow you look so lonesome and cold.

What wonderful stories you must know
Of the doting children who loved you so,
Of playing house with a special friend
And marvelous games of "let's pretend."

Why have they left you? Where have they gone?
As you sit on the shelf do you ever yearn
For tottering footsteps to return?
For the familiar voice of a dear young miss,
Her love-able arms- her warm little kiss?

Ah! but then you are only toys
And of course you know nothing of sorrow and joys.
So why can't I shake this feeling my dears,
That you are very close to tears?

Anonymous
Poem at McCurdy Doll Museum



Have a Dolls' (or a teddy bear) Christmas with your kids.  Introduce them to one of your prized dolls or favorite toys from your youth- tell them why that toy meant so much to you.  Then enjoy delicious little foods that your kids (and you!) will love, and let yourselves get lost for an afternoon in the magical world of make-believe.    I promise, you won't regret it.













Thursday, December 6, 2012

December: Gingerbread


Gingerbread

When my mom was a little girl she loved the story of Hansel and Gretel and the witch who lived in a gingerbread house. The wear and tear of her beloved childhood copy of the book is proof. 

Due to her love of this story, when we were little, each Christmas our mom would share with us the story of Hansel and Gretel as we celebrated a week filled with gingerbread fun. 

We would decorate gingerbread houses, make gingerbread cookies and cake, and also read the story "Gingerbread Baby" written and illustrated by Jan Brett. 

One year however, our mom surprised us with tickets to the Opera Hansel and Gretel. For the weeks leading up it, she taught us the music and words to the Opera so that on the performance night we would not be encumbered by confusion, since operas are often very hard to understand.  Then, on the night of the performance, she handed each of us a little tin that looked like a gingerbread house, filled with colorful ribbon candy to enjoy during the show. 


The original tin she gave me almost twenty years ago. 

Years later when I sang in a choir in college, our director one day introduced to us a new song we would be singing. It was the beautiful song "Evening Prayer" from the opera Hansel and Gretel.  The director asked, by raise of hands, how many students in the choir of about 100, had been to this opera? I was the only one who raised my hand. Surprised, he then asked how many were at least familiar with the famous song "Evening Prayer?" Again, I was the only one who raised my hand.  

A girl seated next to me leaned over and whispered, "How do you know this song?"  I replied, "My mother taught it to me."  The girl leaned back over and said, "I hope someday I can be that kind of mother."  I whispered back, "Me too." 

My mom never wanted her children to be close-minded or uncultured. Instead, she wanted to open our eyes to the many wonders this world has to offer and expose us to a plethora of different experiences, cultures, ideas, and even foods.  I am thankful for her efforts to always expand my horizon of understanding and broaden my scope of experience. My life has certainly been richer and the better because of it. 


This year for gingerbread week, 
while we didn't decorate gingerbread houses, all the grandkids made gingerbread cookies with my mom! 





My mother's Gingerbread Cookie recipe:


1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup molasses
2 tbsp vinegar

Thoroughly cream shortening with sugar.  Stir in egg, molasses and vinegar; beat well.

5 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 to 3 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves

Add dry ingredients to molasses mixture.  Chill about 3 hours.

Roll out onto floured surface. Cut into desired shapes. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees.


She also set out a jar of store-bought gingerbread cookies and shortbreads to enjoy all week long.




We also made gingerbread cake. My family likes it with homemade whipped cream and sliced bananas! I prefer a store-bought mix over homemade cake, the ginger is usually a little less strong that way.



I've also added  a new tradition in my own little family- making gingerbread waffles with warm buttermilk syrup! This recipe is from my mother-in-law and is SO good. 




Gingerbread Waffles

3 eggs  (separated)
1/4 C. sugar
1/2 C. molasses 
1 C. buttermilk



1 1/2 C. flour 1 t. ground ginger 1/2 t. ground cinnamon 1/2 t. ground cloves 1/2 t. salt 1 t. baking soda 1 t. baking powder 6 T. butter, melted and cooled


Preheat waffle iron. Beat egg whites and fold in last.  In a small bowl, beat eggs  sugar, molasses and buttermilk.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Add to batter and stir, then add butter and combine. Fold in egg whites.

Pour 1/2 to 3/4 cup batter into very hot waffle iron and bake 4 to 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Makes 6 waffles.

Buttermilk Syrup
1 c. sugar½ c. butter½ c. buttermilkCombine and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and add ½ tsp. baking soda.  Serve.  Store in refrigerator.  Can add little vanilla and white karo syrup (2T) to keep crystals from forming.




Lastly, I found these foam gingerbread men at Michael's to decorate! They come in a pack of 24 so there are plenty to go around!  They even have gingerbread houses too- a fun and certainly less messy alternative to the real thing. Although who doesn't love getting their hands covered in frosting now and then.


More Christmas traditions to come! Thanks for reading!

December: A Believing Heart



A Believing Heart


"Believe means, I might never see it happen, but Santa will come and eat them. I just know it." 
Christmas Cookies, Amy K. Rosenthal



I can still hear the sound of my dad's voice reading to me the story of Polar Express. How many Christmases my siblings and I cuddled close on the couch to hear his strong but soothing voice read aloud this childhood classic. 

Reading Polar Express has long been one of my family's traditions, part of what my mother calls "A Believing Heart." This Christmas custom has to do with keeping alive the magic of Santa Claus in the hearts of her children, even now when we have all grown up.

 The first thing we do is read the famous article, now in published book form, called "Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus."  This editorial appeared in the New York Sun in 1897 and is one of the most famed newspaper articles ever written. It was the editor's reply to an 8 year old girl's written query to the Sun: Is there really a Santa Claus?  It is a beautiful, timeless response- a must read each Christmas!




"Not BELIEVE in Santa Claus?  Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see." 
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, Frank Church



Then as I mentioned, our dad would always read to us Polar Express, another beautiful reminder of the power of having a believing heart.  Thanks to the magic of motion picture, we now are able to also watch Polar Express the movie each year!

My mom has included as part of this holiday tradition a Hot Chocolate Party, in honor of the scene from the movie (and book) where the children are served hot chocolate aboard the Polar Express



I was lucky enough to be home for a visit a few weeks ago, so I got to participate in this tradition with my family!  It was one of the best highlights of my trip- watching twelve of my mom's grandchildren -ages 11 months to thirteen years- rock out with her to the song "Hot Chocolate" (from the Polar Express soundtrack) while whipping up mugs of steaming cocoa. It truly was a party!




My mom served lots of different kinds of hot chocolate: French Vanilla, Mint, Dark Chocolate, Caramel creme, etc. 




With lots of flavors of marshmallows too: vanilla, peppermint, even gingerbread flavor!





As a party favor, my mom gave each of her children and grandchildren a tiny tin of hot cocoa (from Crate and Barrel) and mini Hot Chocolate flavored 3 Musketeers. 


Have a hot chocolate party with your kids this year, and be sure to dance and sing along to the song "Hot Chocolate!" And may you and yours this Christmas choose to have a believing heart!





"Listen, do you hear the bell? Remember, the bell still rings for all who truly believe."
Polar Express, Chris Van Allsberg






Friday, November 30, 2012

The Magic of December

December is upon us and I am so excited to share with you some of my favorite Christmas traditions. Each December, for as long as I can remember,  my mom has stopped at nothing to create a wonderland of Christmas magic, filling nearly every day of the month with traditions and festivities.  I am anxious to try my hand at these traditions this year so that my little boy can begin to experience the wonder and excitement of the way my family does Christmas!  I hope you enjoy following along!



I will start off by telling you about the first two on the list.



O Come Let us Adore Him Advent

Advent calendars are a wonderful and exciting way to keep the anticipation of Christmas day alive in the hearts and minds of children and adults alike. Over the years my family has used various kinds of advents- ones with chocolates hiding behind paper doors, tiny wooden cupboards opening each day to reveal even tinier presents, rings removed each day from a paper chain ...  but my favorite has always been the 
O Come Let us Adore Him Advent, an advent that follows the life and ministry of Christ, with scriptures, songs, and simple activities for every day of December leading up to Christmas.  I love this advent because it fills the Christmas season with a constant reminder of the true reason we celebrate. And it is a special way to teach children about the life of Jesus Christ. 


I am excited this year to do this advent with my little family. To take part in it with yours, I have included a link  here where you can print a copy. 


My Eastern European Nativity

In the spirit of the true meaning of Christmas and in conjunction with this advent,  we set out our nativities at the beginning of the month. Stationed various places around our house, they serve as an important reminder to keep our thoughts focused on the most important part of Christmas.  Try to set out at least one nativity in your home! 

My  olive wood nativity I bought while in Bethlehem

Nativity from Mexico

Peruvian Nativity

In addition, my family has made it a tradition to attend the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's Christmas Concert and the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional each year. Both are also broadcasted live on TV and satellite, and no matter your faith, are excellent ways to ring in the Christmas spirit. In fact, the Choir's Christmas Concert has more viewers each year than almost any other Christmas television broadcast. This year Tony Award winning singer Alfie Boe and Emmy Award winning journalist Tom Brokaw will join the Choir in their performance. Here are links to find out more information about The Choir Concert broadcast and The Christmas Devotional.

We also read the beautiful article "Daddy, Tell Me a Christmas Story," published in a Kansas newspaper in 1959. Here is a link to the article. It's short and a tear jerker. Definitely worth your time and a beautiful tribute to the true Christmas story. 


 Whatever you and yours do this December, remember to keep in your hearts and minds that Christmas, as Dr. Seuss's Grinch reminds us- Is not about ribbons, and is not about tags. Its not about packages, boxes or bags. No, Christmas doesn't come from a store... Christmas instead means a little bit more.  

O Come, this December, and let us adore Him. Let us remember Christ our King. 


The Bringing in of the Tree

This tradition stems from an age-old custom celebrated by the late, famed author Tasha Tudor who wrote a gorgeously, self-illustrated book Take Joy! filled with amazing Christmas stories and traditions. Beloved by my mom for her deep respect of tradition, many of our Christmas customs have been adapted from hers. 


Tudor believed one of the most special and exciting delights of Christmas is when the tree is first brought in. For her family, there was a big to-do the day the tree was selected and cut down.  In this fashion, my family likewise has a fun time when the tree is brought into our home and decorated.

Growing up, we would always go to select a real fur from a tree lot. I can still feel the chill of the air on those pine scented, snowy nights when we'd stand in the frozen lot picking out the perfect Christmas tree. A fire always crackled in an empty oil drum where we could warm our hands and noses while cracking open salty peanuts that the lot provided guests.  Dad then would strap our prized tree to the top of the car and away we'd go! 

Once home, while dad set to work setting up and stabilizing the fresh tree, our house filled with the delicious aroma of our mom's homemade sugar cookies. The dough was rolled out and we would cut tree shaped cookies from it. Then, once baked, we would frost them green and decorate them to look like christmas trees! 



Sitting down to enjoy our warm cookies with a glass of milk, our mom would read to us the story Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect by Richard H. Schneider and then with Christmas music blasting, we would set to work decorating the tree as a family. 

My christmas tree this year:


As part of our Tree tradition, we would also make a trip to the Festival of Trees to see literally hundreds of beautifully decorated christmas trees being auctioned for Primary Children's Medical Center. Many states have a variation of this Festival for their local Children's Hospital or other charity, although most are not quite as big as the one in my hometown. 

This year, I was excited to find that my current city is one that has an annual Festival of Trees, so we went as a family. It was tastefully done, hosted by a luxurious resort, but very small in scale. There were only about twenty trees. Nevertheless, it was a memorable outing!




 The "Visions of Sugar Plums" Tree- very creative!

My husband and I both disliked the bear tree when we first saw it but quickly changed our minds when we read the plaque next to it.  It explained that instead of displaying the tree in their home, the donor hoped that the purchaser would dismantle the tree and distribute each bear to a sick child at the Children's hospital. What a beautiful idea.  


This last tree was dedicated to the Hope of Children. It explained that children are the greatest examples of hope. They have hope that the bells of Santa's sleigh will be heard the night of Christmas Eve and hope that the morning will bring presents under the tree just as children who face terminal illness have hope that one day they will be healed- that one day they will be able to run, and jump and play as healthy children do. 



The trees may have been few in number, but their spirit was grandiose and powerful!

Check back soon- more traditions coming in the next couple of days!




Wednesday, November 14, 2012

November Blessings

While the magic of the Christmas season begins to draw us in as soon as October ends, tempting us to deck our halls and trim the tree, we mustn't rush so quickly that we forget November and the beautiful things it has to offer.  
November is the time of year when the last of autumn's leaves lay strewn,  the robust fragrance of oranges and spice fills the air, the stillness of the barren trees and empty skies stirs in us a yearning to turn inward and indoors, and the promise of loved ones gathering calls us home. Most importantly, November is a time that we, with thankful hearts, reflect upon the magnitude and abundance of our blessings.

I'm excited to share with you some of what my family does to celebrate this month!





COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS


" O Beloved Spirit, truly You have given us so much, an extravagance of riches. Give us, we pray, one thing more-  the gift of grateful hearts. "  Susan Branch


The first of my family's traditions for November is to count our blessings. We have done this many different ways, sometimes as simply as making a list on a sheet of paper. But one of my favorite ideas was writing the things we were thankful for on the feathers of a turkey!  Below is the one I made this year!




If you would like to use my turkey as a template, below is a downloadable version I made. Click on the link, print it and cut out the turkey and feathers. You can then write your blessings on the feathers and paste onto a sheet of paper. 






Counting your blessings is a wonderful way to remember all you have to be thankful for! Sometimes it's fun to try to think of blessings that are often overlooked. These are some that my family thought of one year: 

An afternoon to do as you please
Holding your child in your arms
Ten hours of uninterrupted sleep  (I miss this!)
Being able to pay off a loan or credit card
Remembering funny memories with your family
Answered prayers
An unexpected compliment that makes your day
Having electricity 
Good health 
Having your efforts or hard work appreciated
Holding a good job
Never having to go hungry
Clean water

What blessings can you think of?




GIVE SERVICE

"If we thought of life as a gift we might not demand nearly as much from it. And if we lived more graciously, giving of ourselves more freely to the well being of others, many of our personal concerns would disappear and life would become easier for all."  
Lowell Bennion 

One of the biggest, and I believe, most important traditions my family has for the month of November is giving service.  When we remember all that we have to be thankful for, it is easy to realize how much we need to share all that God has blessed us with. 

Years ago, when I was still quite young, my family met around the table for Thanksgiving dinner and found at each place setting a white envelope.  Inside the envelope was some money. My parents then explained that we were each required to match the amount of money in our envelope and use it, along with our time and effort, to render an act of service.  We could serve anyone, in any way we wanted, but in two weeks time, we would meet back together as a family and share with each other how we had chosen to serve.
   It was an amazing experience as over the next fourteen days our eyes were opened to the needs of those around us. Instead of focusing on Christmas wish lists to Santa Claus, our attention shifted to finding ways we might serve others.  For those of us who were still quite young, those two weeks also involved doing extra chores to earn enough money to match the amount we had been given, teaching us to work and sacrifice in our efforts to help others in need.   And when the time came, what a memorable night it was to share with each other and our parents what we had done with our time and money. 
      
From then on, without our parents' prompting and without envelopes of money, it became a tradition each November for my siblings and I to try to find a way to serve.  Even years later, as a married woman, I joined with my siblings to provide Christmas for three needy families.  

      This year, a friend of mine from Honduras is returning home for Thanksgiving and asked for help from women in our neighborhood to gather together children's clothing and school supplies to take with her.  Looking for a way to serve this November,  I went through my son's closet to pull out clothes that we could donate and also made a special trip with him to the store to buy notebooks, pens and pencils. We then loaded them in a box and dropped them off.  I'm grateful that even though my son is still so young, he has already been able to take part in this November tradition of service.  





EAT HARVEST FOOD


This time of year, when the skies are meek and grey and the first of winter's snow begins to fall, there is something so welcoming in the aroma of warm, hearty soup simmering on the stove or the sweet smelling spice of autumn desserts baking in the oven.  Living in a winterless climate, I have truly missed those late autumn days. But I've learned that no matter where you are,  a satisfying way to celebrate the season, is of course, eating in season!  November brings a wonderful abundance of harvest foods that help to warm our hearts and homes. Make an effort this month to eat some of the season's most tasty treats:  Pears, Cornbread, Cranberries, Sweet Potatoes, Molasses Cookies, Soups and Stews, and Butternut Squash to name a few!

 I have made a number of harvest dishes so far this month:



Homemade Chicken Pot Pie





This is my very own recipe! I don't use measurements, so please realize everything is approximate. 

Start by making a pie crust. I use Martha Stewart's recipe. The recipe is super easy and simple! Get it here!   (Note: you do not need to use a pastry blender or food processor. I just use my Kitchen-aid mixer.)
While dough is chilling,  cut veggies into small, bite sized pieces. I like to use carrots, broccoli, potatoes, and frozen peas. You could also use asparagus, green beans, corn, onions, celery- whatever you like!   I use about 1/2-2/3 cup of each vegetable.  Place all together in a steamer and steam until just barely fork tender.)  While vegetables steam, combine 1 can cream of chicken soup with 1 can chicken broth over medium heat. I add a dash of salt and pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Stir to combine, 
then heat until warm.  When pie dough is ready and you have placed it in the dish according to directions, spoon vegetables into the pie until they reach the brim of the pie dish. Then pour  the chicken broth mixture over veggies so that they are completely covered but do not overflow the dish. Place top of dough over mixture. Cut a slit or two to let steam vent and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 45-50 minutes or until crust is brown and flaky. 



Homemade Chicken Cordon Bleu with baked Sweet Potatoes






My husband and I love the white sweet potatoes! They are a little less sweet than the traditional orange variety and are so tasty they require only a tiny bit of butter and salt once baked.  Also, I used the Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe from the The Gathering of Friends cookbook volume 2. 


Chicken Cordon Bleu 
3 whole chicken breasts, boneless, skinless


1 lb thinly sliced ham
16oz swiss cheese 
8oz cream cheese
2 1/2 cups hot water
3 Tbsp granulated chicken bouillon 
1/2 cup white cooking wine
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup butter 
3 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
toothpicks
Preheat oven to 350. Slice each chicken breast in half, cutting down the middle. Divide each half cutting through diagonally from side to side into three very thin pieces. Between two sheets of wax paper (or inside one gallon sized ziploc bag) tenderize the pieces on both sides using a meat mallet. Cut the swiss cheese into 1/2″ x 2″ cubes. Lay the chicken flat, place a slice of ham on the chicken and a cheese cube. Roll up chicken with ham and cheese, pierce with a toothpick through the middle to hold its shape. Place each chicken roll side by side in a 9 x 13″ pan. If there is excess cheese, cut into cubes and place in the pan between the rolls of chicken. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken. In blender combine cream cheese, water, bouillon and cooking wine, puree. Pour the sauce over the chicken rolls. Toss bread crumbs in melted butter and spread over chicken and sauce. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 45-55 minutes. Makes 18 small Cordon Blue Rolls.


Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta with Pumpkin Sauce



This recipe is from Our Best Bites: Savoring the Seasons

Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta with Pumpkin Sauce
Makes 6–8 main-dish servings or 10–12 side dish servings

1 butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1⁄2-inch pieces (about 3 cups, see tip)
1 medium yellow onion, diced into 1⁄2-inch pieces (about 11⁄2 cups)
4 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
1 1⁄2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
3⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 strips bacon
1 pound shell pasta
Pumpkin Sauce
1 cup low-fat milk
3⁄4 cup chicken broth
2 ounces (1⁄4 cup) cream cheese
2 tablespoons flour
3⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1⁄2 cup Parmesan cheese, additional for topping, if desired 

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with foil. Place squash, onion, sage, rosemary, salt, and pepper on one of the sheets. Drizzle with oil and toss gently with your hands until everything is well coated. Spread into a single layer.

2. Lay bacon in a single layer on another baking sheet. Place both baking sheets in oven and cook 15–20 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Remove bacon pan from oven and use tongs to lay bacon strips on paper towels to drain. Crumble when cool enough to handle. Continue cooking squash an additional 13–15 minutes until it is soft and tender.

3. While the bacon and squash are in the oven, bring a large stockpot of water to boil and cook shell pasta according to package directions.

4. For the sauce: Combine milk, broth, cream cheese, flour, salt, and pumpkin puree in a blender and process until smooth. Pour mixture into a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer 4–5 minutes, until thickened. Add Parmesan cheese, stir until melted, cover saucepan, and remove from heat.

5. Drain pasta and return to stockpot. Add sauce, squash mixture, and crumbled bacon and toss to combine. Serve immediately or transfer to a casserole dish, top with additional Parmesan cheese, and bake 15–20 minutes.  

Tip: Use a vegetable peeler to peel the squash and then cut it in half and use a spoon to scrape out seeds. Slice into long strips and dice into cubes. You can also look for diced butternut squash in the produce section of the grocery store.




Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken Chili 
with  Cornbread Muffins
                  
                                      






Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken Chili 



1 can black beans

1 can corn, undrained
1 can Rotel, undrained  (This is canned tomatoes and diced jalapenos. Rotel is the brand). 
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 8 oz package light cream cheese
2 chicken breasts

Drain and rinse black beans. Place chicken at bottom of pot, then pour out whole can of corn (undrained), rotel, and black beans. Top with seasonings and ranch mix. Stir together. Place cream cheese on top. Cover with lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir cream cheese into chili. Use 2 forks to shred chicken. Stir together and serve.



My husband is a cornbread connoisseur - he loves the stuff!- and as a result we have tried many different kinds.  Our favorite is the Krusteaz brand Honey Cornbread. We both agree it is better than homemade (and easier)!

I'd love to hear what some of your favorite November recipes are!




POP   CORN!

My mom would read to us The Popcorn Book by Tomie de Paola, a picture book which tells about the important role popcorn played in the lives of early Native Americans and Pilgrims.

  When the pilgrims first arrived, the Indians gave them some hard little nuggets that resembled kernels of grain. The women, not knowing what to do with the gift, added them to a cauldron of soup to see if they would soften and become edible. However, when the soup was served, guests almost broke their teeth! The Indians finally showed the pilgrims how to plant these kernels to grow corn- something the Europeans were unfamiliar with at the time. It was a good thing because the corn nearly saved their lives when food became very scarce during the long, hard winters of the Northeast.  It became a tradition to place kernels of corn next to their plates at Thanksgiving to remind their children of the hardships and sacrifices of those first winters. 

The pilgrims also enjoyed popcorn in their soup, something the Indians taught them to do, and would even eat it for breakfast with cream poured over it.

 It was the Native Americans that invented popcorn! Accounts of early colonists record the strange kernels that Indians would heat until they burst open to look like little white flowers. They would even wear it as jewelry and believed that spirits lived inside each kernel of popcorn!

It is a fun tradition to curl up on the couch with a big bowl of popcorn and tell your kids about how popcorn came to be! 




My mom also had a lot of other fun Thanksgiving books for us to read!  Some of my favorites include:

In November by Cynthia Rylant
If you Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620 by Ann McGovern
It's Thanksgiving by Jack Prelutsky
The Berenstain Bears and the Prize Pumpkin by Stan and Jan Berenstain
Sarah Morton's Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Girl by Kate Waters
Thanksgiving at the Tappletons' by Eileen Spinelli (A hilarious story about remembering what really matters on Thanksgiving. There are two editions. The first, illustrated by Maryann Cocca-Leffler has a human family in the pictures. The later edition switched to a family of foxes. Not sure why, but try to find the first edition- its much cuter!)



HONOR VETERANS

Last but not least, November is a time to remember those, past and present, who have served our country in the Armed Forces.  This is a holiday that is shared around the world, and is a wonderful opportunity to honor those brave men and women.

There are several things you can do to celebrate this holiday:

Write thank you notes with your kids to send to those you know who have served in the Armed Forces. If they live by you, you could even bake them a plate of cookies to go along with the thank you card.

Visit a military museum if there is one close to you. Some military bases have them. 

Send a care package to someone who is currently deployed. 

Have a grandparent, friend, or someone else you know who is a veteran tell your children what it was like to serve in a war. 

My husband and I had the opportunity to sit down with my grandma and look through her brother's scrapbook about World War II. It is filled with amazing photographs and memorabilia about his time serving in the Air Force during this War.  My grandma also told us what it was like for her as a little girl. She told us all about her memories of the day Pearl Harbor was attacked, about having to ration food and supplies, sending her brothers off to War, etc.  Spending an afternoon with her to hear these stories was a priceless experience!   




Veteran's Day (or Remembrance Day in other countries) is celebrated on November 11 to remember the day that World War I ended. A treaty or armistice was signed at the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the year.  After the war came to an end, on some of the worst battlefields in Europe, red poppies began to grow. It was considered by many to be more than just a coincidence, but instead the earth's way of remembering the blood that was spilled on those fields. As a result, this flower has become a familiar symbol of Remembrance Day.

My son and I, using red finger paint, created a picture of red poppies to hang on our fridge and help us remember those that have given their lives to protect our rights and freedoms. I drew a green stem with marker and then my son's handprint makes the flower. 







I made my own edible finger paint so I wouldn't have to worry about my son putting any in his mouth.


Combine 2 T sugar, 1/3 C flour, and 2 C water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, heat until mixture thickens into a paint-like consistency. Pour into a plastic container and add food coloring.  Remember to let it cool completely before letting your child stick their hands into it!
(Recipe from momtastic.com).


Hope you have a wonderful November!