October Days Like These

"Summer's loss seems little dear, on October days like these."

Ernest Dowson

HONOR COLUMBUS

Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas on October 12, 1492.  We celebrate Columbus day the second Monday of every October. While often overlooked, this is a great holiday to teach kids about Columbus and about how our country was discovered! Growing up, our mom would tell us about this courageous explorer and taught us the song "Columbus" by Janeen Brady. 

Note: (Janeen Brady's songbook "I Have a Song for You" has amazing children songs for every holiday and season! Our mom played them on the piano for us while we sang. We loved them as kids and my sister and I laugh how even now we can't celebrate a holiday without the words of one of her songs coming to mind!)

"Our Lord unlocked my mind, sent me upon the sea, and gave me fire for the deed. Those who heard of my enterprise called it foolish, mocked me and laughed. But who can doubt but that the Holy Ghost inspired me?" 

Christopher Columbus

I had the idea to make Columbus Day cupcakes. I baked pumpkin spice cupcakes and frosted them with blue frosting. I dabbed the frosting with a spatula to form peaks so that the frosting looked like waves.  Then I printed off a red Spanish cross and cut the paper to look like a sail. I threaded a toothpick through each sail, then stuck it in the end of a tootsie roll. I placed the tootsie roll on top to look like a spanish ship. 

VISIT A PUMPKIN PATCH

"I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have the seat all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion."

Henry David Thoreau

This is a wonderful October tradition that I am sure many of you share.  There is just something marvelous about picking your pumpkin from a patch (or even from the vine itself if you visit a pumpkin field) rather than getting one at a grocery store.  Be sure that you let each of your kids pick their very own pumpkin! 

Did you know there are over 50 different types of pumpkins?

There are Baby Bear, Full Moon, Jack-be-Little, Rockstar, Baby Pam Sugar Pie and Cinderella pumpkins - just to name a few! 

Visit www.allaboutpumpkins.com to learn with your kids what some of them are, then see if you can spot any when you visit the patch!

Once you have your very own pumpkin picked out, there are so many different ways to decorate them these days! Paint them, stick things on them, roll them in glitter, you name it!  Decorated pumpkins are called "Pumpkin Moonshines" and of course, carved ones are called "Jack-O-Lanterns!" 

"You are a pumpkin, or you are not. I AM." 

Harrison Salisbury

CELEBRATE AUTUMN

Photo courtesy: donigreenberg, Fall Colors #3

Unfortunately, if you're like me, this one is a little difficult to do. That's because I live in a climate where there is no fall-  no autumn leaves, no cool weather, nothing. Its a border-line tragedy. 

If you DO live in a place with seasons- relish it!   Fortunately, I DID grow up in state where there are autumns- beautiful autumns - and our tradition was to celebrate the season by going on a drive up the canyon to see all the gorgeous fall leaves, taking a walk around the neighborhood to crunch the fallen leaves beneath our feet, raking up big piles of leaves and running to jump in them and two of my favorite: making maple leaf crowns and leaf rubbings. 

Leaf rubbings are easy. Just pick up some fresh autumn leaves (they need to be somewhat soft, not dried or crackily). Place a white sheet of paper over them and then rub a crayon over the paper. The crayons pick up the details of the leaf. I had to use synthetic leaves for mine (so not as fun!)

With autumn leaves hard to come by in this desert climate that I call home, I wasn't able to make maple leaf crowns this year. So sad! However, I found another blog that has great step by step instructions if you want to know how! See here!

EAT PUMPKIN 

(And other Halloween Goodies)

Every October my mom would make us delicious pumpkin goodies. My favorite was her pumpkin bread. In fact, I told her once that if I ever ran away (not that I would, I assured her) I would do it in October. That way I could take loaves of pumpkin bread with me. 

There are so many delicious pumpkin treats to make or buy! Pumpkin cookies, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin squares, even pumpkin ice-cream! 

Pumpkin Pancakes

 One of my favorites that I made this year was pumpkin pancakes!

They were so yummy with a little butter and warm maple syrup! My husband doesn't particularly like pumpkin, but he thought these were delicious!

The recipe is from Martha Stewart Living: 

 Whisk 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 2 tablespoons sugar; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt; 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg; and a pinch of ground cloves. In a separate bowl, stir together 1 cup milk, 6 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and 1 egg; fold mixture into dry ingredients. Melt some butter in a skillet over medium heat; pour in 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook pancakes about 3 minutes per side; serve with butter and syrup. Makes 8 to 10.

I also made Pumpkin Spice cupcakes and Pumpkin Bisque. I will tell you about those in a minute!

Jack-O-Lantern Sandwiches 

  When we were little, my mom also made fun Halloween lunches for us.  As a child, I remember thinking these were SO fun! The first one is Jack-o-Lantern sandwiches. 

Cut bread with a knife or cookie cutter to make the shape of a pumpkin. Spread with Cheeze-whiz or, as I did below, put a few drops of coloring in soft cream cheese and spread. Then, cut veggies into shapes and let your kids decorate their sandwiches with jack-o-lantern faces!

Spider Sandwiches

 These are fun because you can make them with several different kinds of sandwiches- depending on what your kids will eat. My mom used to do open-faced cheese sandwiches, peanut butter, or tuna fish! It just needs to be sticky enough to hold the pretzel legs in place. 

     Using a round drinking glass or cookie cutter, take two pieces of bread and cut a circle out of each one. Spread with your desired filler (peanut butter, tuna, cheese-whiz, etc.).  Once the sandwich is assembled, stick pretzel sticks into the sides to make legs and add olive slices for eyes! A small dab of peanut butter, etc. will keep the eyes in place. 

Mummy Dogs

These are a fun meal for kids that we've enjoyed for years! They are super easy to make too!   

 You will need: 

 1 package refrigerated crescent rolls

 1 package hot dogs

Ignoring the perforated lines that come already in the dough, spread dough out so its in a large rectangle. Using a knife, cut dough into long thin strips. Wrap dough strips around hot dogs. Be sure to tuck or press ends in so they don't begin to unravel in the oven.  Bake according to directions on the dough package. 

Using mustard, make a small dot on hot dogs for eyes! Dip in ketchup and mustard. Enjoy!

After lunch, be sure to read some Halloween stories! I always looked forward to October when my mom would pull out the Halloween books we hadn't seen for a whole year, and treat us to afternoons filled with stories about witches, pumpkins, and spooky haunted houses!

Some favorites from my childhood, that you might like to share with your kids, are: 


The Berenstain Bears Spooky Old Tree 
The Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything, Linda Williams
In a Dark, Dark Room retold by Alvin Swartz
Winnie the Witch, Valerie Thomas
That Terrible Halloween Night, James Stevenson
A Visit to the Haunted House, Dean Walley
This is Not a Pumpkin, Bob Staake
Pumpkin Moonshine, Tasha Tudor
Bony Legs, Joanna Cole

(I found my own copies online from used books stores for 99 cents each! Wahoo!)

Celebrate "Day of the Dead" 

and 

Host a Harvest Dinner

"October gave a party, the leaves by hundreds came, The Chestnuts, oaks, and maples - their costumes all aflame. Miss Weather led the dancing, Professor Wind the band, The guests were all a flutter, and danced off hand in hand."

My mom usually hosts a beautiful fall dinner. She dresses her table  with gorgeous place settings and autumn dishes and serves a rich, hearty menu of warm bisque, crostini, and apple pie ala mode. 

I decided to do a very casual version of this party with our friends and combine it with another one of our October traditions: celebrating "Day of the Dead." 

This specific tradition came about first of all because my mom loved to teach us about different cultures and customs when we were little. She believed it was important to expand our minds and viewpoints in this way.  

     

Then, this idea of her's became particularly pertinent when my family actually moved to Mexico to serve a  mission for our Church. We lived there while I was ages 9-12.  To this day I feel so blessed to have had this opportunity as I came to know the beautiful people and culture of Mexico. And as a result, my family now loves to celebrate some of the holidays and customs we learned and experienced while we were there. 

Day of the Dead

Photo courtesy: The Daily Trojan

      Like many people across the world, Mexicans do not traditionally celebrate Halloween as we do in the United States. Instead, they celebrate "Day of the Dead" (Dia de Los Muertos in Spanish). During this three day holiday, Mexican natives elaborately decorate the graves of their deceased loved ones with bright orange and yellow marigolds, colored tissue and paper mache embellishments, skull-shaped "dulces" (candies), and warm food like tamales and Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead).  Then, tradition holds that on November 1 the deceased come back in spirit form to visit their families and friends (in conjunction with the Catholic holiday All Souls Day.) 

Photo courtesy: mexicotoday.org

With fond memories of this amazing holiday, my family tries to still observe it, in some respects, today. Usually we have a delicious Mexican dinner with Sangria and Mundet (Mexican sodas) and Pan de Muerto. 

While some of you may not have ties to Mexican culture, it is still fun for kids to learn about different customs and to know how other cultures celebrate Halloween. They may enjoy learning about Dia de los Muertos and tasting traditional Pan de Muerto if you can find a local Mexican Bakery that makes it. Or, if you have heritage from other countries, find out how those cultures celebrate Day of the Dead. 

For my party, I combined some of the things my mom usually makes for her harvest dinner with some of our traditions for Day of the Dead. It was such a fun night and a perfect way to celebrate the season!

I started by finding a very authentic (and delicious!) Panaderia or Mexican Bakery near where I live. I was so excited that they were making the traditional Pan de Muerto! I bought two loaves and some other goodies I couldn't resist!

I then decorated my house using a lot of skulls and bright colors (typical of Dia de Los Muertos), and set to work making the food for our party. 

I served chips, salsa and guacamole in honor of Mexico . . .

In addition, I served a delicious fall vinaigrette salad. This is my go-to salad whenever I am having a dinner party or taking food to someone. It's SO easy to make but tastes SO delicious.  I prepare a bed of mixed greens, then add dried cranberries, sliced pears, crumbled gorgonzola cheese, and candied pecans and toss with a red wine vinaigrette. (I buy a store-bought one to save time, or if I'm in the mood, I'll make a homemade one.) 

To candy pecans: Break up pecans into medium sized pieces (not chopped!) Place about a 1 to 1 1/2 cups in a frying pan. Cover with  about a half cup of sugar, 1 tbsp. cinnamon scant, and 1/4 cup water. Heat on medium-high heat stirring constantly until sugar starts to thicken and coat pecans. When most of the water is absorbed, add about 1-2 additional tbsps. of sugar and while stirring, turn off heat.  When the pecans look fully coated lay on wax paper to cool. Break up any large chunks that have formed once cooled. 

For the main course I served warm Pumpkin Bisque (it was a hit!)

I didn't make the cinnamon croutons, but instead added 2 tbsp. brown sugar and some extra cinnamon to the soup when I added the heavy cream. 

 I also served White Chicken Chili topped with crushed tortilla chips, monterrey jack cheese, and sour cream. I got this recipe from Our Best Bites. See the recipe here at www.ourbestbites.com!

I also had traditional Mexican soda for our guests to try. You can get them in some grocery stores in the Hispanic Foods section. They are delicious!

And for dessert,  I served the Pan de Muerto of course!

But also some pumpkin spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, 

Monster Munch popcorn mix, also from Our Best Bites.  Get the directions here! 

And last but not least some Halloween Oreos stacked to look like witches stockings ;) 

It has been a fabulous October! I'm sorry I got this post out so late in the month though. Luckily, I'm all caught up now (after my lame computer hard drive crashed), so now posts will be out earlier in the month! Be sure to check back soon for November traditions!

And have a great Halloween!!

"As October ends, most of the branches are bare . . . but we see more sky!"

Gladys Taber

Remember September Part 4: Celebrate Football Season

There is something about late September when the weather begins to turn and the thrill of football season is in the air. Maybe its memories of my cheerleading days that cast such a nostalgic aura over this time of the year but football season is a spectacular way to ring in the coming autumn and celebrate September. Ok, I admit that my husband’s obsession with college football is anything but charming. I mean, I’ve never really understood the “religion” of televised collegiate sports, especially when it means our fall weekends are consumed with more ESPN and much less of anything else. However, there is one September tradition of my mom’s that I can’t help but enjoy:  Attend at least one football game. I suppose its got something to do with the crisp nights under starlit skies, amplified by the glow of stadium lights, the smell of fresh hot dogs, buttery popcorn, and cinnamon roasted almonds,  the monochromatic sea of fans stomping, roaring, and cheering to the pandemonium of the marching band and the excitement of watching your favorite team score that winning touchdown!

     However, unless you can count my husband’s intramural flag football games, this year attending an actual game wasn’t in the cards. That’s why I decided to make the most of watching one at home with friends- and I knew just which game it would be. In our home, there is one game that stands out above all the others as the most anticipated game of the year. The one where my husband’s team plays mine. Ironically, the team that wins my husband’s die-hard allegiance happens to be both of our alma maters, the very university credited for introducing us to each other. But my loyalty to a different team is rooted in childhood memories of attending games with my dad, one of their truest fans. In fact, my entire family, immediate and extended, all, as they say, “bleed red.” As a result, the arrival of this particular game in the schedule is met with much conjecture and excitement.

    In order to celebrate the big game, I set to work preparing dueling desserts for each team. I would have held fast to my roots and only turned out crimson-worthy treats, but the fact that I would be the ONLY Ute fan present at our gathering, made a call to my better (or wiser) nature.

WHAT I SERVED:

Decadent RED velvet cupcakes

White chocolate dipped strawberries 

White Corn Chips with Red Salsa

(You catchin’ the theme?)

I used the printable from Iheartsaltlake.com for the "Go Utes" toppers. I made the other ones myself!

And...

Blueberry and cream cheese tarts

White chocolate dipped pretzels with blue sprinkles

Blue-tinted rice krispie treats with white chocolate drizzle 

Salted Popcorn

I had such a fun time creating this fan-fare for our friends to enjoy while watching the game from the comfort of home. All in all, I think the night was a success...especially the final score of the game ;)   Go Utes!

Remember September Part 3: Turning Over a New Leaf

The next one of mom's September traditions that I will tell you about is Turning Over a New Leaf. This idea involves looking at the month of September as a kind of fresh start to a new year. In many ways it makes more sense than January. After all, September is the start to a new fiscal year, it is the start of a new school year, it is a time when the close of summer creates a natural desire in us to re-prioritize, re-organize, "stock our larder"(pantry) and prepare for the winter ahead. That's why September has always meant a clean start at our house - a time to wipe off the old slate and begin again. 



The best part about this tradition is that you can make of it whatever you want. It does NOT have to be a huge undertaking, just something simple to help you feel like you are starting fresh. You could deep clean your house or just choose one room to reorganize. You could make a September resolution list or just rededicate yourself to a specific goal. You could resolve to be more productive in your use of time, break a bad habit or start a good one.  Its up to you!

My New Leaf

 Despite having eight kids to worry about,  while I was growing up my mom kept our house humming to the well-run rhythm of efficient routine and effective organization. 

So. . . in my mother's fashion, I thought an excellent way for me to start fresh this September was to create a new daily schedule to better manage and organize my time. (Who knew becoming a mom would make me feel SO busy ALL the time?! My daily schedule definitely needed a make-over.)

I also believe that babies and children need routine!  It gives them something they can rely on and helps them to structure and make sense of the world around them. I have read many articles by doctors and child psychologists who attest to this. So I figure my schedule is as much for my son's sake as it is for me!


CREATING DAILY JOBS

 I think a great idea my mom has always used is giving a specific job or task to each day of the week. Her advice is to involve your children in the daily tasks and create a kid-friendly calendar for them to look at so they know what to expect each day and have things to look forward to. 

 It worked best for my mom to do this Monday-Friday and then leave the weekends free. This is the schedule she used while we were growing up:

Since my son is still so young and it's hard to fully involve him just yet, my list turned out a little differently than my mom's.  I also assigned a task to all seven days of the week, instead of just five.

Mine turned out like this: 

I'll break it down for you:

SUNDAYS
- Scouts: I am the assistant Cub Master for our local church. On Sundays I review what I need to do for this responsibility. We also have committee meetings once a month on Sunday. 
- Journal: I have always kept a journal. For me it works to write in it once a week. Sunday is a quiet day, good for reflecting and recording.  
- Family Inventory Meeting: It takes only fifteen minutes but helps my husband and I work together as a team throughout the week and to make sure we are communicating effectively. We follow this itinerary each time:

MONDAY

      - House:   Deep cleaning, DIY projects, decorating, organizing, repairs, etc.

TUESDAY

- Errands: Plan weeks menu and do grocery shopping.
- Family History: I work on personal and family history. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this idea, see the following website new.familysearch.org. It has amazing resources!

WEDNESDAY
- Scrapbooks: Digital photo organizing, editing and scrapbooking.

THURSDAY
- Blog/ Swing Day: I plan to work on my blog on this day. Also I can use it to catch up on other things.

FRIDAY
- House: This category needs a lot of attention so I assigned it twice. 

SATURDAY
- Yard/Pool/: Weeding, mowing, check pool chemicals, gardening, etc.
- Errands: Any errands that need to be run, grocery shopping.

In addition to my "Daily Jobs" there are a few other things that I need to do EVERY day.

CREATING A COMMAND CENTER

To help me stay organized, I created a little "command center" where I have a calendar and my Daily List/Jobs posted. Since we're on a student budget, its nothing fancy. I used an old white board of my husband's to make the calendar. I drew the lines on it with a permanent marker, and then jot the dates and events each month with a dry erase marker. That way I can erase the events/appointments, etc. without losing the calendar itself.

Then, I framed my Daily List and Daily Jobs and hung them next to my calendar. By framing these under glass, I can write on the glass/cross things off and then erase it each night.

CREATING ORGANIZATION BINDERS

Lastly, I organized papers and things that I use frequently into binders.  First, I have my "Household Binder."  In it I keep a copy of: my daily schedule/daily jobs, my list of goals, a copy of our family budget, a copy of our Family Inventory check-list (see above), important documents for my son,  and a quick reference for adult and child CPR/heimlich maneuver. 

My second binder is my "Meal Binder" which contains all things food related: my menu planner, meal suggestion list, grocery shopping list, a pediatrician Feeding Guide for my son, take out menus, nutrition/organic whole foods information, etc. 

And my final binder is my Journal. I decided this year to start typing and printing it out rather than hand writing it, which allows me to write faster and write more. 

Ah, what a great way to turn over a new leaf this September!

Remember September Part 2

My next three September traditions that I will share with you are:  Go Back to School, Preserve the Summer, and Visit the State Fair. (See my first Remember September post for the complete list and explanation).

Go Back to School

"We might ask, when shall we cease to learn? 
I will give you my opinion about it: never, never."    

Brigham Young

                           

There is something truly wonderful about the end of summer when its time for school to start again. And I don't mean the sigh of relief mother's breathe when they get more time to themselves.  I mean the magic of yellow school buses, the crunch of autumn leaves beneath the feet of children as they walk to class, the thrill of new crayons and pencil boxes, and the promises of learning and discovery that each new school year brings. 

I don't know why but there is just something I have always loved about school. And I consider myself very blessed to have gained as much education as I have. This past year I completed my masters degree, and I must admit, while I won't miss final exams, copius amounts of homework, or the stress of writing and researching a masters thesis, this fall I will truly miss going back to school. I'll miss walking to campus on cool autumn mornings, the smell of a new book's clean, crisp pages,  stimulating seminars and class discussions, and the invigorating buzz of campus life. 
My college experience truly provided me some of the richest and most rewarding experiences, and in the words of Victoria A. Bradley, "I thank my Heavenly Father to have live[d] and work[ed] and stud[ied] at [a] university. I whisper gratitude for the professors who became friends, roommates who became family, and the school that became my home."
(Bradley, After All, 2005: magazine.byu.edu/extras)

                      

1. Learn Something New

While for many of us September no longer means the return of a new school year, my mom suggests that we never abandon our pursuit of learning. That is why one of her September traditions is to Go Back to School. What she means by this, is that no matter where you are in life, choose something you want to learn more about. It may include taking a class or attending a seminar, learning a new skill, or simply reading more about a topic you have an interest in.

   For me, this September I want to learn more about organic and sustainable foods. Its something I've always been interested in but I never had the time to fit a nutrition class into my schedule. So I am going to watch documentaries and read articles when I get the time.  And am I a total nerd if I want to buy a nutrition textbook?  For some reason I just get so much satisfaction out of highlighting pages and writing notes in the margins. Ok, I'm a nerd!

Note: For those of you who have the time or are feeling particularly ambitious, Brigham Young University offers FREE online courses for anyone to take! See their webpage here.   Or a great website here  offers over 500 FREE online/audio lectures from professors at top Universities like Yale and Harvard.  My husband and I have listened to these on roadtrips and love them! Hey, you could even listen to one while cleaning your house! Just imagine taking part in a prestigious Yale University lecture while scrubbing your toilets!

2. Buy a New Notebook  

Once you have chosen something that you want to learn more about, my mom's advice is to buy a brand new notebook (and I would add: a highlighter!) It may not be an exciting new lunch box, but at least it puts you in the "Back to School" spirit along with your children.  

                           

 "For in the end we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, we will understand only what we are taught."  -Baba Dioum

Preserve the Summer

     Another one of my mom's September traditions is to Preserve the Summer by following the age-old custom of "stocking your larder."  For centuries, autumn meant the time when you would gather in the harvest and other essential supplies to prepare for the long, cold winter when otherwise food might be scarce. Thankfully, today we don't have that dilemma, but it is a wonderful time to still take a moment to preserve the richness of summer's yield.   

There are several things you could do: 

Clean out, re-organize and re-stock your pantry

Evaluate your food storage (or if you don't have one, start one!)

Make or update your 72-hour kits

Bottle fruit and/or make freezer jam

I personally decided to clean out and re-organize my pantry and also stock up on and freeze lots of summer berries (these make for great smoothies and shakes!) 

   I realize that my pantry is NOT Pinterest-worthy (I'm amazed by some women's abilities to organize their pantries into bins and baskets, etc.) but thanks to this tradition it IS cleaned out and organized now.  

                             

"Autumn is a gracious time, filling my heart 

with beauty as she fills my shelves with her harvest." 

- Patti Pitcher

Visit the State Fair

This is the time of year when many state's throw a fair. I am lucky to live in a state that has a HUGE one each fall. Big or small, however, a fun autumn tradition is to support your State by visiting the fair.  It is a great activity for kids too. My son, as young as he is, LOVED looking at all of the farm animals in the Agricultural Barn. He even got to pet some sheep! There were also lots of kid-friendly rides like the merry-go-round and bumper cars, and of course all of the carnival games.  If you're feeling adventurous too, fairs usually tout lots of unique foods to try, like deep-fried twinkies and oreos or of course, funnel cake!

                         
                           

                            

They had a Butterfly Adventure at our Fair where kids could feed and interact with butterflies!

Coming Soon: More September Traditions!   I promise I will get October out very soon!  (I'm a little bit behind for now, thanks to our computer hard drive crashing, but in the future I will get my posts out during the month they correspond to!)