tuesday eats....for the love of orange

i am obsessed with pumpkins and squash once the cool weather starts to settle in. we have lots of frost advisories and chilly winds to keep me dreaming about cozy nights with a soft blanket and warm toasty fire and a little something sweet to munch on.

i love this recipe because i do not have to worry about having a pie crust in the freezer....still have not mastered rolling one of those out! i usually end up just patting it into the plate. this sweet also has a little bit of crunch on the top with the added pecans.

go ahead and try it. i would love to know what else you like to use pumpkin for.

pumpkin pie squares

crust:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter

filling:
2 cups of pumpkin puree
11 oz. evaporated milk
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves

topping:
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 T. butter

1. mix ingredients for the crust until crumbly. press into a 13x9 ungreased pan and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

2. combine filling ingredients and mix well. pour unto hot crust and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

3. combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over pumpkin filling. return to the oven and bake 15-20 minutes or until filling is set (may be a little jiggly).

i know an old lady who swallowed a pie

happy turkey day, dear friends!!! i hope that your pants still fit after all of the festivities. let's be honest the day is all about FOOD!! yummy food and pies and bars!

i wanted to share this video of an awesome 4 year old sharing the book 'i know an old lady who swallowed a pie' by alison jackson. watch the video and do the activity with your child. have them retell it to your thanksgiving guests.

if you cannot get the images to print please email me and i will send the files your way.

craftastic weekend!

i am a crafter. i like crafts. i like sewing and gluing and finding ways to use bits and pieces of leftover project materials. i also like organization but, creating masterpieces does not lend itself to organization in my household and let's face it, being a mom of two does not lend itself to organization. i'm cool with it. i can handle it....most days!

this is the time of year that flies from one holiday to the next. some are already counting down the days to christmas. i must admit that i have even pulled out the "you know, santa's elves are watching you."

this year i wanted to focus a little more on thanksgiving. we have so much to be thankful for and it is so easy to take those precious things for granted. we started off by creating our own fall color-changing leaves. a used her new clementine paints and about 20 paintbrushes!!!

 we left those to dry and came back to them the next day.  we read the book p is for pumpkin. God's harvest alphabet by kathy-jo wargin and we brainstormed all the things that we love. family, friends, the dog, spiders (a contribution because they eat bugs). glad she can find the good in almost anything except turning off scooby-doo!

then we took a few blank maple leaves and drew and scribbled the most important things we are thankful for on them. cut them all out and a little tape and a {give thanks} garland and viola!!! instant decorations for thanksgiving. guests can talk about it and add their own and i have a daily reminder to pause. life is short and good.

what do you want your kids to remember most this holiday season. any great family traditions you like to do?