Pumpkin bread that’s moist, flavorful, and easy to make? Yep, it’s true! This easy pumpkin bread recipe is perfect for the festive holiday season, especially when your time is limited since there is very little prep time or dirty dishes involved. Try making the pumpkin bread in a regular loaf pan, or if you’re looking for a unique present, bake the bread in a coffee tin or in old soup cans. Then wrap it up with cellophane or tissue paper and you’ve got yourself a great (and delicious) gift.
Easy Pumpkin Bread Recipe Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can of pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
**this recipe will yield three 7″ x 3″ loaf pans. We suggest cutting the recipe in half if you don’t want that large of a portion. If you do cut the recipe in half, it will make one regular loaf.
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7×3 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water, and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
3. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
We’ve got plenty of ideas for you to repurpose all those splendid squash
Wondering what to do with your pumpkins after Halloween has come and gone? While you can’t do much with the ones you carved, any solid pumpkins can be used for all sorts of things like fairy gardens, feeding farm animals, and even making pumpkin bread.
We can probably all agree that chucking pumpkins is deeply satisfying. Gather your mini-pumpkins and your minis for a little lesson in physics with a DIY pumpkin catapult, like this one crafted by Lemon Lime Adventures.
There’s no denying the magic of fall. Add to it with a humble pumpkin abode for your favorite fairy garden residents. We love the step-by-step instructions and incredible ingenuity over at Adventure-in-a-Box.
Chop up that decorative number on your steps for this recipe calling for fresh pumpkin, not canned. Plus, you can adapt it for all kinds of squash including acorn or butternut. Add some dimension by adding freshly steamed asparagus and toasted pumpkin seeds to the top, and you'll have a rich and colorful meal.
Cook it down and whip it up: You can skip the store-bought puree this time and use your still-sweet pumpkins for an awesome pie or dessert. We've got 10 amazing recipes here that should do the trick.
Transform those farm-picked pumpkins into outdoor planters to hold colorful fall flowers. Get inspired to try this easy project with your little green thumb at 17 Apart!
Similar to outdoor planters, uncarved pumpkins can be transformed into centerpieces for your Thanksgiving table. Just slice off the top, scoop out the seeds, and place a vase inside full of fresh or dried flowers. You can even place pots of succulents and other house-dwelling plants, such as orchids and bromeliads, for a tropics-meets-fall vibe. Check out the how-to at Simple Joy.
Whether you top them with seasoning salt or go for more exotic combos, a handful of straight-from-the-oven, warm, roasted pumpkin seeds in autumn just feels right. Or skip the culinary creativity and turn pumpkin seeds into a sorting game perfect for those grabby toddler hands. Find out how here.
Bake Some Delicious Pumpkin Bread
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Pumpkin bread isn’t just for fall! With warming spices like cinnamon and ginger, it’s delicious enough to be added to your year-round rotation. Here is our favorite recipe.
Organizations like Pumpkins for the People encourage you to donate any pumpkins that can be used for food and then compost the rest, keeping the pumpkins out of landfills. Click here to find a place to donate from Nov. 1-22, 2021.
Feed Some Animals
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Just like your sidekick, animals dig pumpkins too. Bring your leftovers to your local zoo for some animals to munch on (call ahead to see if they take them, first) or donate them to your local CSA farmer. Share the love!
Grab your little scientist and a few kitchen basics to turn your leftover pumpkin into a science project that would make your former science teacher proud. To find out how to make this explosively exciting project, visit Little Bins for Little Hands and get pouring.
Gather the troops for a little at-home pamper party. Then whip up an easy-peasy facemask made with pumpkin puree, that’s good enough to eat. The best part? We’re betting you’ll find everything you need to make it in your kitchen cupboards.
Give your pumpkin new life by tossing it in the compost bin. Don’t have a bin? No problem. Check out how to make your own with your earth-lovin’ littles at home, using a few materials and simple tools you can find at your local hardware store if they aren’t already in your garage.
Your city may also offer composting services, or check out Scarce.
Attract fall songbirds to your backyard or balcony, using repurposed pumpkins and a little tool know-how. The folks over at Hoosier Homemade show you and your kidlets how to create a simple birdbath and bird feeder with Cinderella-style. The feathered friends who show up in your yard may not help with the housework, but it’s worth a try!
Repurpose all those cute decorative pumpkins adorning your mantel by turning them into totally floatable pumpkin boats. Then, hit a neighborhood pond or pull out the sand and water table (or even the bathtub!) to set sail with your mini sailor. Land ho!
Even if you don’t have snow on the ground yet, you and your kiddos can plan ahead by recycling this season’s ubiquity into next season’s adorable decoration. To find out how to turn a few petite pumpkins into a frosty snowman, check out Caught in Grace’s creative post. Let it snow!
Think spring (or even next fall) by planning ahead for the next planting season. A handful of seeds saved from your pumpkin innards planted in late spring may save you a trip to the patch next year. Or at least provide some cute at-home photos of your sidekick come fall.
Not just your average jack-o'-lantern, transform gourds, mini-pumpkins, and other unique varieties of pumpkins into stylish candleholders for your turkey day table with a little know-how. Jessi at Practically Functional has the scoop on this simple DIY transformation that goes from drab to fab.
We’ve all been there: all set to bust out your favorite recipe or do some baking with the kids and you find yourself short on a key ingredient. Whether you’re looking for a baking soda substitution or you are in need of an egg substitution, or it’s just not practical (or safe) to go to the store, we’ve got a handy list for those just-in-case moments.
Baking powder: The following are equal to 1 tsp. baking powder.
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda + 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar
1/2 cup plain yogurt + 1 tsp. baking soda. Mix dry ingredients together first before adding yogurt. dded to dry ingredients. (Reduce amount of water or other liquids).
1/2 tsp. lemon juice + 1/4 tsp. baking soda.
1/4 cup of molasses + 1/4 tsp. baking soda.
1/2 tsp. vinegar + 1/4 tsp. baking soda.
Baking soda:
Baking powder at a 3x ratio (i.e. 3 tsp. baking powder = roughly 1 tsp. baking soda).
Brown sugar:
1 cup white sugar + 1 tbsp. maple syrup or molasses
Maple syrup, agave nectar or molasses at the ratio of 2/3 cup liquid to 1 cup of brown sugar. Reduce your other liquids in the recipe by 1/4 cup each.
Aquafaba, aka bean water! This is the liquid leftover from canned beans. Use 3 tbsp. per egg. This is great to sub for whipped meringues or when a recipe calls for egg whites.
Flour:
It’s Pretty hard to sub out flour, but you can create your own flour from dried oats if you powder them. Other flours, such as almond flour or coconut flour, can be used on a 1 to 1 ratio but don’t expect the same results. Liquids bind differently with these flours, so if possible try for a half regular/half alternative flour recipe.
Half and half or heavy cream:
Add 2 tbsp. of cornstarch to regular milk.
Melt 1/4 cup butter into 3/4 cup regular or skim milk.
Lemon/lemon juice:
You can sub in vinegar, orange juice, lime juice or white wine in place of lemon juice.
Powdered sugar:
DIY your own powdered sugar by putting regular (castor) sugar into a food processor until it’s…well…powdered!
Sour cream:
Add 1/4 cup vinegar or lemon juice to yogurt.
Yeast:
There isn’t really a great substitute for yeast, but in a pinch you can try using equal parts baking soda + vinegar (or another acid like lemon juice) to create a leavening effect.
Sub a little of your water for vodka and your pie crust somehow comes out flakier. And now you have an almost-full bottle of vodka on hand. Just sayin…
If you run out of food coloring, Use Jello to tint decorative icing.
If you are looking for nutritious and stress-free recipe ideas, soups are a must-have at the family table. The idea of homemade soup can be intimidating at first. And yet, they actually allow you to get a nutritious and tasty meal on the table in no time while not requiring any specific culinary know-how nor a recipe. Discover all the benefits of making soup, as well as easy recipe ideas for the lunchbox!
Soups are inexpensive and so easy to make.
Whether you use a slow cooker or a pressure cooker, you can prepare a savory soup in five minutes, and let the cooker do the rest of the work. If you like to meal prep, you will love to make soups as they can be prepared in batch and allow freezing for days when you are too tired or have no time.
What we like best about soups is that you can create your own soup every day with any veggie you have at hand. Options are unlimited, which makes it easier tolimit food waste while exposing your family to a wide area of foods, taste, and texture too. Poor in fresh vegetables? Frozen vegetables work perfectly too.
Soups are by far the easiest way we found to teach the kids the love of vegetables, one soup at a time. Vary the textures and play at the dinner table with the seasoning. Kids love to season a soup to their taste by adding cheese, breadcrumbs, butter, or cream.
Soups are the ultimate winter comfort food.
There’s nothing like a nourishing bowl of soup to keep the kids warm, full, and hydrated during the winter season. That’s why it’s always a great idea to make a soup to ease the first symptoms of a cold. Tip: load it up with fresh garlic, onions, celery, or carrots for a powerful immune boost.
Easy soup ideas for the kids’ lunchbox
1. Hot or cold, tomato soups are perfect with grilled cheese for the lunchbox.
2. Peas and spinach make a simple and healthy green soup.
3. Mix zucchinis with your kids’ favorite cheese and enjoy. Our kids learned to love zucchinis by mixing the laughing caw or brie.
4. The sweet taste of carrots will welcome any other vegetable or spice. Start easy with our carrot pumpkin puree.
5. Add one potato, one onion, and some garlic cloves to any combo of vegetables, and you are all set!
Pro Tip: Grill brioche rolls and you’ll get savory croutons that kids love.
Teuko is the first platform that empowers families to simplify lunch packing. Using Teuko, they can find and share kid-approved lunchbox ideas, recipes, and tips, all in one place. Teuko is transforming the lunch packing experience by boosting inspiration and motivation week after week.
Fall is here, and pumpkins are everywhere! Americans, both young and old, share enthusiasm for this time of year—maybe it’s the trick-or-treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, baking tasty treats, setting up decorations, enjoying pumpkin lattes, baking pumpkin pie, dressing up in Halloween costumes—either way, there’s a comforting feeling and festive energy with this season.
Do You Know The Origins of Halloween?
The tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward-off ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1st as a time to honor all saints. Soon, ‘All Saints Day’ incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as ‘All Hallows Eve,’ and later ‘Halloween.’ Over time, Halloween evolved into a day of activities like trick-or-treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, festive gatherings, donning costumes, and eating treats (source: history.com).
Pumpkin Fun Facts (source: Farmers Almanac)
* The word ‘pumpkin’ comes from the Greek word, pepon, which means a “large melon.”
* Pumpkins originated in Central America.
* Pumpkins are actually a fruit. Many people think it should be our national fruit.
* Pumpkin is also a squash; a member of Curcurbita family.
* The yellow-orange flowers that bloom on the pumpkin vine are edible.
* Native Americans grew and ate pumpkins and their seeds long before the Pilgrims reached this continent. Pilgrims learned how to grow and prepare pumpkins from the Native Americans.
* Pumpkin was most likely served at the first Thanksgiving feast celebrated by the Pilgrims and the Native Americans in 1621.
* The earliest pumpkin pie made in America was quite different than the pumpkin pie we enjoy today. Pilgrims and early settlers made pumpkin pie by hollowing out a pumpkin, filling the shell with milk, honey and spices and baking it.
* Early settlers dried pumpkins shells, cut it into strips and wove it into mats.
* Pumpkin has been prepared in a variety of ways from soups to stews to desserts since the immigration of the first European settlers.
* The ‘Pumpkin Capital of the World’ is Morton, Illinois. Home of Libby’s pumpkin industry.
* The state of Illinois grows the most pumpkins. It harvests about 12,300 acres of pumpkins annually.
* The latest U.S. record (2019) for the largest pumpkin ever grown weighed in at 2,517.5 pounds by Karl Haist of Clarence Center, New York.
* Pumpkins were once considered a remedy for freckles and snakebites.
Natural medicine practitioners have proven that consuming pumpkin seeds reduces the risk of prostate disorders in men.
Decorate Those Pumpkins!
Carving, coloring, painting, and stenciling are just some of the millions of ways to trick-out Jack. The real stars of the night are our little one’s dressed to fright!
What to do with all that pumpkin goo? Check out this bonus recipe, so easy to do!
White Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies with Almond-Maple Cream Cheese
These soft pumpkin cookies are a great snack idea when having a pumpkin carving party! The almond maple cream cheese gives it a nice finishing touch.
Recipe Type: Easy
Time to cook: 40 minutes
Serves: 8
Ingredients
12 oz. butter, softened 3/4 c. granulated sugar 3/4 c. brown sugar 2 eggs 1 c. pumpkin puree 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. allspice 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp. ground cloves 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour 12 oz. white chocolate chips 8 oz. cream cheese, softened 1/4 c. maple syrup 2 c. powdered sugar 1 tsp. almond extract 1 c. pepitas, toasted
Instruction:
For the Pumpkin Cookies:
* Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
* In a KitchenAid mixer or using a handheld mixer, add 8 oz. butter, brown sugar, and sugar. Mix for 1-2 minutes or until light in color and fully incorporated.
* Add one egg at a time. Mix.
* Add pumpkin puree, vanilla , and white chocolate chips.
* Fold in flour, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
* Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
* Roll cookie into golf size balls or use a small cookie scoop. Place evenly on the baking sheets. There should be 12 cookies on each sheet.
* Gently flattened the cookie dough with the bottom of a spoon.
* Bake 10 minutes.
* Remove from the oven once turned light brown.
* Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
For the Almond-Maple Cream Cheese:
* In a KitchenAid mixer, add cream cheese, powdered sugar, almond extract, and maple syrup. Mix for 1-2 minutes at medium speed.
* Add 4 oz. of butter (1 tbs. at a time) and mix until fully incorporated. Taste.
* Refrigerate until ready to use.
For the Pepitas:
* Heat an 8 inch pan on medium-low heat. Add pepitas.
* Cook for about five minutes. Stir frequently.
* The seeds will pop, puff up, and become toasted.
* Remove from heat. Set aside to cool.
Assemble:
* Once cookies have cooled, top with almond cream cheese.
* Garnish with toasted pepitas. Enjoy!
—via Chef Ryan Rondeno
Private Chef to the Stars, Ryan Rondeno, is a true master of his trade and is ready to shake up the restaurant industry by bringing elegant dishes, bold flavor, and simple technique to the home front. His masterful cuisine has been relished at large-scale culinary events, gala dinners, and as a personal chef to some of the most notable names in the industry. As founder and owner of Rondeno Culinary Designs and the Rondeno Spice Collection, Chef Rondeno is focused on guiding cooks of all skill levels enhance the flavor of the dishes and experiences to the kitchen table with his FoodCulture App.
Ruthi Davis is a the Founder of Ruth Davis Consulting LLC with over two decades of success in advertising/marketing, media/publicity, business development, client relations, and organizational optimization for a variety of clients. Ruthi is a proud mom and influencer in the parenting and family market as founder of the Superfly Supermom brand.
The crinkle of leaves beneath your feet, pumpkin-spiced everything at coffee shops, and the crisp bite of autumn air can mean only one thing: Halloween is on the way! But what are the best ways to celebrate with a little one? Get the most out of this trickiest of holidays with these 12 tips for enjoying baby’s first Halloween.
1. No Tricks or Treats There’s no shame in skipping the trick-or-treating when it comes to baby’s first Halloween. They’re not going to remember the night and aren’t old enough to enjoy the treats anyway. Ease your guilt by taking a stroller walk around your neighborhood to see the older kids in their costumes or check out the ideas below for other ways to celebrate.
2. Local Events Malls, zoos, farms and libraries host Halloween and fall-themed events and crafts all season long. As these often take place during the day, they’ll likely fit into baby’s schedule better than nighttime outings.
3. Baby Party You and your parent friends can host a baby Halloween party. Set up a fall-themed backdrop, add in a few pumpkins, and get those cuties in their costumes for a perfect photo op. If the holiday falls on a weekday, set the party date for the weekend before.
4. Pass Out Candy Show off baby’s adorable costume without leaving your house. A bedecked baby is the perfect partner for handing out candy to the neighborhood kids. Once bedtime rolls around, put any remaining candy in a bowl outside the front door so no one rings the bell. Then it’s pajama time on the couch with a scary movie for you!
5. Touring Tricks & Treats Make a quick visit to a couple of your favorite friends and relatives. They’re the ones who will most appreciate the cuteness of your infant all dressed up, and they might even have an age-appropriate treat for baby.
6. Travel in Style If you do decide to go trick-or-treating, which is inevitable if your little one has older siblings, make sure baby is riding in style. Whether baby’s tagging along in a carrier, stroller or wagon, make it part of the festivities by decorating it for the holiday. Check out these baby carrier Halloween costumes for inspiration!
7. Smart Costume No matter what your plans for Halloween are, dress baby appropriately for the environment. That adorable fuzzy bear costume layered with warm clothes underneath is perfect for a chilly night of trick-or-treating but might not be the best choice for an indoor activity or in warmer climates. No matter how cute a costume, if baby isn’t comfortable, no one will have a good time.
8. Pumpkin Decorating While your little one may be too young to partake in the tradition of carving a jack-o’-lantern, there are other options for pumpkin fun. Let baby go to town with stickers or non-toxic paint on a small pumpkin or gourd. Or cover a pumpkin with natural glue, put out an array of baby-safe craft items, like pompoms, and stick them on. If you do decide to carve a pumpkin, make it a sensory activity by letting baby get messy with the pumpkin innards.
9. Taste of Halloween Chances are most Halloween candy is a no-go for baby, but that doesn’t mean they can’t partake in the tastes of the season. While you’re sipping pumpkin-spiced latte, whip up a batch of pumpkin muffins for your wee one’s tiny taste buds. If baby’s too young for finger food, try fresh pumpkin puree with a dash of cinnamon. Here are 11 recipes for baby purees made with autumn ingredients.
10. Practice Run In the days leading up to Halloween, try out all the parts of the costume so your little one can get a feel for it. Babies grow fast, so this will ensure it still fits. You’ll also be able to gauge how long baby will tolerate any accessories, like hats or headbands. Keep your camera or phone handy for capturing all those precious moments. The low-key practice run may yield some of the best photo ops of the holiday.
11. Reduce the Fear Factor While older kids and adults may relish in all the frights of the night, Halloween can be scary for little ones. Spooky noises, masks and flashing lights can be terrifying and overwhelming for baby’s senses. Don’t be afraid to keep your distance from any costumes or decorations that might be too much.
12. Be Flexible Like anything when it comes to infants, it’s always important to be flexible. Babies get tired or hungry, they have diaper blowouts that ruin costumes, and they don’t care about your carefully crafted plans. Have a backup outfit handy and, if worse comes to worse, there’s always next year when baby will be a year older and more able to enjoy all the fun that is Halloween.
It doesn’t feel like fall without a pumpkin spice latte and a pile of pumpkin goodies from Trader Joe’s. Introduce your baby to this fabulous autumn flavor with these recipes featuring pumpkin as the star ingredient. Read on for sweet and savory dishes including smoothies, soft pretzels, soups, risotto balls, purees and more.
1. No Sugar Added Pumpkin Pancakes: Pumpkin puree, unsweetened applesauce, oats, spices and a few other ingredients come together to make a delicious short stack of fluffy pancakes perfect for babies who love finger foods. Get the recipe at Baby Led Weaning Ideas.
2. Pumpkin Oatmeal Smoothies: Nutritious for baby and delicious for you too, this smoothie is packed with almond milk, Greek yogurt, oats, bananas and, of course, pumpkin puree. Find the blender-ready recipe on A Happy Food Dance.
3. Pumpkin Bacon Risotto: Here’s a five-star dining experience for your toddler. Turn a delicious risotto into finger food by adding cheese and rolling into small balls. This recipe, available at One Handed Cooks, is also easy to freeze in portions for a future meal.
4. Banana Sweet Potato Pumpkin Bread: Cold and flu season starts right around pumpkin season. This yummy bread recipe boasts immune-boosting powers—and a high fiber content to keep those little bellies feeling full longer. Get the recipe at Your Kids Table.
5. Pumpkin and Red Lentil Soup: Soups are easy for babies to eat and an easy way to introduce them to new flavors. This soup pairs pumpkin with protein-rich red lentils and creamy coconut milk. Plus, it’s thick enough that baby can practice eating it with a spoon. Tone down or skip the red curry paste if baby doesn’t like spicy foods. Scrummy Lane has the recipe.
6. Low Sugar Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins: Muffins are great when you’re on the go, and they’re a sneaky way to get veggies into kids’ diets. This recipe uses brown sugar and maple sugar to add sweetness, but the cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice gives the muffins big flavor. Bonus: This recipe is easy enough for siblings to help prepare. Get the instructions at Fun at Home with the Kids.
7. Pumpkin Soft Pretzels: Soft pretzels are nice for teething tots to gum on and fun for toddlers to help roll out. This recipe adds pumpkin puree and a dash of brown sugar to a traditional recipe to create one of our new fall favorites. Find out how to make them at Oh Lady Cakes.
8. Pumpkin Overnight Oatmeal: Once baby has graduated from baby oatmeal, try this spiced-up overnight oatmeal. Combine canned pumpkin with rolled oats, Greek yogurt and other ingredients, let sit overnight, and wake up to a flavorful breakfast for that hungry baby’s belly (and yours too)! Find the recipe on Simply Shellie.
9. Soaked Banana Pumpkin Baby Biscuits: When your little one is teething, having a healthy treat like these gluten-free biscuits to gnaw on is helpful. While the recipe has quite a few ingredients and requires the batter to sit overnight, once you’re done, you’ll have 45 cookies ready for teething emergencies. Freeze some for the next tooth cutting. Get the recipe at Simple Foody.
10. Pumpkin Molasses Cookies: What do you get when you cross snickerdoodles with pumpkin cookies and molasses cookies? These delicious treats. They’re fluffy, chewy and filled with autumn flavors — and calcium, magnesium and iron, thanks to the molasses. You’ll find the recipe at A Taste of Madness.
11. Pumpkin Waffles: What’s better on a chilly autumn morning than waffles? The pumpkin, ginger and cinnamon make these delicious without maple syrup—and perfect for little hands to pick up and nibble on—but a little drizzle of the sweet stuff makes them even better. Kristine’s Kitchen has the recipe.
12. Pumpkin + Yogurt + Prune Baby Food Puree: Mix pumpkin, Greek yogurt and prunes together to make a creamy and nutritious puree for your solid-food newbie. Get the recipe at Baby Foode.
13. Homemade Pumpkin Puree: Want to turn that pumpkin you picked from the patch into baby food? Follow the how-to at Six Figures Under.
14. Sweet Pumpkin-Apple Baby & Toddler Puree: While you have that farm-fresh pumpkin puree, mix it with some apples. Naturally Mindful shares a recipe that also includes maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg for a yummy fall treat.
15. Pumpkin Banana Puree: If your baby is loving those two-ingredient blends, try mixing a can of organic pumpkin with 3 ripe bananas for an easy-to-prepare puree. Get the details at Baby Food Doctor.
16. Pumpkin + Chicken + Parsnip + Ginger Puree: Get the protein benefits of chicken in easy-to-spoon-feed form along with a flavorful mix of ginger, parsnip and, of course, pumpkin. Find out how to make this blend at Baby Foode.
What are your baby’s favorite fall flavors? Tell us in a comment.
Looking for fun and inexpensive activities to welcome the season? Pumpkin-spice up your fall with these autumn traditions tailor-made for creating special memories (and awesome photos) with your baby. Read on for your next weekend activities!
Visit a local Pumpkin Patch: Any tradition that takes place during daytime hours is great for the under-two set. Grab your red wagon and head on out to a pumpkin patch to find the perfect gourd. Bonus: Snap that classic photo of your kiddo sitting next to a pumpkin three times their size.
Explore a Harvest Festival: All those sights, sounds and smells—harvest festivals are made for babies. Watch the sunflowers wave in the breeze, enjoy the scent of warm apple cider, pet a pony. Strolling around with your little one strapped in a carrier brings dozens of new delights. Plus, hayrides take the perennial baby fav bouncing-on-a-knee to a whole other level.
Choose Baby’s Halloween Costume: Babyhood is the one time in your child’s life that you get to choose their Halloween costume. Sweet little ladybug? The painter to your easel? World’s tiniest Darth Vader? Now’s your chance to put your baby in the costume of your dreams before they insist on being one of the ten Queen Elsas in the preschool class. Make the most of it.
Eat Pumpkin Spice Anything: While babies won’t be sampling a pumpkin spice latte anytime soon, the all-natural good stuff in the squash family is made for baby food, thanks to its mild, mushy flavor. You can feed baby some pumpkin puree straight out of the can, or make seasonally appropriate pumpkin-apple baby food. Cook up some butternut squash soup, or try roasted acorn squash with a little butter and cinnamon. It’s delicious for parents and tiny gobblers alike.
Adventures with Leaves: Rake up a pile and leap inside it with baby in your arms. Throw armfuls of leaves in the air and watch your child’s delight as the leaves drift down. There’s nothing better for a new walker than discovering the noise and joy of stomping through a crunchy leaf-covered path.
Experience Fall Colors: Take a walk and enjoy the beauty of trees in the autumn, pointing out all the rich colors to your baby. Then, bring the fun inside your house by collecting a handful of red and gold leaves. Use contact paper to create a fall placemat your kiddo can use for finger foods this year and cozy fall breakfasts next year. Find the project thanks to the geniuses at Kiwi Crate.
Whip Up Homemade Applesauce: Harvest a few apples at a local orchard or farmers’ market, or just pick up a bag at the grocery store. Follow this simple sugar-free recipe to make cinnamon applesauce that little ones can eat, and grown-ups can pair with entrees like pork chops. It’s a delicious fall tradition you can revisit year after year.
For an easy way to make homemade ravioli using seasonal pumpkin puree, check out this recipe from Jen of the Toddler Cafe. Here goyza wrappers can be baked, fried or boiled like pasta. In this case, the wrappers cook up just like pasta, with a creamy inside. Serve with browned cinnamon butter, or just plain as a great finger food. Freeze extra pockets for those nights when the kids are hungry and you’re too tired to cook. Just boil, drain and serve.
Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese
one 15-ounce can pumpkin purée
1 teaspoon kosher salt plus
1 tablespoon for pasta water
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 ground cinnamon
1 package (60) round gyoza wrappers or wonton wrappers
2 tablespoons butter
Grated Parmesan cheese
Method
1. Place the cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high for 30 seconds to soften. Add the pumpkin and stir to combine.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt, the nutmeg, and cinnamon, and mix with a stick blender or by hand until the filling is smooth.
3. Place a 1/2 teaspoon-sized ball of filling in the center of each wrapper.
4. Wet the edges with water and fold the ravioli over to form half moons. Pinch to close by pressing down lightly around the mounds of filling to prevent air bubbles.
5. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of the salt. Gently add the ravioli and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally until they float. (if you are cooking frozen Pumpkin Pockets extend cooking time to 6 minutes)
6. Drain the pasta and toss them with butter and Parmesan.
This is a guest post from our friend and blogger Chef Jen Carden. You can find her fabulous collection kid friendly recipes in her book The Toddler Cafe as well as on her blog.
Pumpkins are good for so much more than making a mess on your kitchen table and being carved into silly faces. Bay Area breweries are putting all that pumpkin deliciousness to good use, and just in time for Date Night! Check out the list below, created by 7×7, that dishes all the scoop on the best places to get the seasonal, and oh so delicious, pumpkin brewsky. There’s no reason we adults can’t get our pumpkin fun in, as well!
If you enjoy the mild spice of summertime Belgian ale, it’s an easy seasonal transition to a fall pumpkin beer. Pumpkin beer was an American original, a colonial beverage invented out of necessity by beer-loving pilgrims, who had more access to Native American squash than English barley malt.
When cooked at a low heat, enzymes in the pumpkin flesh convert starch to sugar, which the yeast can later ferment into alcohol. Pumpkin beer recipes improved over the years and the rustic style remained popular from the 17th to the 19th century, when it was swept into the dustbin of beer history by malt-based beers produced by increasingly large industrial breweries.
The craft beer movement of the 1980s revived many forgotten beer styles and Buffalo Bill’s Brewery was the first to bring back pumpkin beer. Every year more artisan breweries include a pumpkin offering in their fall lineup. Most of the beers, including Buffalo Bill’s Original Pumpkin beer, add pumpkin pie spices such as nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, and clove.
Here are a few of the best selections from this year’s crop:
Jolly Pumpkin La Parcela (Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales) – This Michigan brewer uses open fermentation, oak barrel aging, and adds pumpkin puree into the mash, into the boil, and into the barrel to give their beer an authentic colonial pedigree. The sourness of the wild fermentation is balanced by light spice and the addition of rich cacao nibs. It’s a wonderfully tart session beer.
Dogfish Head Punkin Ale (Dogfish Head Brewery) – Brewery founder Sam Calagione crafted the recipe for this popular seasonal beer while he was still a home brewer. Dogfish Head combines baked pumpkin meat, organic brown sugar, and touches of cinnamon and nutmeg to brew this brown ale. The result is a full-bodied beer, smooth without being either cloying or overly spiced.
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