a very sincere pumpkin patch

i am really enjoying the pumpkins from my garden this fall. and i smile at how little i did to deserve such a wonderful harvest! these are truly a gift. last fall i got some lovely sugar baby pie pumpkins from a friend's garden. but i had one left over that never got cooked and baked into something yummy or even put in the freezer for later. instead the poor thing was shuffled from the kitchen counter to the laundry room when the fall decorations gave way to christmas. then moved from the laundry room to the mud room when i cleaned one day. by now the pumpkin was looking pretty sad and slightly mushy. mark wondered why i was keeping it and i had to face it: i was not going to get around to cooking up that pumpkin. it had definitely gone by! so it was thrown outside into the flower bed. i noticed that a mouse found it and gnawed a hole in it to feast on the seeds. i'm sure it was quite a windfall for him so late in the winter when his store of seeds must be running low. spring finally came and what was left of the pumpkin was given to the chickens. i welcomed warmer weather and was anxious to get busy in my garden. it was then, while weeding my flower bed, that i noticed something sprouting, maybe sunflowers? i might have spilled some birdseed. but then i realized. these were volunteer pumpkin sprouts! what seemed like hundreds! i transplanted 3 small seedlings into the vegetable garden and sadly weeded out the rest. the little guys did not receive much attention from me over the summer. i think i gave it one good weeding and let nature do the watering. the result was 20 beautiful pie pumpkins, an undeserved gift!

(i know, that is quite a story to introduce this blog post!)

freshly pureed pumpkin

how to make fresh pumpkin puree

after cutting open the pumpkin, scoop out the inside seeds and pulp. (yes! i saved the seeds this time!) next, cut the pumpkin into chunks leaving the skin on. place in a large pot and add a few inches of water. cover and bring to a boil. turn down to a simmer and cook, covered, until pumpkin is soft. when cool enough to handle scoop pumpkin from the skins. puree in a food processor. drain pumpkin in a fine sieve for 10 or 15 minutes to remove any extra liquid. freeze in 2 cup quantities in freeze bags or containers. (2 cups roughly equals a small can of pumpkin)

and in the spirit of the season, i made some pumpkin cutout cookies. :o)

everyday gift: a bountiful harvest of pumpkins

the hope of a spring yet to come

autumn's overnight frost has ushered in the end of summer.

what was once green and lush, now turns brown and brittle.

the milkweed pods look like death shrouds,

but as it splits open it reveals something quite opposite of death;

a hundred seeds spill out with wings that will carry them on the wind.

seeds that carry the hope of new life and a spring yet to come.

everyday gift: beauty in a milkweed pod

giving thanks

i just don't know where to start when i consider all that i have to be thankful for. God is so good. and i am very mindful of the fact that it is easy for me to be thankful when i have a beautiful new home and do not worry about paying for the groceries, while others have lost jobs or are struggling in other ways. but i am even more thankful for the intangibles. these are things that can never be taken be taken from me, my salvation, God's love for me, an eternity in heaven when this life is through, my love for my family... it is for these things that i give thanks more than all else.

november was busy, but i will end this month with a few pictures: our anniversary, caleb and mark's birthdays, and thanksgiving, of course.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life,

neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future,

nor any powers, neither height nor depth,

nor anything else in all creation,

will be able to separate us from the love of God

that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:35

Let them give thanks to the Lord for

his unfailing love

and his wonderful deeds for men,

for he satisfies the thirsty

and fills the hungry with good things.

Psalm 107:8-9

anniversary roses to celebrate 16 wonderful years together

thank you, mark. for an adventure filled life, i love you!

i am thankful for C, born on a snowy day

a few days after thanksgiving,

14 years ago!

B looks on as C opens a gift from her:

chocolate nesquick, his favorite!

look! a smile from mark!

a thanksgiving toast

mark carving the turkey

the kids are so blessed to be able to enjoy a thanksgiving with their grandparents.

a crazy game of 4-sided chess! i love the fun of a good game.

do you like the table?!

i am so thankful for family times like this.

everyday gift: a holiday to reflect on our many blessings

autumn view

this is the view from the deck of our new house. we have moved in (but are not quite settled yet, in case you have wondered where i have been!) the field in the background is our corn which the farmer has not been able to harvest due to the wet weather. if things don't dry out soon, the crop could be lost. however the "crop" of mud surrounding our house seems to be doing just fine! yikes. i am still hoping that we can seed some grass before winter.

although the summer went way too quickly, i do love the change of seasons, and autumn is one of my favorites. i hope you are enjoying the crisp evenings with some hot apple cider! i have a taste for pumpkin... maybe, i should bake some pumpkin scones today...

everyday gift: the colors of autumn

more about gourds

a few weekends ago we spent a lovely time at the gourd fest. who knew gourds could be so interesting that you could celebrate them so? well, if you have been reading my blog lately you know that B has become quite taken with gourds. she has her own gourd garden with birdhouse gourds ready to harvest soon. so when we heard about a local gourd festival, we knew we couldn't miss it!

B following her dad's instructions to have her picture taken with the biggest gourd she could find.

unbelievable variety!

a sweet kiss.

B and grandy share a common interest in gourds, so this was a special time for them.

B with grandy and grammy

the uncommon gourd was my favorite vendor booth.

incredible works of art. i especially liked the ones that mixed basketry and weaving with the gourds. i love artwork that uses natural beauty in the design. you can see more of this artist's work at her website.

dried gourds. we bought a few to play with over the winter while B's gourds dry in the barn. i think it will be fun for B and grandy to have a special project to work on together.

decorating gourd shakers

gourd bowling!

wonderful gourd arbors

the girls had fun walking through the gourd arbors

grandy with B, identifying gourds with the guide

across the fence was a beautiful view of the countryside with a train rumbling by.

i love the sound of a train whistle.

everyday gift: enjoying the gourd fest with grammy and grandy

the thanksgiving box

our latest keeper meeting focused on the upcoming thanksgiving holiday so we made a craft that would help them and their families live with gratitude all year long. whenever you find a reason to praise and thank God during the year, you write it on a piece of paper, date it, sign it, and pop it in the box. when thanksgiving comes around, you draw out the slips of paper and remember a whole year full of blessings that might otherwise have been forgotten. i hope it will give them eyes which notice even the smallest things that God has put into their lives.

the girls suggested things they could write down and add to their boxes right away:

"i am thankful that i was adopted."

"i am thankful that i was kept safe when a deer hit our car today!"

"i am thankful that i still have nelly!"

"i am thankful that i have a birth mother."

such sweet offerings of praise! those girls touch my heart every time!

I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30

we had a a lot of fun doing our craft. we used colorful fall napkins and modge podge to decorate the outside of the boxes, added a Bible verse on thankfulness and ribbon. thank you to janet for sharing her craft expertise with us all!

the girls with their thanksgiving boxes

hearts filled with love and gratitude

[my inspiration for our boxes]

everyday gift: scraps of paper which testify to God's richest blessings.

tis the season of pumpkins

okay, read this with your best Forrest Gump drawl...

pun'kin bread, pun'kin muffins, pun'kin pancakes, roast pun'kin seeds, sausage and pun'kin soup, pun'kin souffle, pun'kin tarts, pun'kin pie, pun'kin cookies, pun'kin bars...

we have really been loving our pumpkins this year and i have some yummy recipes to share. enjoy!



cinnamon and sugar pumpkin seeds

4 cups dried pumpkin seeds (remove from the pumpkin, rinse, and spread out on newspaper to dry over night)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar, divided

mix the pumpkin seeds with the melted butter, cinnamon, brown sugar and half of the white sugar. spread on baking sheet and roast at 350* for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so. remove from the oven and stir in remaining sugar while still warm. cool. store in an airtight container.



spiced pumpkin seeds

4 cups pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbl seasoned salt
1/2 tsp worchestershire sauce

mix pumpkin seeds, butter and seasonings. stir to coat. spread on baking sheet and roast as described above.



pumpkin & sausage soup

1 pound italian pork sausage
1/2 cup onion, chopped
5 medium mushrooms, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. each of basil, oregano, and thyme
2 cups fresh pumpkin puree (or 15 ounce can of pumpkin)
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

brown the sausage, onion, mushrooms, and garlic in a large pot. drain the fat. add the pumpkin, broth, and seasoning. cover and simmer for 20 minutes. add the cream and simmer an additional 10 minutes.



pumpkin scones

2 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup white chocolate chips

egg glaze: 1 beaten egg + 1 tablespoon milk

mix together dry ingredients and cut in the butter. in a separate bowl mix together wet ingredients and chocolate chips. add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until they just pull together. do not over mix. transfer to floured surface and knead 3-4 times. pat into a circle and cut into wedges. place on a baking stone or sheet. brush with the egg glaze and sprinkle with sugar. bake at 375* for 20 minutes. serve with pumpkin spice butter.



pumpkin spice butter

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice

combine and mix until creamy.


everyday gift: pumpkin orange

autumn pleasures

a fall center piece

sugar baby pie pumpkin

making pumpkin puree and roasting seeds


"ewwww. this feels so cool, mom! are you sure you don't want to put your hands in here?!"
B really loved sorting the seeds from the pulp. we will let them dry before seasoning them and roasting them.

our autumn nature table. some of these items were collected recently on our nature walks, others are from our on-going nature collection. we have really been enjoying our fall nature study by jane claire lambert.

there is nothing quite like raking in the wind.

leaf impressions

just a quick 'thank you' to melinda from the fiar boards who inspired this project! :o)
you can check out her blog for instructions.

everyday gifts: enjoying the things that make each season special