Saturday, September 06, 2008

• Fall Time Fun and My Pumpkin Bread Recipe

  by Mama Butterfly

  Fall time is almost here, and I am so terribly excited! It is by far my most favorite time of year, and even though the next few days are supposed to be in the high 80's, there is a cool breeze in the mornings and evenings and the heavy heat and humidity of summer has lifted! Autumn is such a busy time for us. Other than Christmas, this time of the year holds the most family traditions. September and October are absolutely beautiful in our area and this is usually when we spend the most amount of time outside. The weather is cool, the trees are bright and colorful, the surrounding farms are filled with sights and smells of harvest, roadside produce stands are filled with pumpkins, gourds, corn, mums and etc. It is so colorful! 
  
  Food is an important part of our fall time activities. I always bake pumpkin bread (recipe below), and make homemade apple pie with freshly picked apples. Warm apple cider, apple butter, and caramel apples are also family favorites! My mom and I always take a day and make homemade applesauce. We add just a small amount of organic raw sugar, and it is so good! We make enough to freeze for the year. It's a busy but fun day. I often roast pumpkin seeds in the oven, also.
  
  Our area has a lot of farm shows and fairs over the next few months. There are 3 that we attend faithfully. They are all quite different with tons to do for the kids and a lot of yummy food. 2 of the 3 have parades, so we always go on parade night. Sitting along the road, watching trucks and floats go by, is always so much fun. 2 of the fairs also have farm shows as a part of the event, and you can walk around looking at the cows, sheep, goats, pigs, rabbits, and chickens. It's very "small townish" and quaint. The food at the fairs is something we all look forward to immensely! It is definitely not the healthiest, but it is our fall treat and so yummy! Candied apples, cotton candy, ice cream and waffles, various types of roasted meat for sandwiches, freshly cut french fries, milkshakes and much more are at the various stands.
  
  R's birthday is in November, and we always have his yearly pictures taken outside in the leaves. It's such a small thing, but its something I always look forward to. It's so fun to look at past years and see how much he has grown! I want to find something similar to do for A... she is in February, so perhaps we'll try and do snow pictures with her each year!
  
  Other fall time activities include hiking and going to the mountains, at least once with our extended family. Although I am not into sports, my husband is and football is one of his favorites. I don't really enjoy watching it, but many Sunday afternoons are spent with him watching the game and me sleeping or reading on the couch. He enjoys getting together with his buddies to watch the important games, and usually the wives all relax together, also.
  
  All in all, it's such a great time of year, and the anticipation of the holidays is right around the corner!
  
  Pumpkin Bread Recipe

  Ingredients:
  4 eggs
  3 cups of sugar
  1 ½ tsp salt
  1 tsp nutmeg
  1 tsp cinnamon
  1 cup of oil
  2/3 c water
  3 cup of flour
  2 tsp baking soda
  1 ½ cup of pumpkin

  Directions:
  Cream first set of ingredients together. Add rest of ingredients. Pour into 2 greased bread pans and bake @ 350˚ for 45 minutes or until done in center.  Enjoy!
  
  Do you have any fall recipes that are favorites in your family? Any family traditions for fall time?

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