Daily Truth: “To everything there is a season.”  Ecclesiastes 3:1

As I promised last week, this week I am going to post some pumpkin recipes that are easy and you can do with your kiddos.

I am not a great cook, nor do I always enjoy it.  My sister – on the other- hand can make anything taste AMAZING!  Needless to say, the easier, the shorter, the quicker, the better and these recipes meet that criteria!

I have found that one of the ways to encourage my kids to eat dinner is to have them help prepare the meal.  Now, I don’t do this every time.  My sanity won’t allow it.  But every once in awhile, they do help and enjoy helping in the preparation of a meal.

This was the case with Pumpkin Chili.  My youngest son was so proud of the fact that he “made” dinner “all by himself”  that he ate 2 helpings of the chili.  Now you have to understand, he is my most difficult eater.  Under normal circumstances, Pumpkin Chili would have been a dinner time  – ummm – issue shall we say.

So here is the recipe,

Pumpkin Chili

1 cup chopped onion 

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper

1 clove minced garlic

1 can of black beans drained and rinsed ( You can also use 1 lb of turkey meat.  Just brown it before putting it in the crock pot.)

1 can (14.5 oz) of diced tomatoes

2 cups pumpkin puree

1 1/2 TBLS chili powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 c shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup sour cream ( I used plain Fage Greek yogurt)

Throw everything into the crock pot except the cheese and sour cream.  Mix.  Cover and set on low.  Cook 4-5 hours.  Serve topped with Cheddar cheese and sour cream.

I served this with a tortilla chips and corn. Another note, I like my soups a little thicker.  Just add about 2 cups of noodles the last hour of cooking. This is an easy recipe to double and freeze for another meal.

The other night we had homemade pizza.  I had gotten pumpkin pasta sauce from the Fresh Market and wanted to try it.  So, I made a small pizza for me with the pumpkin pasta sauce, topped it with shredded fresh spinach, chopped mushrooms, goat cheese, and basil.  Super yum!!

Since I was on this pumpkin kick I had to try this pumpkin bar recipe I found.  This is incredibly easy and much healthier for your family than the “normal” version.

OK. So, the picture doesn’t do it justice,  But believe me, you’ve GOT TO TRY THESE!!!

Grain-Free Pumpkin Bars

1/2 c pumpkin puree

1/2 c maple flavored almond butter (Regular almond butter works as well)

1/3 c honey

2 eggs

2 tsp pumpkin spice

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease an 8×8 pan.  Combine all ingredients and mix until well combined. Transfer into greased pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until edges are lightly brown and center is firm.  Cool.  Cut.

To add extra yumminess to this recipe, top with a maple glaze.

Maple Glaze

3/4 c almonds (pecans work too)

1/4 c maple syrup

2 TBLS coconut oil

1/4 c water

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp sea salt

Combine all ingredients into a blender or food processor.  Blend until smooth or creamy.

Verdict:  The kids inhaled these.  Their only complaint was that they were so small! (I cut them into 16 servings – call me stingy!)

Pumpkin Granola

1/4 c uncooked Quinoa (find this near the rice section in your grocery store)

1 1/2 c rolled oats

1/4 c ground flaxseed

1/4 c sunflower seeds (or any type of seed)

1/4 c walnuts (pecans or almonds work too)

1/2 c dried cranberries (or raisins)

1/4 c REAL maple syrup (or honey)

1/4 c pumpkin puree

1 tsp coconut oil

1 tsp pumpkin spice

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla

pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 325 F.  Spread quinoa and oats on parchment lined baking sheet.  Toast for 10 minutes, stirring once.  Remove oats from oven.  Pour in a bowl and add flaxseed, sunflower seed, walnuts, and cranberries.

Reduce oven to 300 F.

In another bowl combine the rest of the ingredients and stir until well mixed.  Pour over oats and combine well.  Spread back onto baking sheet and bake another 20 minutes.

These are just a few ideas to cook up with your kids.  As Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “To everything there is a season.”

Have you ever read through Ecclesiastes 3?  I encourage you to do so.  Solomon pretty much sums up every possible phase of life we go through.  When you take the time to ponder Ecclesiastes 3, you are reminded of the depth of life we live as well as it’s brevity.

So, enjoy this season with your little pumpkins.

Now I must brace myself before 8 hands “help” me with dinner!

Until next Wednesday,

Rebekah

Daily Truth: “But command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him.”  Deuteronomy 3:28

Who doesn’t need someone to come along side them every once in a while and encourage them in the work that they are doing?

We all do.  But what does “encourage” mean?

Encourage is defined as “giving support, confidence, or hope to someone.”

Ok. So here’s a scenario.

It has been one of those “no” days.  A day in which the kids were having trouble obeying.  You know what I mean – a no “encourage” day.

Then you hear the kiddos say, “Let’s play mommy”.

Fearful of how that will transpire, based off of my performance thus far, a “stop” is quickly put to that game.

Now let’s take another scenario.

Moses has just been told he won’t be able to go into the Promise Land because he didn’t follow God’s directions explicitly (that could be a whole other topic – but I digress).

So, God tells Moses to go up to Mount Pisgah and look all around.  Everything Moses sees will be inherited by the Israelites under Joshua’s leadership.  Then God says to go and encourage Joshua and to strengthen him. (Deuteronomy 3:27-29)

I would say Moses had had a pretty rough day up to that point.  All those years leading the Israelites, listening to their complaining about EVERYTHING, having to deal with their disobedience, and putting up with all their whining and griping and because Moses got angry and struck a rock, God told him he wouldn’t be able to go into the Promised Land.

Yep.  That makes for a pretty rough day.

Then God basically says to Moses, “Get out of yourself and encourage this young man, who you have been training in My ways, to have the strength to lead My people into the Promised Land.  After all, it is a little scary and overwhelming and you know it”.

So, how can we as mom’s encourage our little guys who we have been training in His ways, even when we don’t always feel like it.

Here are some ideas.  Not all are original to me.

1.  Have a “yes” day.  Everything a child asks that day, say “yes”.

“Can we have ice cream for breakfast?”

“Yes.”

“Can I watch a movie?”

“Yes.”

The key to this (I am told – I am a little nervous about trying this one) is not to tell the kids it’s a “yes” day.  Let me know how it works out for you.

2.  Mail them cards.

When my eldest went to camp last summer, I wrote her a card for everyday she was gone, labeled them, and put them in her suitcase.  I was so proud of myself. After all, how many other mothers would do that?

She thanked me for the cards when she got back but asked, “Do you think next year you could mail them to me at camp instead?”  (A verse about “pride goeth before a fall” comes to mind.)

3. Slip cards into their backpacks.

Hallmark has a selection of cards just to encourage your kids.  They aren’t hard to find or make them yourself.

4.  Put notes in their lunchboxes.

My kids LOVE this and they keep them for a long time.

The neat thing about these is that they don’t have to be elaborate.  If you are like me, creative words and pithy sayings don’t come readily to me.  So, I get a little help.

Life Way Christian Book Store had a notepad of the Snoopy characters with words to encourage.  Just rip one out and stick it in their lunchboxes.

Hallmark had a book called “If You Love ’em, Bug ’em”.  These are in the shape of a ladybug with fun bug sayings like, “It really bugs me we can’t be together – have a great day.”

(P.S. got some similar notes for my hubs – but they’re a little more…. ummm …..flirtatious).

5.  Stick a fun surprise in their lunchbox.

(My kids are so going to love their “Encourage”  chocolate bar surprise tomorrow.)

6.  Of course nothing beats hugs and words like, “I’m proud of you kiddo.”

My dad used to always say that.  Those would be the words I would need to encourage me and give me strength to finish my task.

So go out and be mom’s that encourage their kids.  After all, life can be a little overwhelming – even for a 4 year old!

Until next week,

Rebekah