Happy Halloween!!!

Source: Apraxia Kids

Wholesome Pumpkin Bread

I've just made this amazing whole-wheat pumpkin bread. It was really easy, and the taste is divine. Great way to use pumpkin pulp. Kids LOVE it!!

Wholesome Pumpkin Bread
Servings: 3 loafs

2 cups of baked pumpkin pulp (click for recipe)

4 eggs

1 cup canola oil

2/3 cup water

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup honey

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Cocoa powder for decoration

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.

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.

Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Decorate with cocoa powder.

Best of all, my little one loved to help!

Source: Based on recipe from allrecipes.com

Pumpkin Pulp for the Winter!

This is the best season to freeze pumpkin pulp, and use it for the next 6 months! It's so easy to prepare and freeze. I do it every year, and use the pulp for cakes, cookies, smoothies, side dishes... 

First cut the pumpkin in halves. Place them, face down, on baking sheets with about 1/4 inch of water (see picture 1). Put the baking sheets in the oven for about 50 minutes, at 400F.

Cutting in halves

Once the pumpkin is tender, let it cool. The hard skin is now very soft and can be peeled with your fingers. Use appropriate bags to freeze the pulp. Can't get any easier!

Deep freeze for up to 6 months

Stir-Fry with Brown Rice Noodles: Divine!

Stir Fry is one of my favorite foods. The combination of vegetables, brown rice noodles and soy sauce is simply divine. What's more, it is very nutritious!
Here is my recipe, I bet your kids will love it too.

Stir-Fry
Servings: 6 portions

- 1 package of brown rice vermicelli (rice noodles), 7oz or 200 grs
- 1/2 lbs carrots, dices
- Approximately 10 broccoli florets
- 1 chicken breast, sliced in small pieces (optional)
- 1/4 lbs sugar peas
- 1 large onion, diced
- Soy sauce to taste
- Black ground pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 tablespoons butter

Soak the brown rice noodles in water, as recommended by the manufacturer.
In a saucepan, sautée the onions with canola oil. Add the chicken and ground pepper. Sauté until the chicken slices are golden color. Add vegetables and 1/2 cup water. Let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the already softened noodles, soy sauce and butter. Stir delicately. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Taste it to ensure enough soy sauce was added.

Spooky Witch Fingers

Wanna be the scary neighbor this Halloween? How about homemade spooky fingers instead of sugary candy for Trick-or-Treat? LOL

Spooky Witch Fingers

•               1 cup butter, softened

•               1 cup confectioners' sugar

•               1 egg

•               1 teaspoon almond extract

•               1 teaspoon vanilla extract

•               2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

•               1 teaspoon baking powder

•               1 teaspoon salt

•               3/4 cup whole almonds

•               Raspberry jelly

Combine the butter, sugar, egg, almond extract, rand vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat together with an electric mixer; gradually add the flour, baking powder, and salt, continually beating; refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets.

Remove dough from refrigerator in small amounts. Scoop 1 heaping teaspoon at a time onto a piece of waxed paper. Use the waxed paper to roll the dough into a thin finger-shaped cookie. Press one almond into one end of each cookie to give the appearance of a long fingernail. Squeeze cookie near the tip and again near the center of each to give the impression of knuckles. You can also cut into the dough with a sharp knife at the same points to help give a more finger-like appearance. Arrange the shaped cookies on the baking sheets.

Bake in the preheated oven until the cookies are slightly golden in color, 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove the almond from the end of each cookie; squeeze a small amount of red jelly into the cavity; replace the almond to cause the jelly to ooze out around the tip of the cookie. 

Source: based on recipe from AllRecipes 

Top Toddler Books

Yesterday one of my dear followers asked our help for book suggestions for toddlers. I posted it on my Facebook page and was so pleased with your answers! Thank you so much for your input!!! Wonderful ideas for great books. Here is the top list for your next bookstore or library trip:

Llama Llama Red Pajama
The Color Kittens
Brown Bear, Brown Bear. What Do You See? (This is an Eric Carle classic)
Dr. Seuss books (pretty much all of them!)
Bear Snores On
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
Go to Bed Monster
Eric Carle books (all of them!)
Goodnight Moon
Runway Bunny
I Love You All Year Long
Where The Wild Things Are
I Love You Because You're You
On The Night You Were Born
Seven Silly Eaters

RECALL ALERT: List of all brands affected by the Peanut Butter Recall

Are you losing track of all brands affected by the peanut butter recall?  Every day we see yet another brand with the scary salmonella recall!
Here is the latest list of brands provided by the FDA.

Click here to see the list of all peanut butter brands affected by the recall

Pumpkin Bread

As mentioned in previous posting, I love how versatile pumpkin is. Here is another awesome recipe for this season.

Pumpkin Bread
Servings: 2 loafs

• 3 ½ organic white, fresh-milled, or store-bought whole-grain flour;
• 2 ½ cups of dark brown sugar or to taste add more of any kind of sweetener you prefer
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup coconut milk
• 2/3 cup flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (if desired lightly toast for a few moments in oven and cool before adding)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease and flour two 8″ x 4″ loaf pans.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar (or preference of other sweeteners), baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
Add the pumpkin puree, oil, and coconut milk, and mix until all of the flour is absorbed.
Fold in the flaked coconut and walnuts. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven, and cover loaves tightly with foil. Allow to steam for 10 minutes.
Remove foil, and turn out onto a cooling rack. Tent loosely with the foil, and allow it to cool completely.

Source: Eat Drink Better