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I stumbled upon this recipe online yesterday at the Betty Crocker site and realized I had all the ingredients in my pantry … no trip to the grocery store needed. So I made it last night … and everybody loved it!
Click here: Praline Pumpkin Dessert
It’s almost too easy. I had to read the instructions several times to make sure I wasn’t skipping a step or something.
It’s not a pie, but the bottom layer is essentially pumpkin pie filling. It’s definitely not a cake, but it uses a box of cake mix. It has a crust on top that’s almost like a cobbler crust with nuts added, but it’s not a cobbler either. No wonder they simply call it a “dessert” … it defies description.
~Debi
Since we’re currently in the midst of the December holidays, I chatted at length with Catherine Levison (author of A Charlotte Mason Education and A Literary Education). We put our heads together to come up with simple ways to add joy and meaning to our holiday celebrations, family times, and Christmas reading materials.
Family Reading Times
A great idea for the holidays is to set aside a special box or basket containing your family’s special holiday-related books. The Holiday Book Box only comes out during the Advent season, and is put away again with the decorations after the first of the year. The list of favorite Christmas books at the following link was compiled following a discussion between a group of mothers looking for quality holiday reading material for their families’ read-aloud times:
Christmas Books for Family Reading
Many families, including both Catherine’s and mine, buy one new Christmas book a year and have their collection on display. Catherine’s favorite is called The Christmas Story featuring the paintings of Gennady Spirin. It’s breathtakingly beautiful and priced accordingly — however Catherine insists it’s worth every penny. This is one way to include masterpiece artwork into this season of the year.
Several years ago, my family enjoyed reading an Advent storybook called Jotham’s Journey. It’s divided into nightly readings throughout the Advent season. The story follows a young shepherd boy whose wrong decisions and misbehaviors lead him on a hair-raising trip across the countryside surrounding Bethlehem at the time of Christ’s birth. Jotham’s realization of his own sinfulness and need for forgiveness makes for a meaningful and often heart-wrenching example for all of us. My children (and my husband and I, too!) waited eagerly for each night’s reading as we lit the Advent candles. Many times I found myself choked with emotion while reading this book, and almost unable to read aloud to the family. My children and I are looking forward to revisiting Jotham again this Advent season.
Cultural Activities
During the holidays, I frequently discover a large number of low-cost entertainment options by reading the “What’s Happening” section of our local newspaper. For example, this week I found a listing for a singing group performing traditional Celtic holiday carols at a local church for just a small donation. Many churches and community groups put on low-cost (or free) live performances during the holidays.
Rather than taking the family to a newly released holiday movie, consider spending a few extra dollars and attend a ballet or classical concert instead. Many times attending a concert by a local symphony performing familiar Christmas songs is a very child-friendly introduction to symphonic music for children who haven’t previously experienced that type of music. Also, many churches offer sing-a-longs of Handel’s Messiah that are open to the general public.
As we all know, holiday music is drastically varied. Perhaps some attention to playing classical music around the house — while avoiding animated cartoon characters screeching their holiday favorites — would be more soothing.
It’s also time to buy next year’s calendar. If you haven’t thought of it before, hold out until you find one featuring fine art rather than kittens, horses or cars. Along with being a practical item, the calendars often provide excellent opportunities to introduce your children to fine art throughout the year.
Old-Fashioned Fun
While grown children and other relatives visit, provide some old-fashioned fun that can be enjoyed by young and old alike. Charades, sing-a-longs, board games and caroling are easy, affordable and fun. Catherine’s family collects Christmas jigsaw puzzles — which may appear to be a bit twaddly at first glance — but they truly enjoy spending time together which makes it more than an aimless pursuit. You could also choose puzzles depicting masterpieces or popular works of art.
Many families are constructing their own advent calendars from wood and incorporating photographs and other touches. If every- one participated in a project of this sort, then they can all look forward to getting it out each December.
Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? Well, if the snow doesn’t come to you then go to the snow. Some folks make an annual trek to the mountains during December in order to be assured of some contact with winter weather.
Happy holidays to you and yours!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Deborah Taylor-Hough, author, A Simple Choice: a practical guide for saving your time, money and sanity, Frugal Living For Dummies(r), Frozen Assets: How to cook for a day and eat for a month, and editor of the Simple-Times E-zine — subscribe-simple-times@hub.thedollarstretcher.com — with Catherine Levison, author of several books including A Charlotte Mason Education and A Literary Education.
I think I’ve shared this in years past with a variety of people online, but I know I’ve never shared it here on this blog/website before.
It’s an inductive Advent calendar and study guide written by my former Precept Bible Study leader when I lived in Olympia, WA several years ago. She wrote it to use with her grandkids several years ago, but now shares an updated version of it each year for free online. Eleanor’s the best. 
Anyway, an online friend of Eleanor’s just reposted the complete study online at the following website:
2007 Inductive Bible Study Advent Guide
http://miikogibson.com/advent_study.htm
~Debi
In the near future, I’m going to be starting an email newsletter called “Solo Parents” which will be published in conjunction with The Dollar Stretcher family of resources.
If you’re parenting on your own and you’d like to join the “Solo Parents” mailing list — and be among the very first subscribers to this brand new venture (hey, you’ll be an official “Charter Member!”) – send an email to:
join-solo-parents@hub.thedollarstretcher.com
~Debi
Do you find yourself sitting by helplessly while your very own little picky eater works her way through every ounce of spaghetti sauce, picking out the almost microscopic bits of cooked onion?
Do you wish there were a way to get little Johnny to eat more veggies than just the French fries at the local drive-thru? (Do those even count as veggies, anyway?)
Well, relax.
While these tricks won’t necessarily help you win each of those out-right battles waged over plates of food with flagrant veggies and fruit, playing a little “Hide-and-Sneak” could be just what the doctor ordered for a simple way to help your child eat healthier … even if their picky little taste buds haven’t quite matured enough for a full serving of cooked Brussel sprouts.
- Puree veggies and add to spaghetti sauce, soups, or soup stock. You can also use small baby food jars of pureed carrots or squash to thicken (and add some healthy veggies) to assorted sauces and soups.
- Shred veggies and add to ground meat for healthier burgers, meatloaf, or meatballs. You can also add some shredded veggies as you’re browning ground meat for tacos and other ground meat meals.
- Hide those ”icky” onions in sauces, casseroles, or other recipes by sauteing the sliced onions in a small amount of margarine/butter or olive oil until soft. Then blending completely in the blender. You’ll get all of the delicious onion flavor but none of that yucky “slimy” texture picky kids tend to find so disgusting.
- Thicken gravies and sauces with pureed vegetables (be sure to steam or cook the veggies first). You can also use baby food veggies for this, too.
- Add 1/2 cup of carrot puree (or a jar of those handy baby food carrots) to your favorite brownie mix or chocolate cake recipe.
- Let your kids “dip” their various raw or cookked veggies in a dip: Cheese dip, Ranch dressing, salsa, mayo, sour cream, or ketchup. One mom reported to me that her daughter’s veggie-with-dip of choice is cooked green beans dipped in her favorite ketchup. Yeah, I know. Ick! But at least she’s eating those green beans happily.
- Make your own fruit-flavored breakfast “syrups” by blending fresh or thawed blueberries, strawberries, raspberries or whatever you child’s favorite berries might be with a small amount of honey.
- Make popsicles with 100% fruit juice, pureed fruit mixed with a bit of honey and juice or milk, or flavored yogurt.
Be creative … invent your own version of “Hide-and-Sneak” with your picky child’s personal food arch-enemy.
~Debi
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