Check out my Dad's Blog

http://flightplanforretirement.squarespace.com/

My Dad now has a blog! Be sure and check it out and pass it along to your retirement-age parents. It is very interesting and has extremely valuable information for anyone of any age. For some of us who might still be students or drowning under school loans, retirement seems very far away. But, remember, it is never too early to be educating ourselves on how to plan. My dad is one of the coolest people I have ever met. He is very smart, highly motivated and can tell a great joke! He also knows more about financial planning and money matters than most anyone you will ever meet. So check out his blog and you just might learn something.

Happy Turkey Day

How cute are these? We made these at my mother-in-law's house with my sister-in-law and 4 little boys. I think the grown-ups had more fun than the kids! The kids were more interested in eating off all the candy corn and we ate the sugar cookies. We had fun that day.
Have a great Thanksgiving week with family and friends. We are all so blessed every day of the year and Thanksgiving is a great time to reflect on all the blessings of the year. My family has been blessed, indeed. I know yours has too!

I have finished reading "Buy, buy, baby, how consumer culture manipulates parents and harms young minds." I found a copy at my local library, but you can read some good reviews on Amazon. It was very interesting. A few reasons I thought it was better than some books like this I have read is because the author is a mother herself and she is non-judgemental. She is simply stating what she found in her research.

I am the first to admit my kids watch TV pretty much everyday. In the mornings while we are getting up and ready and then usually in the late afternoons. Some days Curious George is the only thing that allows me to get supper ready. I am also guilty of falling for "brands" such as Baby Einstein (which she talks about at length) and Disney items. I want to buy my kids the things they like even if it is pop-tarts and Disney "Cars" toys. I also want to think I am buying my kids "educational toys." She has a lot of interesting things to say about so-called "educational toys," but she says it in a non-judging way, just fact stating. It is worth checking out for sure.

My opinion on most of this is moderation. A little TV is okay. A pop-tart once in a while isn't going to kill anyone. My parents taught me this growing up. Moderation is the key to most things in life. And sometimes the best educational toy in the world doesn't cost a dime. It is just hanging out in the backyard doing nothing. That is what I fear for my kids. I want them to have time to do "nothing." Not have to be "entertained" all the time.

I am only child and growing up I could happily spend a week at my grandparents farm making mudpies, picking strawberries, and sitting under a huge oak tree eating watermelon from the garden that was picked 5 minutes ago. My kids aren't going to have that experience and it makes me sad. I firmly believe my weeks spent there were better than any fancy sports camp or what have you now.

Well, I don't have the answers. As much as I would love to be one of those families that don't have a TV, I just love my Tivo too much.

Thing 1 and Thing 2

I couldn't resist posting this picture. I was out all morning and when I got home this is how JW had dressed the boys. He loves these shirts. They are actually handed down from a friend who bought them for her kids at Disneyworld. Sweet little Thing 1 and rotten little Thing 2! Happy Saturday!

In Praise of Pumpkin

Everyone in my family loves pumpkin bread. Whenever I make it, I have to ration it out to keep them from eating it all in one sitting. Pumpkin is very healthy so I don't mind the boys eating it for breakfast or snacks.
I am a huge Paula Dean fan. I have 3 of her cookbooks and love everything about her philosophy of cooking. (Beacause I love everything Southern!) But, I must admit, I was not crazy about her pumpkin bread. The recipe called for 3 cups of sugar. That is a lot of sugar!
I am going to share with you my favorite Pumpkin Bread recipe. I have made it for years now and everytime I try a new recipe, I always end up going back to this one. Not only do we love the flavor, but it is so much healthier than most. It only has 1 cup of sugar and 3/4 cup of wheat germ (which is so healthy on many levels.) The flavor of the pumpkin really comes through because it is not covered up with sugar. I will say that I tried it once with Kroger brand pumpkin and did not think it was as good as the Libby's brand pumpkin.
Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bread

21/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon ginger
11/2 to 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt (I don't usually add this)
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk (like carnation brand)
1 cup canned pumpkin (I usually add a little over 1 cup)
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, butter and egg in a bowl and mix well. Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix until well moistened and smooth. Pour into greased loaf pans. (I like to make in smaller loaf pans. Especially nice if you want to take to someone.)
Bake at 350 degrees until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. 30-35 minutes for small loaf pans. 45-60 minutes for larger loaf pans. Just keep an eye on the edges and take out if they look like they are getting brown.

Trick-or-Treat

Check out this carving work! I was quite impressed.
Ready to go get the candy!
My little fireman and puppy dog
This was at our Fall Fest at church. We did wear the infamous pony costume too!