My lil pumpkins.

Yes, I am that mom that puts their baby in a pumpkin!  But look at how precious he is in that pumpkin!  And surprisingly he was very content in there.  He could have sat in there for awhile and been happy!  And of course, big brother had to give it a try!

Pumpkin Patches and Menus

We went to three pumpkin patches this fall!  Three!  Yep, three!  Maybe I am a little crazy but we love them.  We love farms (hence my obsession with living on a farm), we love fall time, we love being outdoors, we love fresh vegetables, we love apple cider.  So, of course, we love pumpkin patches!  Plus, it is a great activity to do with my littles that can be free if you want it to be!

Pumpkin Patch #1

Nursing my sweet baby boy at Pumpkin Patch #2

Pumpkin Patch #3

Thank you to my hubby you took most of these photos!  

THIS WEEK'S MENU:

MON:  Green Pizza and Apple, Walnut, and Endive Salad

TUES:  Veggie fajitas with homemade spanish rice

WED:  Shrimp and broccoli in a garlic sauce over whole wheat angel hair pasta

THURS:  Broccoli-Cheese Chowder and a green salad

FRI:  Leftovers

SAT:  Out to dinner with my boys and friends!

SUN:  Baked Dijon Salmon,  Au Gratin Potatoes, and a spinach salad

EXTRAS:  

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll (We use fresh pumpkin instead of canned)

Warm Apple Cider

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Jack O Lantern Cookies (for my son and his friend to help make)

What are you cooking this festive week?

Peacefully,

Alyson

While we try to teach our children all about life, Our children teach us what life is all about. ~Angela Schwindt

Cooking With My Littles and Menus

One of my many passions is being in the kitchen cooking or baking for my family!  I love creating something that is delicious and is good fuel for my family's bodies.  Ohhh...but it wasn't always like that for me in the past.  I hated cooking when I was in my early twenties.  I would have rather gone out to eat.  Plus, I never felt like I was a good cook.  I mean I could barely cook grilled cheese!  It wasn't until I met my husband and we started cooking together that it sparked a passion inside of me.  But I still wasn't that great at cooking!  It was when I got pregnant with my first son four years ago when I realized how important it was to know what I was putting in my body.  Then I knew that cooking my own food was the best way to be healthy.  So it began, my mission to cook and to cook good food for my body, my husband's body, and my sweet children's body.

I think being a good cook was always inside of me since I come from a family of amazing cooks.  My mom has always been such a health conscious, wonderful cook and same with most of the woman AND men in my family.  It just took me starting my own little family to really bring that out in me.  And my husband couldn't be happier.

With my passion of cooking comes my passion of teaching my little ones how important it is to grow our own food and to cook it.  So since day one, my children have always been in the kitchen with me....wearing them, sitting on the counters, or standing on stools!.  They are right by my side learning the ways of the kitchen and how to fuel the body that houses our soul.  I hope one day to pass on my love for food and cooking to my amazing children!

 
THIS WEEK'S MENU:

MONDAY:  Thai Green Curry Coconut Shrimp with Basil  (We added broccoli and cut the curry by half to make it less spice for our son).

TUESDAY:  Eggplant-Zucchini Lasagna

WEDNESDAY:  Homemade minestrone soup and a green salad

THURSDAY:  Veggie stir-fry over brown rice

FRIDAY-  Baked Salmon,  Zucchini & Yellow Squash Gratin (I will use half the butter and use milk instead of cream),  Fried Green Tomatoes with a Remoulade Sauce (Just using the sauce in this recipe).

SATURDAY-  Leftovers and a green salad

SUNDAY-  Green Pizza and Apple, Walnut, & Endive Salad

Since it is the holiday season is starting I am going to add to my menus the extra baking and cooking I will be doing for the season!

EXTRAS:
Zucchini bread (some for now, some for freezing)
Canning homemade tomato sauce
Canning homemade applesauce for my baby boo
Homemade pesto for freezing
Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

What are you cooking this week?

Peacefully,
Alyson

"Mother's love grows by giving." - Charles Lamb

Wordless Wednesday!

There's no other love like the love for a brother. There's no other love like the love from a brother. -Astrid Alauda

Harvesting and Menus

It is that time of year again....harvesting time!  This is when we are drowning in tomatoes and zucchini and we struggle to keep up with the basil and parsley that grow faster than I can run!  I love every second of it!  Now starts the scramble of preserving of it all....tomato sauce, salsa, zucchini bread, pesto, dried herbs, you name it!  All of this will be canned, frozen, or dried so we can reap the benefits all year long.  I will be sharing pictures and recipes soon of everything we are making and preserving!

We heart tomatoes!  

I love watching my three year old run around helping us harvest and picking fresh veggies off the vine to eat right there.  Our 3- month old just loves to be carried around the garden or laying on a blanket soaking everything around him.  Raising our children to know how to grow their own food and eat healthy has become an important part of our family.  I am feel blessed that my parents taught me these lessons, so I can pass it on to my children.

Stay tuned to some preserving recipes and for what we will be planting for our winter crop!!!! Here is our menu for the week!!!!

MENU:

MONDAY:  Whole wheat spaghetti with fresh homemade tomato sauce and a green salad

TUESDAY:  Zucchini, Black Bean, and Rice Casserole with whole wheat tortillas (We use olive oil instead of canola.  And we use fresh tomatoes instead of canned.)

WEDNESDAY:  Homemade Tomato Basil Soup and a grilled cheese sandwich (We use fresh tomatoes instead of canned.)

THURSDAY:  Leftovers and a big green salad

FRIDAY:  Baked Dijon Salmon,  Parmesan Stuffed Tomatoes,  and Balsamic Roasted Potatoes

SATURDAY-  Dinner at a a good friends home.  We are bringing fresh baked bread, a green salad, and Apple Ice Cream with Caramel!!!!!!

SUNDAY-  Fish tacos with black beans

What are you cooking this week?

Peacefully,
Alyson

"As a child, one has that magical capacity to move among the many eras of the earth; to see the land as an animal does; to experience the sky from the perspective of a flower or a bee; to feel the earth quiver and breathe beneath us; to know a hundred different smells of mud and listen unself- consciously to the soughing of the trees." -Valerie Andrews