Pumpkin Gospel

This week the kids made jack-o-lanterns out of these little pumpkins and read "The Pumpkin Patch Parable". It is a cute story. I love the gospel message that is illustrated through the jack-o-lantern. I had never heard this story before, so I was excited to take a non-Christian holiday and put a Christian spin on it. So, the Sunday school class started out by reading the story, then they carved their pumpkins and read the "Being a Christian is just like a pumpkin" card that was attached to each of their pumpkins, then they ate carrot cookies (they were very yummy and I made them with a carrot puree, which made them orange and semi-healthy! They are in the picture with the pumpkins), and ended with a jack-o-lantern coloring sheet and sang "This Little Light of Mine". It was a fun little lesson. I hope the kids liked it, because I enjoyed planning it.:) In the above picture, the two carved pumpkins are Cadence's and Finn's, which they carved in Sunday School, the big one is our family pumpkin that we are going to carve this week, the medium one on the right is the one Cadence got at the pumpkin patch with her preschool, and the medium one on the left is the pie pumpkin I am going to bake and puree to use in some yummy recipes and maybe even some baby food for Aria!

Here's a picture of me not looking run down, for once!

Recipe Highlight:

These were very yummy and make you feel "healthy" because they have a carrot puree in them! (they are pictured in the top picture with all the pumpkins)

Carrot Cookies

Carrot cookies are made with mashed carrots.

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup cooked, mashed carrots
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Orange Icing, below

Preparation:

Beat shortening; gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg, carrots and vanilla, beating well after each addition. Sift together dry ingredients; stir into carrot mixture and mix well. Stir in chopped nuts, if using. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for about 20 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks to cool.
Ice cookies with Orange Icing while still warm.

Orange Icing

• Juice of 1/2 orange (3 to 4 tablespoons)
• grated rind of 1 orange
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 1/4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

Combine juice and orange rind with butter; stir in sifted confectioners' sugar until desired spreading consistency is reached. Add more juice or confectioners' sugar as needed.