Make a Gratitude Jar
Katie from the blog Katie’s Nesting Spot shares how to make a Gratitude Jar, a lovely family tradition for November. Decorate a glass container and add a “Gratitude Jar” label, then cut out 30 small pieces of decorative paper and fold them in half. Place the papers and the jar in your home somewhere convenient, and each day have different family members select one piece of paper, write down the date and something they are thankful for, and put it in the jar. At the end of the month, take the notes out and read them together.
Pumpkin-Pie Smoothie
Like most orange-colored vegetables, pumpkin is packed with vitamin A, which keeps your eyes super-healthy. This smoothie tastes like pie in a glass with its vanilla and spice flavors. Short on time? Just open a can of pumpkin instead of cooking your jack-o-lantern.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup low-fat milk
- 1⁄2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
- 1⁄4 cup canned pumpkin puree*
- 1⁄2 very ripe banana
- a dash of cinnamon and/or nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ice cubes
* Note: Use pumpkin puree, not canned pie filling. You will only use a part of the can, but don’t waste it. Measure out quarter cupfuls of the rest of it, freeze them solid on a piece of wax paper on a baking sheet, then store them in a labeled plastic bag in the freezer, where they’ll be ready for future smoothies.
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients in the blender.
- Put the top on tightly. Turn the blender to a medium setting and blend until the ice is chopped and the mixture is smooth, about one minute.
- Serve right away—or store in a thermos (or covered in the fridge), up to 4 hours.
Reprinted from the Fall 2012 issue of ChopChop magazine.
Learn a Thanksgiving tune—>
A Thanksgiving Tune
Kids can celebrate holidays all year round, both classic and unusual, with Gustafer Yellowgold’s Year in the Day DVD/CD set ($18). There’s “A Shadow” for Groundhog Day, “Four Leaved Clover” for St. Patrick’s Day, and a Tin Pan Alley swing tune called “Pumpkin Pied” for Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving Table Talk
Break the ice and keep the chatter lively during this year’s feast with The Thanksgiving Box of Questions. Comprised of 82 glossy cards, this set is filled with holiday conversation-starters that help kids think about what they’re thankful for, discover what Thanksgiving means to them, and start making holiday memories and traditions of their own. Ages 6+, $9.99.
