WEBSS. Guided Parental Handout. pumpkins, Pumpkins and more PUMPKINS! Weekly Earth-Based Spiritual Studies. Sunday - October 21, 2012 FIELD TRIP

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1 WEBSS Weekly Earth-Based Spiritual Studies Guided Parental Handout Sunday - October 21, 2012 pumpkins, Pumpkins and more PUMPKINS! This week s WEBSS is short and sweet. October is the month for Pumpkins. Orange ones, white ones... ones with stripes, ones with bumps, round ones, oblong ones, fat ones, little ones... so many to choose from... some to carve, some to decorate... and even some to eat. Read through this lesson and review the packet before beginning with your children or group so that you have an idea of what you would like to do, what you need to adjust and how you would like to proceed. This Week s Studies include: Book/Movie: Field Trip: Culture: Discussion: Create a Tradition: In the Kitchen: Arts & Crafts: Other Activities: PRINTABLE PACKET: BOOK / MOVIE LEARN - LIVE - SHARE SAMHAIN Pumpkin Patch Purpose of Pumpkins Our Ancestors Ancestor Tree Pumpkin Cupcakes Pumpkin decorations Pumpkin projects Just for Fun FIELD TRIP Take a trip to a pumpkin patch (if you haven t already) to pick out a pumpkin to carve, a pumpkin to paint or decorate, and a pumpkin to eat. CULTURE There is probably no one definitive answer or story as to why we carve pumpkins or where costumes for Samhain / Halloween, but here is one theory. Back many centuries ago... many, many years ago... the people of this world, believed that Samahin was the day when the doorway between the spiritual and physical worlds where the thinnest. Even though it is a widely known and accepted belief - even still today, back then however, some people had become consumed with fear, worried that their ancestors where capable of crossing over - into our world and with the intent to take us back with them, to the spiritual world. So, the theory is that they would carve out scary faces into pumpkins (and other gourds)... and place a candle in them to I suggest, if you aren t recently familiar with it to check it out: Sabbots & Seasons Series for Little Pagans: SAMHAIN by Lora Craig-Gaddis

2 WEBSS Weekly Earth-Based Spiritual Studies Guided Parental Handout Sunday - October 21, 2012 light at dusk... the eerie glowing faces of the gourds were meant to ward off unwanted spirits from entering homes and trying to take living souls back to the spiritual world. In the same respect, that s what costumes were first designed to do too. You would dress up as ghosts, spirits and other otherworldly creatures so that - the REAL spirits wouldn t know you were still living, cause you looked like you where from the otherworld... and in conclusion, they would make no attempt to try and take you to the other world with them. So why is it - you are asking - did they wanted to take you back into their world - into the otherworld? Well it might be because they were lonely, or afraid that they had been forgotten... I don t believe that they had any ill-will, they just wanted to participate with their family again... to see how everyone was getting along and to see the children born into the family since they left. DISCUSSION Samhain marks the point when the veil (or doorway) between this world and the spiritual world is thinnest. It is a time to converse with our ancestors... or family that have left this world in their physical form, to join others on the spiritual side. Here are some questions to ask and talk about: How much do you know about your ancestors? Where does your family come from... Ireland, Germany ect.? How do you honor your ancestors at this time? Do you set a place at the table for them, or set out an extra cup for tea... do create an altar for them, to remember them? How have /do you ancestors impact your life? Do you have a grandfather s eye color, or do you think like your Great- Aunt? Heirlooms and Pictures. What heirlooms (items passed down through the family) and photos do you have of your ancestors? page 2 of... pumpkins... Pumpkins CREATE A TRADITION One is only truly dead, when they are forgotten! In our home we have an ancestor tree (to make one for yourself, you can find a link on this website). From its branches are pictures of many of our ancestors. In front, a little plastic cauldron with candy in it... Then we tell stories about our ancestors. My original idea was that, if you could remember something to tell / something about them or a story being passed down, about that specific ancestor, you would get a piece of candy... and someday I might do that... but right my children are too young so instead - they get a piece or two, total, while they listen to the stories of their family. As long as we never forget our ancestors, they will always remain alive in our hearts and memories. IN THE KITCHEN * HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN SMASH * Slice a Sugar Pumpkin into half - cut off the stem top & bottom. Scrap out the stringy stuff. (Save the seeds, wash and set aside to dry - before toasting) Cut off outside skin of pumpkin, and cut the meat of the pumpkin into chunks. Add Chunks to a pan and fill with water to top of pumpkin. Boil until tender. Drain completely and mash it up to a smooth consistency. PUMPKIN - BROWN SUGAR CUPCAKES (good with and w/o the Brown Sugar Butter-cream frosting ) INGREDIENTS: makes 24 cupcakes 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed 2 cups all purpose flour

3 WEBSS Weekly Earth-Based Spiritual Studies Guided Parental Handout Sunday - October 21, tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp nutmeg 4 eggs 2 TBS Hellmanns 1/2 cup milk 1 cup REAL *Pumpkin Smash* 1 stick unsalted butter, softened HERE S WHAT TO DO: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 standard cupcake pans with muffin papers / cupcake liners. Combine ALL the ingredients. Beat on medium speed for about 20 minutes or until thoroughly mixed. Once the batter is smooth, fill each cupcake liner with batter (roughly 1/4 cup each). Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to wire racks to completely cool. page 3 of... pumpkins... Pumpkins BROWN SUGAR BUTTER-CREAM FROSTING INGREDIENTS: 1 stick unsalted butter, softened 1/4 cup shortening 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed 1 tsp cinnamon 3 cups powdered sugar 1-3 TBS of milk (depending on temperature and humidity) HERE S WHAT TO DO: Combine the butter and shortening in a large bowl. Whip together until light and fluffy. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon until well combined. Gradually add in the powdered sugar - 1/2 cup at a time. Now, add in the milk, 1 TBS at a time until the frosting reaches a consistency you like. Frost your cupcakes and enjoy! ARTS & CRAFTS PUMPKIN DECORATIONS YOU LL NEED: 2 green fuzzy sticks 2 pieces of orange construction paper 1/2 a piece of green construction paper Glue, pencil,scissors and template (included w/file) INSTRUCTIONS: First, print of the template (included with this file) cut out templates... and trace one pumpkin piece onto each piece of orange construction paper, then trace two leaves onto the green construction paper.

4 TAB TAB LEAF - PUMPKIN DECORATION (c) 2012 Weekly Earth Based Spiritual Studies ( WEBSS) Trace and Cut 2 on ORANGE paper PUMPKIN DECORATION (c) 2012 Weekly Earth Based Spiritual Studies ( WEBSS) TAB Trace and Cut 2 on GREEN paper TEMPLATE for: PUMPKIN DECORATION

5 WEBSS Weekly Earth-Based Spiritual Studies Guided Parental Handout Sunday - October 21, 2012 With a pencil - carefully poke holes - not too close together on the pumpkin and leaf pieces (NOTE: the x spots on the paper are just to give you a general idea of where the fuzzy stick will poke through later.) Cut out your pieces from the construction paper. Fold on the dotted lines. Apply glue to the tab areas, ONE AT A TIME. Sticking a TAB side to a NON-TAB side. Allow to dry completely. Starting at the top of your pumpkin, poke a fuzzy stick through one of the holes you punched earlier...to the other side of your pumpkin... guide it to come out the other side. Then, bring it back up through your pumpkin - through the other hole next to where it just came out. Slide on your two green leaves - onto your fuzzy sticks, on top of your pumpkin. Set the height/size of your pumpkin and twist the two ends of the fuzzy stick together. With your other fuzzy stick, run it under the first fuzzy stick where you twisted them together and do a quick twist over the top of it. Wrap the fuzzy stick gently around - spiraling it around your finger or a pencil. Then slide our finger/pencil out. Set out your pumpkins on the shelf or in a window for display. If you want to hang your pumpkin - simply add a string. page 4 of... pumpkins... Pumpkins OTHER ACTIVITIES: This is only a list of suggestions: CARVING PUMPKINS - with scary faces PAINTING PUMPKINS - with black cat silhouettes PRINTABLE LEARNING PACKET JUST FOR FUN: Here are some fun Pumpkin Printable Pages Color in your Pumpkin Pumpkin Maze Pumpkin Words FINAL THOUGHTS Hope you are all enjoying your Autumn! Pumpkin Patch Word Search Please look on-line for a link to the PDF: pumpkins-pumpkins You can make LBOE pages about the different kinds of Gourds. Start with just pumpkins if you wish. There are small: Decorative pumpkins for painting, Medium: Sugar Pumpkins for Cooking and LARGE: Jack-o-Lanterns for carving. Draw or take a picture of the pumpkin - a BEFORE picture and then whether you paint it, carve it... or turn it into pumpkin pie... add an AFTER picture of that too. I would really love to hear from you, what you think of the WEBSS series... any comments, suggestions, ideas or stories/pictures of your own personal WEBSS experience... Please them to: raynestorm3579@gmail.com. And don t forget to check to see what else is available at: Blessed Be!

6 Color in your pumpkin.

7 Start Here Can you make your way through the Pumpkin Maze. End Here

8 How many words can you make from the phrase: PUMPKIN PIE How many words can you make from the phrase: SAMHAIN NIGHT

9 Pumpkin Patch For 2 players. Each person takes turn coloring in pumpkins, 1 to 5 at a time, in a straight line. The one to color in the last pumpkin is the winner. (There are 2 separate games below)

10 Word Search Find the words in the word box below. Words are vertical, horizontal and diagonal. C O R N S T A L K S D F G H J P K L D C A R V E Y L T R G O U R D S A A S S A W A S S G L E T C R O W S P I U B P N A M C N V H B C X J S F D S N T P I D Q W O E C A N D L E S A R T T U U D Y H J S O K L L A P O I N M U Y M M E G F D T S N L A R Z X C C V H B N P R S D F U G L O H K J K M E N B A U K S A P O M I U W Y T R E W S Q A T I I S L P I E K J S E E D S H T G F S N N D M N B V C R E E P Y C A O S D F G H J K F G W E T V R T H A Y R I D E S P K H A L L O W E E N R E W S P I R I T S T R I C K O R T R E A T Q N L B S D F CREEPY DARK MOON GOURDS BATS AUTUMN CANDLES CANDY ANCESTORS SPIRITS SEEDS CARVE PAINT PIE CROWS CORN STALKS HAY RIDES SPIDERS HALLOWEEN SAMHAIN PUMPKIN COSTUME TRICK OR TREAT ALL HALLOWS EVE

11 Recipe: PUMPKIN SMASH Category: FRUITS N VEGGIES From the Kitchen of: Living ESYR / Ingredients: 1 Sugar Pumpkin Needs to be a cooking pumpkin. An average sized Sugar pumpkin can yield about 3 cups of smash. Pumpkin Smash is best used for: pies, cupcakes, breads, muffins ect... Instructions: Slice a Sugar Pumpkin into half - cut off the stem top & bottom. Scrap out the stringy stuff. (Save the seeds, wash and set aside to dry - before toasting) Cut off outside skin of pumpkin, and cut the meat of the pumpkin into chunks. Add Chunks to a pan and fill with water to top of pumpkin. Boil until tender. Drain completely and mash it up to a smooth consistency. tsp: teaspoon / TBS: Tablespoon

12 Recipe: PUMPKIN - BROWN SUGAR CUPCAKES Category: DESSERTS Serves: 24 cupcakes From the Kitchen of: Living ESYR / Other: best served with Brown Sugar Butter-cream Frosting Ingredients: 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed 2 cups all purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp nutmeg 4 eggs 2 TBS Hellmanns 1/2 cup milk 1 cup REAL *Pumpkin Smash* 1 stick unsalted butter, softened tsp: teaspoon / TBS: Tablespoon Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 standard cupcake pans with muffin papers / cupcake liners. Combine ALL the ingredients. Beat on medium speed for about 20 minutes or until thoroughly mixed. Once the batter is smooth, fill each cupcake liner with batter (roughly 1/4 cup each). Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to wire racks to completely cool. (opt.) Frost with frosting and serve

13 Recipe: BROWN SUGAR BUTTER-CREAM FROSTING Category: DESSERTS From the Kitchen of: Living ESYR / Ingredients: 1 stick unsalted butter, softened 1/4 cup shortening 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed 1 tsp cinnamon 3 cups powdered sugar 1-3 TBS of milk (depending on temperature and humidity) Instructions: Combine the butter and shortening in a large bowl. Whip together until light and fluffy. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon until well combined. Gradually add in the powdered sugar - 1/2 cup at a time. Now, add in the milk, 1 TBS at a time until the frosting reaches a consistency you like. Frost your cupcakes and enjoy! tsp: teaspoon / TBS: Tablespoon

14 Recipe: SWEET N SALTY PUMPKIN SEEDS Category: SNACKS From the Kitchen of: Living ESYR / Ingredients: 2 cups of fresh pumpkin seeds 2 TBS unsalted butter, melted 2 TBS granulated sugar 1/2 tsp fine sea salt 1/4 tsp cinnamon Instructions: Rinse pumpkin seeds. Discard any and all pulp, stringy stuff. Line a baking sheet with non-stick foil. Spread seeds out on a cookie sheet to dry overnight. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the seeds with the butter, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Toss to coat. Return the seeds to the baking sheet and bake about 1 hour, tossing every 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool seeds before eating. Store in air tight container at room temp for up to 3 months. tsp: teaspoon / TBS: Tablespoon

15 Recipe: PUMPKIN PIE Category: DESSERTS From the Kitchen of: Living ESYR / Serves: 8 per Pie Plate Recipe MAKES 2-8 Pies Ingredients: 2 prepared or homemade pastry crusts for 8 pie pans 2 eggs, beaten 1/2 cup dark, brown sugar, packed 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp fine sea salt 2 cups REAL Pumpkin Smash 1 (12 oz) can of evaporated milk (whole or fat free) Instructions: Either make a pastry crust or unroll a prepared crust and place into pie pans. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl - mix pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix well. Pour into prepared pie crusts. Bake for 40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. After about 20 minutes check edges, if they are browning too quickly, cover edges with aluminum foil and finish baking. Allow to cool. tsp: teaspoon / TBS: Tablespoon