(My daughter and her stuffed pumpkin)
Fall in the first grade was fun, but in second grade the season is stupendous.
Thanks to a very crafty mom, my daughter’s entire class spent Halloween handcrafting these adorable stuffed pumpkins.
The gourds are made of orange fabric and stuffed with Fiberfill. Before securing the top of the pumpkin with drawstring, each child was given a stick to place in the center of the fluff. Once the stick was upright, the drawstring was secured and fabric leaves were threaded on the wooden rod. Next, pieces of raffia were tied at the top of the pumpkin near the base of the exposed stick. Finally, each of the students made spiral vines by wrapping green wire around pencils, and then securing them around the stick near the leaves.
Once the pumpkins were done, the kids got a lesson in stuffing of a different sort. The kind you eat.
Students were shown how samples of fall’s harvest such as pumpkin seeds and cranberries can help spice up holiday dishes, such as stuffing. While they didn’t get to cook the stuffing, they did get to taste the finished product and take home the recipe:
Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing
Ingredients:
1 pound breakfast sausage
1 stick butter
3/4 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 1/2 cups shelled pumpkin seeds
2 bags seasoned stuffing mix (white and wheat mix)
3 to 4 cans chicken broth
2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Brown sausage in large pot, breaking into small pieces.
Remove and drain sausage and set aside.
In same pan, saute onion and celery in butter. Remove from heat and add cranberries, pumpkin seeds, poultry seasoning and parsley.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add sausage to pan and mix.
Add stuffing cubes and mix.
Slowly add broth and mix until moistened but not soggy.
Place in greased casserole dish, cover and bake for 20 minutes.
Uncover and bake 10 minutes to crisp top before serving.
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