Navigation Bar

Friday, September 19, 2014

Amish Pumpkin Crunch

In the spirit of the Autumn season and all things pumpkin, I thought I'dd share with you one of my favorite pumpkin desserts!  I found the recipe in an Amish cookbook many years ago while visiting the Amish country in my home state of Ohio. It's like what some call a "dump cake" and pumpkin pie rolled into one yummy dessert.  I tweaked it ever so slightly.  It is delicious and easy.  Oh- and the house smells AMAZING when this is baking in the oven!  Enjoy!




Amish Pumpkin Crunch

1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
3 eggs
3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup butter (melted)


Beat first 6 ingredients until well blended.


Pour into ungreased 9x13 baking dish.  I used a slightly smaller dish so mine came out thicker and I added about 15 minutes to the baking time.  I recommend a 9x13 though.


Then liberally sprinkle the cake mix on top of the pumpkin mixture.


Drizzle the melted butter over the cake mix as evenly as you can.  It doesn't have to be perfect, though.  It all balances out in the oven.


Bake at 350 for 40-45 minute, let cool and then enjoy!




-Maria

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Why I Don't Want My Boys to See Me Naked...

I don't know if you've seen the viral blog post going around of a similar title.  I actually get where the author is coming from.  A mom of boys who wants her sons to get a true understanding of what a real woman looks like, flaws and all.  I appreciate the intention and point to give her sons encouragement to appreciate all body types, but I don't think my sons seeing me naked will accomplish that. And here is why...

My boys will not need to see me naked to see what my body looks like and to see my flaws.  They will see me in a night gown or a swim suit and will know mommy's body isn't perfect.  In fact, all I need to do is take them to a water park, and they will know that the vast majority of the female race looks nothing like the photoshopped images in the magazines.

No, if I want to teach my boys to appreciate a woman beyond her imperfect figure, well, I'm not really the person to do that.  Their dad is.

The best thing anyone can do for their sons to teach them how to love and appreciate a woman beyond her body type is to let them see an example of a loving father passionately loving their mother at all times, in all states of physique and disarray.

The problem with boys who turn into men, I believe, is that they have seen examples of fathers and husbands who eventually grow "out of love" with their wives when time takes its toll physically. Wives are guilty of this too, by the way...

I'm so thankful for a husband that, even at my absolute worst, I'll catch just gazing at me.  Even in my times when I feel my fattest, stinkiest, or frumpiest, he wants to hug me and hold me and tell me I'm beautiful.

That is what will teach my boys how to appreciate their woman.  They don't need to see mommy naked to have realistic expectations of the female form and to appreciate their wives' bodies one day no matter what toll nature takes on them.