Nordstrom photo

Every since my oldest daughter was born we have taken her to the very same pumpkin patch every year, had her picture taken in front of the sign, and as siblings were added to the mix, so were the photographs. My oldest is now 7 going on 8, and the sign that once towered above her now does not seem so huge. I love that she is at the age that she ‘gets it’ and now asks when we’ll be going to the pumpkin patch. I know someday she won’t want to go anymore, that it won’t be cool, compared to the much preferred social life with her friends she’ll be leading. So for now, we enjoy every year as if it is the last time we are going.

Another tradition we have also comes when the leaves start hitting the ground and there is a nip in the air. We save bananas throughout the year, tossing them into the back of the freezer here and there, when it is time, every single last banana is dug out to bake the many loaves of mini banana bread we bake for all of our friends and those who we appreciate! We are messy and we have fun which is all part of it, because without that, it would just be work, right? I purchase cute little fall party bags from Nobbies and the mini loaves fit perfectly! We place them in our basket to begin the annual trek around the neighborhood to pass them out to those who mean the most to us. In the past we have given not only to our friends, but teachers, bus drivers, and fire stations as our way of saying ‘thank you’.

A last notable tradition we have is baking cookies on the first snow. Of course you have to prepare far in advance and have the ingredients on hand at a moments notice…some winters it is the middle of October, others in January, but I am always ready for it and so are they…and as the snowflakes hit the ground for the first time, our home is filled with the smell of chocolate chip cookies, and a lot of smiles.

Traditions don’t have to be big, or elaborate, or expensive I have found, they just need to be from the heart. So Moms & Dads, shut off your phones, your computers, disconnect yourself from the world, and go make a memory with your child.  Get messy and laugh!!  Someday when they are grown, which is happening much faster than any of us realize, they will thank you!

Emily

Emily’s Fall Banana Bread

3-4 ripe bananas, smashed

1 ½ cup flour

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour loaf pans, set aside. Mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into pan, bake for 1 hour.

 *Note dark coated loaf pans take less time.

Cool on a rack, remove from pan, slice & serve.  Enjoy!!

Grace baking cookies!

Ireland's cookies!

Piper taste testing.

The delicious results!