Don't underestimate home-baked treats

I try to be a good mom food-wise. The kid doesn't get candy, we don't buy chocolate or cookies, I think Trader Joe's Fruit Bars are the most processed snack we give him. I try to read labels for HFCS. There are a lot of fruits and veggies going on at my house. He only drinks water and milk, and currently, yogurt is his favorite food.

Now, I won't lie. There's a stash of Pringles that only my 6-foot-4 Husband can reach, and a dark chocolate bar (or two... or three...) in my desk drawer. He and I are both addicted to caffeine. But we do try to provide the kid with a well-rounded, nutritious diet.

That said, I feel very strongly about home-baked treats. Cookies, cake, pie, quick-breads, all OK in my book. There's a lot to be said for baking, and baking with kids is F-U-N (if you don't mind a little mess).

My cousin and I have a theory that home-made stuff is better for you by virtue of the fact that it's home-made. This makes me happy. Consider that you know exactly what's in it and where it was prepared. You expended energy making it (thus offsetting some of the calories you will consume eating it). If you are so inclined, you can substitute things to make it healthier or taste better or have extra chocolate.

From an education standpoint, it's fantastic. Counting, reading numbers, fractions, weights, chemistry, following instructions and something yummy at the end!

So the kid and I made pumpkin bread today. It's a great recipe, makes 2 loaves or 24 muffins, some to eat and some to freeze. It uses a whole can of pumpkin, no more, no less (partial can-usage makes me nuts). If there's a kid handy to make this with, sifting is apparently a lot of fun for a preschooler (but have them sift on wax or parchment paper - it seems getting it all in a bowl is too difficult) and if you have a KitchenAid, well, what's better than turning it on and changing the speeds?

Then there's licking the spoon. Yum.




*Disclaimer - The FDA discourages the consumption of eggs that have not been adequately cooked, and eating the batter of this particular recipe would require eating raw eggs. I do it anyway, and so does the kid, but don't tell the husband..

So at 7:30pm today, my house smelled great, everyone is happy eating fresh pumpkin bread and playing Go Fish. I'll say it again - don't underestimate home-baked treats.

If you are now in the mood to try Pumpkin Bread, here's the recipe, thanks to my favorite recipe site, Epicurious. I don't use the walnuts, and if you want to do muffins, it makes about 24 regular-sized ones and they only need to bake about 20 min. If you try it, come back and let me know what you think!

Spiced Pumpkin Bread