TRIBUTE TO PUMPKIN PATCHES

Pumpkin patches are one of my FAVORITE Fall traditions!! I LOVE to take my kids to a new patch every year! Each and every one has it's own sort of "personality"!! We have been to some that inspire me to go home & decorate, while others inspire me to go home and bake!!






Most of them offer mazes now too! Usually they have the HUGE corn maze (which i can NEVER get through unless my hubby goes) and we have been to some that even have SUNFLOWER mazes & HAYSTACK mazes!!









Many of these pumpkin patches will now have a bakery where you can buy some of the most DELICIOUS pumpkin flavored treats!! We have sampled pumpkin fudge, pumpkin breads, pies & (my personal fave) the pumpkin cookie with cream cheese middle!!! YUM!!

Here is a FANTASTIC "KID-FRIENDLY" Pumpkin Recipe:

OOEY GOOEY PUMPKIN BARS

Cake:
1 yellow cake mix
1 egg
1/2 C. butter, melted
1 can pumpkin

Filling:

1 (8 oz.)cream cheese
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (16 oz.) confectioners' sugar
1/2 C. butter, melted
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 (15 oz.) can of pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 13x9x2 in. baking pan. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine cake mix, egg & buttter; mix well. Pat into the bottom of prepared pan & set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese & pumpkin until smooth. Add eggs & vanilla. Add confectioners' sugar & cinnamon and beat wel. Reduce speed of mixer & slowly pour in butter. Mix well.
Pour filling into cake mix & spread evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 mins. Center will be slightly gooey. Cool & cut into squares. Enjoy! :)


The patch is a great place to buy all of your decorating needs for the Fall season!! Not only will your kids pick out some fantastic looking pumpkins for you to take home but lots of these patches offer Indian Corn, Broom Corn, Gourds, mums, dried sunflower heads & yard decorations!







They also offer some of the greatest picture opportunities! The patch itself is a FANTASTIC Christmas or Fall card photo opp. of the enitre family! But they also have some of the LARGEST pumpkins you will ever set your eyes upon!! We visit one that even has a OVERSIZED rocking chair that your entire family could fit in! Some of these patches put together some beautiful backdrops made strictly from natural elements.













Some of the patches we have been to even have Haunted Houses!! This is especaially fun if you have older children that still like to go to the pumpkin patch! Most have petting zoos for the little ones! Even my older kids like seeing the neat animals some of these patches have!





Another kid favorite is the corn cob launchers! Who wouldn't love to launch cobs out of a HUGE cannon! My boys LOVE this part!




We have even had one of my daughter's birthday parties at a pumpkin patch! The patch we were at gave the kids a hayride, a weiner roast, & even supplied the scarecrow shaped cake!! They sat out hay bailes for the kids to sit on & decorated the tables with pictures of my daughter with halloween scenes!!





but we made & decorated these cookies to share (and I just had to share them with you)! :)



They are a learning experience too! The "Great Pumpkin Patch" in Arthur, IL labels each in every variety of pumpkin they have & even has flyers setting near that explain which particular pumpkin is good for what. Some pumpkins are great for desserts while others make a mean pumpkin soup!! They also have a historic one room school house there!







So here is my TRIBUTE to patches with some of our all time favorite "patch" moments!!












































So what are YOU waiting for? GET BUSY & get to the pumpkin patch....for some good old fashioned FUN & some great INSPIRATION!!! :)