Celebrating Fall: Apple Spice Bread & Corn Necklaces

The Fall Equinox occurred on Monday and we’ve been finding ways to celebrate this change in the season throughout the week.

Although Baby LF isn’t quite old enough to really engage in crafts too deeply, I don’t think it’s ever too early to begin new traditions (plus, I’d do these things even if I were just on my own!). We tried out two new activities that were inspired by a really wonderful book about celebrating the Earth’s seasons: Celebrating the Great Mother.

The first activity was baking a delicious apple spice bread. Mmm…fall in a loaf.

This recipe makes two loaves of bread. The ingredients include:

2 1/2 cups diced apple (peeled and cored)
2 cups raisins
1 1/2 cups boiling water
3 Tbs. oil
1 cup honey
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp allspice
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cloves
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Place the apples and raisins in a large bowl and cover with the boiling water. Top with the oil and allow to soak for 10 minutes.

2. Stir in honey, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and cloves.

3. In another bowl, mix together the flour and baking soda.

4. Combine flour mixture with fruit and add the walnuts. Mix well.

5. Pour the mix into greased loaf pans and bake for approximately one hour.

A delicious taste of the season!

Corn Necklace

I also felt inspired to craft a corn necklace as a way to celebrate this season of bounty. I love using this symbol of the Earth’s harvest in my home and am very excited to be keeping it with me throughout the day.

I used an ear of ruby red corn that I had saved from last year (this is a great way to reuse last year’s dried corn!).

It’s a little challenging to start popping off the kernels, but using a twisting motion on the ear will start the process. Eventually, they start to come off easier and then you need to remind the baby (repeatedly) that these are not kernels for eating.

Cover the kernels with water. I let them soak for several hours and then simmered the kernels for about 20 minutes. This makes them softer so that they can be pierced with a needle. It’s easiest to pierce the kernels at the end that was closest to the cob. I used 3 strands of embroidery floss, but other types of sewing thread could work in a pinch.

It turns out that there are a lot of kernels on a single cob of corn. I ended up making a necklace for me, Baby LF, and several garlands that I have strung around the house and the Fall altar. These strands add a lovely touch of autumn around the home and keep me feeling connected to the Earth and the season.