Welcome to the Autumn issue of My Sunshine Pack – a wide selection of our favourite autumnal activities, easy reads and ideas put together by our volunteers for you to enjoy in your own time in the comfort of your own home.

We have designed our activities with Carers in mind who are unable to access our online support groups and activities at this time, but keep connected and involved with what we are doing!

We would love to hear from you too. If you have any suggestions for activities to be included in future editions of My Sunshine Pack, or would like to write something for us, please let us know by emailing admin@n-compass.org.uk or calling 03450 138208. Enjoy!

My Sunshine Pack Team

“And the sunsets of Autumn, - are they not gorgeous beyond

description? More so than the brightest dreams of poetry?”

Charles Lanman

Autumn is here, so take a look at our Mood Board of our favourite autumnal

things!

Why don’t you create a mood board of your favourite things?

Autumn Word Scramble

1. Minkpup

2. Raocn

3. Aelf

4. Plepa

5. Der

6. Oanreg

7. Yosc

8. Howlaelen

9. Feoikwrs

10. Bniofre

11. Atmuun

12. Yloelw

(answers on final page)

Learn to Knit! You will need: Neddles & Yarn

For more information, tips and tricks, visit: https://sheepandstitch.com/how-to-knit/

Autumn Scavenger Hunt with Riddles!

The Clue What is the Answer? Did you Find It?

It’s small, brown and has a cap. It will grow into an oak

tree.

I am a leaf of a special colour. It is neither red nor brown. It

is the name of a fruit.

It is orange and big. It makes delicious pie but is also used

as Halloween decorations too!

It is a tool used in autumn to

help gather leaves.

It has a thumb and 4 fingers

bit is not alive

Did you find them all? Answers are on the final page!

Autumn Reads:

A Year Without Autumn

On her way to visit her best friend, Autumn, Jenni Green suddenly finds she's been transported exactly one year forward in time. Now she discovers that in the year that's gone by, tragedy has struck and her friendship with Autumn will never

be the same again. But what caused the tragedy?

The Book of Hidden Things

Four old school friends have a pact: to meet up every year in the small town in Puglia they grew up in. Art, the charismatic leader of the group

and creator of the pact, insists that the agreement must remain unshakable and enduring. But this year, he never shows up.

A visit to his house increases the friends' worry; Art is farming

marijuana. In Southern Italy doing that kind of thing can be very dangerous. They can't go to the Carabinieri so must make enquiries of their own. This is how they come across the rumours about Art; bizarre

and unbelievable rumours that he miraculously cured the local mafia boss's daughter of terminal leukaemia. And among the chaos of his

house, they find a document written by Art, The Book of Hidden Things, that promises to reveal dark secrets and wonders beyond

anything previously known.

Summaries from GoodReads.com

How To: Carve a Pumpkin

You will need: Pumpkin

Metal Ice Scoop Printed Template

Washable Markers Pumpkin Carving Tool Kit

Directions:

1) Pick your Pumpkin

- Keep it simple—you don't have to hit the pumpkin patch to find a great gourd. Swing by a grocery or department store for a wide variety of pumpkins waiting

to be carved. - Avoid pumpkins with surface rotting or soft spots. But don't be scared if they're dirty, if the pumpkins are firm and have solidly attached stems, you're

good to go.

2) Clean and Cut

- When you're ready to carve, rinse off the pumpkin and use a sturdy knife to cut an opening in the top or bottom.

- It is recommended to cut a round opening with a triangular notch if you go for the top, as without a notch, it can be hard to fit the lid back in when you're done. Then, start scraping.

- Use a large metal ice scoop or cooking spoon to clean out your pumpkin. - Don't put the pulp in your garbage disposal – it can be used to make

pumpkin puree!

3) Outline your Design

- To freehand a design on your pumpkin, use washable markers to draw the design directly onto the pumpkin. When you're done carving, you'll be able to easily wash off the remaining marks with a damp cloth.

- Or use a sharp utensil from a pumpkin carving tool kit to poke holes in a paper pumpkin carving utensil to outline the shapes. If you don't have a poking tool from a pumpkin carving set, you can use a nail or a thumbtack.

4) Get Carving

- If you're cutting simple shapes, it is suggested to push the pieces

out from the inside as pushing them into the pumpkin can cause breaks and tears.

- To make perfectly round shapes, trying using an apple corer or drill to punch through the pumpkin's rind.

- Simple designs can even be dazzling with some extra dimension. To etch the Halloween pumpkin, simply scrape the orange surface skin off for a different level of light.

For more information, tips and tricks, visit https://www.bhg.com/halloween/pumpkin-carving/how-to/

Recipe: Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients: 1.2kg Pumpkin (unpeeled weight)

1 Onion, sliced 2 Garlic Cloves, peeled whole

750ml Vegetable or Chicken Stock 250ml Water

Salt and Pepper 125-185 ml Cream, half and half or milk

Directions:

1. Cut the pumppkin into 3cm clices. Cut off the skin and scrape the seeds out. Cut into 4cm chunks. 2. Place the pumpkin, onion, garlic, stock and water in a pot – liquid won’t quite cover all the pumpkin.

Bring to a boil, uncovered, then reduce the heat and let simmer rapidly until pumpkin is tender (about 10 minutes).

3. Remove from heat and use a stick blender to blend until smooth. 4. Season to taste with salt and pepper, stir through cream (never boil soup after adding soup as cream

will split). 5. Ladle soup into bowls, drizzle over a bit of cream and sprinkle with pepper and parsely if desired. Serve

with crusty bread.

Recipe from https://www.recipetineats.com/classic-pumpkin-soup/

Recipe: Cinnamon Swirls

Ingredients: 175g Softened Butter

50g Golden Caster Sugar 50g Icing Sugar

2 Egg Yolks 2 tsp Vanilla Extract

300g Plain Flour 2 tbsp Demarara Sugar

2 tsp Cinnamon

Directions: 1. Mix the butter, caster sugar, icing sugar, egg yolks and vanilla with a wooden spoon until creamy, then

mix in the flour in 2 batches. 2. Roll out to a 20 x 30cm rectangle on a sheet of baking parchment.

3. Mix the demerara sugar with cinnamon, sprinkle all over the dough, then gently roll over a rolling pin again to press the sugar in a little.

4. Roll up from one of the 20cm sides using the parchment to help. Wrap in the parchment and chill for 30 minutes.

5. Heat oven to 200ºC. Thinly slice into about 20 biscuits, scatter with a pinch more sugar, then bake on baking sheets for 10-12 mins until golden.

6. Mix a few spoons of icing sugar with a few drops of water and drizzle on top (optional).

Recipe from https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/cinnamon-swirls

Recipe: Pumpkin Spiced Latte (Gluten-Free & Vegan)

Ingredients: 2 tsp Pumpkin Puree

Pinch of Ground Cinnamon Pinch of Ground Ginger

Pinch of Ground Nutmeg 30ml Espresso or Coffee

250ml Milk

Directions:

1. Put the pumpkin puree in a large heatproof glass or mug. Stir in the spices and coffee. 2. Heat the milk in a sauce pan over a low heat until steaming and frothy.

3. Stir to combine, then dust with more cinnamon or some pumpkin spice before serving.

Recipe from https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/pumpkin-spice-latte

Autumn Films:

Disney takes a modern twist on everyone’s favourite fairytales and is tunred in to a musical saga starring Meryl Streep, James Corden, Emily

Blunt who are just some of the famous cast members. The story is about a baker and his wife whom are childess and are on a quest to reverse a

witch’s curse. The classic tales in this story include: Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzel.

Based on the books by J.K. Rowling, the film series begins with a boy, Harry Potter, whose life changes when he learns that he’s a wizard. Upon becoming a student at Hogwarts, he makes friends as well as foes. He discovers the truth about the mysterious deaths of his parents and

begins a conquest to defeat his parents killer throughout the 7 binge-worthy movies.

Anyone else ready for a Harry Potter marathon? We are!

Answers

Autumn Word Scramble: Answers

1. Pumpkin 2. Acorn 3. Leaf

4. Apple 5. Red

6. Orange 7. Cosy

8. Halloween 9. Fireworks

10. Bonfire 11. Autumn 12. Yellow

Autumn Scavenger Hunt with Riddles: Answers

1. Acorn

2. Orange Leaf 3. Pumpkin

4. Rake 5. A glove