2 friends across town

What I'm Cooking This Week

Tracy

The Great Pumpkin Rises Again-This Time in My Pancakes.

Confession time. I've gone a little crazy with pumpkin lately; in addition, I have to admit I've been a little sneaky with it too. I can't blame my strange behavior on having fall fever because it's been 80-plus degrees in these parts this week. Maybe it's all the lovely photos at Dawn's . . .or maybe it's because Dawn's birthday is totally coming up within the next seven days!! (sorry, D- xo)

Last week I mentioned breakfast-for-dinner as a way that we stretch our food budget around here. Thursday night was BFD night for us, and I needed a way to use up some pumpkin puree that I'd previously frozen.

Pancakes were on the menu anyway, so I went ahead and stirred about 1/2 cup puree into my usual Bisquick batter, along with 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice and a about a tbsp of sugar , and they were scrumptious! I didn't post the actual recipe because I think this would work with any pancake recipe, as long as you adjust the batter so it's still pourable, but keep in mind the puree will make it thicker than usual. Chopped pecans or even a little grated orange zest would also be yummy additions.

These flapjacks were a little more dense and moist than usual plain cakes, but dense and moist are sometimes a GOOD thing, and that's definitely the case here.

Now for the sneakiness factor. My youngest sauntered in (is five too young to saunter?) about the time I was getting ready to flip the first batch. He carefully raised his healthy-food radar and asked, "How come these are a different color?" But then he saw the jar of cinnamon on the counter , smiled huge and said "Oooh, Mama--did you make CINNAMON pancakes?" Remembering his leeriness of all things with nutritional value, I said, "Yes. Yes I did." He totally scarfed them down.

Do I feel guilty? Nah. It's about time that kid ingested something orange around here other than Goldfish crackers!

what i did this week

dawn

well, tracy....as you know i turned older yet again this weekend.  i really need to stop doing this.  it's starting to get really annoying.  and because i love halloween so much and it's exactly one week from my birthday, i had the pleasure of enjoying a rather um....festive birthday/halloween cake.  

it reminded me of "pinky and the brain" because the brain on top of the cake actually lit up and changed colors.  i have to hand it to the fam...they outdid themselves on this one.  oh and the things sticking out of the sides of the cake are plastic fingers with blood dripping down them.  appetizing, no?

the pretty stuff also came my way.  i love fresh flowers more than anything and these are gorgeous.  

a very nice birthday indeed.  even if i did turn a year older.