Siblings on Sunday

Earlier this year, I started taking pictures of the kids right before we head into church.  We don't have church until 1pm.  So it's a long morning.  I thought it would be a fun tradition and all the grandparents look forward to it every week now!

Easter Edition

Silly Faces

What?  We all look nice?

No matter how I tried, little Strawberry right there was in no mood for picture taking!  And it is clearly Minnie's nap time.

Hermione with a little 'tude.

More silly faces.

I don't know where she learned it, but 75% of the time I take Minnie's picture she must do her "silly face."  Aye, aye aye!

Just missing one kiddo who was spending the weekend with grandparents.

Grandparent Edition

It had actually just started to rain in this one!

Pumpkin French Toast and Homemade Syrup

See, told you we've been cooking with pumpkin!  Yum-o.  The boys are on a road trip this weekend, so to lift up the spirits of those of us left behind, I made pumpkin French Toast for breakfast.  Made with Great Harvest Cinnamon Burst Bread...it's pretty much a breakfast fit for 3 little princesses.

Pumpkin French Toast

2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup pumpkin (I just use canned)
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
Any bread you have lying around the house

Whisk together eggs, milk, pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon and cloves.  Soak pieces of bread in mixture and cook on a medium-hot griddle 1-2 minutes per side.  Top with butter and warm homemade syrup.

I grew up on store bought syrup and I actually preferred it until a few years ago.  I've reluctantly been making syrup since I married a syrup snob (who I adore) 12 years ago who hates the store bought corn syrupy deliciousness.  He finally won me over when I realized it was so much cheaper to make your own.  Plus, it's insanely easy to make.  Who knew?  Now I actually prefer it!

Homemade Maple Syrup

2 cups white sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar

Bring to boil for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in:

1 tsp Mapleine
1/2 cup corn syrup (Optional.  It just makes the syrup have a thicker consistency.)

Oila!  You have warm maple syrup to top your Pumpkin French Toast, or pancakes or waffles or whatever your syrup needs are.  Plus, it impresses guests.  :)

Melt in Your Mouth Pumpkin Bars

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm so ready for fall!  I am so done with the heat, mosquitos and flies.  Fortunately, Utah has finally cooled down just this week thanks to some awesome rain.  We pulled out our fall decorations a couple days ago and have been cooking with pumpkin ever since.  My daughter had to take a treat to a church activity last night and she requested pumpkin cookies.  While I was flipping through my cookbook for the recipe, I stumbled across a pumpkin bar recipe I copied down years ago from a Better Homes and Garden cookbook I'd checked out at the library.  I decided to resurrect this gem of a recipe and with a few modifications, they turned out divine.  The secret is the orange or lemon zest in the frosting.  Ah. Maz. Ing.

Melt in Your Mouth Pumpkin Bars

Bars:

1/4 cup coconut oil
2/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp milk
2 slightly beaten eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 320 degrees.  Combine dry ingredients and set aside.  Cream coconut oil and sugar, then add milk, eggs and pumpkin.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.  Bake in preheated oven 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean in the center.  Allow to cool completely then frost with Cream Cheese Frosting

Frosting:

1/4 cup cream cheese
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp grated lemon or orange zest

Combine the cream cheese and 1 cup of the powdered sugar.  Beat with a mixer until creamy.  Add vanilla and zest and mix.  Finally, gradually beat in the remainder 3/4 cup of powdered sugar. Spread over prepared cake and enjoy!

The Flour Game

When I was growing up, the "Flour Game" was an all-time family favorite.  I have since introduced it to my own kids and it has been one of the best games we play with them.  No fighting and crying, just giggling, suspense and pure silliness!

You start by filling a small bowl or measuring cup with flour all the way to the top. Pack it down firmly and then place a plate over the bowl/cup.  Ever so carefully turn it over so that the plate is right side up and the bowl or cup is upside down.  Now with fingers like fairies lift the bowl/cup off of the flour and pray that it stays in a nice, packed dome on top of the plate.  (Think sand castle.) Sometimes it takes a few tries.  Then place either a small coin or candy in the very center of the flour and set on a table where all players can reach.  Take a knife (plastic or butter is great for little kids) and take turns slicing a small section off the flour.  Whoever makes the flour totally crumble has to fish the coin or candy out with his or her teeth.

Need visuals?

Here ya go.

 First turn taking a slice of our flour "cake." (Don't worry, I washed the quarter with dish soap and extremely hot water twice!)

 Grandma helping Strawberry take a turn.

 Hermione's turn.

 And there it goes...I'm 95% sure he did it on purpose!

Flour face.

Family fun night.