"Just Because" Cake: A tradition is born

So I try to bake for the kids at least one day a week. I love the thought of picking them up from school and them coming home to a yummy smelling kitchen. Not sure this means a thing to them, but this is about the one old fashioned ideal I have and think is important. Of course, I usually put my healthy spin on my baked goods whether it be muffins, pie, or cookies. Except for yesterday...
Yesterday I was staring at the cupboard, and being the risk taker that I am, I pulled out the Duncan Hines box. Yes, a store-bought cake mix. I knew that they would freak that I made a cake, and for no reason. I prepared myself for the, "What? Whose birthday is it?" and "Why did you make a cake?"

They didn't disappoint. I told Landon not to say anything when we picked Devyn and Corbin up from school, but of course:
Landon: "Can I just tell them about the cake?"
Devyn: "What? a cake? Why? Whose birthday is it?"
Me: "Just Because."

Every once in a while the "Just Because" cake will make a visit. Today was the first time.

Fancy title, I know.

Devyn's favorite: Pink Pancakes

Another pancake day favorite. 

Pink Pancakes. 

This is one that I originally found in the Jessica Seinfeld cookbook, Deceptively Delicious. I made some changes of course, I can never just leave a recipe alone. By request, (thanks Bree!), I am posting our version of the Pink Pancake. 

Here is my version: 

• 1 1/2 cup water

• 1 cup vanilla yogurt

• 1/2 cup beet puree (I just buy a couple of cans of beets, puree in the food processor, and freeze pre-portioned bags so that they are ready to go when the "pink pancake" request is made)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cups pancake mix (I use a boxed, whole wheat mix from the grocery store)
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• non-stick cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons canola oil (or coconut oil)
• powdered sugar (optional)

1. In a blender or food processor, combine water, yogurt, beet puree, vanilla, and cinnamon.
2. Pour blended mixture into a medium size bowl. Add pancake mix and applesauce. Stir to combine, but do not overmix. It will be a bit lumpy.
3. Spray your pan, set temp to medium. Use your oil to coat your pan. Pour out your batter and cook until a few bubbles form. Flip. 
4. Dusting of powdered sugar always scores extra brownie points with the family. Enjoy!

The end result is fantastic

Devyn's free write

This week I've been experimenting in the kitchen and I came up with a really good chocolate peanut butter recipe that is to die for. I decided to share the recipe with all of you. I hope you like it as much as I do.

preheat oven to 350
1 cup of flour                                                                                                       
½ cup of milk
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon agave nectar
¼ cup melted butter
½ cup water
½ cup melted chocolate
sprinkles
½ cup peanut butter
2 eggs
white chocolate chips (non melted
cooking spray
marshmallows

First mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar. Then mix in the milk, melted butter, water, the eggs, peanut butter and the melted chocolate. Melt the chocolate in the microwave only when you are going to put it in next because it will harden. Mix until satisfied. Take a cookie sheet and cover it with parchment paper and then spray with cooking spray. On the paper separate the dough into clumps the size of a tablespoon. Make as many as possible. Put in the oven for ten minutes. Then take out of the oven and put white chocolate chips in each cookie as much as wanted. Make sure that they are in there good. Then sprinkle sprinkles on top of your choice. Then put back in oven for 5 minutes then take out of oven and stick a mini marshmallow in the center of each cookie. Then put it back in the oven for another 5 minutes. Then take the sheet out of the oven and let cool. ENJOY! 

flour

butter

milk

baking powder

salt

peanut butter

agave nectar

chocolate chips and melted chocolate

eggs

white chocolate chips

ALL THE NAMES OF THE JEDI'S I CAN THINK OF

This week it was choose your own blog and I chose all the names of the Jedi's I can think of.



Here is all the Jedi's I can think of. Yoda,Mace Windu,Obi-Wan Kenobi,Luke Skywalker,Anakin Skywalker,Luminara Undil,Barriss Offee,Colem Trebor,Shaaki Ti,Qui-Gon Jinn,Yarrle Poof,Yaddle,Kit Fisto,Ki-Adi Mundi, Aayla Secura,Eeth Koth Agen Kolar, Sasee Tiin and Plo Koon

These are some of the Jedi's that are in the list of Jedi's

Landon- My favorite Tom and Jerry Episode

Landon's favorite cartoon, hands down, is Tom and Jerry. He chose to talk about his favorite episode.

Landon:
"The golfing one. The cat run away from the bees and the mouse golfed a ball and the golf ball hit him and he falled on the ground. Then that's it."

They are looking for the golf ball but Jerry had it. 

Sunday family "brunch"

So most Sundays we try to sit down for a late breakfast.  By late I mean like 10:00 A.M. That is late for this household. I am the type that is starving the second I get up.  Most Sundays, the family breakfast will usually become  a second breakfast for me.  In the past we did try breakfast first thing at like 7:00 AM, but this has become increasingly difficult.  Different sleeping habits, schedules, moods, you name it.  Never were we all on the same page. Although I think this time slot works better than before,  I have not figured out how to avoid the "I am dying of starvation...." comments. My "have a banana" response does not go over too well. :)
The menu. 
Sunday breakfast is usually pancakes, french toast, something carb-y (you can't go wrong with kids and carbs). On occasion I'll throw in some sort of quiche (usually gets the eye-roll response), or maybe an apple crisp ( opposite response). All in all, despite the occasional complaints about the breakfast choice for that day, it  must be a pretty good tradition because I get some genuine disappointment when I do not pull out the breakfast griddle. sigh. Doing something right.
This past Sunday's choice is always a winner.

 Pumpkin pancakes.

For the kids contribution to today's post, I asked them to blog their perspective on Sunday breakfast.


Here is Corbin's view:
"Family breakfeast is when we eat breakfeast together.We talk about different stuff every breakfeast. I some times have to share a box of orange juice with Devyn. We have this book that has anything that my family is looking forward to or what my family is thankful for. After my family is done eating breakfeast my mom somtimes makes me clean up the table."


Here is Devyn's take:
(she is the one that gets the most interrupted beauty sleep on Sunday mornings)
"Hey I guess family breakfast is ok, but not when I'm super tired. Every Sunday morning I get dragged out of bed so we can eat as a family. Sometimes the food is good but sometimes it is weird. My favorite Sunday breakfast dish is called Pink Pancakes and they are so good. They are made with beets and I know it sounds weird but it's surprisingly yummy! We talk about a number of things. Like what are we going to do today, the weather, any news the family has to share, and sometimes we don't really talk about anything. We have a family book, We say either what we look forward to in the day of what we are thankful for. It's a great thing to do it really brings our family closer together."


Landon weighed in too, giving his perspective on what happens in this house around 10:00 AM.:
 (Some of his response will only make sense to this household, but I am trying to keep this as authentic as possible, so I typed exactly what he said to me):
My question, "What do we do at family breakfast?"
"I ate some pancakes. I brush my teeth before wii. Sometimes after wii, I watch some tv, then I eat lunch. and then I empty out the trash cans when I have a list. I love the pumpkin ones, and the chocolate chip, and the blueberry ones. I love all of them."


The recipe:


Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes 
2 ½ c whole wheat pastry flour
1 T flaxseed meal
2T baking powder
1t salt
2t cinnamon
½ t ginger
2 eggs
2 cups milk of choice (I used almond milk)
¼ c canola oil (or really step up the health factor and use coconut oil)
1 c canned pumpkin 
3 tablespoons agave nectar (or 4 tablespoons honey)


In a large bowl combine flour, flaxseed meal, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and ginger. In a medium size bowl combine eggs, milk, canola oil, canned pumpkin, and agave. Mix well. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and fold to combine. 

Cook pancakes on a hot griddle. 

These will puff out nicely because of the pastry flour. Very cake-like.

 Family approved.

These pancakes do freeze well if you would like to keep some in a freezer bag for those rushed mornings. Or if you are like me and can have breakfast foods any time of day, scratch the mornings and use as an afternoon snack. 

Valentine's Day Pretzels with my youngest pal

So this has been our go-to holiday treat for a couple of years now. Super easy.

The goods.

chocolate chips
pretzel rods
colorful sprinkles
parchment paper

1) Melt your chocolate chips in a bowl in the microwave using 20-30 second intervals, stirring in between. I usually stop when there are a few chips left to avoid burning the chocolate. That would be tragic.
2) Using a butter knife, spread melted chocolate onto a pretzel until it covers about half of the rod.
3) Immediately cover with sprinkles while it is still melty.
4) Let pretzel cool on the parchment. (It won't stick. Promise.)
5) Told you it was easy.

Landon getting his "sprinkle on".

Sampling the goods. We added crushed peanuts to some.

These wound up at a certain 4 year old's preschool.