Well, it is technically fall (and has been for a weeks), but it didn't really feel like fall until this past week. Being on fall break has given me time too cook more for my boys and I LOVE it!! The other morning, when Kevin started to pour himself a bowl of cereal, I told him to stop what he was doing because I was going to make a REAL breakfast.
If you've ever come to my house in the fall, you automatically can tell that I love anything & everything pumpkin. I usually have my pumpkin spice candle burning and a pumpkin spice latte in hand. So I knew that it was time to start making my favorite: pumpkin pie pancakes.
You may see the picture below and wonder how I got my bacon so straight and flat. The secret is to lay it on a baking sheet & bake it at 350/375 for about 15 minutes. It comes out gorgeous every time! For the omelette, the trick is using some of the leftover bacon grease and a cast iron skillet. Coat the skillet with the bacon grease, mix up your eggs (and whatever else you want to add to them), cook them on the stove for a few minutes, then pop the skillet in the oven to finish cooking the eggs. This prevents you from having to flip the omelette over (which almost always guarantees a perfect-looking omelette)!
Now, for the pancakes...and the decadent homemade cinnamon whipped cream to go along with them. I take the easy route, but add enough of my own stuff to make them unique!
Pancakes:
2 C. Bisquick
2 Eggs
1 C. Milk (Buttermilk if you prefer)
Approx. 1 C. Canned Pumpkin
Approx. 1 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice (more or less to taste)
2 Tbsp. Sugar (White or brown)
Mix all the ingredients together. Grease a skillet & pour batter (1/4-1/3 C. per pancake) into a skillet. Cook over med-high heat until the edges begin to bubble. Flip and cook another minute or so.
Cinnamon Whipped Cream:
8oz. Heavy Whipping Cream (very cold)
1 Tbsp. Sugar (Brown or White)
1-1 & 1/2 Tbsp. Ground Cinnamon
Put all ingredients into a mixing bowl. Mix on high until peaks form. *This will take about 5 minutes. If it isn't thickening, place the bowl into an ice bath to make sure the whipping cream is cold enough.
I know you might be thinking, "Why not buy whipped cream at the store and add a little cinnamon to it?" Well, because it's the little things that make simple recipes so good. And believe me...the homemade cinnamon whipped cream took it to a whole new level!! Hope you enjoy!
Being on Fall Break has been amazing so far!! We traveled to Mountain City, TN for the boys' football games on Saturday. After getting wet & muddy, we came home for showers and naps. The boys were off to their Nana's, so I curled up on the couch in my PJ's...for 2 days!!! Oh how nice it was to be able to sleep in, eat junk, and watch TV shows that probably lessened my intelligence! Yesterday, the boys and I ventured out to the JCPL to get some books. In helping the boys choose books, I came across a book titled Ninth Ward by Jewel Parker Rhodes. It is a 217-pg. children's novel written from the perspective of a little girl chronicling her survival of Hurricane Katrina in the lower 9th Ward of New Orleans. I sat down to read it, expecting it to take me a while to get into it. I was immediately hooked and I read it all in 3 hours. I HIGHLY recommend it to children & adults.
Today, we ventured out of the house to go to Wallabies so the boys could run around given we've been stuck inside from the rain & cold. I didn't expect to spend over 4 hours here! In the last 4 hours, I have edited photos, caught up on e-mails, read part of my newest book, and pinned lots of interesting things on Pinterest. Which lead me to this...
As a kid, we went to Dixe Stampede a lot. The thing that always stuck out in my mind from those trips wasn't so much the show, but the food. Those little bitty chickens (cornished hens) and the creamy vegetable soup are the two I had remembered the most. A few years ago, I started the tradition of going to Dixie Stampede with my boys. The chickens & soup were just as good as I had remembered...if not better! As I was looking for soup recipes on Pinterest, I thought about that creamy vegetable soup from DS. Since Pinterest has EVERYTHING, I decided to give it a shot. Sure enough, I found the recipe. YAY! It is absolutely divine and pairs perfectly with cold weather, some cozy sweatpants, and a fire in the fireplace. I hope you all enjoy this as much as we do!
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. Margarine (Some use Salted Butter)
1/2 tsp. Onion Powder
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Corn Syrup
3 Tbsp. AP Flour
1/4 tsp. White Pepper
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 C. Chicken Broth
1 & 1/2 C. Water
3/4 C. Finely Chopped Vegetables (Some people use diced potatoes and canned carrot slices diced very small. Veg-All will work. I like to use potatoes, carrots, corn, & green beans.)
1 Pint Half & Half (Some people use Heavy Cream for a richer taste.)
Chopped Fresh Parsley
Directions:
1. In a 3-qt. saucepan, melt margarine. Add onion powder, garlic powder, and corn syrup. Simmer one minute. DO NOT brown.
2. Add flour, pepper, salt, chicken broth, water, & vegetables.
3. Add half & half and simmer until desired consistency. Stir constantly, and do not boil.
4. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with piping hot corn muffins (a nice homemade sourdough would go great with it too).
