A new Halloween morning tradition!

I picked up a few (okay, four, to be exact) cans of pumpkin at the grocer last week, so I've been looking for new and exciting ways to utilize it, other than the typical pumpkin pie application. The day before Halloween, my sister in law called to see if she could come visit. What a lovely surprise! We don't get to see her nearly as often as we'd like.

(Max waking Auntie up on Halloween morning to wish her a happy birthday!)

Halloween also happens to be her birthday, so I was delighted when she agreed to stay over for the night and spend the morning of Halloween with Max and I! What a perfect excuse for pumpkin pancakes, I thought. I've never attempted to make them before and I've never tried them, but I kept thinking to myself, "How could they POSSIBLY be anything but delicious?!"

(my attempt at a heart shaped pumpkin pancake for my sister's birthday... I'll keep working on that... )

And, wow. I couldn't have been more pleased with the final product! They had the taste of pumpkin pie (although, not nearly as sweet) and the consistency of them was heaven. Not as light and fluffy as your typical pancake, but still light and fluffy. And creamy. Amazingly creamy. It was almost like eating a pumpkin pie, minus the crust! I was going to make an accompanying cider syrup, but I just didn't have the time. Butter, real maple syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar finished the pancakes off beautifully!

(yes, I tried to make it look like a jack-o-lantern... tried is the operative word here.)

You really must try this recipe... We'll be using it every Halloween from here on out, and I'll probably even make them the morning of Thanksgiving. What a special fall treat!

PUMPKIN PANCAKES

1 cup flour

1 tbsp brown sugar (packed)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cloves

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup pumpkin (canned or fresh)

2 tbsp vegetable oil (coconut oil probably would work great, also!)

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients well. In a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs and add remaining wet ingredients, mixing well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well (there may be a few lumps left, that's okay.) I used a ladle to pour out the pancake batter, but whatever works best for you. Cook on both sides until golden brown and enjoy warm! I hope you love them as much as we did!

Goat Cheese (and other goodies)

Well, here we go... I've decided to start blogging. All of my previous foray's into the blogosphere have been more about family updates and that sort of thing, so this concept is new (and a little foreign) to me. I want to blog about food now. Nothing is quite as satisfying as watching my loved ones enjoy the food I've prepared... it really is like a drug to me.

(my little foodie testing out a batch of homemade buttercream)

I'm a mother of a two year old. He is the apple of my eye and the reason I have the Funny Farm on speed dial. I love cooking, and especially baking, because it's almost like therapy to me... I can easily get lost in a fantasy world of fig trees, bursting with ripe fruit, begging for a dollop of chevre and a sprinkling of almonds. Luckily for me, my son loves trying new foods, my husband eats just about anything I put in front of him and I have neighbors and friends who help unload some of the goodies... so it's not going all to my own hips. Although, some of it does eventually find it's way there...

(my first fresh black mission fig of the 2011 season)

I have a dream of someday my husband and I being able to buy a home with a little bit of land (we currently reside in a two bedroom townhouse,) where I can grow a garden full of lush, organic vegetables and herbs, have a chicken coop that will supply us with fresh eggs every day, a goat (or two,) which I would happily milk and try my hand at making my own cheese and, of course, a few fig trees. Sustainability is a very big focus of mine and since I don't have the option of growing a big vegetable garden right now, I try to purchase locally and organically whenever my finances allow it.

(my favorite treat: roasted figs, topped with goat cheese and slivered

almonds... I also drizzled a bit of local honey on top.)

Credit is due to my dear friend, Judy Tallant of Tallant House, for introducing me to so many new flavors! She is the pastry chef my husband and I chose to create our wedding cake and she and I became great friends. I've been lucky enough to be able to intern with her a bit over the years and she has been instrumental in opening my palate. I had my first fresh fig in her kitchen while making gallettes for an upcoming wedding... my life has never been the same.

Here goes nothing...