Pajama Letter Craze

We were expecting snow this morning, lots and lots of snow. So we were ready for a pajama school day with lots of reading and snuggling and running outside to play, then back for more school. The snow never came, but we didn't get out of pj's either.

Spelling is a bit of a touchy subject for us, so I try to find lots of ways to reinforce spelling while making it all fun. Today, we grabbed the Scrabble, Jr. board and realized that the boys don't like the 'baby' version any longer, but Aiden wasn't quite ready to flip the board and play it for real. So, I had them grab a handful of tiles, the timer, an a writing board and begin to see how many words they could create together, and write them on the board. Viola - Homemade Boggle! It helped Aiden with his writing, Connor with his spelling, and the both of them with their working together and observational skills. You could do this with any kind of letter tile, homemade or purchased.

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes from the kitchen of Chef Connor

My favorite taste is Cinnamon Apple. It should be the 5th taste in front of that poser umami. There's something about fall that makes me want to eat apple cinnamon cardboard because it's just that good.

We happened upon a great sale on Honeycrisp apples this week, and I bought a ton, so we've been on a cooking lark this week using them up. Muffins and pancakes are the easiest way to do this for us.

APPLE CINNAMON PANCAKES

2 C instant pancake mix (we happen to use the Alton Brown mix that I make up in bulk, but Jiffy or Bisquik will work)
2 C grated apples
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of clove
1.5 C water (you'll want to eyeball this as the batter can be soupy if you have really juicy apples)
1/4 C wheat germ*
1/4 C flax seed *
finely chopped nuts would be another great addition
*these can be omitted, we just tend to toss them into just about everything. Be sure to adjust liquid accordingly if you're using them.

Mix all ingredients for no more than 30 seconds..and walk away. Really. This is like any quick bread mix and over mixing will cause glutens to form in the batter which make them rubbery and tough, which are NOT good eats! (is that trademarked...do I have to credit it to AB every time I type it?) Letting it set and absorb the liquid instead of stirring it to death is a good thing.This is about the time I get the stove top heating, get plates and drink going, etc.

Use a 1/4 C measuring device to plop down pancakes on a hot griddle pan. Turn when surface becomes dull and bubbles are setting on the surface.

Serve with sliced apples and warm maple syrup!

This was today's home ec lesson at home...sharp instruments! We learned to use a peeler and a grater without cutting all the skin off our knuckles!