The 1st Day of Fall

I love the rythm of traditions. No matter where we live on the globe, many of our favorite family traditions remain the same. The "1st Day of Fall" is no exception. Even thought it's 80 degrees in Florida, we still found ways to celebrate the start of this beautiful new season!

My cuties woke up to homemade Caramel-Apple-Pancakes (I'll post the simple recipe below) and a few fun fall gifts waiting for them in the kitchen. We did math work with candy corn, finished daily chores and a bit more school work, and headed to Ballast Point Park (with a detour to pick up Chick-fil-A) for a picnic and exploring. The weather felt almost fall-ish with a nice breeze and plenty of shade. The squirrels tried to get in our lunch bag, the kids fed birds, climbed trees, played on the park equipment, and we walked on the long pier jetting out into Tampa Bay. There were large schools of fish migrating and hungry birds swooping in all directions to feed on them. On our way back to our car we notice the Florida Game and Wildlife Rescue team, who were retrieving a deceased dolphin from the ocean. It was sad, but at the same time an incredible example of  real-life-marine-science, watching them maneuver this 8 ft mammal from the water. 

We ended the day with great-grandma's homemade pumpkin bread recipe for dessert (recipe below) and fun family time with daddy. A great big hug and welcome to fall! 

Carmel Apple Pancakes: Sauté 1 large chopped apple in butter till soft. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Add the apples to your favorite prepared pancake batter and let sit for a few minutes to combine flavors. Scoop pancakes on the griddle and drizzle caramel sauce on each pancake. Serve with warm maple syrup or on their own!

Great-Grandma Ethel's Pumpkin Bread: You need: 5 eggs, 1 & 1/4 cup canola oil or melted butter (I've used both), 2 cups white flour, 1 & 1/2 cups sugar, 1 pkg cook and serve vanilla pudding, 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda. Combine wet and dry ingredients separately, then mix thoroughly. Preheat oven to 325 and grease 5 mini loaf pans. Divide batter between pans and bake for 35-45 minutes. Done when a toothpick comes out clean. Let rest before cooling on a baking rack. Enjoy!