Fall Break Fun

I'm sitting here this morning still in my pajamas, hot cup of coffee in my hand. It's so quiet today. Last week our house was full. Two of our granddaughters were on fall break and they spent the week with us. They are old enough now that they don't require constant supervision so it's pretty easy having them here. But it does change the flow of our day. 

We talked about a few things we could do and places we could go but their favorite thing is staying right here at the farm. Hoola hoops, bikes, tree swings still hold appeal for them 

And they love playing pickleball in our driveway. The weather cooperated and most days were perfect outdoor days. We did venture out a few times for lunch and shopping in our cute little small town square and a trip to the nearby big town for lunch and bookstore shopping.

 

Then it was back to the farm for music practice, baking, and explaining technology to the grandparents. Thanks to Baby Girl, I now know how to use google translate. They tried to explain the latest Gen Alpha phrases to the elderlies—without much luck. 

My favorite part of the week? Dinner on our porch each night. No television. Devices inside. Jazz music playing low in the background. And we listened. How much fun to hear them tell about starting their first year at high school and middle school. They laughed at stories of our high school days back in the dark ages. 

We kept our meals simple but each granddaughter made a dessert during the week. Little Sister (the one in high school) made apple dumplings early in the week and we enjoyed them for several days. (Check the recipe index here.) I have not made those in so long. It's a perfect dessert for fall. Baby Girl (our middle schooler) is dairy free so she couldn't have the apple dumplings. I made her a quick substitute in my new air fryer.

Cut up an apple and zap it in the microwave for about a minute until the apple is tender. Spoon cooked apple in the center of a flour tortilla. Roll it up and tuck in the ends. Spray lightly with cooking spray, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and air fry until it's hot and lightly browned.

This was an excellent dessert sub for her.  I'll make this for us one night soon. She said it was delicious.

But later in the week she wanted to make a dessert she could eat. Lemon might be her favorite flavor so she made a quick and easy lemon cake. I'm sure you've seen this recipe hack before. I have made "birthday cake boxes" for our food pantry with the two ingredients, but I had never baked one before.

Two-Ingredient Cake

I've linked an article from Southern Living that tells more about the cake and suggests many flavor combinations.

TWO-INGREDIENT SODA CAKE

1 box cake mix (we used lemon cake mix)

1 (12-oz) can soda (we used a can of Sprite)

Frosting of your choice (we used a canned frosting)

Preheat oven to 350º. Grease 9x13 baking dish. Empty cake mix into a bowl. Add soda and stir with a spoon until well mixed, about one minute. Pour cake into baking dish and bake according to directions on the box. 

That's it! Keep in mind that this recipe has no dairy AND no eggs. If you need a dessert for those with those food allergies, this is an easy option. I'd like to experiment with other flavor combinations. We don't usually keep soda in the house, but I guess I could buy a single can from a vending machine. 

 And while I'm sharing kid-friendly two ingredient desserts, here is one baked by the 5-year-old granddaughter when she was here earlier in the summer. Pumpkin doughnuts! She added chocolate chips to the recipe and skipped the powdered sugar.

Keep in mind that this recipe mixes best with a hand mixer. Your little baker might need help. The Two-Ingredient Cake can be mixed with a spoon. Super kid friendly.

PUMPKIN SPICE DOUGHNUTS

1 box spice cake mix (or yellow or chocolate cake mix—your choice)
1 (15-oz) can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

Mix dry cake mix and canned pumpkin in a large bowl until thoroughly blended. Batter will be very thick. Spoon batter into a gallon ziplock bag. Snip off a corner of the bag. Squeeze to pipe batter into the greased doughnut pan. (I sprayed it with Baker's Joy.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 13 to 17 minutes, until done. (The size of your doughnut "cups" and amount of batter you add will determine the baking time.) To test, press the top of a doughnut gently with your fingertip. It will spring back when it's done. Remove doughnuts to a cooling rack.

Put about a half cup of powdered sugar in another bag. Add cooled doughnuts, a few at a time and shake to coat. Remove from bag and tap gently to remove excess sugar. 

Let the small baker eat a doughnut. Turn on Nick Jr. or Disney Channel and let the littles watch TV while you clean up the kitchen.


 For us, this recipe yielded 12 doughnuts and four muffins.