PUFF PANCAKE

Making Puff Pancake started off as a Pasley Island tradition. We make it anytime we have guests staying with us at our cabin, served always with maple syrup, fresh fruit and sometimes a dusting of icing sugar.  If we have bacon...even better!  Jake loves his bacon.  But now we also have "Puff Pancake Saturdays."  The kids request it every weekend and always lend a hand.  Sam always does the eggs and Clara likes adding the sugar, of course.  Will bangs the whisk on the counter and throws the measuring cups on the ground (challenging).

RECIPE FOR PASLEY PUFF PANCAKE

4 tbsp unsalted butter

1 1/2 cup milk

3 eggs

3/4 cup flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

• Heat oven to 425 degrees F
  
• Melt butter in overproof skillet in oven (glass baking dish works fine as well)
  
• While butter is melting, whisk milk, eggs, flour, sugar and salt together in medium bowl
  
• Remove melted butter from oven and tilt pan to coat sides
• Add mixture to hot skillet and bake in oven until puffed and golden (around 12-15 minutes)

Serve immediately, and as mentioned above, sliced fruit, maple syrup and bacon are perfect accompaniments.

This used to feed our family of 2 adults and 3 kids, but we agreed to double up the recipe next time.  Our kids, including Will eat as much as the mommy and daddy.

It is NOT recommended to try to make puff pancakes healthier and use whole wheat flour instead.  We tried it and it was very, VERY bad.  Just indulge and enjoy!

Me at Pasley, flipping the bacon while the Puff Pancake bakes in the oven

I CAN'T FIND BABY JESUS!

It's that time of year again when I hear Clara frantic in the other room, yelling for me.  I come running..."Clara, what is wrong?" (I should know by now, not to run.  Clara is what we like to call "passionate."  It is another, more flattering word for highly dramatic or even possibly crazy).  "I can't find baby Jesus!" she answers with panic in her voice.  

Tis the season when the Nativity scene comes out with all it's tiny little characters and pieces, and Clara spends many hours setting it up and re-enacting the birth of Christ.  But she can't help herself, she so loves that baby Jesus, and He usually ends up in her pocket, in a special box, in her bed, in the cup holder beside her car seat, wrapped up in tissue...and inevitably He gets lost more than a few times each season.  That is one reason why I'm loving the Playmobil Nativity.  We have Jesus back ups down in our playroom in the Playmobil box (the generic Playmobil baby works just fine and even Clara can't tell the difference). 

A VISIT AND A BAD DOG

At 8:20am this morning we had a drive by visit from Nana and Papa who were on their way to Whistler.  Can you believe we were ALL still in bed when we heard the doorbell ring (2 were even asleep)?  I always make Jake answer the door if he's home, and if he's not home, then I never answer the door and pretend we are all out.  It's how I roll.  Our family had a late night at a Christmas hula party at the Aquarium.  How cool is that?!  Maybe I'll attach some photos later.  I have limited time here while Will is napping (must clean house).  

So, we had a nice, but quick visit but then Sam discovered.....

.....that Kirby ate all the chocolates in his advent calendar!!  This was not good.  Sam was not impressed and is still talking about it as I write this.  Kirby also ate a box of candy canes while we were out last night.  I should just write a blog about all the things Kirby eats each day.  

Then Papa went and got a yummy homemade organic gingerbread cookie (sometimes we call him Marty Stewart) from the car and gave it to Sam.  That seemed to take the edge off.

And then we had fruit smoothies (the only way Clara eats fruit) and cheerios while Clara danced the hula for us on her chair.  

The kids have currently pulled all the cushions off the couch and gathered all the blankets and stuffed animals from around the house and are telling each other stories about baby Jesus.  I think they are pretending to be in a Manger?  Can't be sure.  I'm just thankful that they have each other to act out these stories.  I'm a bit sluggish today to play the part of Joseph with any success.

WILL IS ONE

To my dear William.  I'm actually writing this at 10:34pm December 3rd while in your room watching you sleep.  Exactly a year ago around this time, on a warm still night, I went into labour with you.  You were very thoughtful and decided that I should start having stronger contractions once your brother and sister were asleep.  I moved from the couch where I had been cuddling with your Daddy, to the bath where I watched my massive tummy peaking out of the bubbles, then to my cozy bed where I knew that I was going to meet and hold my baby that night.  Sure enough, you arrived swiftly and at 1:50am you were born at our home and loved immediately (born while I was standing up beside the toilet, I might add).  My midwives, big sis, mom, friend and mom C. were all there.  Clara and Sam were woken up minutes later from their sleepy stupor to meet their littlest brother.  It was intense and painful and sweaty and surreal, but cuddling my warm, wrinkly baby boy and falling asleep beside you and my husband that same night made all the hard work worthwhile.  You were perfect and so beautiful (and had big hands like your sister).  

I can't believe that a year has gone by already! I'm actually feeling rather emotional tonight (not a surprise) that you are not my tiny curled up newborn anymore but a sitting, standing, almost walking, eating, pooping, chatting, laughing, interactive and more and more independent big baby.  And a perfect one at that.  You are loved William.  And you are most certainly a gift from God.  Now, it's time for me to sleep and love you some more tomorrow.

This picture is seconds after your birth.  I was SO hot and sweaty, but oh my...so relieved to be holding you.  This is the very moment Daddy and I looked to see if you were a boy or...?

I love this picture.  It seems so peaceful. It was the morning 6 hours after you were born, in our bed...all my munchkins together.  I just inhaled some scrambled eggs and toast (holy cow...why does food taste so good after labour?). 

And there is the daddy...he's "all in"

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS

There's my mom and Will, putting up our lights while I take pictures.  I emailed her at 4:00pm asking for some light help and she came right over (she lives next door).  She is the queen of Christmas lights (lots of experience).  

Sam and Clara have spotted us and come running outside.  Notice that Sam immediately goes to the ladder and starts his climb to the top. 

Clara is commenting on the pretty sky.  It's kind of pink.  Sam is still on the ladder.  YaYa is not impressed (she doesn't like heights, particularly kids on high things).

Then Will started to cry because he was hungry, possibly?  Or cold?  I nursed him on the front doorstep but then Kirby spotted someone walk by with her dog and goes in for the bark attack.  So, Will is crying, Kirby is barking, Sam is at the top of the ladder, Clara is watching the sunset and YaYa put up our lights.  So was our evening.

Then we went inside and watched Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and I finished off the bag of Purdy's chocolate bells.  The End.

THIS IS WHY WE ARE GOING TO DISNEYLAND

This is how I found Clara sleeping one night.  I promise I did not do any prop styling.  The light was left on, of course, and this is what was in bed with her: 4 plush Disney princess dolls, Eric and Derick barbies (husbands for the princesses), flower petals, princess necklace with a lip gloss pendant, and Moses her baby doll (I will write about Moses another time).  Notice the Cinderella nightgown and blue satin gloves as well as the very large engagement ring on her pointing finger.  This is one of the reasons why I am taking Clara to Disneyland in February. Her heart will swell.  I overheard her tell Sam that there are "real people princesses in Disneyland", not "coloured in ones" like the animated versions we have watched.

LIFE ON THE COUNTER

If you dropped by our house for a visit, it would not be uncommon to see one or all of our kids sitting, sometimes standing and even occasionally dancing on our kitchen counter.  Some may think this is dangerous, or rude or germy, and I admit there has been one fall off the kitchen island while my back was turned while getting the toast (no serious injuries, thankfully).  But since I spend a good lot of the day preparing at a minimum 3 meals, never mind the snacks and the baking, it has always been a way for me to connect and spend time with my kids and at eye level too. Will loves to join me up there, mostly to pitch things onto the floor, bang some things together, or toss some food to Kirby.  Sam loves whisking, cutting, eating sugar straight up and cracking eggs.  Clara is fond of spatulas, licking the spatulas and is usually in charge of the dry ingredients.  Or sometimes they just sit and snack or have a drink while I'm preparing a meal and we talk and laugh.

These pictures were from a couple of nights ago.  I was putting together a spaghetti dinner (sauce came from my mom...thanks mom!).  The kids were keeping me company while having a little pre-dinner slice of bread that Sam cut.  The light was bad and I never use my flash, but it does depict our life on the counter...a lovely life at that.

On a totally different subject, Kirby ate 2 gingerbread houses and Rocco's loot bag contents while we were at Canadian Tire tonight.