New Projects and Old Favorites

Many things have been happening at the yellow house as of late. The great big maples have been trimmed. We are in the process of replacing our roof and gutters. Only in an old house do the expensive projects go hand in hand with expensive surprises. Yaayy! The dinosaur in the basement has been replaced with a new, more efficient and tax deductible model. Enjoying a warm and evenly heated house has been a pleasure.

A cozy house has been particularly nice because we've all been sick. Since the beginning of October someone has been under the weather. Sick and tired mom with sick and tired kids doesn't inspire beautiful meals. This is, of course, tremendously frustrating for me.

A week ago Monday, when we were almost out of food and I was stuck at home with a very sick Ella, I had to be creative. For some reason, a sandwich my mother and grandmother made came to mind. Maybe it came to me because I had canned tuna and lots of hamburger buns leftover from Halloween sloppy joes. Nonetheless, the notion was delivered in the warm, fuzzy mist of childhood memories.

Here it is...the Tunabunstead! (this is what Grandma called it and I have no idea how to spell it)
A tuna melt with thousand island dressing, cheddar cheese and sweet pickle. Wrapped in foil and warmed in the oven. A delicious childhood memory.

Pedestrian? Possibly. Warm and cheesy on a cold night? Definitely. One of those things that I'll never be too "gourmet" to make. Absolutely!

The tuna bunstead thing got me thinking about the dishes our moms put on the table because they were fast, or cheap or at the ready in the pantry. While some we may be happy to have gone the way of the old furnace, others are classics meant to be handed down.

Pumpcakes are one of these that I'd like to share. Every October for as long as I can remember Mom made these little pumpkin treats. For me it's not autumn without them. I am happy to say it's not autumn for my kids without them either.

Pumpcakes
This perfect after school treat takes 5 minutes to put together.

1 Spice Cake Mix
2 eggs
2/3 cup water
15 oz. pumpkin puree

Mix the ingredients listed above with a hand/stand mixer, per directions on box. Fold in 12oz. chocolate chips.

Scoop into tiny lined muffin cups and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 12-14 minutes. They can also be made full size for an event bigger treat.

Happy Autumn!