Catching up with the Kelnhofers-61

This week on Catching up with the Kelnhofers, I’m sharing some impromptu fall photos I took of Freddie and Frankie in the yard, some great fall recipes and all of the fun things we made this week.

I loved this article about a ‘house meal’ – something that you cook that may have started based on a recipe but that now you don’t need a recipe for.

I had actually been thinking about this topic the other day as I made my recipe for eggless waffles with Ben. It’s one recipe I have made so many times I can now make it without a recipe, and can make it with a million variations. That to me is special. 

It was especially fun because I had a can of pumpkin puree, and Ben brought it to me and said he wanted to make a ‘surprise’ for dad, and that he wanted to make waffles. 

We added a cup of pumpkin puree and 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to the waffle recipe, and just like that…pumpkin waffles were born. 

We had the waffles with a little scoop of butter pecan ice cream and magic shell topping. WOW, what a delicious treat. 

The waffles are excellent on their own too, with a little butter or maple syrup. I usually make them and let them cool and then freeze them so we can have waffles for breakfast without having to cook them in the morning. 

Do you have something you cook without a recipe? 

New on the blog:

It’s been a crazy week, but still got some great posts up!  

• 5 Ingredient Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin – the most delicious fall dinner that can also be made in a slow cooker!
• Catching up with the Kelnhofers – a family update from last week
• Love List – my weekly list of some of the best things I’m finding around the web.
• Cuban pulled pork sandwich sliders – I made these for Nick’s birthday and they’re such an easy dinner!

Theme of the week:

Maple is one of my favorite fall flavors – here are a few maple recipes to try this fall:

• Maple syrup cake – this is a new recipe on the blog, but a quick favorite of Nick’s
• Iced maple latte – saving so much money making fun coffee treats at home
• Ham and Swiss sandwich with maple mustard mayo – a simple lunch with a perfect little kick
• Apple cider donut with tahini maple glaze – um, yes please!

5 recipes to make this week:

I love having a look ahead to what I’m going to make – it helps me grocery shop and keep my head on straight!

• 5 Ingredient Broccoli Divine Recipe – a favorite side dish at any family meal
• Upside Down Apple and Pear Loaf Recipe –  another great recipe to use all of those apples from your day at the orchard
• Thai Shrimp Cakes with Cucumber Salad – a fresh and light meal
• 5 Ingredient Skillet Pizza Pot Pie – the kids loved this and it’s only 5 ingredients!
• Make Ahead Freezer Meals Quiche Recipe – anything make-ahead is a fave in my book

What I’m making:

• I made sour cream and chive turkey burgers! These burgers – so so good, and perfect for meal prepping. They’re awesome ground chicken or ground turkey.

Reader Comments

It’s a week of celebrating all things maple, so this reader comment on my homemade iced maple latte was extra special to see!

• “Holy heck, this was good! I’m an iced coffee fan as well and just bought some Starbucks Caramel syrup (I like just a hint of sweetness), when I saw this recipe. This was so easy and tasty (and a lot more natural than the caramel syrup ingredients!)! Perfect alternative to pumpkin flavor for fall! I guess my syrup bottle will be shelving it for a bit! Thanks for the recipe!”

Reader Recreations 

Check out this beautiful looking pumpkin butter loaf!

Things I’m Loving

• Who else is on the pre-order list for Ina Garten’s new cookbook Modern Comfort Food?
• The Cut did a really cute article about Ina during quarantine

Item from Amazon you didn’t know you needed

• This amazing file or mail or magazine organizer/holder 

What I’m Reading

• Finished Kiss My Cupcake, it was cute, very light read.

What I’m Watching

• Watched Enola Holmes on Netflix – SO GOOD!!!

Personal Stories

• I went to dress the twins and found I had matching shirts for them! So I took some fun fall photos in our front yard. 

• Nick is just the best, he got me a cute little mushroom lamp for this nook in our bedroom, and he’s going to get a little gnome for it!!!

• Speaking of gnomes – I love them, and we got back from a weekend walk to find someone had dropped off a little gnome as a surprise. Ben LOVED it and even took it in the car to pick up groceries with us. It was too cute. Turns out it was our realtor – thanks Teri!!

• The weather is starting to get cooler, so I got the kids’ winter clothes out!

• We made a wand with Ben (he wanted one after reading Room on the Broom – cutest book btw). And then we made a house for his stuffed dog out of a moving box, he did not want to decorate it, he just wanted to get inside it lol.

• Nick made paper airplanes with the kids – Frankie is teething and just wanted to eat it lol. 

• More learning with Ben.

• We found one of Ben’s old hats which fits Freddie.

• My sister in law made me the most gorgeous cup – it even has my sweetphi.com logo on it!!! It’s so beautiful!!

Did you Know?

There is a great new shortcut on the side bar and it’s all about Thanksgiving!

Popular this week: 

• Most visited blog post: The very best fall dessert!
• Most liked Instagram post: This fun reel I made of Ben making banana pancakes
• Most pinned image: this pin on how to create the best chili bar
• Most viewed YouTube video: you guessed it, eggless waffles!
• Most purchased item: These mugs that are oh-so-beautiful!