eats and treats

Trader Joe's hosted a Pumpkinpalooza complete with live music and tastings of a bunch of their pumpkin products.  Pumpkin Kringle danish was a highlight, but it was all delicious: pumpkin cranberry crackers, pumpkin biscotti, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin beer, pumpkin chai, spiced pumpkin seeds, pumpkin ravioli, pumpkin soup mixed with thai yellow curry and pumpkin croutons.   Keaton's mini cart was full of some of the favorites we didn't already have at home.

These little toys from the surprise chocolate eggs literally have filled up an entire teacher workday of brotherly fun.  They played so nicely with them all day long!  These guys travel with us just about everywhere. Here they are being tucked in to a napkin bed.

I made a giant batch of banana oat muffins for Keaton's school snacks, etc. I tried a new recipe and it was so good - full of oats but still light and airy with a really nice texture:

Banana oat muffin recipe - makes 12 muffins
 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
 1 cup rolled oats
 1/2 cup white sugar
 2 teaspoons baking powder
 1 teaspoon baking soda
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1 egg
 3/4 cup milk
 1/3 cup vegetable oil
 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
 1 cup mashed bananas

Directions
Combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the egg lightly. Stir in the milk, oil, and vanilla. Add the mashed banana, and combine thoroughly. Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture until just combined. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper bake cups, and divide the batter among them. Bake at 400 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes.