Hoping everyone has a wonderful Fourth of July...

Spending this week with 4 of my grands:  Allison, Sara, Hannah and Josh.  Just got Josh and Hannah yesterday, Allison and Sara are here while thier mom and dad are working.  They are having a grand time, so far there have been no squabbles, but they know they will have to get out of the pool, all of them if any squabbling goes on, it doesn't matter who started it or who's fault it is everyone will have to get out of the pool and get ready for bed.
It's almost 8pm, they have been in the pool since about 5, hope they don't get too water logged. They did get out for a while to wolf down some supper.
Knew when I got up this morning I would be making the kids some special treats, one of which would be pancakes for supper.  They love having breakfast for supper, it doesn't matter if it's eggs, pancakes or their favorite "When French Toast met Pancakes and fell in Love".  But as I said tonight was pancakes.  I just about always use Bisquick when I make pancakes, but I have my own recipe for mixing it up.
Pat's Bisquick Pancake Recipe
1 egg
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 C milk 
1/2 t maple extract
for each cup of Bisquick.  
Mix well until combined. Cook immediatley.  Batter thickens as it sits you may need to add more milk if it sits a while as you cook.
Tonight is the first time I added the maple extract.  When I first put the maple extract in I thought perhaps the kids would not eat them because it turned the batter a brownish color, but once cook it was barely noticeable.  The kids said they were" the bomb", they all had several helpings.
Today I also made a half a recipe of the Superbowl Peanutbutter Cake (10th recipe down or June 12, 2012 Blog), I wanted to make 12 cupcakes, which worked out perfect.  But when I made the frosting I added 3 T cocoa (probably could have done 4 T for a deeper Chocolate flavor) and several tablespoons of milk 1 at a time (sorry I lost count) till the frosting was the correct consistancey.  3 out of 4 gandkids loved them ... husband liked them too, and so did I.

Trying something different....

Today I decided to make some meat pies.  This is a specialty dish in a Louisiana town not to far from here named Natchitoches.  I used a Tasty Kitchen recipe for my basis because  I did not have several of the items she called for in her recipe nor did I want it to be too spicy because I was expecting my grandgirls to lunch with me.  I also made a Meat Pie Sauce, which really tasted (to me) like a 1000 island dressing without the "islands".   I also added a little Chalula hot sauce to this recipe.  The main thing with this recipe was that the meat filling had to be thick and cool.  I really think I would have like it better had I made it spicier, as luck would have it I could have, the girls didn't come over. I made my own pie crust it made about 24 - 3 1/2 inch pies, 12 are now in the freezer on a cookie sheet freezing solid before I put then in a zip lock bag.  I also have about a cup and a half of left over filling in the freezer for another day.  Think next time I will make one large meat pie, use a refrigerated pie crust, maybe stir in some diced potatoes or corn.