I believe this has to be our favorite, #1 Fall pastime! Bonfires!
Last weekend we had several bonfires. It was Labor Day weekend. Bonfires are the finest companion to Labor Day weekend.
Some of our favorites to roast over the bonfire are, of course, S'mores! And mozarella cheesesticks. We learned to love these from my sister's family, who every year at our Memorial Day weekend family camping trip bring a good supply of cheese sticks and roast them to their brown and bubbly finest, all warm and gooey inside... Now, from my sister-in-law, we've learned one more fine bonfire treat: pulla (a Finnish cardamom roll). I mixed up some dough and after letting it rise and kneading it back down a couple times, we brought the whole dough bowl outside and started rolling little dough balls in our hands into breadstick-looking pieces. Then we wrapped and twisted them onto the end of roasting sticks and slow-roasted them over the fire. Once baked, brush a little butter, followed by a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar, or just sugar, and you have fresh-baked pulla, or rolls! In the first picture you can see on a pan, little dough balls that I poked in the center and put a dab of butter into and we pre-baked them on the pan, then finished roasting them over the fire. Very, very tasty indeed.
The kids were excited because they've been missing their dad, who is out of town, and we haven't had a bonfire since the weekend. We've had some busy evenings after school so we're all feeling a little chaotic, although overall it's been a very nice week. The kids have loved being back in school.
They were also extra excited because we had one of our neighbors over. The kids have been wanting to invite them over already earlier but the neighbors had company over the weekend, so we didn't want to interrupt their visiting. We just learned from these neighbors that they are going to be moving far, far away in less than two months. The husband is a pastor and he was asked to take over a congregation in another country. We will miss them so much; they've been perfect neighbors!
5 comments:
This is exactly why I just love the fall. Last year our neighbors built a fire pit in the backyard and we had ever so much fun toasting marshmallows, etc.
Those rolls sound delicious.
We need to get into the bonfire mode - we've only had one (or two?) this year, and I haven't even been involved. Usually if all the kids are out, I'm in trying to get something done!
That sounds like fun and the rolls sound so yummy!
Looks very yummy indeed!
The thing I love about bonfires is it's SO quick and simple to get set up (not to mention very inexpensive entertainment), so cozy and crackling, and such of a fun way of bonding with your family and friends! There's just something so...hmmm, for lack of a better word...mystical about sitting around a fire. YOu're outside in this vast darkness and this small but powerful warmth and crackling glow pull you in and all together.
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