We have a wonderful autumn tradition with our oldest son’s family to visit a local pumpkin patch, pick out pumpkins, and enjoy apple cider donuts. This year, our middle son and his son were able to join us. We thought this tradition, like so many this year, was not going to happen due to COVID and budgeting. However, thanks to our church sponsoring an event, we were able to enjoy our annual outing and expand it to include the corn maze and fire pit with hot dogs and smores!
Thankfully, it did not rain on us the day we went. However, it had rained the day before so there was lots of mud to tromp through. Of course, that was one of my grandchildren’s favorite parts of the day along with the smores and the playground slides.
The one tradition we chose to forego was the apple cider doughnuts that we normally enjoy. The line was longer than it has ever been and one of our grandsons has food allergy issues so we decided it was best to skip this treat this year. Well, at least while we were at the farm.
Our Autumn Photoshoot
Every year we get pictures of the grandkiddos with the pumpkins.
The Firepit
We rode the hayride and slogged through the mud to get to the firepit.
We enjoyed hotdogs, smores, and pumpkin bowling while at the firepit.
Back to the playground for more fun
Apple Cider Donuts
The next day when we gathered, I decided we needed to have cider donuts that fit with my grandson’s diet restrictions. So, my granddaughters and I made Egg-Free Cider Donuts. They not only contain no eggs but they are baked instead of fried. They are so yummy and were loved by all! The recipe is at the end of this post.
Family Traditions
I hope you have seasonal traditions that build your family bonds. It has been a tough year to keep many of them but I hope you have been able to enjoy a few. We missed camping and the state fair but were able to enjoy our annual beach trip (before COVID shutdown), our family burger contest, and the pumpkin patch (with a few COVID adjustments). It is very important as a family to sustain and build relationships. And while video chats are great when we are separated by a distance, building relationships does require times of being together.
It is our desire that our grandchildren build strong relationships with the cousins in their generation that our sons were able to build with their generation. Those bonds forged as children have only become stronger as our sons and their cousins have become adults, married (and sometimes divorced), had children, and moved to the far reaches of the country. However, when any of them hits a rough patch, the messages and phone calls pour across the country with sustaining love and encouragement.
I’m glad that this weekend our grandchildren were able to continue to build those bonds with each other by spending time together and video chatting with the one that couldn’t join us. I love watching their love for each other grow.
Thank you for letting me share my heart for home and family with you!
Egg-Free Apple Cider Donuts
Equipment
- Donut baking pan – 6 count
- Mini bundt pan – 24 count (for mini donuts)
- Mixer and measuring utensils
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 3 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 10 tbsp cinnamon applesauce I used 2 cinnamon applesauce pouches
- 4 tbsp melted butter
- 1 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup apple cider
- powdered sugar sifted over donuts after baking
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare baking pans with cooking spray.
- Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate mixing bowl.
- In mixer bowl, cream applesauce, butter, and brown sugar. Then mix in buttermilk, vanilla, and apple cider.
- Stir in dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Fill each form in pans about half full. Bake 13 minutes for full-size donuts and 10 minutes for mini donuts.
- After donuts are removed from pans while warm. sift with powdered sugar.
- I made 12 full-size donuts and 24 mini donuts with this recipe.