Pumpkin Corn Cakes and Mission San Juan Bautista

Pumpkin Corn Cakes are a simple three ingredient recipe, that can be made for breakfast, as a side dish with dinner, or even a snack!  The inspiration for this recipe came after recently visiting one of the California Missions with James and Ethan, for Ethan’s 4th grade California Mission project.  This is an old recipe y’all.  A recipe the padres and Native Americans would have made to go with a typical meal back in the 1800’s.

Every 4th grader in California studies the California Missions and is required to do a Mission project.  Back in my old days of being a 4th grader, we had to make a Mission diorama.  Good ol’ shoebox with handmade props to go inside.  Now-a-days these lucky kids have a ton of different options for their Mission projects!  Ethan wasn’t required to go visit a Mission, but one of the projects he could choose from to complete, was to make a photo journal.  I am a former scrapbooker (no time to do it anymore!), so I totally chose—-I mean Ethan chose—to do the photo journal 😉  So a trip to visit one of the California Missions was totally necessary (it wasn’t, but it was).

So before we get to the recipe, I am going to share a few pictures from the fun trip we took to the Mission!  Ethan chose to visit the beautiful Mission San Juan Bautista….

It was such a beautiful day at the Mission too!  We enjoyed exploring the grounds and the gardens at the Mission.

I looked to see if they had a cookbook with recipes from back in the Mission days, but no luck!  I did get to check out the kitchen and see the tools the padres used to cook with.  I love that old school way of cooking!  La Pozolera means “padres kitchen” 🙂

Somewhere during my research in helping Ethan with his project, I stumbled upon an easy recipe for Pumpkin Corn Cakes.  I knew I totally wanted to try these…to get into the spirit of Ethan’s Mission project 😉

I used my cast iron skillet to make my pumpkin corn cakes…that’s how I got that great crust!

So how do they taste??  Well….it was a fun cooking project.  And the Mission was a fun trip!  And after making these pumpkin corn cakes, I am even more thankful for sugar, chocolate, peanut butter and ingredients I use to make desserts yummy!  Hahaha….but it you like the flavor of pumpkin, you would like these.  They aren’t sweet, so top them with (gobs) of butter, maple syrup, jam, etc.  A few ended up being topped with cinnamon and sugar 😉

If you live in Northern California, it is definitely worth a trip to Mission San Juan Bautista!  Just maybe don’t go on a Sunday right when Mass is getting out like we mistakenly did.

Okay, I am off to go create some dessert than contains everything not available to the padres back in the day.  I need my SUGARY SWEETNESS!!

Anyone else been to Mission San Juan Bautista or any of the other 21 California Missions that line the Southern and Northern California coasts??  Have you been on any fun field trips with your kids, that have inspired a recipe??  Leave me a comment below and lets chat 🙂

XOXO,

Kelly

And proof that I still act sooooooo much like a child…we could’t leave without posing with Saint John the Baptist!

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PS-

You can find this recipe linked up at the following link parties: Meal Plan Monday, Pretty Pintastic Party, Sugar and Spice, Weekend Potluck.  Click the links to check out these fun parties!