Baking with Mandy

I feel like a zombie right now. Yet, I'm still here blogging. I'm nuts. I just got back from a quick work trip to Phoenix and Cleveland. Left on Monday for Phoenix, the next morning (early!) I was off to Cleveland and then got on another early flight (6 a.m.!) back to LA this morning. Since getting home, I feel like I haven't stopped and now that I have, I'm about to pass out. But, hey, what's another 20 minutes... plus, Westin and I had a delightful afternoon baking with Mandy and I can't pass up posting about it right this second.
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We wanted to do something for Halloween, but I also had my eye on this Pull Apart Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread recipe - so we did both. I got the bread started, while Mandy and Westin started on the sugar cookies that we planned to decorate. Westin had just woken up from his nap and wanted to stay in his pajamas...
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He actually did really well rolling out the dough.

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He made an absolute mess, but he did a great job.

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These would be little flour covered footprints through our family room after a little someone got out of my arms while I tried to change him.

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And it's really not an afternoon baking in the kitchen if there isn't some taste testing going on.

While the cookies baked and the bread dough was rising, we played a little basketball and football. Westin had Mandy running all over the place. This would be a photograph by Westin of Mandy getting ready to slam dunk. Nice shot, Westin!

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Mandy's photograph of Westin... we're not quite sure what this face is about, but man oh man, is he upset about something!

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Another photograph by Westin... not looking my finest on four hours of sleep. Sheesh!

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Finally decorating the cookies

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Westin would decorate one, take one bite and then move on to the next. See how many cookies you can spot that have little bites taken out of them.

At least six.

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And here's the winner of the day... 

If you make one new thing this fall, PLEASE make this! It's a cinnamon sugar pumpkin bread with a maple glaze. You guys, it's like melt-in-your-mouth, warm-your-whole-body, down-right-sinful good!