Food For The Soul

Buttermilk Pancakes

I asked Daddy-O to cook supper about a week ago. He immediately said, "I can't cook!" But I know better. He is famous—with the grandchildren, at least— for his French toast, and he does a really good job with pancakes. There are nights when pancakes are just what the body...mostly the soul...needs.

And Shrove Tuesday, sometimes called Pancake Tuesday, is fast approaching. (It's the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent.) So it's a good time to share a pancake recipe. Now, I always keep a box of "only needs water" pancake mix in the pantry. There are a couple of good brands we like. It's nice to know there is something that can be fixed quickly when you are tired. And if you've let yourself run out of eggs and milk and everything else, you can still feed people. Always a good thing.

But homemade pancakes are special. I've posted a pancake recipe here somewhere way back, but this one is made with buttermilk. I like that flavor. And we happened to have buttermilk in the fridge. So here goes.

BUTTERMILK PANCAKES

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon canola or vegetable oil, plus enough to lightly coat griddle

Combine flour and dry ingredients. (I like to mix with a whisk.) Make a well in the center.

In a separate bowl, mix buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and oil. Pour into well in the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth.

Preheat nonstick griddle or skillet and brush lightly with oil. Use a 1/4 cup measure to pour each pancake onto griddle. When the tops are covered with bubbles, turn and cook the other side. 

For us, this made 8 pancakes.

So whether you're in need of "brinner" (breakfast for dinner) one night or you plan to observe Shrove Tuesday, hang on to this recipe.

Video Cooking Class

BANANA MUFFS

I haven't seen the little granddaughters in so long it hurts. But the pandemic has kept us apart. We, of course, have done FaceTime visits, but that's not the same. Then Mommy had a brain storm. One thing they love to do when they are here with me is to cook. So we cooked together this week. Together apart. It was the closest thing to being in the same space that we've had in months.

Because we planned this ahead I had time to order a tripod for my iPhone. Back in the day, I did cooking demos on the local television station as part of my job. This reminded me of the setting up we did. Except they used real cameras and had real cameramen. But the "think it through" process was the same. I made sure everything was set out. And Mommy made sure the little girls had the same ingredients and tools set out and ready.

We still used FaceTime but this was more interactive. They used an iPad. See it propped up on a box? They could watch me and I could see them. Baby Girl made banana muffins. The recipe is an old one and it's called Banana Muffs. Because they are a healthy eating family, Mommy liked this one because it only uses 1/4 cup sugar. And it's delicious.

We talked about the different kinds of measuring cups and what each is for. We learned how to properly measure. Squishing the bananas was the most fun! This was such a good set up. They could ask questions as we cooked and I could see what they were doing.

Seriously. This was the most fun. If you have any thoughts of doing this with your hobby—whatever your hobby is—spend the $30 for the tripod. I don't think it would have worked without it. I could easily tilt the camera down so that they could see into the  bowl and then move it back up so I could talk to them.

And because we had a Daddy-O handy, he could capture what was going on. He used his phone to get a few pictures and thankfully a little video. I think he was fascinated that this all worked. This video clip is only 4 seconds. See us in action!

Cheese Omelet

Some serious thought went into the recipes we chose. We wanted something suitable for their skill level. And we got lucky that these two foods worked together. Baby Girl (who just finished kindergarten) made the muffins. When she slid them in the oven (with mom's help,) Little Sister and I started the cheese omelets. No written recipe for us. Just a demonstration. I would do a step. She would copy me. It was a miracle. The timing was perfect. The 15 minutes baking time was just right to have a omelet lesson. And they had a complete breakfast. J-Daddy got the first plate and he gave it a two thumbs up. 

And after making two more omelets, the girls got to enjoy their own breakfast. I snapped a quick photo of them. I was still watching. Licking the plate clean is about the best compliment any cook could get. Baby Girl was licking the omelet plate and Little Sister got every crumb off the muffin paper. They make quite a team.

Mommy taught kindergarten for several years. And the teacher in her made this a real learning project. After we cooked, she had each of the girls write their recipes. I dictated the recipe and Baby Girl wrote it down. In her own way. Can you read it? If you are not fluent in kindergarten writing, the recipe (in an easier to read version) is below.

BANANA MUFFS

2 cups Bisquick baking mix

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 egg

1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 to 3 medium)

Preheat oven to 400º.

Combine baking mix, sugar, butter and egg. Beat vigorously for 30 seconds. Fold in bananas.

Fill 12 greased (or line with cupcake papers) muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 15-18 minutes. until lightly browned.

While warm, you can drizzle with Thin Icing and sprinkle with chopped nuts, if desired. (The girls decided they liked them better plain.)

Thin Icing: Blend 1 cup confectioners sugar and 2 tablespoons water until smooth.

Sometimes I made 36 mini muffins instead. Bake them for 12-15 minutes. 

I'm not sure we will ever come up with two foods that work so well together, both in the timing and the food pairing. But I do think we will try this again. I really had a good time. I'm pretty sure they did, too. And Mommy got a few minutes to herself for a change. It was good every way we looked at it.

Summer Breakfast

OVERNIGHT MUESLI

I love a bowl of oatmeal in the mornings. All warm and fragrant with cinnamon and apples. But in the summer, hot oatmeal for breakfast is not the first thing that crosses my mind. I now have a new way to love oatmeal. A quick overnight muesli. Years ago I tried several overnight oats concoctions. Can't say I ever loved any of them. Most had chia seeds. I'm sure they are good for you, but I didn't like the dingy color of the end result. This is a plainer version that suits me just fine. I've been making two or three at a time so that it's easy to grab one in the mornings.

Understand this isn't a true muesli which typically has dried fruits, nuts, seeds, spices, etc. Truthfully, it may barely even qualify as muesli. But it works for me. Simple. Tasty. Healthy.

Normally I would never use almond milk, but at the beginning of the quarantine I snagged a case (4 quarts) of almond milk, thinking it would be good to have a shelf stable "milk" on hand. Wonder of wonders! It's pretty good. It's perfect in this mixture.

This is how I do it. Use it as a starting place for your own version. Try different berries. You could top with nuts or granola. Or, use a different milk. Daddy-O needed more honey. I'm pretty sure my little granddaughters would think this is a treat. Can't wait to see them again so we can try it.

OVERNIGHT MUESLI

1/4 cup old-fashioned oatmeal

1/4 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt

1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 teaspoon honey

berries, fresh or frozen

ground cinnamon, optional

Measure oatmeal, milk, yogurt and honey into a 1 cup container. Stir together. Top with berries. Cover and refrigerate overnight. When serving, sprinkle with a little cinnamon. Will keep in refrigerator for several days.

1 serving                      For my WW point counting friends, this is 1 purple point.

We spent the weekend at the lake. Just us—and the geese and the squirrels who kept us entertained. We love the porch so the rain was just one more thing to watch. I planned our food carefully, taking all we needed for several days. No trips to the grocery store. I took a couple of jars of this muesli. And we stayed three nights. 

I was so sad I didn't have a third jar to eat the last day there. So as soon as we got home, I stirred up four more. I'm ready for the rest of the week. I found out they get better as they sit longer. Mix them up during the day or in the afternoon instead of at bedtime for the next day's breakfast for a little extra refrigerator time. Make them several days ahead. I would happily have one for a snack. This is one of my best recipe finds in quite a while. Delicious AND healthy!

My Grandmother Tour Of Duty

It's my last day here. For the past four weeks I've had the honor and great privilege to be here to welcome this new baby girl to the family. To be helping hands to the brand new parents. To help in the middle of the night when the mommy and daddy were both so tired. To keep everyone in clean clothes and to keep the refrigerator stocked and meals cooked.

But being a grandmother is more than doing the practical. It's about offering encouragement to the new parents. It's about loving. It's about passing on that feeling of being loved beyond measure that I always felt when I was with my own grandmother. I adored my grandmother and hope that years down the road all these girls will feel the same about me.

In my time here I've felt all the feels that come with rocking a tiny (less than 6 lbs.) baby in the middle of the night. I've remembered how terrified I was my first couple of weeks as a new mom. I've remembered the rush of love that overwhelmed me when I would watch my tiny sleeping baby. (When she ever would go to sleep.) And I've remembered that at the very same time I was overwhelmed with love, I could be overwhelmed with anxiety. How will I do this? What am I even supposed to do? And here we are, over 30 years later, and my babies are grown, well-adjusted adults. I know we didn't do everything right, but we did okay.

And in these weeks I've watched my own baby—yes, Jessica is my baby—grow in confidence and skill as she learns to do the things that mothers do. When it's your first, it's all new and unknown and.... Well, you moms know. She's made me proud.

I've been interested in watching mothering in the age of the internet. All I had was the Dr. Spock book and the weekly long distance phone call to my mother. Now there is a crazy amount of information at your fingertips. Maybe too much information. But it's also wonderful that you can text your new mom friends and ask questions and share what's going on. Friends are only a tap-on-your-phone away. How wonderful that would have been for me back in the day.

Sausage Butternut Squash Breakfast Casserole

I've made several new-to-me recipes while I've been here. Recipes from Jessica's repertoire. I'll share a few of these as I get home and my life settles back down. I'm putting the recipes here so that I can find them again. The easiest of these new recipes was the sausage/vegetable breakfast bake. I'm going to share how I did it. I couldn't find chorizo and we swapped out the fresh spiralized sweet potato for frozen squash. Certainly no time around here to spiralized fresh potatoes! Here is the link to the original recipe.

SAUSAGE BUTTERNUT SQUASH BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

1 lb sausage (I used Jimmy Dean Regular)
1 bag frozen spiralized butternut squash (12-oz, I think)
8 large eggs
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

3/4 cup milk or heavy cream (I used 2% milk)
1/2 to 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (who measures this?)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the sausage, breaking apart, until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, pepper, and milk until very well combined and frothy. Set aside. 

Spread the frozen squash across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Next, spread the cooked sausage over the top of the spiralized squash. Then, pour the egg mixture over the top. Sprinkle the cheese over the top. 

Place into the oven and cook until the eggs have just set, 35-45 minutes (depending on your oven). 

This was a delicious supper. It also was good reheated for breakfast. The squash was a fun substitute for the more traditional hash browns. I think this may have started as a Whole30 recipe. Maybe I should say it's now "Whole30-ish."

The Bed Had Wheels

I just got home from official Mimi duty. (It's nice to be needed.) Baby Girl made a trip to the hospital on Monday morning. She told me, "I'm going to get my ears cracked." In adult speak, that's called getting ear tubes. Everything went smoothly and quickly. She was back at home by mid-afternoon, sleeping off her hard morning. By suppertime, she was wide awake.

I asked her to tell me about what happened. In between bounces and twirls and spins and tumbles, this newly-turned-three-year-old told me, "I went to the hospital." And again I asked her to tell me about it. "The bed had wheels!" "The nurse told me I had to be very patient."  She spread her fingers and put her hand over her nose. "They put a big thing on my face." Then she ran to the table beside her bed and pointed to the mask on her nebulizer. "It was like this. I think they gave me a breathing treatment." She ended with, "And I ate a popsicle." All in all, she had a good day.

Her mommy said that Baby Girl's nurse called a few other nurses into her room to see this happy little chatterbox. Most of the other little ones there that morning for the same procedure were not having such a positive experience. They could hear the unhappy contingent down the hall. No doubt about it. A happy toddler was the exception.

And while Mommy and J-Daddy were busy tending to the little patient, I was the chauffeur for the big sisters. There was a quick breakfast before school that morning. Little Sister asked for honey toast, her current favorite breakfast. And then on the way to school, she proceeded to tell me how to make it. "Mimi, you should try it. You could make this." So I thought I'd share her recipe with you.

Here's the recipe...in Little Sister's own words:

HONEY TOAST

bread
honey

First you toast your own bread.

Then you drizzle honey from side to side. You can drizzle it from front to back, too. But Mommy won't let me have that much honey.

And then you eat it. Enjoy!

Breakfast In A Flash

I'm pretty good at keeping foods for dinner in the freezer. I don't make that much effort with breakfast foods. Breakfast is so quick and easy to make, that I normally don't bother. But Daddy-O likes a bigger breakfast than I do. Like bacon and eggs. Or, sausage biscuits. And those do take more time in the morning.

Last week while I was on my quest to restock the freezer, I added a couple of items that Daddy-O can grab in a hurry. He's on his own for a few days now while I'm at a knitting retreat. With a couple of breakfast options in the freezer, I know he won't be hungry in the mornings.

I baked applesauce muffins which I have made many times. They freeze well. I popped them into the freezer, two to a pint-size freezer ziplock bag. He can take out one pack for breakfast or a snack when he wants something. And because they are packed in "twos," he won't need to thaw out the others until he's ready.

And after applesauce muffins, I made "egg muffins." I made a version of these once with vegetable and remember Daddy-O saying, "These are good. But they'd be better if they had some meat in them." So this sausage/egg/cheese recipe sounded like what he wanted.

These can be eaten as is, or you can smash them flat and tuck into a toasted English muffin or a biscuit. Kind of like homemade fast food!

EGG "MUFFINS"

1 lb turkey sausage (I used pork sausage)
6 large eggs
1 cup egg whites (from 7 large eggs)
1/4 cup minced onion
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown sausage until no pink remains. Drain on paper towels. Spray muffin tins with PAM. Divide the cooked sausage, onion and cheeses between the 12 muffin cups.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, egg whites, and salt & pepper. Pour egg mixture over the sausage and cheese in each cup.

Bake 22-25 minutes, until set and lightly browned.

Remove from pan and serve warm. Or, let cook completely on a wire rack and refrigerate or freeze.

To reheat from refrigerated, microwave about 30 seconds. To reheat from frozen, microwave 45-60 seconds. (Microwave ovens vary, so figure out the time for yours.)

To freeze them, I placed the cooled muffins on a sheet of parchment paper on a baking pan. Freeze for 1-2 hours, and then wrap for freezer storage. You might want to set a timer to remind you to go back and bag them up. It's easy to forget.

I put them into packs of two and labeled with thawing instructions. Then after trying out the "thaw from frozen" directions, Daddy-O discovered that it took him about 75 seconds to thaw his.

And in the interest of full disclosure, this is what mine looked like coming out of the oven. There was some overflow. I just trimmed that off as I removed them from the cups and everything was good.

What's A Dutch Baby?

Dutch Baby

This Dutch baby would be so good on one of the Christmas holiday mornings. You know, one of those magazine mornings where the family is all in cute pajamas and slowly sipping coffee as they sit around the beautifully decorated tree listening to Christmas music from St. Martin In The Fields.

It would also be good if your mornings are of the crazier variety, with everyone dashing around like mad, bumping into each other as they try to wrap the last gifts before it's time to open them while someone rushes to the store because you're out of milk. (This would be more like my house.) This recipe might bring a tiny moment of "ahhhh" to those in your house. It really is easy if you are the one cooking it. And the one in charge of wrapping boxes. It also would be a nice treat day-after-Christmas treat—which might be a more realistic possibility.

Mommy handed me a newspaper when I was there a few weeks ago. She had talked about needing a cast iron skillet and there was a huge article about a cast iron cooking in the paper. (Christmas hint?) The recipe for Dutch Baby was on a sidebar. Dutch Baby is sometimes called a German pancake. It's basically a puffy egg dish, that's somewhere between a pancake and a popover. I've watched these being made on a couple of cooking shows and read about them on blogs and everyone talked about how easy they are to make.

When I got home I dusted off my cast iron skillet (yes, literally had to wash the dust off) and told Daddy-O we were having a treat for breakfast. Fingers crossed that it would be good because I never made one. Or, even eaten one. It was delicious! And yes, it was easy.

I will tell you that I followed the newspaper recipe exactly—and burned the butter. (My oven takes a long, long time to heat up, so that might be why my butter burned.) I carefully wiped the very hot pan out with paper towels and added more butter and kept going. So THIS recipe has been adjusted to avoid that. You just add the butter and let it melt right before you pour the batter in.

The secret to this puffy pancake is having the pan very hot. After we enjoyed our breakfast, I took some time to look up other recipes to see how hot their oven was (after my butter burning issue.) The temperatures varied from 375 to 450. One recipe heated the pan on the stovetop, added the butter and melted it before pouring in the batter and baking it. Some used 2 eggs while others called for 6 eggs. So it sounds like if you mess something up, it will probably still work.

It might be fun to try some of the different versions to see what the difference is. But I know this one is good. It would be a great brunch recipe during your holiday weekends.

BE CAREFUL as you handle the extremely hot heavy pan! I have a gas stove, so the metal grates are fine for the hot pan. Make sure you have a safe place to set it when it comes out of the oven. And NEVER EVER use a damp kitchen towel as a pot holder. You will have a serious steam burn in the blink of an eye. Before you start be sure you have dry pot holders and a trivet or other safe place to set the pan down. Safety first!

DUTCH BABY

4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick), cut into pieces
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of salt

powdered sugar for garnish
maple syrup for serving

Put a 10-inch cast iron skillet into oven on the middle rack and preheat to 425 degrees.

While oven is heating, pour eggs into a blender and blend on high until eggs are light and foamy. Remove the blender lid and add the milk, flour, sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and salt. Blend again until ingredients are completely incorporated.

When oven reaches temp, put the butter pieces into the skillet and let melt. When butter is melted (about a minute,) remove hot pan from oven, pour batter into pan, and return to oven immediately.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden and puffy. When Dutch baby is done, use an offset spatula to lift it onto a cutting board. Cut into wedges. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup.

Serves 4 to 6


This dish is all puffy when it first comes out of the oven, but it quickly collapses. Not to worry. That's what happens. 

Many recipes also include some type of cooked fruit sauce to serve with the Dutch baby. I know that would be delicious. But I didn't have any berries to do that. So we used a little maple syrup. It was so good, I can't imagine doing it another way now. But should I have berries on hand the next time, maybe I'll try that, too.

The In Between Days

Blueberry Buckle

Our little people headed home a couple of days ago. Right now our house is quiet and the floors are toy-free. (Did I tell you about the single black Lego on our dark rug that I "found" early one morning?) In this house with no grandchildren, we can finish a cup of coffee while it's hot. We can read the newspaper and watch the morning news shows (which is all pretty depressing) and eat a meal without hopping up a dozen times. But we are missing the early morning snuggles and the bedtime stories and all the hugs in between.

I miss getting fashion advice from the two-year-old, who told me I needed higher heels when I dressed for church on Sunday. I miss hearing Little Sister telling Daddy-O, "Sometimes we make bad decisions, but people love us anyway" after he did something that she is not allowed to do. So hard not to laugh!

While this house is empty for a few days, I'm making plans for "Camp Mimi" next week. Only one little one this time. Little Sister is coming to spend a week at the farm, by herself, to enjoy activities planned just for her. I have a bit of a plan, but we will have it all figured out by the time "camp" begins. 

So in these days between visits, I'm catching up on regular things here, like laundry, cleaning, reading (something beside Berenstain Bears) and knitting. Just started a new shawl from Curious Handmade. Right now it's at the "doesn't look like much" stage. But I've seen photos of other knitters' finished shawls and they are lovely. Right now the temps are staying around 100 degrees here. No need for any kind of wrap or shawl. But cooler temperatures will come back. I'll be ready. For much of our winter, a shawl will be all the outerwear I'll need.

We are finishing up leftovers from our kid-friendly meals. Maybe the best of the leftovers is the Blueberry Buckle I baked with the very last of the blueberries we picked. This is an old recipe from an old cookbook. My mother gave me a brand new Better Homes & Gardens cookbook when I graduated from college. It is still my go-to cookbook, even though the pages are now yellowed. I have notes jotted all through the book. The penciled-in words beside the Blueberry Buckle recipe say "very good!" Indeed.

You can find the self-rising flour version of this recipe here. It's good either way you do it.

BLUEBERRY BUCKLE

1/2 cup shortening (I used half shortening/half butter this time)

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

2 cups fresh blueberries

topping:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly cream shortening and 3/4 cup sugar; add egg and beat until light and fluffy. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together to blend. Add flour to creamed mixture, alternately with milk. Spread batter in greased 11x7x 1-/1/2 inch pan. Top with berries. Mix 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbly; sprinkle over berries. Bake 45 minutes. Cut into squares. Serve warm.

School for Big Sister (10th grade) and Little Sister (5K) begins on August 4. After that, there won't be very many visits to the farm. And then I'll go back and look over this blog and remember how much grandparent fun we've had this summer.

Cranberry Nut Coffee Cake

Cranberry Nut Coffee Cake

Before I was married (so, over 36 years ago) I needed a dessert for the ladies circle meeting. Remember those church circle meetings? Those ladies were all coming to my tiny apartment for the first time. I was just out of college and even though I had a degree in home economics, I didn't have that much practical experience. I needed something I could make quickly after work that was delicious. And foolproof.

 

I turned to my trusted little Bisquick cookbook (printed in 1971.) It's full of good easy recipes. I've made the Banana Muffs from this book a gazillion times. It's in the recipe index here on the blog. But unlike the banana muffins I've made over and over, until last night I had baked this coffee cake only once for that circle meeting. Still, I never forgot the recipe.

 

Last night I baked the coffee cake for our dessert. Fingers crossed it was as good as I remembered! Before I got into the kitchen after supper, Daddy-O had cut his second piece. I asked if it was good. He mumbled with his mouth full of cake, "Ummmm....good." And it was. Try serving it warm, with a cup of coffee.

CRANBERRY NUT COFFEE CAKE

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups Bisquick baking mix
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup milk or water
2/3 cup whole cranberry sauce
Confectioners' Sugar Icing

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix brown sugar, nuts and cinnamon and set aside.
Combine Bisquick, sugar, egg and milk. Beat vigorously for 1/2 minute. (I used a wire whisk.)
Spread batter in a greased 9x9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with the nut mixture. Spoon cranberry sauce over the top. (It will not completely cover the top.)
Bake 20-25 minutes. While still warm, drizzle Confectioners' Sugar Icing over the top of cake.

Confectioners' Sugar Icing: Blend 1 cup confectioners' sugar (that's also called powdered sugar,) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and about 1 tablespoon water. Add more water, a few drops at a time, if needed, until you reach desired consistency.

How Sweet It Is

Mommy and family arrived home in the wee hours of the morning. We survived a few days here without them and did okay. It helped that by Saturday, the adult/toddler ratio was 3 to 1. Saturday night, (night #3) getting Baby Girl to bed went much smoother than the first two nights.

I got an entire night's sleep Saturday night, so to celebrate I made pancakes for Sunday breakfast! Daddy-O was happy. Jessica (who had come for the day on Saturday then took pity on us and spent the night) was happy. Baby Girl was REALLY happy. Because after her plain pancake, Daddy-O got involved and poured a little syrup for her.

They don't do that when Mommy is in charge. It's probably for the best that Daddy-O doesn't see them very often. I fully agree that teaching them good food habits is important. But Daddy-O made a sneak attack with the maple syrup. And the look on her face was priceless.

PANCAKES for EVERYDAY
              adapted from Mark Bittman's NYTimes recipe

2 cups all- purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 to 2 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted & cooled

Mix together dry ingredients in a bowl.  In another bowl, beat eggs into 1-1/2 cups milk. Stir in melted butter. Stir milk mixture into dry ingredients, stirring only enough to moisten flour. A few lumps are okay. If your batter is too thick, add a little more milk.

Use 1/4 measuring cup to ladle batter onto a medium hot greased griddle or skillet. When you see bubbles around the edge and the bottoms are brown, flip and cook the other side.

Makes about 16 4-inch pancakes


This is an easy recipe, but there is measuring involved. I think it would be nice to mix up a couple of batches of the dry ingredients and pack and label it. Then it would be really easy to make these. These really are better than using a mix (which I also use.)

Make-Ahead Breakfast

 

I am thinking about how many days I'll be away when I head out this weekend to babysit the granddaughters. When I go, I always try to leave some cooked foods in the freezer for Daddy-O to make it easier for him to have a meal. Sometimes my freezer stash includes muffins that he can have for breakfast.

But the last time I was out visiting, the mother of Big Sister's good friend was telling about making "egg muffins" to put in her freezer. She said her family loved them. And she liked to keep them on hand because it was so easy for her daughters to grab a couple and zap them in the microwave for an on-the-go breakfast.

She sent the recipe yesterday. It's one I have looked at for years but never made. It's the Vegetable Quiche Cups to Go from the South Beach cookbook. (Not sure why the photo has these little quiches in crust--it's a crustless recipe.)

I made them this morning with some slight variation. I didn't have Egg Beaters or reduced-fat cheese here. So if you are truly wanting low-fat or lower calorie, you'll need to look at the original recipe. I also added one more egg than the Egg Beaters-to-egg equivalent. Three eggs just didn't look like enough.

Warm from the oven, these are delicious. I'm trusting Megan's mom that they are also good from the freezer. Just be sure the peel off the foil cups before microwaving.

VEGETABLE QUICHE CUPS

1 (10-oz) package frozen chopped spinach
4 large eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1/4 cup finely diced green or red pepper
a few grinds of black pepper

Microwave the spinach for 2-1/2 minutes on HIGH. Squeeze out the excess liquid.

Line a 12-cup muffin pan with foil baking cups and spray the liners with PAM.

Combine eggs, spinach, cheese, onion, green peppers, and black pepper. Mix well. Divide evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

May be frozen and reheated in the microwave. (Remove the foil cups)  Can use any combination of appropriate vegetables.

Daddy-O's verdict? In true Mr.-Meat-and-Potatoes fashion he said, "It's good. But it would be better with less spinach." If you decide that you like this idea, Google can provide many versions of these "freezer egg muffins" to try. Some include other vegetables or sausage or ham or bacon. I'll make one of those versions next time for Daddy-O. One with meat, for sure.

Cinnamon Goodness

Cinnamon Rolls w/Maple Frosting

If they gave a Nobel Prize for cinnamon rolls, the Pioneer Woman should get one for this recipe. I don't have words to describe the gooey goodness that is a pan of these rolls. They are that good. I just took seven pans of them to church for a bake sale. Pan #8 (the oddly shaped ends and such) stayed here and lasted exactly six and a half minutes after they came out of the oven. 

Daddy-O had to taste them, of course. And, he tasted and tasted and tasted until the pan was empty. I got one bite just to make sure they were okay. They were way more than okay. Glad there was only one bite left for me because I'm not sure I would have found a stopping place.

I made no changes to her recipe. But I am making a few notes here that I think will make it a little easier for you if it's your first time baking them. Her recipe has wonderful photos that show you the step-by-step process. (I have a new appreciation for her. Cooking and photographing at the same time isn't easy.) Please go look at her recipe to see how she does it.  

First pans in the oven.

If you have never used yeast, don't be afraid. This was an easy dough to work with. The big payoff is that you get SEVEN pans of cinnamon rolls. And, maybe a little taster pan for the baker.

Here are my own tips if you are new to this:

• I used a 4-1/2 qt. saucepan to heat the milk mixture and then added flour straight into the pan after the milk cooled. I let the dough rise right in the saucepan.

• I used unbleached all-purpose flour. (I like King Arthur.) After my last bread experiment, the soft flours aren't my first choice for this recipe. So I'm skipping my usual White Lily and Martha White flours for yeast recipes calling for all-purpose flour.

• You can just scoop up the flour and level as you measure. Lightly spooning it into the measuring might give you a really soft, sticky dough. (Add more flour as you roll it out if that happens.)

• Take off your rings. It's hard to get dough out of the prongs

• Clean off a lot of counter space before you start. You roll the dough 30-inchs long and then you still need room for the sugar, cinnamon, foil pans, knife, etc.

• It took about a half of a regular size bottle of cinnamon. If you aren't starting with a new bottle, make sure you have enough.

• Lay a yard stick at the back of the counter where you roll the dough. 30-inches was longer than I would have guessed. I didn't actually "measure" with the yard stick (who knows where that yard stick has been?) but it gave me a reference so I could eyeball it better. You could also pull off 30-inches of masking tape and put on the front edge of the counter.

• I rolled the dough out right on my granite countertop. If you have laminate countertops, you should be able to roll the out dough there, but be sure to slide a cutting board or mat under the dough before you cut!

• Allow about three hours, beginning to end, to make this recipe. There are nice long spaces while the milk cools, and when the dough rises so you can do other things around the house. But we have tried making them on a tight time schedule and today was much easier to have ample time.

Now, go make some. Be brave and just follow the recipe. Release your inner child. It's a little like working with play dough. 

Bake sale table.

If you go to the Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls 101, you can print out the recipe right from there. Her photos are a huge help, too.

CINNAMON ROLLS

1 quart whole milk (that's 4 cups)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2  (1/4-oz) packets ActiveDry yeast (that's just the regular little envelopes)
8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (plus additional 1 cup)
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
1 scant teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon salt
2—3 sticks butter, melted (for brushing over rolled out dough)
2 cups sugar
lots of ground cinnamon (about a half bottle)

MAPLE FROSTING
1 (32-oz.) bag powdered sugar
2 teaspoons maple flavoring
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup brewed coffee
1/8 teaspoon salt

7-8 foil cake pans

Heat the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat to just below a boil. (In other words, scald it.)

Set aside and cool to warm (about 100-110 degrees), about 45 minutes. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit for 1 minute.

Stir in 8 cups flour until just combined. Cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. (I put mine on the counter and turn on the under-counter lights.) After an hour (the dough will hae risen and be puffy), add the baking powder, baking soda, salt and the remaining 1 cup flour. Stir to combine thoroughly. You can continue with the recipe now or  put dough in a bowl and refrigerate (covered) for up to 3 days Punch down the dough as necessary. You can also chill the dough for an hour to make it easier to handle.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Remove half the dough and roll out on a floured surface to about 30x10-inch rectangle. Dough will be thin.

Pour 3/4 to 1 cup melted butter over dough and use fingers to spread evenly. Sprinkle 1 cup sugar over dough, then sprinkle generously with cinnamon. You can add more butter or sugar if you need to.

Roll up the long side of the rectangle, rolling toward you, working slowly and rolling tightly. When you get to the end, pinch the other long edge to seal. You now have a long skinny "log." 

Spoon a tablespoon of melted butter in each foil pan and brush to cover bottom. Slice the log into 1-inch slices. Place 7-9 slices in each pan, being careful not to crowd. Cover pans with clean towels or plastic wrap. Repeat with other half of dough.

Let stand at least 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15-17 minutes, until golden brown. (But not too brown.) 

While rolls are baking, make the frosting:  Pour sugar into a large bowl. Add milk, butter, coffee, flavoring and salt and whisk until smooth. (Daddy-O did a great job here.) Taste and adjust flavors if needed. Frosting should be thick, but pourable.

When pans come out of the oven, immediately pour frosting over hot rolls. Be generous, covering them completely—all the nooks and crannies and around the edges. The rolls will absorb a lot of the frosting and they will look just right when they cool.


And that's it! Beginning to end took me about three hours. And I let the dough chill for a little while in the refrigerator before rolling. It isn't quite as much work as it sounds like, but do allow enough time. During the cooling and then the rising, I had time to do other things around the house.

Happy Birthday today to Daddy-O! Sorry that all the baking went to church. I'll make something just for you soon. Promise.

Crisscross Applesauce

Because I had applesauce left from our apple-cooking week, I made applesauce muffins to use that last big spoonful. If the rest of my day goes like this baking experience did, I should just go to bed now! But even with the mix-ups and accidents, these are delicious. 

I ran out of all-purpose flour—because I dumped in the wrong spice and had to start over. So the second time, I used half all-purpose flour and half white whole wheat. That worked fine and maybe is a little healthier, too. I poured too fast, so a big splash of vanilla landed in the bowl. So I didn't add in as much from the measuring spoon. I used a "guesstimate" at that point. The oven timer got turned off accidently. Thankfully, I realized that in time to watch for them to brown.

But the finished product was yummy. Maybe this is one of those nearly indestructible recipes. We all need some of those on hand. I love nuts, but I did not add them this time so that Little Sister would eat the muffins. Like many small children, she doesn't like nuts in anything. She is going to miss her Mimi's cooking next week. And I'm pretty sure she will miss her Mimi. We will surely miss her. And Baby Girl. And Mommy, too.

When we drove into our driveway last night, two deer had come back to check the apple trees. One quickly darted away, but this one stayed long enough for me to snap a picture. Sorry, roaming deer, the apples are gone for this year.

APPLESAUCE MUFFINS

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup applesauce

2 cups all-purpose flour (I used half all-purpose and half white whole wheat)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Stir in applesauce. Combine flour, baking soda and spices. Stir into creamed mixture. Fold in nuts, if using.

Fill greased muffin cups about 3/4 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean. 

Cool for 5 minutes and then remove to wire rack. 

Makes 12 muffins.  This recipe can be easily doubled.

If you spend much time around preschoolers, you know what "crisscross applesauce" means. But if it's been years since you had little ones around, you might not be familiar with this term. I first heard it when Mommy was teaching kindergarten a few years ago. It's what we used to call sitting cross-legged or Indian-style. But now when the preschool teachers ask them to sit crisscross applesauce, and every child exactly what to do!

UPDATE: These muffins disappeared so quickly that I made a second batch the next day. With nuts this time. They were supposed to go to the lake but I'm not sure they will last that long.