My Best Friend's Favorite Pancakes

Everything is Oscar, Oscar, Oscar at our house.
Who would you like to share these muffins with?
Who is nice to you at preschool?
Who helps you build in the block area?

It only seems fitting that our Sunday morning is starting with Oscar's favorite pancake recipe. It originated from The Joy of Cooking, but Oscar's mom has incoporated her own healthy touches.


My Best Friend's Favorite Pancakes
serves 4
Mix:
3/4 c oat flour (or your favorite flour. oat flour offers dietary fiber & protein)
3/4 c all-purpose flour
1 t salt
3 T sugar (we like Rapadura)
1 3/4 t double-acting baking powder
1 T ground flaxseed meal
a shake of cinnamon and ginger (we used fresh ginger since we had leftovers from last night's dinner party)

Combine with:
2 slightly beaten eggs
3 T melted butter
1-1 1/4 c milk

You know it's Sunday morning when . . .

These are a great go-to pancake. Easy to make and they taste just like a pancake should. Owen comment for today's pancakes is, "they taste fresh and clean."


Here's a shot of Oscar & O in the igloo they made with Reid last winter . . .

Fun Fact! O's dad and Oscar's dad were best friends in elementary school-- sleepovers every Friday night to watch the Dukes of Hazard!

Here's to best friends and tasty pancakes!

Fun with Sourdough

You mean there's bugs in here?

Yes! Meet the invisible world of yeast and bacteria!

I had never baked my own bread before O came along. During his toddlerhood, when he and I had nothing but time, we began experimenting in the kitchen. Before I knew it, a friend of the family (Carol Kenney) offered to teach me about baking with sourdough. Carol first wooed our family by delivering loaf after loaf of flavorful sourdough bread. Her long-lasting, hearty loaves seemed to complement every meal we made- whether it was eggs, soup or pasta. We could not get enough. And, we didn't even realize how healthful it was!

Under Carol's tutelage, we keep learning more about sourdough. This morning, we used "sourdough starter" to make pancakes. If you don't have a "sourdough starter" connection, you can make your own sourdough starter or order a packaged sourdough starter mix.

Sourdough Pancakes
adapted from http://whatscookingamerica.net/
serves 4
1 C sourdough starter, room temperature
1 C whole wheat flour
1 T honey or sugar
1 egg
2 T melted butter or organic coconut oil
1/4 t salt
1/4 C milk
1/2 t baking soda
1 T warm water

The day before, feed the sourdough starter with flour and water. Watch it grow.

Mix Sourdough Starter with all ingredients except baking soda/water.

Using an electric mixer helps since starter can be gloppy/tough. Heat your griddle. Fold in baking soda/water just before cooking.

Our sourdough pancakes were gorgeous tasting-- light and melting in our mouths. 

Why sourdough?
Besides being delicious, sourdough is practically a superfood. Some health benefits of cooking with sourdough include:
-enabling the body to absorb its vital minerals like potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc.
-a slowed rate at which carbohydrates enter the bloodsteam, helping to prevent insulin resistance and diabetes. note: If you want to dramatically reduce the blood sugar effect of pancakes, you could allow the ingredients (before adding the baking soda) overnight.
-through its fermentation, nutrients like B12 arise.

Much more about on this on our guru-friend, Carol Kenney's website, Pathways For Health.

To learn even more about sourdough, please visit Carol's friend, Ellen Arian's gorgeous new sourdough-instructional blog.

We have also used our sourdough starter to make . . .

Sourdough Blueberry Breakfast Bread

Despite being made with whole wheat flour and date sugar, O 

got confused about the name and kept calling it candy cake!
Who am I to correct him?

Our First-Ever Loaf of Sourdough Bread

Carol says, "No matter how it looks, it always tastes amazing." We agree!

The Light of April Pancakes

Along with some of our favorite birds, the sunlight is returning!

Red-winged Blackbird 

2 Osprey in their nest

rub a dub, dub, dub: 3 Eastern Bluebirds

Incredible avian photography provided by Lanny McDowell

Celebrate the lightness of April with us as we create these simple "Light and Fluffy Pancakes."

The Light of April (Light & Fluffy) Pancakes
adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
serves 3-4
1 C milk
4 eggs, separated
1 C all-purpose flour
Dash salt
1 T sugar
1 1/2 t baking powder
softed butter or neutral oil

Beat milk and egg yolks. Mix dry ingredients. Beat egg whites with a whisk or electric mixer until stiff but not dry.

Combine dry ingredients and milk-yolk mixture, stirring to blend. Gently fold into the beaten egg whites; they should remain somewhat distinct in the batter.

Preheat griddle and add oil/butter. As you ladle batter onto the griddle, be sure each pancake has some egg whites. Serve, or hold in a 200 degree oven for up to 15 minutes.

(custom backdrop created by O)

If you like spongecake, you will love these! If you prefer a richer pancake, maybe we suggest . . . adding melted butter to the batter?

I am trying to learn more about the birds around us. Want to join me? A friend and mentor, Saskia Vanderhoop of Sassafras Nature-based Education suggests taking a free mini bird course at http://birdlanguage.com.

April Fools!

Happy April Fools!
I am walking into the Lion's Den today- lunch with O's preschool class. What was I thinking?!


Anyhow, here are some behind-the-scene bloopers from our pancake blogging . . .

Ooops, hold onto your orange as you zest away into your blueberry syrup! 

(O thought this was hilarious!)

These super healthy pancakes never made our blog as O refused to eat them!

Floor was just mopped. Pancake batter EvErYwHeRe!

Nothing delights O more than our kitchen/life follies!
I so want to adopt his approach to life!

"Wake & Make" Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes

Rolling out of bed and seeing every ingredient we need in our pantry feels good. Sometimes the next best thing to 'eating local' is enjoying what we already have. These "Wake and Make" pancakes let us start our day by alleviating guilt from bummer facts like, "Americans waste about "40% of all edible food."

Wake & Make Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes
adapted slightly from Whole Foods for the Whole Family Cookbook
serves 4
2 C. milk (preferably grass-fed, organic whole milk)
3 eggs
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 1/4 C. whole wheat flour
3/4 C. wheat germ
1 1/2 T. brown sugar
1 1/4 t. vanilla
1/4 t. lemon juice
3/4 C. chopped bananas (about 1 1/2 bananas)
3/4 C. chopped pecans (we omitted due to O's nut allergy)
cinnamon to taste- about a 1 t. ground cinnamon max

1. Beat milk, eggs, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

2. Add remaining ingredients, mixing well. May process in blender (let your kiddo press start!). Kinda looks like a breakfast smoothie, eh?

3. Pour a small amount of batter onto greased preheated griddle- blender comes in handy for this.

Then, the moment we've all been waiting for . . .

We'll admit- it's a tree-hugger of a pancake with a subtly gritty taste. If want something more traditional, you may want to try our buttermilk pancakes. Or, you could add 2 TBSP. melted butter and sub 1 cup white flour.

All hail the local egg! These free-range eggs are full of vitamins A & E,

omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin, beta carotene.

Berry-Citrus Syrup

It's syrup season! Maple syrup-makers have been out the frosty woods for weeks, collecting sap and boiling it down. What a lot of effort they put forth so we can enjoy our baked goods, salad dressings and oatmeal, all naturally sweetened by their touch.

Our neighbor loves pure maple syrup more than we do! 

Here he attempts to harvest sap from his swamp maples.

His syrup shack in upstate New York is under construction, but it will 

eventually house this syrup drum circa 1884.

This morning, we are lucky to be boiling our own syrup in our cozy 70 degree kitchen, only gazing out the 31 degrees outdoors. Preparation-wise, syrup recipes are way easier than pie and as flexible as soup. So, go on and take the plunge. Feel free add extra fruit, etc.

Here's a general outline of what we made today, adapted slightly from My Baking Addiction.

Berry-Citrus Syrup
YIELD: about 8 servings
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (could use raspberries or chopped strawberries)
1/2 cup water
zest of a lemon or orange
1/2 cup maple sugar* (any sugar will do)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon or orange juice (lemon will make it more tart)
2 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries, 1/2 cup of water, sugar and lemon juice. Stir frequently, and bring to a low boil.

2. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water.

3. Slowly stir the corn starch into the blueberries, taking care not to crush the blueberries. Simmer until the homemade blueberry sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, about 5 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and gently stir in vanilla and lemon zest.

5. Enjoy the delicious satisfaction of homemade syrup (even if your pancakes are from a box!).

O says, "It tastes awesome!" We couldn't agree more- this special sauce IS the icing on the cake and could easily top cheesecake, ice cream or plain yogurt. A great special occasion syrup, it can be made days in advance-- just be sure to warm it before serving for the full effect. For a taste of heaven, try drizzling both a little pure maple syrup and berry syrup over your pancakes. 

*Maple sugar has a unique sweetness, allowing cooks to use less sugar than a recipe calls for. It also contains naturally occurring minerals like potassium and calcium.We use maple sugar for baking with lots of success- you may want to grind it finely in a food processor or clean coffee grinder for some recipes. Your local health food store probably carries it. Our brand of choice is by Coombs Family Farms.

Elle's Easy Street Sausage Cheddar Pancakes

I've been pouring through Barbara Kingsolver's book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, stopping often to read passages aloud to Reid. It has us all the more inspired to eat local. Even O, who was recently munching on crispy, salty bacon at his grandparent's home, paused to ask them, "So, where was this pig from?"

Since we are only starting to see small, shy shoots of daffodils, there aren't many local veggies or fruits to spice up our Sunday morning pancakes yet.

Still, in the spirit of living local (& yummy pork!), we bring you . . . Elle's Easy Street Sausage Cheddar Pancakes* by way of our dear friend & talented cook. Since Elle has served tables at the Island's iconic Artcliff Dinner for years, Elle knows her pancakes. All food really-- I've begged recipes for every dish she has made, from her savory baked Thanksgiving squash to her refreshing gingersnap key lime ice cream sandwiches.

Elle's Easy Street Sausage** Cheddar Pancakes
This recipe couldn't be simpler. First, find local pork (we fed "our" pigs our compost all last summer). Then, buy your favorite box of pancake mix.

Add cheddar and sausage as pancakes cook on griddle. "Quite good with apple butter," says Elle.

These sausage cheddar pancakes remind Reid of a slow-cooker tamale pie that we make. They're a hearty pancake with a touch of sweetness. Hard to go wrong with sausage, cheese and syrup.

We get to know our animals very well. O is feeding Oprah here
at our neighborhood farm with our favorite farmer, Debby. 

Bonus: Elle's Lentil Stew Recipe
Chop 2 shallots and 8 dried apricots finely and saute with olive oil and a tbsp of cumin; salt & pepper to taste.

Deglaze pan with a cup of chicken stock add one cup of chopped carrot, one cup of chopped potatoes or sweet potato, one cup of chopped apple.

Transfer to a stew pot or crockpot add three cups of red lentils and five cups cold water, two cups of chicken or veggie stock, one cup of apple juice.

Simmer til lentils are soft add more cumin, salt pepper to taste.
Serve with a dollop of goat milk yogurt or a tbsp of goat cheese and chopped chives or parsley.

This also makes a great baby food. If you're not cooking for babies, you might also add white wine. No need to peel the potato or apple- skins add extra fiber and soften during cooking.



* This recipe was inspired by and adapted from Gina Stanley's Artcliff Diner special sausage cheddar pancakes with maple butter.

**Didn't we say our blog would feature healthy recipes? If you're skeptical of how in the world pork could be considered healthy, you can learn more at Weston A. Price Foundation.