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.)

Knit A Little Love

Pattern: Basic Vanilla Sock, cast on 60 stitches

Yarn:  Paton's Kroy Sock Stripe--Blue Ragg

Needle Size:  2

Knitting gifts for Christmas is always risky business because the calendar seems to move into warp speed once you pass Thanksgiving. All the plans that sounded reasonable weeks before change into "what was I thinking" mode. But I ALMOST finished these fun striped socks in time to put in Jessica's Christmas stocking. They were done a couple of days late, but in time for her to take back to Atlanta with her.

Pattern: Turn A Square

Yarn: Ella Rae Classic Solid & Noro Silk Garden

Needle Size:  5 & 7

This week, I have taken advantage of some slower days after the holiday rush to try a pattern that's been on my to-do list for a long time. Two more gifts checked off my list. Why did I think this was a hard pattern? This hat could easily be a one-afternoon project. I did each of them in a couple of shorter sessions. I still need another hat to finish my Christmas list. If I were really smart, I would start my planning and knitting for next Christmas right now! (Two hats from one skein of the solid and one skein of the Noro.)

Here's my knitting tip for the day—put your work on a tray instead of in a knitting bag to easily move it around in the house. It's great for keeping the little bits and pieces contained and it's easy to see everything at once. I might move from TV knitting to by-the-window knitting to fireplace knitting. I like the tray.

Yes, I know. You've seen this photo already. But it makes me smile to see Little Sister so intent on working along side Jessica and taking her "knitting" so seriously.

And it's not too late to share a recipe I made while everyone was here, is it? Pancakes for everyone is a sure winner. This is almost as easy as a bought mix and so much better. Mix your dry ingredients the night before and it's super quick. (I made a double batch for our full house.)

HOMEMADE PANCAKES

1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
vegetable oil for the griddle (about 1 tablespoon)

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, butter, egg, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients to milk mixture; whisk until just moistened. (Do not overmix; a few small lumps are okay.)

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium to low. Lightly oil griddle, using a paper towel to spread the oil. Pour about 1/4 cup batter (for each pancake) onto griddle. Cook until surface of pancakes have some bubbles and a few have burst. Flip carefully with a spatula, and cook until browned on the underside. Remove to plate. Serve warm, with butter and maple syrup.
Serves 4 (or 2 very hungry people.) Makes about 12 pancakes.

Shrove Tuesday Pancakes

I got home tonight without a supper plan and found my refrigerator nearly empty. (Crazy day...probably like yours.) We talked about going out somewhere but it's quite a drive to anywhere from our house. Then I remembered today is Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday. The Episcopal church in town is having a pancake supper tonight. So I thought that would be the obvious supper for us, too. It was quick and easy.

I didn't want to make my usual Bisquick version. Seemed like Shrove Tuesday called for more. And even with my groceries running low, I had milk (only the canned kind), eggs, butter and flour. Here is how I made our homemade pancakes. Not much more effort than a pancake mix. And SO much better. Goodbye, Bisquick! Goodbye, Aunt Jemima!

These are a little thinner than the restaurant kind. But they are tender and flavorful. Granddaddy was very happy with his supper.

Homemade Pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup evaporated milk*
1/2 cup water*
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

vegetable oil for the griddle (about 1 tablespoon)

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, butter, egg, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients to milk mixture; whisk until just moistened. (Do not overmix; a few small lumps are okay.)

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium to low. Lightly oil griddle, using a paper towel to spread the oil. Pour about 1/4 cup batter (for each pancake) onto griddle. Cook until surface of pancakes have some bubbles and a few have burst. Flip carefully with a spatula, and cook until browned on the underside. Remove to plate. Serve warm, with butter and maple syrup.

Serves 4 (or 2 hungry people.) Makes about 12 pancakes.

*Or use 1 cup milk in place of evaporated milk and water


You can put the cooked pancakes on a baking sheet or heatproof platter and keep them in a barely warm oven (200 degrees) and keep them warm until you've cooked all of them