Pumpkin Pancakes

In my house we love pancakes. I like mine with just a smidge of butter, and my husband goes all out with the butter and maple syrup. (If you have an Aldi near you, their maple syrup is great and way cheaper than other grocery stores). We are having an unseasonably warm May here in MI, but I had a craving. I made a batch of pumpkin pancakes this morning, with inspiration from Chef John's version. While these are probably not the first thing that comes to mind for a summer breakfast, they are amazing, and would be good year round. The pumpkin and all of the spices make this a delicious treat. This batch made about 24 medium pancakes, and I cooked them in our carbon steel skillet. I cannot wait to enjoy them again in the fall with a big mug of coffee while we look out at the changing trees.

Dry Ingredients:
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
2 T wheat bran
2 T wheat germ
1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 T cane sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Wet Ingredients:
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
1/2 cups almond milk, plus more if needed
1 tsp vanilla
1 T molasses

Heat a lightly greased skillet or griddle over medium heat. In a medium bowl add the oats, and wheat germ and bran. Sift in the remaining dry ingredients. Whisk slightly to combine. In a large bowl combine the wet ingredients. Slowly add the dry. Add a bit more almond milk if needed. Stir well to combine. I use a small gravy spoon to ladle out portions, smoothing it out slightly to flatten a bit in the skillet, since it is a somewhat thick batter. Flip over when bubbles have formed on the surface. These will puff slightly as they cook. I use vegetable oil on the skillet, wiping off the excess with a paper towel.

Romantic Shawl

I love yarns and patterns of all types. I wish that I had more time to craft, because I would make projects of all kinds. I have a large storage tub filled to the brim with yarns waiting to be worked with. Most of our time at home is spent doing chores, cooking, studying, sleeping, and trying to get the house fixed up. I have found that the best time for me to crochet is in the van when I carpool to blood drives. I keep whatever project I am currently working on in my work bag. I received two skeins of Lion Brand Homespun yard in Wildberries from my mother in law a few years ago, and I just couldn't find a pattern I was satisfied with. I had a jumbo crochet hook that I hadn't used yet, and when browsing Ravelry one day I came across this pattern: Romantic Speed Hook Shawl. 

I didn't have any of the yarn the pattern called for (it is discontinued), but I thought that this would be a good fit. Plus the pattern is a simple one, so I wouldn't need to carry any instructions with me. It took me a few months to complete, but I was only working on a few rows at a time. The shawl is very soft, and not too heavy or too light. It is simple and pretty, and nice to toss it over my shoulders when I get a little chilly, and I have taken it with me to my in-law's. It rolls up and fits into my bag easily. I recommend this pattern if you are looking for something that works quickly and wears nicely. Belle recommends it because she likes to play with the ends and curl up on it. Gary was too shy for any pictures today.

A Summer's Bounty

My canning season has finally come to an end. The weekends we spent slaving in the kitchen over a hot stovetop in the ninety degree heat are over. My mother canned vegetables and fruits of all kinds when I was younger. Everyone in the family was required to help. We washed vegetables, cranked the handle on the food mill, pitted cherries, and ran bowls of peels and food waste out to the back ditch. I hated canning season. I never thought about how fresh and wonderful home canned foods were, because I very rarely ate a commercially canned vegetable growing up. When we wanted beans or corn or applesauce with dinner, one simply went downstairs to the pantry. I had my first taste of store-bought applesauce as an adult, and I couldn't believe how terrible it was. My family was lucky to be able to grow a large garden every year, and my mother bought bushels of apples from a local orchard for the applesauce.

Last year my mother-in-law passed her canning supplies on to me. I received two large water bath canners that are decades old and some mason jars. I pulled out my copy of the Ball Blue Book of Preserving that my parents gave each of us for Christmas one year. Chad and I made several varieties of pickles and canned tomatoes that we received from his uncle's garden. It was hard work, but the end result was worth it. Chad said they were the best pickles he has ever had, and the tomatoes were used in pastas and sauces. I gave away many jars of pickles as gifts.

Because my mother will not be doing a garden after this year, she gave me her pressure canner (Maitre's) and several dozen mason jars. Chad's uncle's garden did better than expected, and we received several trunk loads of zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red noodle and green beans. I estimate that we had about forty pounds of zucchini alone. There was only so much two of us could consume fresh. Because we have very limited freezer space, canning made the most sense. The end result was about 125 pints of wonderful goodness. Some zucchini became bread and butter pickles, and some was grated and pressure cooked, to be used in baked goods later. Cucumbers became kosher dill and bread and butter pickles. The large tomatoes were canned in their own juices, and the cherry tomatoes in hot water. I pressure cooked the green beans and red noodle beans.

Chad eats the pickles on sandwiches and as snacks. We have heated up jars of beans to serve with mashed potatoes and chicken breasts (or in my case, chik'n cutlets). The tomatoes are seasoned and cooked down into delicious pasta and pizza sauces. And the zucchini makes great muffins and my new favorite, zucchini fritters. Everything we have canned has amazing flavor. It is so much better than the store bought jars. The only things I had to purchase were some canning spices and lids, and a few bags of onions for the pickles. An unused bookshelf makes the perfect pantry. I'm looking forward to doing this for many summers to come.

Cat vs Green Bean

Every time we get out vegetables at home, Belle has to inspect them. If left unattended, she has been known to steal tomatoes, green beans, asparagus, long peppers, and even kale stems. I once found a smushed, chewed up banana pepper hidden in the slipcover of the couch. This is just one of her many vegetable antics.

Update: Laundry Soap

I ran out of my laundry soap, so it's time to make another batch. A few updates: I noticed that the recipe I link to calls for diluting this mixture with water, and using about 1 cup per load. I don't do that. I just give the mixture a good stir, and pour it into detergent bottles. I use the same amount of this soap that one would use of commercial soap. Also, we have been doing three loads of laundry lately, instead of the two I previously mentioned. One five gallon bucket filled about five and a half containers for me. I'm hoping to go another year and a half before making our next batch.

Zucchini Muffins

What to do with all that zucchini? There is only so much savory zucchini one can feasibly make in a season. Zucchini freezes well, but so do muffins. I took a recipe from my childhood, some bran, and my husband's request for chocolate chips, and came up with this: a "healthier," but still tasty muffin that is fairly portable and good any time of the day. They are moist without being dense, and have a nice caramelized top. The chocolate chips are a nice little surprise, and the spices add a nice depth of flavor without being overpowering. They get individually wrapped in aluminum foil once cooled, and tucked into the nooks of our freezer. We pack them in our lunches, or heat one in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Straight out of the oven with some butter is absolutely delightful...

1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat bran
1 tsp salt
2 T cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 eggs
1 cup cooking oil
2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cup grated zucchini
6 oz dark chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside (flour - baking soda). In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy, about two minutes. Add oil, sugars, and vanilla and mix until combined. Mix in zucchini. Add dry ingredients in stages until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Spoon into muffin papers and bake for 30 minutes, rotating pans halfway through for even baking. Makes approx 30 muffins.

Today I...

...rescued a young snapping turtle. He was on the side of a highway in my town, far away from any visible water source. I was very worried about his safety. I quickly scooped him up and deposited him in the back seat of my car. I picked up my husband, and we drove the turtle to a local pond. We have affectionately named him Ted. Wherever he is, I hope little Ted is happy and well.

p.s. The slow cooker has nothing to do with Ted.