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| From Artist Lori Portka |
My wish for you today,
May you always know you are loved.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Friday, October 12, 2012
Comfort food - Carrot Cake Pancakes and Love
When I make breakfast for my teens before they go to school, they actually sit down, eat and start their day well. But often I'm very tired in the morning and we all just scrounge the kitchen eating maybe an apple, and unfortunately, sometimes they don't eat at all- throwing me an "I'm not hungry" as they bolt out the door. Not surprisingly those days are often not good ones for them, or me, as the mom-guilt settles in.
This week I have worked only afternoons so I've been able to sleep later AND make breakfast. Ah, the ideal world. Yesterday I picked up this delightful new cookbook at my library, "Joy the Baker Cookbook, 100 Simple and Comforting Recipes." Like me, Joy excels at finding ways to make every meal more like dessert.
So this morning I made Carrot Cake Pancakes (doesn't that just sound wonderful?).
Imagine
+
=
Something really wonderful!
My girls loved them. I loved spending the extra 10 minutes all together to start the day. When we used to homeschool, we spent all day together, every day. Honestly, sometimes that made me crazy, but I do miss them most days. 10 minutes isn't much, but knowing they are fed well and feel well loved in the morning matters.
Thank you Joy the Baker for the inspiration. Please do check out her blog, it's just delicious.
Here's the recipe, in case you need a "Simple and Comforting" recipe. (I changed a few things - I'll give you my variation).
Carrot Cake Pancakes w/ Yogurt Cream Cheese Topping
Stir together 1 cup flour (I used 3/4 cup oat flour and 1/4 cup white flour), 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp baking pwd, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Make a well in the center and pour in 1 cup buttermilk (see note at bottom), 1 egg, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 2 tbsp brown sugar. Mix up, then add 2 cups finely shredded carrots and 2 tbsp chopped walnuts (opt). Mix well and cook on a buttered griddle.
For the topping, stir together yogurt cheese (or softened cream cheese) with a couple tablespoons real maple syrup and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Spread over hot pancakes and add more syrup if you like.
How to make yogurt cheese: Take plain, whole milk yogurt (store bought or homemade) and tie up 2 cups in a dense cheese cloth or plain lightweight dish cloth (the big flour-sack type you can buy for cheap at Wal Mart work great). Bring all the corners up and tie w/ some string. Hang the string from under a cupboard and let drain over a bowl. Lots of whey will drain out. Let it drain overnight and in the morning you will have nice thick smooth yogurt cheese that you can you use in place of cream cheese.
You can use the whey in place of the buttermilk (or part of the buttermilk) in this or any recipe. You can also use it in cream soups, bread recipes etc, just about any that calls for liquid milk or buttermilk.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Living with no regrets
Today I read a post on FB about a mom in my community who lost her little boy, just a toddler. He never woke from his nap, after spending the day at his first friend's birthday party, seeing horses out his window and giving love and kisses to his family. It's hard not to feel your heart breaking just knowing this.
His mom encouraged each person reading to live each moment, just like he did. And to love. She has no regrets. When you live each moment, when you truly see the love in each human, there is nothing to regret. What a kind gift for a grieving mother to pass to each of us. Thank you.
I will do my part and remember this lesson today. And tomorrow I will wake up and remember it all over again. That is all we can ever do.
I've learned so much about the moment from my girls. Little ones know better than to waste this precious time worrying the future or regretting the past.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Bread pudding is one of my family's favorite desserts, especially when it's cold out. This is a recipe from one of my mom's old sorority cookbooks, from Diane Howell in Texas. Scroll to the bottom for some yummy variations. We love it because it's more custard and less bread.
Custard Bread Pudding
Beat 4 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 2 cups milk, 1/2 cup melted butter (cooled), and 1 tsp vanilla. Stir in 5 chopped up slices of bread. Pour into a 9 X 13 baking dish, buttered. Sprinkle w/ a 1/4 cup of sugar mixed w/ a 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, until golden brown and set. Serve warm or cold.
*Important note: most bread pudding recipes, including this one, work best with sturdy firm stale bread. Too fresh or soft bread just gets mushy. We like homemade whole wheat, sourdough, ciabatta, or challah bread. I freeze the last few stale slices from each loaf and save up to use for this treat.
Variations: sliced bananas and chocolate chips; chopped apples, pears or peaches + nuts; fresh blueberries and cream cheese cut into chunks; caramel or chocolate sauce on top. Any variation is yummy with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. You can also use half the sugar and it turns out just fine. Brown sugar gives a nice caramelly flavor.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Gratitude and gifts
Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the colors and the clean air, the clear blue sky and putting on a sweater again. I love the way fall inspires gratitude in my heart. It must have something to do w/ canning or garden harvesting, or maybe just the beauty of the world around me.
These a few of my favorite fall images - favorites because they recall a beautiful day spent with those I love.
Autumn in Yellowstone Park
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| 2012 at the Gallatin River, September |
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| 2010 October at the Gallatin River |
Today I continue my 29 Day Giving cycle and I feel more grateful each day for the insights this practice is bringing. Some meaningful gifts in the past few days - a gift of friendship and reconnection with several women I admire, a workshop that helped me understand my own reactions better and interact with more empathy with all those in my life, some lovely simmering potpourri on the stove making the whole house smell like cinnamon and oranges and cloves, the chance to eat lunch with my daughters today. When I start thinking deeply about the gifts in my life, it all begins to feel like a gift.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Bella
I'm really proud of my youngest today. She is one of the "things" on my list of gratitude each and every day.
She picked out a puppy in June, and he was probably the sweetest guy in the litter to begin with, but he's only gotten sweeter and more obedient because she gives him such loving attention. She has such a way with animals. He just adores her and he's such a fun puppy because of his sweet disposition. I love that he's very rowdy but if you just say "gentle" he gives you a little look, then puts his teeth away. He wants to be good for you.
She's been so lucky this fall to have a great volleyball team. Almost all the girls have been so positive and so encouraging to each other. Bella is "Miss Encouraging" always on her team, and I love that maybe it's rubbing off. She makes it ok to smile and shake off mistakes and go after the ball, even when there's little chance of touching it. Yesterday, she got the game winning serving in a very tight match. It's so awesome when all that hard work pays off and you see that giant smile and 12 girls jumping up and down cheering.
This weekend she's doing a campout with a youth group where she hardly knows anyone. I know she is nervous, but she bravely said "YES!" when the opportunity came up. It's going to be cold, she might have to hike a lot more than she likes, but there will be campfires and s'mores and hopefully new friends. I'm so proud of her for bring brave enough to jump in the deep end.
She's wanted to play guitar forever and is finally getting the chance - her volleyball coach is her amazing guitars teacher and she loves it. It's so good to hear her playing music again. And I have to add, I think she's pretty good for someone who just barely started.
She picked out a puppy in June, and he was probably the sweetest guy in the litter to begin with, but he's only gotten sweeter and more obedient because she gives him such loving attention. She has such a way with animals. He just adores her and he's such a fun puppy because of his sweet disposition. I love that he's very rowdy but if you just say "gentle" he gives you a little look, then puts his teeth away. He wants to be good for you.
She's been so lucky this fall to have a great volleyball team. Almost all the girls have been so positive and so encouraging to each other. Bella is "Miss Encouraging" always on her team, and I love that maybe it's rubbing off. She makes it ok to smile and shake off mistakes and go after the ball, even when there's little chance of touching it. Yesterday, she got the game winning serving in a very tight match. It's so awesome when all that hard work pays off and you see that giant smile and 12 girls jumping up and down cheering.
This weekend she's doing a campout with a youth group where she hardly knows anyone. I know she is nervous, but she bravely said "YES!" when the opportunity came up. It's going to be cold, she might have to hike a lot more than she likes, but there will be campfires and s'mores and hopefully new friends. I'm so proud of her for bring brave enough to jump in the deep end.
She's wanted to play guitar forever and is finally getting the chance - her volleyball coach is her amazing guitars teacher and she loves it. It's so good to hear her playing music again. And I have to add, I think she's pretty good for someone who just barely started.
Whole Wheat Bread
Here's my favorite whole wheat bread recipe (with
variations). Someone requested it yesterday, so here goes. If you'd
like a serious bread baking adventure you can check out my sourdough
recipe at SpinningLaughingDancing.
Whole Wheat Bread
Dissolve 2 pkg active dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp) in 1/4 cup lukewarm water.
In a large mixing bowl combine 1/4 cup canola oil (put it in a half cup measure then use same for honey and your honey won't stick), 1/2 cup honey, 2 tsp salt, 2 1/2 cups hot water. Add 3 cups whole wheat flour and mix on low speed until moistened. Then on medium for 3 minutes. Add another 1 1/2 cups whole wheat, then slowly add in 2 3/4 to 3 3/4 cups white flour until dough forms a nice ball that is just slightly sticky to the touch but the sides of bowl are clean. Start w/ a paddle and change to a dough hook when the dough begins to ball.
Put the dough into a greased glass bowl and let it rise until doubled in size. I turn my oven on to it's lowest temp and then turn it OFF (that's really important!), and put the bowl in oven to rise, because it's cold where I live. Cover the bowl w/ a clean dish cloth while it rises.
Now punch it down and turn it out onto a pastry mat. Divide it in two and roll each into a nice long oblong rectangle, then beginning at the side nearest you, roll it up tightly until you have a loaf. Put each in a greased bread pan and let rise again, until double or nice and high above the bread pan - 30-45 minutes, covering again.
Heat the oven to 375. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn oven down to 325 and bake another 10 minutes. Loaves should be brown and sound hollow when tapped on top. Let cool a few minutes and turn out onto a wire rack to completely cool. Don't slice until cool.
Variations: I usually add in a cup of whole oats w/ the liquid in beginning, some sesame seeds (these give a really nice sweet flavor), ground flax (1/2 cup or so) and some ground oat flour (I just use my blender to grind whole oats) for some of the whole wheat flour. I've made this recipe w/ all whole grains (no white), and it's good, just won't rise as high and it's more dense. You can also spread the rolled out bread dough w/ butter, then sprinkle w/ brown sugar and cinnamon and roll up really tight to make your loaf, for cinnamon swirl bread. Really yummy toast on a cold day. You could also change the water for scalded milk or use whey from cheese making.
There is no change for high altitude.
I will soon share my recipe for Custard Bread Pudding - the very best reason to bake bread IMO!!
Whole Wheat Bread
Dissolve 2 pkg active dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp) in 1/4 cup lukewarm water.
In a large mixing bowl combine 1/4 cup canola oil (put it in a half cup measure then use same for honey and your honey won't stick), 1/2 cup honey, 2 tsp salt, 2 1/2 cups hot water. Add 3 cups whole wheat flour and mix on low speed until moistened. Then on medium for 3 minutes. Add another 1 1/2 cups whole wheat, then slowly add in 2 3/4 to 3 3/4 cups white flour until dough forms a nice ball that is just slightly sticky to the touch but the sides of bowl are clean. Start w/ a paddle and change to a dough hook when the dough begins to ball.
Put the dough into a greased glass bowl and let it rise until doubled in size. I turn my oven on to it's lowest temp and then turn it OFF (that's really important!), and put the bowl in oven to rise, because it's cold where I live. Cover the bowl w/ a clean dish cloth while it rises.
Now punch it down and turn it out onto a pastry mat. Divide it in two and roll each into a nice long oblong rectangle, then beginning at the side nearest you, roll it up tightly until you have a loaf. Put each in a greased bread pan and let rise again, until double or nice and high above the bread pan - 30-45 minutes, covering again.
Heat the oven to 375. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn oven down to 325 and bake another 10 minutes. Loaves should be brown and sound hollow when tapped on top. Let cool a few minutes and turn out onto a wire rack to completely cool. Don't slice until cool.
Variations: I usually add in a cup of whole oats w/ the liquid in beginning, some sesame seeds (these give a really nice sweet flavor), ground flax (1/2 cup or so) and some ground oat flour (I just use my blender to grind whole oats) for some of the whole wheat flour. I've made this recipe w/ all whole grains (no white), and it's good, just won't rise as high and it's more dense. You can also spread the rolled out bread dough w/ butter, then sprinkle w/ brown sugar and cinnamon and roll up really tight to make your loaf, for cinnamon swirl bread. Really yummy toast on a cold day. You could also change the water for scalded milk or use whey from cheese making.
There is no change for high altitude.
I will soon share my recipe for Custard Bread Pudding - the very best reason to bake bread IMO!!
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Gifts: Days 8, 9 & 10
Day 8: My gift was a loaf of home-baked bread to my sweet friend
Sandra. This was really a small gesture of gratefulness because each
year for the past many, she has let me come pick from her huge garden at
the end of the season. This year I brought home potatoes, chard,
spinach, parsley, onions, carrots, beets and broccoli - all organic and
delicious. Just seeing her family's garden is really a gift. And
Sandra is the kindest, most giving of people. While we picked she told
me how she is going to start distributing free cloth diapers to mamas
who need them. I'm so lucky to call her a friend.
The second part of this gift is really cool too. Because Sandra has such a large garden I am able to take food not only for my family, but for my friend/neighbors too. So I got the joy of sharing all this bounty. That feels really good.
Day 9: Yesterday I brought a hot chocolate to my dh. He was so happy and grateful. It felt like a really good gift. He's now working in suddenly very cold conditions outside, all day long. The day before it was in the 70s, but yesterday brought snow. I am happy for the snow, for many reasons - putting out our wildfires, cleaning the smoke from the air, bringing moisture to our dry climate, and because snow is really beautiful. I celebrated by taking my dogs for a little snow hike - Mr. Ed's first time playing in the snow. Predictably, he loved it!! (Mr. Ed is known to be so easy going and fun loving, he can have fun just about anywhere).
Day 10: Today I sponsored my friend at work for Bowl for Kids Sake. That was easy!! I'm also driving pretty far to watch my youngest play volleyball this afternoon - probably the last game I'll get to see. That feels like a gift for both of us. And my friend just invited me to walk dogs with her. That will be a huge gift for me. Thank you Universe for answering my call - to help me feel better today.
The second part of this gift is really cool too. Because Sandra has such a large garden I am able to take food not only for my family, but for my friend/neighbors too. So I got the joy of sharing all this bounty. That feels really good.
Day 9: Yesterday I brought a hot chocolate to my dh. He was so happy and grateful. It felt like a really good gift. He's now working in suddenly very cold conditions outside, all day long. The day before it was in the 70s, but yesterday brought snow. I am happy for the snow, for many reasons - putting out our wildfires, cleaning the smoke from the air, bringing moisture to our dry climate, and because snow is really beautiful. I celebrated by taking my dogs for a little snow hike - Mr. Ed's first time playing in the snow. Predictably, he loved it!! (Mr. Ed is known to be so easy going and fun loving, he can have fun just about anywhere).
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| Dh with his cocoa treat |
Day 10: Today I sponsored my friend at work for Bowl for Kids Sake. That was easy!! I'm also driving pretty far to watch my youngest play volleyball this afternoon - probably the last game I'll get to see. That feels like a gift for both of us. And my friend just invited me to walk dogs with her. That will be a huge gift for me. Thank you Universe for answering my call - to help me feel better today.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Giving Challenge days 6 & 7
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| My sweet family |
Day 7: I'm doing various chores today for my family - laundry for my dh, cleaning a tub in my girls' bathroom, and planning good things to eat for the week (AND doing the shopping). Small gifts, but from a place of love.
These were the words on my green tea bag tag this morning, a small blessing I pass to you:
May you have love,
kindness
and compassion
for all
living things.
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