Truck-Stop Buttermilk Pancakes

Deee-licious! 

My husband requested thick and fluffy pancakes for dinner.

 

That is not what he got.

However, these were still delicious and more my style.

Kind of egg-y and thin.

I found the recipe here. With over 600 reviews and 22,000 saves, with a 4.5/5 stars, I figured we couldn't go wrong. I added some vanilla and about 1/4 cup of sugar and it was tasty.

I used up our homemade buttermilk in the batter, and fried the pancakes in our homemade butter. 

We had some tasty stuff for dinner.

At allrecipes.com, you can change the serving size of the recipe you want to make. I changed it to 8 servings (from 12), and we still came out with this mondo pile of pancakes. 

Our freezer will be well stocked for a while. 

Trader Joe's Snacks (237:365)

I got a ton of new snacks from TJ's today. I'm in desperate need to some low fat, highly crunchy yummies, so we are trying out all of their rice crackers. 

Today's culinary adventure:

Multiseed With Soy Sauce

Verdict: 

They are satisfyingly crunchy.

Serving size is a plentiful 35 crackers, which only pack 110 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, and 200mg Sodium (which is not bad considering they are Soy Sauce Flavored). 

They taste like they are dusted with soy sauce juice. Not too over powering, so they are enjoyable.

Bonus:

They have 240mg of ALA Omega-3 in each serving.

Negative:

I just had a REALLY bad one which makes me want to eat an entire cake to get rid of the taste in my mouth. I'm going to blame the flax seeds because this recently happened to me with another TJ chip I tried a while ago that had flax seeds in them. Mostly, each chip was good, then now and then I'd hit a really foul tasting one...hmmm...at this point, I'm not sure the risk is worth it...

New Snacks (229:365)

Goose and I had a short break today while Dee was at preschool so we made a quick run over to lovely Trader Joe's. There I found a few new fun things. 

First, Lavender Triple Milled Soap. 

  Used it in the shower and the entire bathroom smelled like lavender for hours! 

It was a lovely experience.

Orange Air Therapy Spray. It smells lovely. It doesn't last very long, but just one squirt transforms the air into a spring day in Mesa, walking in an orange grove. Yes, it smells that good. And there's nothing funky in it, so breath it in! Over, and over, and over...

 

And finally, Veggie Sticks. Made from potato flour, these lowish fat/ lowish calorie snacks are salty and super crunchy. Just what the diet doctor ordered! These little crunchies barely made it through the day at our house. They didn't meet a mouth here that didn't like them. 

 

Goose was ADORABLE eating them.

I know, I'm a bad mom for feeding my baby fried chip things. Justification, they have spinach and tomato powder in them too. So, they have to be at least a little bit good for you. Tomato powder has got to have some vitamins.

Drop One Off, Pick One Up (219:365)

The last few times Scott has gone on conference trips, my mom has been able to come out and "replace" him. She has even been able to plan her flights to line right up with his, so I literally drop him off and pick her up at the same exact time. 

We did another airport swap today. 

Dee is soooo excited for her grandma to be here.

Goose was terrified of her, but soon got over it.

For dinner, Goose ate her first broccoli trees and strawberry chunks. She LOVED it. She is at the point right now where she eats more than Dee at just about every meal. She can really pack it in, even weighing in at only the 25% for her age.

I am about to start a reading program with Dee. Per my friend Anna's recommendation, I bought the book Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, and am working my way through the introduction. I never read intros, I just don't have the patience, but I'm so glad I'm taking the time to do so here. It explains a lot of really important aspects to the program that are key to Dee's comprehension of it all.

I think we will start the program tomorrow. I am so excited about it!

Reese's Pieces (215:365)

Woot!

Oh yeah, free candy.

We went to Culvers tonight for some custard with our pogo card and with your frozen custard you get mix ins. Well, Scott didn't want any mix ins and I didn't want any ice cream so I asked if I could get the mix ins on the side.

They complied!

I got a huge cup of mini Reese's Pieces for free!

Image from here.

I probably sound too excited about this, but it was really very exciting. Try it next time you go somewhere and you don't want all the offered mix ins/ toppings. Get some gummy bears or M&M's to go!

Food is Good (188:365)

It was a snowy, recovery day around these parts, so I had loads of time to hang out and be busy in the kitchen. Lately I've been dying for some french bread with butter - best food in the world!!! - so I made me some. Straight out of my Kitchen Aid cookbook, this recipe was quick, easy and fantastic. (Find the recipe here.) Everyone from my baby up to my honey loved it.

Yes - that is Goose's Birthday Banner STILL up in the background...We like birthdays...

Loved it so much, we decided to snack all day on it then have meatball sandwiches for dinner.

They were better than they look...

Can you hear my lips smackin'?

Delish.

While the bread was rising, I felt a little ambitious and made some homemade graham crackers. What?! Yeah, homemade! They turned out pretty good. What I would do differently - roll them thinner and bake to a crunchier texture. Then they'd be perfect.

Find the recipe here, from The Petit Appetit Cookbook.

Sleepover and Thai Soup (156:365)

Tonight I got to party at a YW sleepover at my friend Heather's house. 

Sleeping over, it was me, my friend Heather, another friend Lorena, 

and 8 teenage girls. It wasn't too bad! I had fun playing games,

watching movies, and freezing bras...just kidding.

It was fun though, can't wait for girls camp!

I brought my own dinner to the slumber party and I snagged

a yummy frozen thai soup from Trader Joe's (my grocery bff). 

It was sooo good! Can't wait to buy it again.

Trader Joe's Baby! (142:365)

Our humble little town has finally been graced with the presence of a Trader Joe's! 

I am in love with that store. 

My friend Heather and I went the minute it opened up this morning to make sure we got all the good stuff before everyone bought it all up. Scott was kind enough to watch our girls and Heather's son so we could battle the crowd childless.

So much food, too little of a stomach.

Today I experienced the grace that is Peppermint Joe Joe's, fresh cooked wild salmon, Goddess dressing, kettle fried pineapple and much more.

For dinner we are either having giant noodles or bulgogi Korean BBQ ribs.

...salivating...

Here we are with our spoils. It was a good day at TJ's.

Goose's First Mac & Cheese (141:365)

Today we went to a local restaurant called Fireworks to celebrate Scott being ABD.

ABD means All But Dissertation, which basically means he can officially start applying for jobs even though he still needs to write his dissertation. So, it's a really big and exciting time for us!

At the restaurant Goose ate her first Mac & Cheese and LOVED it.

She kept wanted more and getting frustrated with my slow feeding abilities.

It was super cute.

Also, Dee found a book I bought about teaching your baby to swim and she was looking at it while I was getting ready to go out. She started yelling fratically for me. I ran out and she showed me a picture of a baby swimming underwater and said, "It's adorable!". She's such a little sweetheart. She is always surprising us with how smart and grown up she seems.

Cheese is Life (138:365)

Went to visit some friends today and afterward we all had a mom and kid lunch at Godfather's Pizza.

I told Scott and he made me smuggle him some pizza in my purse.

I know.

Anyway, while eating we decided that "cheese is life". 

Why? 

Because it is the perfect snack.

Because it goes with almost anything.

Because it is salty or creamy and delicious.

Why not?

Ask Scott why not.

He's lame about cheese.

Missing out on one of the wonders of the world. That's what I say.

Meatless Monday on Sunday (137:365)

When I remember, I try to make meatless dinners on Mondays a la Paul McCartney.

I ended up doing it tonight instead and made a yummy Minestrone soup.

Minestrone Soup

Chop 1 onion, 2 celery stalks and 2 carrots into small cubes.

Zombies, Witches, Bloody Green Hands and a Heart (107:365)

So, I don't have pictures yet, but today I made Scott and AWESOME zombie shirt for a Halloween Party we are going to tonight,



I made some stuff for my witch costume, starting with this Goodwill shirt that was $0.99
 
(I'm waiting for a picture of my costume from a friend since we didn't think to take one ourselves.)


and I made some nasty fondant stuff to go on top of my Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap crust.

 

Dee was a witch (my shadow, as some people referred to her as),

and Goose was the cutest kitty ever!

A Curry Experiment (98:365)

It turned out pretty good, if I say so myself.

This experiment occurred because I was feeling lazy.

I know, that doesn't really make sense.

I found some yummy curry recipes online but I couldn't get the printer to work because the inkwell is dry.

So....this delicious concoction came to be by melding different recipe ideas in my head into one.

Heat a pot or wok to med-high (a little nod to Ashley D).

Chop 3 carrots, 2 potatoes and 1 onion.

Add about 2-3tbs oil to wok.

Then add veg as ready.

Ones that take longer to cook go in first.

Cook for 10-15 minutes.

Then add 1-2 cups of water and let boil until veg is all softish. While doing that, add one small can of tomato sauce. Also sprinkle some curry powder to taste (maybe a tbs?), and some turmeric (like 1 tsp or so.), salt and pepper to taste. Oh, and we added some dried cilantro, but I bet fresh would be even better.

Let it simmer for a bit so the flavors meld and develop.

Now, usually recipes call for plain yogurt in a curry, but since I didn't have any, I googled substitutions for plain yogurt and one of them is buttermilk, which I didn't have either. But I do have a substitute for that (double substitute, I was scared) which is 1 cup milk + 1 tbs white vinegar + 5 minutes = buttermilk.

I added probably 1/2 cup of that fake buttermilk.

Also, we thawed some cooked shrimp and added that.

It is delicious!

Wish you could have some.

I also made my first homemade Italian Sodas.

Ice

1 cup Perrier Sparkling Water

2-3 tbs Torani Strawberry Soda Syrup

A dash of whipping cream

Whipped Cream on top

Oh-la-la!

Pumpkin Pie Cake - Oh Baby! (97:365)

Oh yeah. 

It's delicious.

The recipe is right here.

Paletas (95:365)

Have you ever tried a Paleta?

I am a timid experimenter of foreign ice cream.

I didn't have much luck with the Brazilian type.

Didn't have much luck in the Czech Republic.

Apparently Mexico didn't get the "bad foreign ice cream maker" memo.

Thank goodness.

Today we tried some of these delicious and creamy concoctions of gastronomical delight.

Mango was my flavor. It was creamy and sweet with a hint of tartness.

I could have used a little more tartness, but overall, it was delicious.

Scott tried a flavor not listed on their website, perhaps a vintage flavor?

Piña colada was his muse. It was better than I thought it would be. Perhaps even better than the Mango. Goose sure liked it!

Have you ever tried the Mamey flavor? I am dying to know what it tastes like.

This is a mamey according to Mr. Wiki,

"The fruit's flavor is variously described as a combination of pumpkin, sweet potato, and maraschino cherries with the texture of an avocado. Some consider the fruit to be an aphrodisiac."

Sounds delightful.

Chaos into Organized Matter (74:365)

With the party over, Scott's Comprehensive Exams done, and my problem with bringing too much into our home and taking nothing out...our house has turned into a chaotic disaster this week.

Today's project was to clean the pantry and cupboards and toss expired stuff and organize the good stuff. 

It probably took an hour or two (in mommy time, so I don't really remember how long I was working on it), but it was well worth it. I now know where everything is and what we have so I can plan dinner for the week and know what foods we need to use up asap before they go bad. 

That's one thing that really steams me up. 

When food goes bad before it gets eaten. 

I know that as the homemaker it is mostly my fault, but there are other people who live here too that could find food if they tried. 

Ahem.

But I digress...

Anyway, the cupboards are (mostly) organized and ready for efficient use.

Bravo.

Next it's on to organizing fabric and sewing projects.

Sigh. 

P.S. Does anyone from here know where the local food bank is and their policy on donations?

Pinkberry Style Frozen Yogurt (62:365)

My friend Heather came over today to make Pinkberry style frozen yogurt in my Cuisinart ice cream maker (it's the best! The frozen yogurt was ready in 20 minutes, if not faster, and we were able to do a second batch right after!).

We used a recipe found here. I've never had the real Pinkberry frozen yogurt, but my friend Heather has and she loves it. We used Greek yogurt and tried once with vanilla and once without. Honestly, I didn't notice a difference with or without the vanilla. It was good, but a little "goaty", if you know what I mean (you'll know what I mean if you've had Greek yogurt). I made this a long time ago using strained yogurt (see the recipe) and I think it tasted better that way, but it was sort of annoying to strain the yogurt. 

I noticed that Pinkberry has a seasonal Mango flavor, so I think next time I'll puree some frozen mango and add it to the yogurt before freezing. I bet that would be amazing! Also, raspberries on top of the plain flavor is a really good combo.

Enjoy!

Flannel Board Complete and More... (39:365)

I finished making my flannel board today.

Now I just need to finish
cutting out all the fun stuff to put on it...


Also, yesterday I cooked with turnips for the first time (put them in a yummy "throw it in the pot" soup, i.e., throw whatever is left over in the fridge into the pot and boil. I chopped the turnips into cubes, sauteed in butter for 10 minutes and dumped it ALL into the soup.
The Soup = Leftover chicken drumsticks from a failed Weight Watchers recipe [failed our tastebuds], kale, carrots, chicken "better than bullion", water, pepper, basil, northern/white canned beans. Yum!)


And, yesterday, for my friend's birthday, I made this flower, va-va-voom!

into a brooch so she can put it on a bag or jacket


and made another brooch with 3 poppies out of some fabric sample scraps I got from an estate sale and buttons I got from another estate sale.



Those are my favorite things now, estate sales...except that I have a huge garbage bag full of awesome fabric (that cost only $5!) taking up space in my living room...so many projects, so little time.

Cupcakes 5 & 9 (36:365)

I found this blog (click here) through a friend on facebook and boy, am I glad I did! Today for my creative venture I made both Cupcake 5 or Mango Cupcake with Buttercream Frosting and Coconut and Cupcake 9 or Sis's Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting.

The only change I made to Cupcake 5 was to add a little Coconut flavoring to the buttercream frosting for the Mango cupcakes.

#5


Just so you are prepared, the Chocolate frosting is SUPER THICK, like playdough thick, but still really good. I put some mini chocolate chips on top the of the Chocolate Frosting to add some texture and make the cupcakes look a little cuter.

#9


I'm taking these both to a department party for Scott's school. Hopefully they go over well and don't melt in the HOTTTT sun!

Let me know if you make any of the other cupcakes and how they turn out.

I just ordered some butane fuel for my kitchen torch so I can make a Smore Cupcake soon and torch the meringue frosting. Yahoo!
Flames + Food = Good Times for my belly

5 Minute Midnight Chocolate Cake (35:365)

This could definately use some improvement but is a satisfier at 12am, when the chocolate monsters looms in the dark...


I found this recipe on MANY blogs, but this one was the best because she was real about the outcome and felt the same way I did regarding the lack of salt and the chewyness of the cake. But seriously, it pretty well satisfies at midnight.

Let me know if you tweak your cake and how it turns out!

“This is for all you chocoholics! We used a 12 oz. mug in our 1000 watt microwave and it turned out great! Now we’re in trouble!”

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons chocolate chips ( optional )
3 tablespoons oil
a small splash of vanilla extract
1 coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. Put your mug into the microwave for three minutes at 1000 watts (vary the time just a little either way according the the wattage of your microwave). The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don’t be alarmed. Allow to cool and tip out onto a plate if desired. EAT! (This can serve 2 if you want to feel sightly more virtuous).