German pancakes

I love the morning.  Crisp air, birds singing, dew drops reflecting slanted light.  These things are the stuff of magic, I'm sure intended to fill a new day with promise.  Sigh.  Sadly, these things go mostly unnoticed around here.  We are too busy changing diapers, finding clean sippies and stumbling gratefully towards the coffeepot.  To top that off, the little people are usually on the verge of riot for breakfast.  This is my current go to breakfast.  It's so simple and cooks up beautifully enough to serve for a holiday or any old Tuesday morning.  Even better- leftovers make a great little snack that stores just fine in a baggie in the fridge.  Enjoy!

German pancakes

4 Large Eggs
1 Tbls Sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 c flour
2/3 c milk
2 Tbls butter, softened
Additional butter for serving
Powdered sugar for sprinkling
Berries or other fresh fruit

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Butter two 9 inch cake pans well.
2. Mix the eggs in a blender until light yellow. Add remaining ingredients and blend into uniform batter.
4. Pour half the batter into each pan.  Bake 12-15 minutes, until big, golden bubbles form.  Reduce oven to 350 and bake for 5 minutes, until cooked through. 
5. Serve topped with butter, powdered sugar and fresh fruit.  And coffee!

Housewarming Treat

 

It's official!  We've moved and are finally settled into our new home.  (Boy was that a long process!)  This outrageously good snack was introduced to me as a housewarming gift by my dear friend, Natasha (visit her gorgeous home blog at http://www.moderncottageblog.blogspot.com/ )  We've kept a batch on hand ever since.

(Recipe adapted from Ina Garten- http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/rosemary-roasted-cashews-recipe/index.html )

Rosemary Roasted Almonds

1 lb Marcona Almonds
1 Tbls butter, melted
2 Tbls fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 tsp cayenne
2 tsp dark brown sugar

1) Preheat oven to 350. Spread almonds over parchment covered baking sheet.  Heat for about 8 mins, until they begin to turn golden.

2) While the nuts are heating, mix together remaining ingredients. Stir in the warm nuts until coated. 

Store in an airtight container.

Fresh from the Dairy

Of all the places I've visited, two have made an exceptionally lasting impression on my life. The first was Siberia. My summer on and near Lake Baikal was just this side of heaven and it changed the direction of my life entirely. Interestingly, it is also where I first milked a cow. It was in a tiny, dusty village with exceptionally generous people and the wiliest piglets you can imagine. We drank the milk while it was still warm. A might strange, I'll admit, but fresh as it gets.

The other is England. I am endlessly intrigued by its marriage of modern and traditional, and while all my former visits have been defined by a sense of mobile independence scurrying about on the trains, my most recent visit introduced me to a different side of Britain, and it was just what the doctor ordered. Well, that and a few odd g and ts, of course.

This visit, I stayed with several members of my family in a house in the heart of the Cotswolds. The hills were rolling, we were surrounded by livestock and distant church spires and the local pubs served local, fresh food along with glorious pints of English brew. It was a slow and simple life we led during our two week visit, making short trips to some beautiful manor houses and charming old towns, but most of all, enjoying each other and the occasional strolls through the countryside. And at the start of each new day, we enjoyed fresh eggs and milk from a local farm, and cream so thick it rolled out of the cup like molasses. Now there is a trip to celebrate. And here are a couple of recipes we enjoyed whipping up in our English kitchen:

Mom's recipe for butter:
1 cup fresh, rich milk
a pinch of salt.
Mix with whisk (or in our case, a spoon) until desired thickness

*Mom says the cream she used as a girl took about 15 minutes to whip into butter. I do not tease when I say the double cream we were using in the Cotswolds took less than a minute.


Great Wolford Eggs

1-2 Tbls butter or extra virgin olive oil
2 tomatoes, chopped
1- 2 eggs per person, depending on how hungry you all are
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained (squeeze water out through dish towel)
2 Tbls fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Heat butter or oil in large skillet and add tomatoes. Cook until tender. Meanwhile, mix eggs, spinach, basil, salt and pepper in a large liquid measuring cup and pour into the skillet. Scramble until cooked through. They should be done within 10 minutes or so.