IHop Pancakes with Pink Lady Apple's and Syrup

I used to work at IHop. I even wore that hidious outfit with the big puffy shoulders. I quit rather quickly...after being harrassed, left dimes by high school teenagers and told I had to work another shift because someone didn't show up. But they did have really good pancakes! This recipe was maybe the best pancake recipe that I have tried, although there is not a huge difference between pancake recipes to me. Maybe I will search for my favorite Elmer's buttermilk pancake recipe. The picture shows rather dark maybe a little burnt pancakes. They were still delicious. Does anyone know how to make the actual pancake cook all the way through without burning?

Here is the IHop recipe:
Nonstick Spray
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup cooking oil
pinch of salt

Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Use a pan with a nonstick surface or apply a little nonstick spray.
In a blender or with a mixer, combine all of the remaining ingredients until smooth.
Pour the batter by spoonfuls into the hot pan, forming 5-inch circles.
When the edges appear to harden, flip the pancakes. They should be light brown. Cook on the other side for same amount of time, until light brown.

Ruby is Either #1 or Pointing to the Ancestors

Ruby likes to point up at the ceiling. She also likes to carry her baby doll in a wrap and frequently tries on various hats in the winter hat box. Silly.....little......munchkin

Swell Lunch and Supper

We ate Hummus, potato flat bread and peppered tomato and green pepper for lunch...very good!

Hummus recipe:
can of chickpea (garbanzo beans)
1/3 cup tahini paste (sesame seed paste)
1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 garlic cloves
salt and pepper to taste
Grind in a food processer, put in bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and shake a little paparika on top.

Hummus can be ate with anything. It's really good on pizza crust with or without mozzerella cheese. Sometimes I thow a few roasted red peppers in it and make red pepper hummus. Very versatile dish.

Potato flat bread recipe: (from the bread bible)
3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon of sugar
1/4 teaspoon of active yeast
3/8 teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoon of potato
1/2 tablespoon of butter
1 and 1/2 teaspoon of lightly beaten egg
3 tablespoons of the potato water used to boil potato

Mix flour, sugar, and yeast together. Add salt. Add potato, butter and mix until it is incorporated into flour mixture. mix in egg and potato water. Form dough, and knead on countertop with oiled hands. Let rest in covered bowl for about 30 minutes.
Make 4 dough balls, roll out into little disks, and throw into a 475 degree oven. Use your pizza stone to throw them on if you have one, if not use any old pan. flip them after five minutes, pull them out after another 2 minutes.


My favorite type of soup is anything potato based. My second favorite soup is tortilla soup. This is the combination of potato and tortilla soup...vegetarian style.

Ingredients:
-about 4 potatos cubed, boiled, smashed (use the potato water mash with potato add to soup)
1/2 onion
1 or 2 garlic cloves
jalapeno pepper or green chili canned 4 oz
1/2 cup to 1 whole green pepper
3 or 4 tomatos
1 cup corn (canned, frozen, or fresh)
3 tablespoons of Cumin (My most favorite spice)
1 tablespoon of red chili powder
salt and pepper
3 cup of liquids (chicken broth, vegetable broth, soy milk, milk-0r 1/2 soymilk, 1/2 broth up to milk)
cheese your choice 1/2 cup should do it

boil potatos
saute onion, garlic, green pepper with spices, after they begin to soften add tomates, corn and pepper...let simmer add mashed potatos and water, add liquid simmer again, add a few torn tortlllas or tortilla chips, add cheese...done
cilantro, cheese, green onion, sour cream , and or tortiila chips look nice on top and taste yummy!
I made this up so you can add or delete any of it. You could add chicken, beef, or salmon...Greg was thinking of adding halibut!

All Business About Domestic Duties

Ruby starting mixing and baking about 2 weeks ago. She goes through the cabinets and pulls out pots and pans, flour, spoons, whatever she can get her hands on. She usually eats and drinks what she makes.

If she is not eating it then she likes to mix in onto the floor.

She must see me make a lot of messes because she has learned to clean up.

Some of the Best Produce that We Have Had!

We tried eggs from our CSA supplier. I thought the package was cute. Not one egg was broken and they were beautiful. Ruby couldn't keep her hands off of them.
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This was our Mexican salad. The leaves were a deep deep green...the greener the better for you :). The salad contained black beans, tomatoes, avacado, olives, green pepper, onion, cheese, and light mexican dressing (Light ranch, cumin, and chili powder).

Our dessert, This orange was made in the USA....it's called a Minneola Tangelo. The biggest Tangelo that I've seen.

The Cat Finally Arrived

This is what the UPS man left at my door. I originally brought it inside, but Greg did not want a lab cat in the house. You know just in case it isn't potty trained.The box says non-toxic, but we didn't want to take any chances. I am taking Human Anatomy and Physiology part two via distance education from my favorite college Eastern Oregon State University. A laboratory is required so I have to do a cat dissection. At first the local college told me I could not use their facility, but now I can because I am taking a nutrition class from them. Thank goodness because I really did not want to use our shed.

This is the local college, an extension branch to University of Alaska. The lab is pictured below. They are even allowing me to keep my cat there so the family does not have to be around it. You can see my cat if you look closely, but don't if the thought makes you squeamish. :)

From 30 Below to 30 Above

Overnight the temperature changed from deep freeze to mild winter. Greg and Ruby are standing in front of the K-300 dog sledding races which brings out the several champs of the Iditerod. It was pretty exciting as usual. All you could hear was "bark, bark, bark," "bark bark bark." People go wild here about the K-300! Before the dogs start barking all you hear is snow machines running around in anticipation. People leave work early to get prepared. There is even traffic jams. They had a really nice fire work display afterwords which made Ruby and Moxy cry. I feel really nervous about the dog mushers though because the wind is really pounding tonight...gusts of 50 miles per hour.

I Think They Really Love Each Other

Moxy is really starting to respond to Ruby with lots of smiles and laughter. Ruby keeps trying to grab Moxy out of our arms so that she can have him all to her self. The other thing I noticed is that Moxy is starting to catch up to Ruby in size. He is getting to be a big boy!

Just Sitting Around

Greg Made an Appetizer, Deviled Eggs

Greg made some pretty deviled eggs. This was the first time he went gourmet chef on me.













Recipe came from some guy named Kittencal's:

12 hard-boiled eggs (boil 13 for good luck, you can just eat that one right away!)
1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing (I like to use Miracle Whip for this!)
2 tablespoons milk or half-and-half cream
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried chives (or use 1-2 very finely chopped green onions in place of dried chives)
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

The Shoes Have Arrived

Here are my MBT shoes, which stands for Masai Barefoot Technology. These are supposed to help with back and knee problems and correct posture, but the reason I bought them is and i will quote the brochure: "Your body percieves your MBT's as exercise equipment! You will burn calories, your metabolism will be stimulated, and your stamina and coordination will improve."
I have worn these a total of 20 minutes, because they recommend you wear them at gradual intervals. I admit that they are weird. Greg says they make me look crazy, but they looked good on him, so I must have bought a more masculine pair. This spring they come out with a new collection that are really cute-mary jane style. The place to buy them is feetfirstfitness.com because they have the best low low price. I can alrady feel the pounds coming off :).

She Discovered Different Eating Styles

Ruby was enjoying eating her potatoes dipped in a berry smoothie, then she stuck her pear with a fork. I guess it made it easier to grip.

Falafel

This really is a good recipe. I added more than 6 tablespoons of flour to get them to not be sticky. I also used basil instead of parsely or cilantro. With the basil these turn into some yummy "meatballs" on spagetti. Call me if you have trouble.

Recipe from Epicurious.com
Ingredients
1 cup dried chickpeas
1/2 large onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon baking powder
4-6 tablespoons flour
Soybean or vegetable oil for frying
Chopped tomato for garnish
Diced onion for garnish
Diced green bell pepper for garnish
Tahina sauce
Pita bread


1. Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, then drain. Or use canned chickpeas, drained.
2. Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the parsley, cilantro, salt, hot pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed.

3. Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the flour, and pulse. You want to add enough bulgur or flour so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours.

4. Form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts, or use a falafel scoop, available in Middle-Eastern markets.

5. Heat 3 inches of oil to 375 degrees in a deep pot or wok and fry 1 ball to test. If it falls apart, add a little flour. Then fry about 6 balls at once for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Stuff half a pita with falafel balls, chopped tomatoes, onion, green pepper, and pickled turnips. Drizzle with tahina thinned with water.

NOTE: Egyptians omit the cilantro and substitute fava beans for the chickpeas.

I wonder what Moxy is Thinking?

Ruby loves to touch, poke, kiss, and hug Moxy. Moxy's facial expressions crack me up when Ruby is near.

Our Attempt to Get Rid of Plastic

We bought these new stainless steel water bottles and a stainless steel sippy cup. We noticed right off the bat that they still have plastic components which we don't like very much (supposedly made with plastic that is not toxic).

Little pooh bear!

Moxy is enjoying the warm sun light coming through the window on a chilly morning. The house is cold in the morning so we like to wear outdoor clothing until the heat starts kicking in.

This Says Everything!

As been seen in some of my previous posts, certain companies just don't seem to care about thier consumers. I like to write companies about their crappy products because I want them knowing that I care. Recently I wrote to my organic farm telling them that they sent me an overly ripe avocado and a smashed kiwi. I was only writing them so that in the future they could send me a underripe avacodo and to bag my kiwi's, because in a sense I understand that lots more could go wrong during the delivery since they are 1500 miles away. The letter they sent me back makes me further feel validated in my choice to pay money to small buisnesses that care about thier product. Here is the letter:

"Dear Michele,

Thank you for your comments concerning your Green Grocery order. We
pride ourselves on providing the highest quality produce box and want to
ensure your complete satisfaction. Please do let us know if you receive any items
that are not of good quality so that we may rectify the problem. We have credited
your CSA account $4.75 for the avocados. Please try ordering this and other
items on your next delivery! We will also replace your kiwi in your next delivery with
a same or similar item. Hearing from members assists us in identifying problems
and allows us toimprove our program. We appreciate your feedback and support.
CSA Team"

ENOUGH SAID!

Uh, it is really cold

Well, we woke up to a new cold record temperature this year. It's around -35 without wind...thank goodness! Only one area of our pipe froze, which was around the kitchen sink. Everything else was working fine. It only took a couple of seconds to unfreeze the sink pipe. Our house is really starting to be nice to us!

Parenting is Fun with Ruby and Moxy

Okay it is really not all fun and games, it has been tough being a parent. My goodness these two have a lot to teach Greg and I, but how lucky I feel right now. I am so grateful for these two kiddos.

The Cindy Lauper Hair Club

More About that Organic Produce

This is an actual White carrot, and it is delicious. Even better, Greg doesn't really like carrots so I can camoflage it in a meal and he has no clue that he is being healthy.

This is very cool "blue potatoe" even though it looks purple. I had these when my parents were visiting, they got a kick out of them at the time too.

There is a lot I could say right now about my growing love for organic produce. When my box arrives it literally feels like christmas. It is so fun trying to eat all of those fruits and vegetables before the next box comes, and because it costs a pretty penny to have shipped here, Greg cannot turn it down because he knows it needs to be ate. I highly recommend CSA farm coops for anyone interested in eating better and not buying from China. It feels good knowing where my box of fruits and vegetables come from. Greg's brother Andrew has spent the last couple of summers working on CSA farms and he could probaly tell you about the love and sweat that goes into these types of farms. Go Andrew! Maybe someday the whole family can come together and start their own farm somewhere.

Moxy Feeling the Love

Our Babies new Chariot Stoller

Our Chariot stoller arrived a couple of days ago. We are so excited about it because it we got a pretty good deal. We got our's from REI, and they took 50.00 off, I guess because they gave me a hard time about getting it out to Bethel. This is the 2007 model so it was about 150.00 cheaper than the 2008 even though it is almost exactly the same. This stoller converts into a jogger, a ski cart, and you can get a hiking attachment and pull it on trails. We cannot wait to use it in the lower 48 on hiking trips. Actually I can't imagine taking this hiking, but people do. Right now the weather here is -30 so we can't go outside. It is rated to -4 degrees though. I am going to make Moxy and Ruby little sleeping bag warmers.

That Doll is Like a Third Child

Ruby brings this doll everywhere, she feeds it, nurses it, wraps it, and now she wants mama to change the dolls diaper.


Doll lifting weights

Doll eating






Ruby about to eat the doll

Lots of Little People all over the place

This is Ruby's Little People collection. I ebayed the small wooden ones last week. I actually remember playing with these people, especially the women and the mean looking boy with his hat twisted to the side. I was told that Fisher Price did not use lead in their paint in the 70's and 80's and they were made in the USA. Upon cleaning them and handing them to Ruby she immediatly started putting them in her mouth. Fisher Price made their modern Little People bigger after a choking complaint. Don't worry grams and G-ma we will watch the babies closely.