[Note bene: I wrote this in early November and found it today while looking through my drafts. I don't know why I never posted it. Anyway, ta da!]
After President Uchtdorf's wonderful remarks at the Relief Society Broadcast, the Parable of the Bay Leaf has become a household topic. In it, he describes his wife's ability to create wonderful and delicious meals, beautifully presented; but that she consistantly punctuates the creation with a comment such as, “I’m afraid I used a touch too much ginger,” or, “Next time, I think it would be better if I used a little more curry and one additional bay leaf.”
President Uchtdorf points out that as women, we may not appreciate the value of what we do in the world and more importantly who we are. These 'bay leaf' comments, while showing a desire to improve and create goodness and "perfection", may also clue us in to the fact that our focus is on a tiny fraction of the scene.
Enough with the generalizations.
I do this. Since my husband has pointed it out, I am amazed how frequently it occurs.
An example: I busted my butt making homemade whole-wheat bread sticks for a ward party. I juggled it between Nathanael's nap, picking up yeast when I discovered we were out, and the Halloween event that afternoon. I ran to and fro, keeping my perspective, and enjoying Nathanael all throughout the day. We finally were sitting at the party chatting and eating and I got my first bite. I said, "Oh! Next time I need to let them raise longer. It is so dense!"
Now, this was after several people had already complemented me and Nathanael was halfway through his (the ultimate complement). Michael pointed out my comment (in light of the bay leaf) and I was so surprised! I didn't even notice.
It is now becoming part of my personal culture to say things like, "Wow. I did a really great job on this!" And then I bite my tongue when I want to add my bay leaf comment.
I realize that our public culture doesn't allow for this type of comment. It doesn't expect it. And it doesn't fit into the model of self-depreciation as humility that we frequently buy into. But as I have trusted and taken the step to believe in myself--enough to verbalize it--I have felt peace.
Showing posts with label whole wheat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label whole wheat. Show all posts
Unexpected Gourmet
Last night was quite possibly the yummiest meal of my life.
That includes meals that I have eaten in very fancy restaurants, on my cruise, and in France.
But this meal was fairly inexpensive, took me about 45 minutes from fridge to table and was extremely healthy. I think this is breaking some kind of unwritten law. :)
So what did I make?
Baked Alaskan Salmon and Fresh Green Beans. The salmon recipe was developed by my friend Robert, and I will ask his permission to post it here. I can tell you that it involved the perfect balance of olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, salt & pepper and one other secret ingredient. The excess oil that dripped off the fish was so good that Michael and I ate several pieces of toasted whole wheat bread each just to sop it up. We couldn't stop!
The green bean recipe I found on Pioneer Woman's website. Quite a discovery--both the beans and the website. I will be visiting there again. We had a little hiccup getting the liquid to evaporate, but even so, it was caramel-y sweet.
Also, I have a new goal of bringing my camera into the kitchen--just in case! :)
Happy Friday my friends.
That includes meals that I have eaten in very fancy restaurants, on my cruise, and in France.
But this meal was fairly inexpensive, took me about 45 minutes from fridge to table and was extremely healthy. I think this is breaking some kind of unwritten law. :)
So what did I make?
Baked Alaskan Salmon and Fresh Green Beans. The salmon recipe was developed by my friend Robert, and I will ask his permission to post it here. I can tell you that it involved the perfect balance of olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, salt & pepper and one other secret ingredient. The excess oil that dripped off the fish was so good that Michael and I ate several pieces of toasted whole wheat bread each just to sop it up. We couldn't stop!
The green bean recipe I found on Pioneer Woman's website. Quite a discovery--both the beans and the website. I will be visiting there again. We had a little hiccup getting the liquid to evaporate, but even so, it was caramel-y sweet.
Also, I have a new goal of bringing my camera into the kitchen--just in case! :)
Happy Friday my friends.
Getting Settled
Here's the run-down on our lives, list-style. :)
Our apartment is perfect (for us), and we love our ward. The neighborhood is so safe and cozy--we don't feel that we're in the city at all. (Very different from last summer--we had a very urban place.)
Also, Michael is loving his job, which is the key element.
We've dived (doven?) right in at church too. I've already sub-ed in the Primary, we're doing a ward temple trip tomorrow, I've been to one enrichment with another one on Saturday, and the Bishopric is stopping by tonight to visit us. Also, we're having the missionaries over to teach us a discussion on Saturday.
Wow. No wonder I'm tired. When I put into words, I'm doing a lot.
As for the home front, I'm grinding wheat and baking bread Little Red Hen style. I've been "grocery store shopping" the past few weeks. That is to say, I'm shopping for a grocery store. I've found a few good ones, but now it's time to price compare! :)
Otherwise, I've been working on getting up earlier so I can have some time to myself before Nathanael's up, as well as reading the Book of Mormon in that time. It's an uphill battle, but I'm still climbing! :)
It is amazing how not-new I feel. It seems like I remember so many people from last summer! That part is very good news! :) Well, I guess I get to go back to making our clean-out-the-produce-drawer-before-it-goes-bad dinner.
This moment has been duly noted, and will be deducted on your timecard, "That is all." (Michael, do you ever read this--'cause you're the only one laughing. Well, maybe I'll send a link to Peter too.)
And, my photos for the day.
Our apartment is perfect (for us), and we love our ward. The neighborhood is so safe and cozy--we don't feel that we're in the city at all. (Very different from last summer--we had a very urban place.)
Also, Michael is loving his job, which is the key element.
We've dived (doven?) right in at church too. I've already sub-ed in the Primary, we're doing a ward temple trip tomorrow, I've been to one enrichment with another one on Saturday, and the Bishopric is stopping by tonight to visit us. Also, we're having the missionaries over to teach us a discussion on Saturday.
Wow. No wonder I'm tired. When I put into words, I'm doing a lot.
As for the home front, I'm grinding wheat and baking bread Little Red Hen style. I've been "grocery store shopping" the past few weeks. That is to say, I'm shopping for a grocery store. I've found a few good ones, but now it's time to price compare! :)
Otherwise, I've been working on getting up earlier so I can have some time to myself before Nathanael's up, as well as reading the Book of Mormon in that time. It's an uphill battle, but I'm still climbing! :)
It is amazing how not-new I feel. It seems like I remember so many people from last summer! That part is very good news! :) Well, I guess I get to go back to making our clean-out-the-produce-drawer-before-it-goes-bad dinner.
This moment has been duly noted, and will be deducted on your timecard, "That is all." (Michael, do you ever read this--'cause you're the only one laughing. Well, maybe I'll send a link to Peter too.)
And, my photos for the day.
Labor Day, Play Day
Today Michael got a new bike. Nathanael sucked the juice out of an orange. And I got to go to the grocery store by myself!
It may seem that I'm being sarcastic, but actually, this was a great day for me.
The grocery store did happen to be the Whole Foods Market on Denny in downtown Seattle. It is huge for either a city grocery store or a health food store, and I had a hay day. This also came after the realization (in the car on the way there) that for me food isn't just for survival or familial duty--I love it.
I love to eat it, I love to prepare it, I love to think about ways to make it fun. I especially love to serve it to others. (And I really love it when they like it!)
Realizing that food is fun for me, somehow made it even more so. It allowed me to celebrate the new basil putting down roots on my windowsill, and the freshly ground flour in my freezer. (Thanks, Michael!) And now I feel empowered to roast the eggplant and summer squash from the farmer's market, and to plant lettuce for the end-of-the-summer season. I am ready to take on the Chicken Cacciatore my husband got excited about tonight* and prepare lunches and snack foods for a new week dawning.
Plus, now I have a dishwasher, so I get to have all the fun, and let an appliance clean up!
*I just learned this tidbit from Wikipedia. "Cacciatore means "hunter" in Italian. In cuisine, "alla cacciatora" refers to a meal prepared "hunter-style" with tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, herbs, often bell pepper, and sometimes wine."
Whole Wheat Pancakes a la Deardeuff
I keep getting requests for this recipe, so as I typed it up for a friend, it occurred to me to post it here. Next time I make it I will take pictures and post them, as I always enjoy illustrated food blogs (a fun one is http://pinchmysalt.com/).
I originally got this recipe from a book entitled Essential Mormon Celebrations. The recipe was called Papa's Whole-Wheat Pancakes. My recipe really doesn't look very much like the original, but just so we're all clear, I didn't start from nothing.
That being said, these are my favorite pancakes. I make them quite often, and even Michael asks for them! (That's when I know I'm on the right track!) They have been quite versatile, and in a pinch, I will use leftovers as bread in a lunch meat sandwich (unfortunately, there are usually not any leftover). Also, I like to double the recipe, but not if I am trying something new (see variations).
Here it is:
1/2 cup milk (I use rice milk)
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (this is the measurement for fresh ground flour. For store bought, I would start with 1 cup and add more at the end to balance the consistency as needed.)
1/4 tsp sea salt (1/8 tsp if honey is omitted)
2 Tbsp raw honey (may be omitted for yeast cleansing or other sugarless diets)
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
Combine flour, salt, milk and water well with whisk or fork. Add remaining ingredients, reserving the baking soda and baking powder until the end so they will be active while the pancakes are cooking. It is also a good idea to mix those last two ingredients with one of the liquids or a small amount of reserved water first and then add to batter to avoid lumps in the pancakes.
Using a 1/4-cup measure, pour batter onto a moderately hot griddle (nonstick or greased). I set mine to 250 to 300 degrees. Any hotter, and they get too dark before the centers cook. Flip when partially done (you get to check, these usually don't bubble like white flour pancakes do). Serve with real maple syrup, blue agave nectar, or apple butter (I made some homemade apple-saucy stuff that was really yummy on top of these).
Variations:
Flour: Use buckwheat flour for some or all of the whole wheat flour. We have also experimented with some brown rice flour and potato flour with good results. The potato flour made them fluffier (although these are already very light for a whole wheat recipe), and we were careful to only add a small amount of rice flour, otherwise the rice taste was noticeable. A general guideline for flour substitutions: start by substituting small amounts (in a 1:1 ratio) and watch the batter for consistency. Then, add more liquid or flour as needed. (Different flours absorb different amounts of liquid. I find this is true even for different batches of whole wheat flour.)
Add-ins: I usually toss 1/4 to 1/3 cup of vegan carob chips into the batter just before cooking. They get all melty and remind me of my pre-no-chocolate days. :) Michael likes texture, so one time he added our usual carob chips as well as some chopped walnuts and raisins. Those were exciting pancakes! :) We also did small cut up pieces of apple once which was nice. Frozen blueberries (or other fruit) work well, the fruit thaws as the pancakes cook, so there's no need to plan ahead (that's my favorite thing in recipes).
Fruit/Vegetable Puree: I have only experimented with butternut squash, but I imagine applesauce or other purees of similar consistency (pumpkin, zucchini, carrot, etc.) would work just fine. Make some amount of the puree (or use leftovers). I would start with 1/2 to 1 cup for this recipe (un-doubled). Simply add it to the pancake batter after it is mixed entirely. There is no need to adjust liquid or flour, the purees usually are about the same consistency as the final batter, so it just increases the volume of the recipe. The nice thing about the squash was that Nathanael just thought they were regular pancakes, but he was getting vegetables too! They were barely noticeable as tiny pieces, and not at all in the flavor of the pancake itself.
Wow! I didn't realize we had relied so much on this recipe! I've made it a lot in the last six months!
If you make these please post a comment and let me know how they turn out. I'd love to hear about any experimentation! :)
P.S. Michael asked me to be sure to include the word 'delicious' in this post. I assure you, these are wonderful!
I originally got this recipe from a book entitled Essential Mormon Celebrations. The recipe was called Papa's Whole-Wheat Pancakes. My recipe really doesn't look very much like the original, but just so we're all clear, I didn't start from nothing.
That being said, these are my favorite pancakes. I make them quite often, and even Michael asks for them! (That's when I know I'm on the right track!) They have been quite versatile, and in a pinch, I will use leftovers as bread in a lunch meat sandwich (unfortunately, there are usually not any leftover). Also, I like to double the recipe, but not if I am trying something new (see variations).
Here it is:
1/2 cup milk (I use rice milk)
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (this is the measurement for fresh ground flour. For store bought, I would start with 1 cup and add more at the end to balance the consistency as needed.)
1/4 tsp sea salt (1/8 tsp if honey is omitted)
2 Tbsp raw honey (may be omitted for yeast cleansing or other sugarless diets)
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
Combine flour, salt, milk and water well with whisk or fork. Add remaining ingredients, reserving the baking soda and baking powder until the end so they will be active while the pancakes are cooking. It is also a good idea to mix those last two ingredients with one of the liquids or a small amount of reserved water first and then add to batter to avoid lumps in the pancakes.
Using a 1/4-cup measure, pour batter onto a moderately hot griddle (nonstick or greased). I set mine to 250 to 300 degrees. Any hotter, and they get too dark before the centers cook. Flip when partially done (you get to check, these usually don't bubble like white flour pancakes do). Serve with real maple syrup, blue agave nectar, or apple butter (I made some homemade apple-saucy stuff that was really yummy on top of these).
Variations:
Flour: Use buckwheat flour for some or all of the whole wheat flour. We have also experimented with some brown rice flour and potato flour with good results. The potato flour made them fluffier (although these are already very light for a whole wheat recipe), and we were careful to only add a small amount of rice flour, otherwise the rice taste was noticeable. A general guideline for flour substitutions: start by substituting small amounts (in a 1:1 ratio) and watch the batter for consistency. Then, add more liquid or flour as needed. (Different flours absorb different amounts of liquid. I find this is true even for different batches of whole wheat flour.)
Add-ins: I usually toss 1/4 to 1/3 cup of vegan carob chips into the batter just before cooking. They get all melty and remind me of my pre-no-chocolate days. :) Michael likes texture, so one time he added our usual carob chips as well as some chopped walnuts and raisins. Those were exciting pancakes! :) We also did small cut up pieces of apple once which was nice. Frozen blueberries (or other fruit) work well, the fruit thaws as the pancakes cook, so there's no need to plan ahead (that's my favorite thing in recipes).
Fruit/Vegetable Puree: I have only experimented with butternut squash, but I imagine applesauce or other purees of similar consistency (pumpkin, zucchini, carrot, etc.) would work just fine. Make some amount of the puree (or use leftovers). I would start with 1/2 to 1 cup for this recipe (un-doubled). Simply add it to the pancake batter after it is mixed entirely. There is no need to adjust liquid or flour, the purees usually are about the same consistency as the final batter, so it just increases the volume of the recipe. The nice thing about the squash was that Nathanael just thought they were regular pancakes, but he was getting vegetables too! They were barely noticeable as tiny pieces, and not at all in the flavor of the pancake itself.
Wow! I didn't realize we had relied so much on this recipe! I've made it a lot in the last six months!
If you make these please post a comment and let me know how they turn out. I'd love to hear about any experimentation! :)
P.S. Michael asked me to be sure to include the word 'delicious' in this post. I assure you, these are wonderful!
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