Monday, March 31, 2008

Weekend Love



Nice relaxed weekend. To be honest, when I'm working full time the weekends can be (usually are) very very stressful. There's just so much work to be done before going back to school on Monday. Right now, with taking some time off of work, I get to see what a real weekend is like. Nice! Let's see. Friday night we got take-out and watched Enchanted with Dieter and Rainer. Such fun--that movie is adorable. Saturday we took the kids to the park in the morning and I got to go for a run while Ken played with them (Rainer rode happily in the backpack--we recently got him a Tough Traveler so Ken can carry him around more easily).
Dieter lined up all of the animals and dinos. I can't resist photograhing his toys.
There was lots of wearing Rainer on my back in the Ergo--I finally found a way I can get him on my back by myself--and walking around the yard.
And smelling the orange blossoms which are particularly fragrant right now. The fragrance truly wafts. A simple pleasure for sure.

And finally I have a little recipe for you. I dug out this old recipe (and I do mean old--clipped from the September 1995 issue of Family Fun magazine--that makes me feel old) when I wanted to make some healthy pancakes Sunday morning. Dieter helped, of course. This is really easy, and then you have mix on hand for another time.

High Fiber Pancake Mix

2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. yellow cornmeal
1 c. whole wheat flour
3 t. baking powder
2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
4 T flaxseed (optional)

To make the mix, sift all of the ingredients except the flaxseed [I never sift by the way--I just use a whisk to stir them together in a bowl]. Pour the mix into a large canister and stir in the flaxseed. Store on the kitchen counter, unrefrigerated. [I never use the flaxseed. It should be ground fresh each time to get the benefits and I don't have a grinder].

When you're ready to make the pancakes, heat the griddle while you mix the batter. For 12 pancakes, combine 1 cup mix with 1 cup buttermilk, milk, yogurt, sour cream, or a combination [I love it with full fat yogurt], and 2 beaten eggs. At this point you can add 2 T. wheat germ and 1 T. molasses. Smear your griddle with oil or butter, scraping off any excess so the pancakes bake rather than fry. When bubbles appear and the surface and the batter begins to look dry, flip the pancakes and cook about 1 minute more. Serve with maples syrup, honey, jam, or ricotta cheese.

Oh--more news. The little "Making Stickers" project I did with Dieter was featured on The Crafty Crow last week. Hooray! Thanks to Cassi for featuring my project. And do check out The Crafty Crow for lots of fun things to do with your kids.

11 comments:

Carrie said...

I wish every weekend could be this way for you!

Mary said...

I love those stickers, a big hit at my daughters slumber party. Glad to hear things are going pretty well, considering the battle your family is going through. I send prayers out to you and your family

amy turn sharp said...

yes- I saw you on the crafty crow! congrats! Me and Finn made pancake mix like that for ester pressies for grandma! love it!

Lina said...

Great recipe Mary Beth. We make pancakes every weekend and I've been trying to find ways of making them a little healthier, thanks for the tips! I love the crafty crow!

Our Adventures As A Family of 4.... said...

I hear you, I really like being home too. I don't know if I will get to, we're hoping I can work part time when kids come home, but I've been doing a lot more cooking, and organizing that I never got to do working. Weekends were tough as you said, trying to get stuff done.

Thanks for sharing the pancake recipe, this is just the one I am looking for. I wanted to incorporate flaxseed in and this is a good way to do it.

Congrats on your craft on the Crafty Cow, I will go check it out. :-)

Molly

Carrie said...

Live forever pancakes!

Florence Knapp (Flossie Teacakes) said...

Oh those pancakes look so good! I have the same thing about photographing wooden toys - they're just so lovely! x

Summer by the sea said...

Hi Mary Beth - you have a really lovely blog, I've just had a quick read through, but will re-visit when I have more time to read your older posts - Natalie x P.S. - My heart goes out to you, I wish little Rainer every best wish x

Laura said...

Sounds like you had a wonderful family fun weekend!
Thank you for the pancake recipe! I can't wait to try it...yum :)

Anonymous said...

Hello! I found your blog through the sticker link also. I love your photo of the toy line up - my kids do it so often I have found myself doing it just for fun also!

JessicaLeighLaLou said...

What an exciting weekend! I'll have to try out the pancake recipe, looks yummy. :D