PW's Perfect Pancakes

Here's a very different recipe for pancakes....it uses cake flour!  I made these yesterday morning, and the children loved them.  They definitely have more of a cake-like texture.  Here is Pioneer Woman's website which has many more great recipes.


3 c. plus 2 T. cake flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3 T. baking powder
2 T sugar
2 C. milk
2 large eggs
3 tsp. vanilla extract
4 T. butter

Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix together milk, eggs, and vanilla in a separate bowl.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, stirring very gently until just combined.  Melt butter and add it to the batter, stirring gently to combine.  Cook on a greased skillet over medium-low heat until golden brown.  Serve with an obscene amount of butter and warm syrup. (those are her words...:))

Yum!  Yum!

Happy Eight Months, Peep!

Life in Pictures 10/15/09

Last week we enjoyed having our nephew, Samuel, visit with us.  We had a great time that included lots of good food, games, and chasing balloons. 

He did a great job learning how to throw hawks and knives and was especially talented with the knife!

His sidekick's name was Little Bit.  She loved being with Sam!

Peep loved him, too!

Friday night, we enjoyed a special meal in his honor---homemade pizza, salad, and sparkling grape juices.

Saturday found us enjoying balloon chasing with our good friends the R. family.

Isn't that a sight?  That's the R.'s vehicle and those are the many balloons we're following.

Here's a pretty one up close.

We stopped at a field so we could choose a balloon to follow and help land. (well, that was the the goal.)

Hmm...which balloon should it be?  Winnie the Pooh or Barney?

This lovely balloon won the vote instead.  We parked above where it landed, and the children rushed to see it.

The children got a balloon card with a picture of the balloon on it.  Afterwards, we chased another only to lose it.  As we were ending our balloon chasing, we happened to find it!  So, the children ended up with two balloon cards.  We later enjoyed lunch at Zio's Italian Restaurant.

Later that evening we watched a comedy DVD and enjoyed this treat of orange colored oreos with ice cream and whipped cream. Yum!

There was a lot of chess playing goin' on while Sam was with us.

We enjoyed a feast of potato chowder, homemade french bread, salad, and sweet tea on Sunday evening followed by playing Sam's new favorite game, Pictionary. (Ahem, yes, that's a hint.  He would really like that game for Christmas.:))

Alas, it was time to take him to the airport on Monday morning.  The children sent him off with lots of waves goodbye and well wishes and didn't go inside until our van was out of sight.

Peep is really on the move and pulling up on everythng now.

Including the Littles' book basket...

Here, she can't believe she found some twaddle in the book basket. 

Don't you remember what fun it was to cut out eye holes in paper bags?  Seriously, this was worth at least thirty minutes of entertainment for these Littles. 

Don't You Love It?

We're sitting at the dinner table this evening, having just finished a delicious meal.:)

Mountain Man decides to read a couple of chapters from Penrod by Booth Tarkington. (ok....we have to use a dictionary to read this book!) After reading this passage...."It was a sign of pure ennui.", we hear....

"What's that (referring to ennui)?

Scribe, always surprising me, says, "Oh, that's a French word meaning boredom. I just read it in the book Betrayal." (a story about John Calvin...thank you Mrs. S.)

Then, Whistler says it....a question to delight any parent of an 8 year old.

"What's boredom?"

:)

It's Her First Name

Boo: I know how to say Elisabeth.

Daddy: You do? Go ahead.

Boo: Eee-lis-uh-beth

Daddy: Good job!

Boo: And her first name is Little Bit.

:)

Crockpot Potato Chowder

I hadn't intended on posting more than one chowder recipe, but it is that time of year!

My family loves potato soup, so I've been looking for a more slow-cooker friendly version that I can take to fellowship meals at church. So, I tried this recipe out the other night, and it was a big hit. While this isn't a thick soup, my family absolutely loved it! I loved it because it's so easy and doesn't take long at all.


Crockpot Potato Chowder

8 c. diced potatoes (I also peeled them....)
1/3 c. onion, chopped
3 (14-1/2 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (10-3/4 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cubed
1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled (Real bacon bits worked just fine)
chives

Combine potatoes, onion, broth, and cream of chicken soup in crock pot. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or until potatoes are tender. Add cream cheese and blend. Top with bacon and chives before serving.

(Just whisk the cream cheese in at the end of the cooking time until thoroughly blended.)

All is Quiet on the Home Front

I'm almost speechless.

For the first time in a long time, life is pretty quiet (I use the term loosely in a home with seven precious children) for the Poff Clan. Mountain Man is having a very busy but not crazy-stressful week at work, and the children and I are intensely focused on tackling projects around the house as we get ready for the new school year.

There aren't any broken doors. No sicknesses. No crises.

And we're enjoying it while we thank the LORD.

Tonight we have a special guest coming to visit us for the weekend, and Saturday we have plans to go balloon chasing for the first time ever with some friends. I'm hoping I'll get some great pictures to share.

So, yes, all is well here....we're livin' the good life and a quiet life. :)

Corn Chowder from Mimi's Cafe

Mountain Man and I love Mimi's Cafe! He especially enjoys their soups, corn chowder being one of them. So, I was thrilled to find a recipe for it from their website. Mountain Man rated this 5-1/2 stars out of 5! Enjoy this quick and easy comfort food as the weather starts to get cooler!

Mimi's Cafe Corn Chowder

4 T. butter

6 T. chopped onions

3/4 c. diced celery (not finely)

2-1/2 c. hot water

2 c. cubed and peeled potatoes (about 1/2 inch cubes)

1 quart half and half

3 c. frozen corn, thawed

2 T. sugar

2 tsp. salt

1 pinch of white pepper

3 T. flour

Melt butter over medium heat. Saute onion and celery for 5 minutes in butter until soft but not brown. Add water, potatoes, corn, and seasonings. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are barely tender. Whisk flour into 1 cup of the half and half and then stir into the soup mixture. Add remaining 3 cups of half and half. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until soup thickens to creamy consistency. (we had to simmer about 25 minutes....)

Estudio in E Minor

Little Big Man has officially been taking guitar lessons for less than 4 months. (For a bit before that, Mountain Man was teaching him some basics on the guitar.) We're so proud of him for taking his lessons seriously and working hard. Being a lefty, he's had to adjust to playing right-handed, and we're amazed at how easily he's adapted. Our initial $60.00 investment for a used guitar has been well worth it, and now Little Big Man is saving up for a much nicer, better sounding instrument. Here he is playing Estudio in E Minor (and he says to remind the grandparents he'll sound even better when he gets his new guitar....)