While my Cat is away...

With the hubs out for the day and with it being the last days of summer I decided to make pancakes for breakfast. I have several recipes that I use depending on my mood and what I have on hand. The Joy of Cooking has a really excellent recipe. But today I had some buttermilk I needed to use. The other day my good friend mentioned that she rarely uses her cookbooks anymore. What with the ease of the internet and the sheer volume of recipes at your fingertips it is really easy to overlook all the books on your shelf.

But not today! I pulled out one of my favorite vintage cookbooks. The 1963 version of the Pillsbury FAMILY cook book. I love old cookbooks. From their tattered covers, to the AWESOME artwork (I'm thinking of the dutiful housewives cooking their work weary husbands a fabulous meal. In pearls and all.) and the sometimes questionable recipes. They are a look into our not so distant past. And I love it. But I digress. The recipe.

These pancakes were somewhat dense while being light and puffy at the same time. The recipe couldn't be simpler. The most difficult thing to do is beat egg whites. And if you don't have buttermilk, just sub in milk with a little vinegar splashed in. I think the exact ratio is 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Just be sure to let it sit for 5 minutes or so. I served these with scrambled eggs and some Jimmy Dean. With my espresso, it was the perfect way to start the day. And I wish I could say that I didn't clean my plate, but that would be a lie.

Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes

2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 c. buttermilk
3 eggs, separated
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 t. vanilla

In a large bowl mix the flour, soda and salt. Stir in buttermilk, vanilla and well beaten egg yolks. Stir in butter and beat until the batter is smooth. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Bake on a hot skillet until done.

I served these with homemade syrup. I haven't bought syrup from the store in over a year. And I don't miss it. So, here is a bonus recipe for you. Next time you run out of syrup, don't panic. Just make this instead. You can thank me later.

Homemade Maple Syrup

1 c. boiling water
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar (sometimes I use half light and half dark)
1-2 t. maple extract (I use Mapeline. Which I think is best. You can find it at Wal-Mart in the blue and white box.)

Pour the sugars into a small bowl. Pour the boiling water over the sugar and stir until smooth. Add the extract and serve hot. I store the leftovers in a bottle in my fridge. It keeps forever.

Butter Chicken

This recipe is so tasty! And that's where I first heard of the recipe. The PW posted it to her Tasty Kitchen blog. I made it for the first time and Jason and I about died it was so good. I serve it over plain rice. I always mean to serve it with Naan but forget at the last minute to make it. And I always mean to serve it with a veggie but can't think of what would be good with this. Steamed green something.

I make a few changes to the recipe. I use 6 chicken breasts instead of 4. There is always a lot of sauce and it will go to waste. And you don't want that. I have used a lemon instead of the lime that it calls for and have come to prefer it that way. I can't BELIEVE this recipe calls for a pint of heavy cream. There is just no way it needs that much. I use maybe a tablespoon. I just splash some in until it looks right. And I would NOT substitute half and half. I have found that when using it with tomatoes the half and half tends to curdle a little. I think the extra fat in heavy cream doesn't do that. It's not that much, so just use the good stuff! You won't be sorry.

Once everything is mixed together I take the breasts out and slice them and then put them back into the sauce. It makes the chicken go a little farther and it is easier to eat. If you like Indian food give this a try. And don't be like me and forget to make the Naan and veggies!

Things to do before I turn 36.

My birthday breakfast made by my sweet girls. The honeyed "banapple" was interesting. But it's the thought that counts. Right? I wanted to make a list of 35 things to do before I turn 36, but that proved to be too difficult. I am another year older after all. The brain doesn't work as well as it used to. I made it halfway to 35 so I'm proud of that. What's on your list?


1. Learn how to ride a bike and enjoy it.
2. Take more pictures.
3. Allow more pictures to be taken of me.
4. Blog once a week.
5. Give up sugar. Again.
6. Have a family portrait session. By the lovely and super talented Tara Whitney perhaps?
7. See the final Harry Potter with Carrie M. on opening day.
8. Travel to California to see my beautiful friend and the beautiful city of San Fran.
9. Refashion more clothing. Like she does on this blog.
10. Kiss my husband goodnight. Every night. No matter what.
11. Run a half marathon. Or maybe a full.
12. Go to a county fair and ride the Ferris Wheel.
13. Take the girls roller skating and strap on some skates myself.
14. Laugh more.
15. Live more.
16. Love more.

I WILL be a better blogger.

I will be a better blogger, I will be a better blogger. This is my new mantra. I promise to take the time to blog things from my life. And to the three people who read this blog, you can hold me accountable. So, for today, a recipe.

I came across this recipe the other day and since I had frozen chicken in the freezer, I thought I would try it out. I pretty much followed her spice suggestions but next time I would leave out the curry. I found it overpowering.

But this post is really about the buns that I made to go with the chicken. I did some searching for homemade hamburger buns but nothing looked really good until I went to the King Arthur site. I think this will be my go to site for anything bread. The directions are easy to follow and these buns turned out amazing. The only change I made was subbing one cup of wheat flour and only adding 5 cups of flour total. Just play with the texture of the dough. It should be pretty soft but not sticky. I will be making these again. In fact, we are going to eat these with mini "Juicy Lucy" sliders tonight. Thanks CRZ for the recipe on that one!