fulfilling a craving from when I was sickest

Last Wednesday, when I did not move more then ten feet from my bed and rocking chair, I was craving the strawberry cheesecake pancakes from IHOP.  It is about the only thing I order there when we are traveling which is about the only time I go there.  I do not know why I was craving them so hard but I was. 

Now, did I leave the house to go out and eat pancakes?  No.  I started some sourdough.  I waited twelve hours and started pancakes.  I went to the store for cream cheese and strawberries.  I had homemade sourdough strawberry cheesecake pancakes! 

I now have to figure out what to eat at IHOP.

strawberry cheesecake pancakes

Note:  I am told if you have the time, a cast iron skillet, and coconut oil, putting the pan on an electric stove at temperature three and letting it sit while the batter is being mixed makes the skillet at the correct temperature with very even heat.

sourdough starter

3/4 cup of water

1 cup flour

1 cup milk

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup oil

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

1 egg

8 ounces cream cheese

1/2 to 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

oil for frying

a quart of strawberries, hulled and sliced

1/2 cup sugar

A couple days out, in a large bowl, mix the sourdough, 3/4 cup water, and 1 cup flour.  Mix well.  Cover and let sit at least over night until bubbly.  My house is cold so I think it was closer to a day or two.

Let us hope your home is warmer then mine, so the next morning, take a bit of starter out for next time.  Mix in 1 cup milk, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 cups flour.  Mix well, cover, and let sit out overnight or until bubbly.  Read above to see what happened at my house.  Put the cream cheese in the freezer, cut into four pieces makes it easier.

Before the cooking starts, slice up the strawberries into a medium bowl.  Sprinkle with sugar.

Heat a griddle over medium low heat.

Take the cream cheese out of the freezer.  Cut it up into bite size pieces.  Mix in one egg and the graham cracker crumbs.  Mix the cream cheese into the pancake batter.

Put oil on the pan.  Oil makes crispier pancakes.  Let the oil heat.  Pour about 1/2 cup of pancake batter on the griddle.  Spread the batter out.  Cook until brown and bubbles start to burst on the side you can see.  Flip.  Let that side brown. 

Put on a plate and cover with strawberries.

This one has already been requested again.  I have to go buy cream cheese tonight and the pancake batter is at the stage for it.

chocolate chip bread pudding

I think over did yesterday.  I came home from work and slept for a couple hours.  Then I had time with my sewing machine which was really nice.  We watched a snowboarding video and the comment was we could move to Nepal and live there well for the rest of our lives.  The thought went through my head "I do not mind being a dirt bag at all but how would I get my sewing machine there?"  I am really not odd.  I actually have a trailer I want to build for hanging out places in the winter.  I already have a space for my sewing machine and a wood stove in my head.  Dirt bag.  Odd.  Yes.  All these thoughts come with tired, sick, and worrying about my best friend as her Dad waits for more information about his brain tumor.  There will be more news Monday but it is hard to wait. 

I think I may skateboard to the library tomorrow.

There is a bit of comfort food going on around here.  My family has a hard time waiting for bread to cool before cutting it out of the oven.  That means there is always a ragged piece that is a bit dry at the end of the loaf.  I usually cut it off and save it.  It makes the best french toast or bread pudding.  Comfort includes chocolate so I made a chocolate bread pudding .  Rich.  Lovely.  We had it for two nights even though it only started with four slices of bread.  This will be something I will remember to make more often.  I already have bread started again so it is in process.

chocolate chip bread pudding

4 slices of bread, cubed.  Stale is best

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips.  I used the mini ones because they are gluten free but they worked well.

granulated sugar, about 2 tablespoons

Whisk the egg and milk together in a medium bowl.  Add the sugar and vanilla and mix well.  Toss in the bread cubes and cover.  If you have the time, let the bread soak up the egg mixture for a couple hours.  Mix occasionally.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Mix the chocolate chips into the egg mixture.  Pour the mixture into a medium pryrex or an 8 inch by 8 inch pan.  The square pan will give more crispy edges and that is my preference.  Sprinkle with the two remaining tablespoons of sugar.

Bake for about 45 minutes or until you have golden edges.

Enjoy!  We ate it warm but it is good cold too.  Warm means there is gooey chocolate.  I

thought it was a bit rich and would probably only use 1/2 cup chocolate chips next time instead of a scant cup of chocolate chips.  I think that bit may really depend on mood and what comfort is needed.

gooey fishes

I have been absent from this space due to tree pollen.  The digging in the yard this weekend stirred up enough pollen that I had bad allergic reaction.  Which then turned into an infection.  Tuesday just went down hill until I coughed all night.  Wednesday was just trying to get a lot of rest.  I am still under the weather but feeling much better in comparison.

Which means I am craving more Mexican food.  Cooking more Mexican food.  The suggestion was made to me that I just make the middles of the enchiladas, not put them into tortillas.  I really like fish enchiladas so I decided to give it at try. 

Yumminess!  I may just to try this with the sour cream enchiladas middles.

fish enchiladas middle or gooey fishes

1 pound fish bits, no skin

2 cups Greek yogurt  (okay, so I used a goat milk yogurt that is a Greek style)

1 package ranch dressing mix

3 or 4 jalapenos, stemmed and cored.  I keep the seeds. Heat is the plan

4 ounces quesidilla cheese

4 ounces another type white cheese, such as jack

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Mix the yogurt and dressing mix together.  Use the blender and blend in the jalapenos.  You do not want chunks.  Pour into a large pan.  Mix in the fish.  Mix in the cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

I served it with homemade chips since my store bought ones are so flimsy.  Such yumminess!

lemon polenta cookie

Miss A made a request.  She has been buying polenta cookies at the gourmet grocery store in town and she wanted me to figure out recipe for her so she could make her own.  I did some research.  Most polenta cookies are citrus of some type.  Many of the recipes are all but identical.  One called to me.  A northern Italy recipe from Food 52. 

My one problem with the recipe was that it uses a food processor to make they cookie.  Why?  They did give directions on how to make the cookies by hand but they really did not make sense.  I changed the directions.  Easy fix.  Easy cookie.  Yummy cookie. 

I am also giving my gluten free variation because I was asked for that too.  Different requester.  That is my life.

lemon polenta cookie

2/3 cup butter, room temperature (I used Pulgra.  The highest fat content makes tastier cookies)

1/2 cup sugar

2 egg yolks

zest of one large lemon

1 cup flour (for gluten free:  1/2 cup arrowroot flour, 1/2 cup almond flour, 1/2 cup sorghum flour, 1/2 cup amaranth flour)

1/4 cup polenta

sugar for mashing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Cover a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.

Cream the butter and sugar together.  Mix in the egg yolks and lemon zest.  Mix in the flours and polenta. 

At this point, I took about half the dough.  Rolled it into a cylinder and wrapped with parchment paper.  I then put it in a freezer bag so Miss A can slice off cookies and bake at her leisur.

If the dough is not been frozen, take a small teaspoon of dough and roll into a ball.  Place it on the baking sheet.  Do this until the sheet is full.  Put a small amount of sugar in a saucer.  Press the bottom of a glass into it.  Mash a ball flat.  Repeat.  The glass will need to be redipped every time.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.

Yumminess.  But the do look like a lot of other cookies I make!

By the way and totally off topic, I cannot tie my shoes.  Badly enough that I get teased about it and other people have started tying for me.  Sigh . . .

making my own

So I am still wiped out.  The healing from the food poisoning is taking much longer then I hoped.  My stomach is still not settled but there is not any active sickness.  And I get tired.  Tired minutes after I sleep.  The problem is there is just too much to do.  Always. 

The stress at work is pretty interesting as well.  Even though I do not really feel very stressed dealing with the people who are is enough in itself.  Breath at a time.  Maybe I will take a walk on the beach this weekend.

I had found a natural deodorant that worked very well for me.  The problem is that I have to order it.  Well, that is really not the problem.  The problem is I have to remember to order it.  I looked at a few recipes and the ingredients on the jar and decided to try to make my own.  I think it turned out well.  It works very similar to the natural deodorant I was purchasing.  I actually had most of the ingredients in the house.  Who would have thought!

deodorant

Note:  The clay is not necessary.  If you do not use it, lower the amount of oil used.

3 tablespoons arrowroot flour

3 tablespoons baking soda (aluminum free)

3 tablespoons kaolin type clay (pick I light color.  I did not)

3 tablespoons coconut oil

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon lavender essential oil

1/4 teaspoon tea tree essential oil

Melt the coconut oil on the stove.  Put the arrowroot flour, baking soda, and clay in a small bowl.  Mix in the oils.  Transfer to a glass jar.

It only takes a small bit under each arm pit.  Smaller then you think!  Next time, I am going to use a lighter colored clay.  The green is a bit dark but this amount of deodorant may last most of the year.  I did say a small amount.  Too much leaves clumps by the way.