Pancakes! Pancakes!

We always read before bed, and last week at the library, boy-o picked out Eric Carle's Pancakes! Pancakes! for the 3rd time this year. It really is a charming story of a boy who has to help his mother gather all the ingredients for pancakes since she is "already up and busy". I may not send my boy to the miller with a donkey full of wheat to thresh, but I will take the time to make pancakes whenever he asks.

I usually make pancakes once a week, since it is a food my (now picky) son likes and I happen to love them. I used to store half the batter for the next morning's breakfast, but discovered that if I just make them all, he will eat a "giant pancake" for a snack. If I can pack as much nutrition in as possible, it's really not a bad deal.

For the first half of the year, I used a variation of Alton Brown's recipe, then around June switched to a variant on Dorie Greenspan's. But this morning, because I had 2 leftover egg whites from last night's supper, I came up with my own healthy recipe, loosely based on Dorie's but really entirely my own. Here it is:

OATMEAL PANCAKES:

(makes about 9 4-5 inch pancakes)

• 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
• 1/2 c. oat flour (I grind rolled oats in a spice mill - it works!)
• 1 T. sugar
• 1 1/4 t. baking powder
• 1/4 t. baking soda
• 1/4 t. kosher salt
• 1 c. buttermilk
• 2 egg whites
• 1 T. veg or canola oil (I don't really measure, just pour a little in. The Dorie and Alton approach is to use 3 T. of melted butter, which you certainly could do as well.)

I like to sift all my dry ingredients together, but you would not really have to. Then mix buttermilk, egg whites and oil in a 2 c. measure (add buttermilk to the 1 c. mark first...)to minimize need for washing dishes. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir with a mixer beater by hand (you can not really over mix this way) until the batter is just mixed.

Heat 12 in. skillet to medium (medium high) heat, brush with a little butter and portion out the pancakes. Be patient in flipping, the oat flour causes the batter to be somewhat delicate. When you see the bubbles just breaking the surface, gently flip the pancakes and cook on the other side, maybe 3-4 minutes total depending on the heat.

These are very nice whole grain pancakes, and I'm sure they will remain in my breakfast repertoire for many months to come. I'd venture to say that you could vary the flours in any way imaginable. I think I'll try buckwheat flour sometime soon - but probably will offset the heaviness with ap flour instead of whole wheat.

Any way you try them, I'm sure you will have success with these pancakes.

Orange Blueberry Muffins

I really haven't made many quick breads lately due to Summer, I think. But when I made these yesterday, I remember how much I missed them.

Really, it was due to soon going out of town, and having a basket of blueberries to use that caused me to make these. And R1 was coming for lunch...enough reason for me to turn on my oven...

I think I had clipped this recipe out of a Florida's Natural Orange Juice ad in the Sunday paper more than 3 years ago, always figuring I'd try it, but never really setting out to do so. What a shame! So delicious, and not too overwhelmingly orangy - although I don't mind that. Easily enough, I think you could lemonize the recipe if so desired. Originally it was a loaf pan recipe, but I prefer 12 of something to one... That and I have instant portion control, which when it comes to quick bread, sometimes I need.

So here it is: but I added coarse sanding sugar to the tops before I baked, you could also use turbinado sugar or probably even plain sugar (maybe even mixed with a bit of cinnamon if you love that).

Orange Blueberry Muffins

• 1/2 c. orange juice
• 1 c. blueberries
• 2 T. ap flour
• 1 3/4 c. ap flour
• 1/4 c. cornmeal (I like coarse here)
• 1 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt (omit if using salted butter)
• 6 T. room temp butter
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 t. orange peel, grated

Preheat oven to 350.

Line muffin tins with papers. Toss blueberries with 2 T. flour to coat them and prevent them from sinking in your batter. Sift together: 1 3/4 c. flour, cornmeal, powder, soda and salt in a medium bowl

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar on high for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. I really do set a timer here. Add egg and beat well, then beat in orange juice and peel. Add flour mixture and beat on low until well mixed, but don't overbeat. Stir in blueberries.

Portion into muffin tin, and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake for 25 minutes or so for 12 muffins. If you must make a loaf, butter and flour your loaf pan well, then bake it for 55-65 minutes. In both cases, test with a pick to make sure they are done.

If it is not nearly 100 degrees where you live, and is a very pleasant and manageable mid 70's like it's been here the past few days, give quick breads a try in the summer - or earmark it for a few years until you rediscover it and wish you made it earlier. If you're like me, you'll have to give away some, but that only can add to your popularity! If not, you could always hoard them in the freezer.

On a non-food note: Why am I obsessed with this chair from B&B Italia?

http://www.bebitalia.com/beb-italia/sofas-and-armchairs/serie-up-2000_1_648_1_1.html#BEBITALIA/SOFASANDARMCHAIRS/SERIEUP2000_1_648_1_1

I can envision myself sitting in this thing for hours, even though it is completely unlike anything I would ever buy... It's reminiscent of a lady in a stripy swimsuit, who wouldn't want that in their living room?