Waffles and Pancakes! Oh, My!

Please, Please, Please, Never Buy Premade Pancake or Waffle Mix Again…

And no they really can’t be the same thing. Time after time I have seen pancake and waffle mix for sale at various places and the only conclusion that I can come as to why anyone buys them is, that people really don’t realize that the ingredients for both are probably things that they have in their own pantries, and how very simple it is to make and store them. Needless to stay I was blissfully unaware of the prepackaged notion of pancake and waffle mixes until middle school, since I had never seen one at home, now I’m in my twenties. If you grew up in a house hold with premade mixes then now is your chance to branch out and experiment with a twist on some old favorites! My favorite pancake mix came from my mom who found it in one of her cook books (long before me!) when she once took the time to inspect the ingredients on the box of mix that she had grown up with, and discovered not only the money she could save since she already had all of the ingredients, but behold the fresh and amazing taste of “from scratch” baked goods that are the essence of homemade pancakes and waffles………and NO, I reiterate they can not be from the same batter.

Compare the following:

My Favorite Pancakes,

1 ¼ cup sifted all-purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp sugar

½ tsp salt

1 egg (beaten)

1 cup milk

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Sift together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt) in a mixing bowl. In another bowl combine the wet ingredients (egg, milk, and oil); then add them to the dry ingredients, stirring until the batter is combined (the batter will be lumpy). Bake on a hot griddle or in a hot fry pan. Recipe makes about 8 4-inch pancakes. Try with blueberries and other fresh fruits!

My Favorite Waffles,

1 ¾ cups sifted all-purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 beaten egg yolks

1 ¼ cups milk

½ cup vegetable oil

2 stiff-beaten egg whites

Sift together the dry ingredients. Combine the wet ingredients (egg, yolks, and milk) and stir into the dry ingredients. Stir in the oil. Fold in the egg whites, being careful not to over mix, by leaving a few fluffs. Throw desired amount into a preheated waffle maker. Makes approximately 8 waffles.

No cheating you precooked frozen waffle buyers!!!! These waffles once cooled can be placed in a freezer approved bag thrown in the icebox. Once you are ready to serve pop in the toaster and enjoy something more amazing than a preprocessed block.

That’s all there is to it!

Some tips to make your pancakes and waffles a decadent experience:

1. Splurge on real maple syrup (a little goes a long way), and you will never go back to corn syrup imitation and not to mention now it is widely available, most grocery stores carry it.
2. Add some fresh fruit. Depending on the season when strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and bananas are in season throw them in the batter or on top of your baked goods with syrup or powdered sugar.
3. Need a break from maple syrup, add a really good homemade or farmer’s market preserve, you will be glad you tried it!

F. Beastie

We lose what we throw away...

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Ever wonder why mom’s and grandma’s cooking can never be matched and why no matter how many times you try it never ends up tasting the same? Despite the years of experience and loads of love that it feels only they could possess, there are some other little tricks of the trade. Well…in our “use it before you lose it” mentality we take with us to the grocery store we often forget how “they” did it when we try to tackle their home-grown recipes. So lesson of the day: do not throw away over ripe produce. First off, how many of us really pay attention to the ripeness of our produce? Not all of us own the land or the faculty to grow all of our own. My current bounty is limited to a window box of herbs until the next growing season allows a more fruitful garden. So given our resources we must look at our best options. It is a hard lesson learned to those virgins to canning and even to simple things like banana bread. If you use perfect, unbruised fruits or vegetables your canned tomatoes and banana bread are going to taste as green as a dandelion. It is often what we find in what we throw away, that tasty treasures can be found in an evasive adversary. Simple matter of fact, if you want the most fragrant and delicious banana bread, use bananas that have gone too soft to eat raw, often their peels have started turning black. The best canned strawberry jam I ever had I watched my mom peel off the bad spots from an overripe bin to reveal the brightest, most explosive taste of strawberry, only achievable in the midst of May, standing in a strawberry field. Unless we benefit from learning side by side with our mentors, and take the time to trim our over-ripened fruit and veg, we will always lose out on the complex taste that our loved ones had to offer from their kitchens. If they could take the time to germinate the love they had for us, and give it to us in food, so can we. Food for thought. Cheers.

F. Beastie

Holiday Gift Guide, Eco-Indie Style

The holidays are both a wonderful and nerve-wracking time. Good food, family, games, movies, etc. But with this comes the pressure to get someone an incredible, thoughtful gift. And of course, most people like things that you can't necessarily get everywhere else. Which just adds to the pressure. Never fear! Here is a list of a few of my favorite things this holiday season, that keep in mind supporting local business, staying local, and being environmentally conscious! And food. Let's not forget food.

1. Kitchen conversions print from sweetfineday (Etsy, $30)

2. Keep Calm and Carry On (on recycled paper) from byorderofthecrown (Etsy, $19.98)

3. Local honey or jam from a farmer's market shop

4. Easy Green Living: The Ultimate Guide to Simple, Eco-Friendly Choices for you and your home by Renee Loux (amazon, $10)

5. The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution by Alice Waters (amazon, $23.10)


I have this book, and I love it. Granted, I haven't gotten a chance to try any of the recipes yet, but I'm very excited to give them a go. Waters has a fantastic writing style that really lends itself to her cause (not suprisingly). Plus, it's just preeeetty.

 6. African violets, available at most garden stores/grocery stores


*I love giving plants . . . it helps the environment, gives people something to look after, and adds some natural beauty to the house. African violet care is relatively easy: indirect light, water them enough to have some water escape into the dish below the pot whenever the dirt feels really dry.

 7.Norpro 1 Gallon Stainless Steel Compost Keeper, available on amazon, $41.28

8. Organic/Fair trade clothes (if you're brave enough to go the clothing gift route) from places like Alternative Apparel, and other great etsy shops.

9. Knit a pair of gloves, a scarf, or a hat with organic yarn. I love knitting. It's so much fun, and not terribly difficult. This is homemade, well thought out . . . and the tutorials on youtube these days are great and make knitting so much less frightening than it can seem. I've posted one of my favorites at the bottom!


10. Music Mix. A great way to spread what you like, start conversations, show you care . . . and if you wanna be super green you can buy them a flashdrive (or "borrow" the flashdrive they already have) and upload the files that way to get rid of the CD that people inevitably throw away!







source: the knit witch