Left over pancakes

These days, as the children are growing and eating more, I try to cook in big batches. For years I tried to make ‘healthier’ pancakes using the likes of buckwheat and various other flours -  and my family sadly and obediently ate the thin little cardboard disks.....yet never asked for more.

We finally found a pancake recipe that the whole family enjoys, and I make a whole lot of them.  (I am currently using kamut flour.)

This week we had yummy blueberry pancakes.  And a couple of days later, we re-heated the left overs and had them again.  And then today – another couple of days later – I am still looking at a whole lot of pancakes left!  So I put a twist on our Baked French Toast recipe, and our new concoction was a hit!  You can also do this with left over oatmeal.


 PANCAKE BAKE

Left over pancakes (Cut into small pieces)
1  1/2 cups of milk (today we used cream & coconut milk for a total  2 cups)
4 eggs  (I used 8 – ours were smallish)
1/3 cup of honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Grease 9x13 pan with real butter.  Mix liquid ingredients and spices.  Put a layer of bread in, then pour a little of wet mixture over.  Keep doing layers.  For variety add apple slices or cream cheese).

Refrigerate overnight (I NEVER remember to do this! I let it sit for 20 - 30 min or so – then throw it in oven)  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  (We did 50 min today)  Serve with real maple syrup.
 

Give 'em the boot

I heard a little voice calling to me from the other room...

‘Mom..................Mom!..............Mom?'



'Yes?'

'Mom....this doesn’t fit me.'



'What doesn’t fit you?'

'Mom.....this.....this boot doesn’t fit meeeeeee......Mom?'



'Come here honey........'


Once I had a visual on the situation....


I smiled as I explained to my 5 year old 
why his dad’s boot wasn’t fitting him....

Enough Time

I am currently reading Ann Voskamp’s ‘One thousand gifts.’  This is the most recent excerpt that struck me...

“I speak it to God:

I don’t really want more time;  

I just want enough time. 

Time to breathe deep

and time to see real 

and time to laugh long, 

time to give You glory 

and rest deep

and sing joy

and just enough time 

in a day  

  not to feel hounded,

pressed, 

driven, 

or wild to get it all done –

yesterday...”

Cousins and Chickens

The kids love when Auntie Kuni face paints!

Everyone should have a cousin like my cousin, Kuni.  She and her hubby and children live close by.

We are related on my dad’s side, so we have the Hawaiian gene in common (which comes into play daily in regards to all our children’s eating habits.)

Koa and cousins

The littlest ones

My cousin’s family operates on our wavelength...and at our speed.  

It’s easy...its do-able...its casual...and there will be food.  It is always such a blessing to spend time with them.

My cousin will actually say, ‘I can take the kids – all of them.’  And she means my kids – all of them.  She has said this – and taken them – many times.  She is a crazy lady : ) ...and we are so grateful! 

It was Kuni who arrived at our house very late one December night.....with chickens.  The story was, her brother was moving and had to give up his chickens.  We said we’d take his two hens.


(Okay, to be honest, when Kuni asked us, I nodded and said ‘yes’ .....at the same time that Keith shook his head and said ‘no.’ )


There was a rooster too, but we couldn’t take him.  We are not allowed to have roosters in this neighborhood.

So, because of many circumstances, Kuni offered to bring the hens to me one evening.

The kids and I were scrambling to get our former Christmas Shed ready to be the new coop.


Kuni finally arrived – at midnight – with a box – and said, ‘You’re going to kill me.’  I couldn’t imagine why.


She smiled....’There is a rooster in there...’

Fun morning surprise for the little ones!

And so, they arrived ahead of our planned time to have chickens, and ahead of even getting the pen built (our immediate next project!)

That’s the short version of how we got Honey and Ginger............and Frank.