The BEST Pancakes - Oatmeal Pancakes!

Yes, that's right, oatmeal pancakes. I know, I know - I turned up my nose too when I first heard of them. And then I tried one.

Pancakes cooking on one of my Christmas presents - thanks, Mom & Dad!

Almost ready to flip...

And they are good. So good, I don't know that I'll go back to making regular pancakes. Not that I eat pancakes often, but still...

Can I have some?

Now it's ready to flip!

After cooking, you'd be hard pressed to tell that there was any oatmeal in the pancakes, but there is a definite improvement in taste - these pancakes are almost nutty in flavour, and they are also VERY filling.

The only drawback is that you have to let the oats sit in milk for an hour first - but really, they are worth the wait!

I'd like some too please!

Perfect! (As long as you ignore that dark spot).

Yum!

Recipe: Oatmeal Pancakes 

1 1/2 cups oatmeal (rolled oats, not steal-cut oats)

2 cups milk

3 eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 tablespoons baking powder 

3/4 t salt

1 cup flour

Soak oats and milk for one hour.  Add next five ingredients, mix well. Add flour, and mix well again. Cook as you would regular pancakes.

I haven't tried them with any additions, but I think they'd be tasty with walnuts added to the batter, then topped with apples and syrup. Or blueberries.  Or any other fruit. So many options...

Enjoy!

June?? Already? REALLY?? Aka $500 Challenge - May Edition

And I haven't done the May $500 Challenge update!  I guess spring isn't the only thing that is behind?


One of the main purposes of this challenge was to replace kitchen items that I wasn't happy using anymore - and a big one was my Teflon-coated cookware.  I started the challenge off with a 12" Lodge skillet, and I LOVE it!  So this month, I decided to expand my Lodge inventory with an 8" skillet and a grill pan.

And yes indeed, I bought them from Walmart in Buffalo, USA.

Why?  Because I am not rich, that's why.

The grill pan in Canada, from Home Hardware: $38.99

The exact same pan in Buffalo, mere minutes away from me:  $18.97

These items are more than TWICE as expensive in Canada.  Now, I firmly believe in supporting local business, and local producers.  I will not buy produce or meat from Walmart, I try to buy all my garden plants from local garden centres, I prefer shopping at local stores vs. big box chains.

Up to a point.  And when that point is double the money, for something that isn't local to begin with, then yes, I will shop where my money goes the farthest.  And Walmart in the USA has a much larger selection of Lodge products than Home Hardware does, and the Walmarts here don't even carry them!

So, for less than the cost of the grill pan here, I got both the grill pan and the 8" skillet.  I've already used them (sausages in the grill pan, a mixture of bacon, potatoes and onions in the skillet for a quick supper one night), and I know they will get a lot more use in the future.  With the 12" skillet, the 8" skillet, two (non-Lodge) enamelled cast iron Dutch ovens and the grill pan,  I'm well covered for anything I think I'll be cooking a lot of!  I would like the deeper "chicken fryer", but it's not something I need right now and so can be put on the "want" list.  I'd also like the large Dutch oven, since the lid also fits the 12" skillet, but again, it's not a necessity right now.

Costs:
skillet + grill pan: $29.94 + $2.62 tax  (the tax rate for Buffalo is 8.75%, and the Canadian dollar is worth slightly more than the US dollar right now, but it's such as small difference, I'm not taking it into account)
Total: $32.56

Balance: $168.93

I'm getting better at this...

I have been roasting chickens for... well, ages.  For at least 12 years, but I can't remember the first one I ever roasted.  What I do remember, though, is chicken after chicken after chicken, with moist, tender dark meat, and dry, tasteless white meat.  Even as a child, I preferred dark meat, and it hasn't changed.  But since it's more frugal, generally, to buy a whole chicken, I needed to figure out how to cook it better, but a way that is still easy and economical.  In other words, I don't truss, and I won't spread a half pound of butter on the breasts to keep them moist :)

Enter my enamelled cast iron pot.  It's a generic, cheap version, but it has very quickly become my favourite pot in the kitchen.  I first tried it for roasting a chicken a few weeks ago, and while good, the white meat was still a bit dry (note to self: that meat is still in the freezer.  Do something with it!).  So today, I tried something slightly different:  I started with the chicken breast side down, and I kept the lid on.  For one entire hour.  Then, I flipped the chicken, and cooked it at a higher temperature, just long enough to finish it off and brown the skin a bit.  

 

Before, seasoned with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.

After.  Could be browned a bit more, but not bad!

The result?  Not bad at all!  The white meat is a LOT better, and while the skin isn't the crispy goodness I'm used too, that isn't a bad thing, since I'm not tempted to eat it all in one sitting :)

The best thing about this method is that the stock gets made right in the same pot.  Since I don't make gravy, I simply remove the meat I need (breasts, drumsticks, thighs and sometimes the wings), return the carcass to the pot, add an onion or two, some celery, some carrots, some peppercorns and a bay leaf or two, then cook until the carcass falls apart.  I strain out the solids (pick out any meat and discard the rest), and place the stock overnight in the fridge, skim off the fat the next day, then use half to make soup (with the meat from the carcass) and half goes into the freezer for other uses.  And all that bottom-of-the-pan goodness goes right into the stock.

And this is what makes a whole chicken an economical choice.  I will get at least 16 meals out of this one, small bird:

- 4 suppers of roast chicken

- 4 meals using reserved meat, generally the breast meat.  This can be chicken salad, quesadillas, or any other recipe that calls for cooked chicken

- at least 4 servings of soup

- at least 4 servings of another recipe that calls for stock

Even if I use all the stock for the soup, I get at least 12 serving of a meat-based meal, all for the cost of one chicken.   

No low fat cooking here!

So, time for another un-recipe.  I came down with the flu this week, and basically haven't eaten much of anything.  I woke up this morning feeling a lot better, and with an incredible craving for bacon and cheese.

Go figure.

Add to that, I've been meaning to try something like this for a while - a grated potato crust quiche thingy, that can be sliced and kept either in the fridge or freezer, and easily re-heated (or eaten cold, for that matter). I know breakfast is an important meal, but I am SO not a morning person, and am liable to grab the easiest thing around, like  a piece of pie, or even chocolate.  So, having a "healthy" option to grab in the mornings is a good thing.

I'm also tempted to try it as individual servings, using a muffin pan, but figured I'd go with cast iron for my first attempt.

Ingredients:

1/2 a pound of bacon.  Yes, this is a lot, but this easily makes 6-8 servings.  Besides, it's bacon.
6 medium sized potatoes
1 medium sized onion
6 eggs
1 cup grated old cheddar
salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 400F.

Chop the bacon into ~1" slices, and cook in a cast iron (or other heavy, not non-stick, oven-safe frying pan or skillet) until crispy-ish.  I don't like my bacon too crispy, so feel free to cook it to your taste instead of mine :)  Meanwhile, peel and grate the potatoes, and place into salted cold water to prevent browning.  Just before the bacon is done, drain the potatoes well, squeezing out excess water.  Grate the onions, and mix with the potatoes.  Remove the cooked bacon from the pan, and drain off the fat, keeping ~2 tablespoons in the pan.  Add the potato and onion mixture, spreading out into an even layer.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bake for 20 minutes (note:  the potatoes were a bit chewy, so next time I will either use fewer, or bake for 5-10 minutes longer).  Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a measuring cup, and add water (or milk) to measure 2 cups final volume (note:  I only had 6 eggs, and you can easily use more, just bake for longer).  Remove the pan from the oven, and sprinkle the bacon in an even layer, followed by the cheese.  Pour the eggs over the top, return to the oven, and bake for 15 minutes, or until set.  Remove from oven, let cool for ~5 minutes, slice and serve.

The verdict:  It's good.  Not great, but good for a first attempt. I was trying to get a crispier crust, and it's flatter than I wanted, but fewer potatoes and more eggs should solve that.  The one thing that did surprise me was the cooking time.  35 minutes for what amounts to an omelette with fried potatoes is a bit much, but if it stores and re-heats well, spending 35 minutes to make a week's worth of breakfasts may be doable.  The one thing I like is that it is infinitely adaptable, according to how many potatoes, eggs, and extras you have on hand.  It's a "Clean out your fridge" recipe :)
 

Modifications:  I can easily see this in many different variations, depending on what is in the fridge.  Basically, whatever rocks your omelette world can be used in this recipe.  Sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese?  Sounds great!  Green peppers, mushrooms and ham?  Fantastic!  Got some greens, like spinach or Swiss chard?  Toss 'em in.  Caramelized onions and Gruyere cheese?  That sounds so good, it gives me the shivers :)  Served with a green salad, this could make a great brunch option, or even a light supper.

Bacon makes everything better.... even drywall.

Take a couple or four slices of bacon, and cook them in your cast iron skillet until they are done to your taste.  Remove them, and add a chopped up onion or two.  Cook until soft, then add cut-up left over roasted potatoes (from the roasted potatoes, carrots and sausage you made early in the week - yum!) and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes get nice crispy bits on them.  While they are cooking, chop up the bacon into large bits.  Add the bits to the potatoes, stir, then remove from the skillet.  Beat some eggs, and scramble (since you don't think a new skillet and your sucky fried egg skills make a good combination).  Dish out, serve with Mom's home-made chili sauce, and ENJOY!

A quick, easy supper, since I've been doing the drywall seams in the bathroom... and even after the third coat, I can't tell whether I like it or hate it (doing the seams, not the bathroom!) 

 

First coat (done by Dad - thanks!!)

 Third coat - second and third and all sanding done by me :)

(Please note - the bottom half of the wall will be covered by bead-board, so there is only one coat on the seams.)

It is frustrating, but only because it's a new skill for me.   And it's time consuming, and messy!  So, I think I'll get a quote from a guy that does this on the side, and if it's reasonable, then I'll let him deal with it.  But it's good to know it is something I can do if I needed to!

And hey - we have a new wall!!  This will close in around the furnace, and create a laundry area across from the furnace, and in between is the new hall that will lead to the main bathroom. 

It's getting there....

Oh so good!

I decided to make chili for supper tonight.

And what goes better with chili than cornbread?

And I just happened to have this brand new cast iron skillet hanging about...

Can't you just taste that?  It's true - cast iron DOES make food taste better!!

And it's just an ugly rumour that I've eaten 1/4 of it already...

Recipe from the Pioneer Woman, using vinegar + milk in place of buttermilk, and lard in place of shortening.