Grist Mill Pancakes Hit the Spot

Roger's Creek Grist Mill

A few weeks ago when I was at the winter farmers market at the Unity Temple, I picked up a package of pancake mix "stone ground goodness" from the Roger's Creek Grist Mill.

We are pretty serious about pancakes in our house.

It's a weekend tradition and we enjoy dressing them up with whatever we have: blueberries, bananas, apple sauce, lingonberries, strawberries, raspberry sauce, chocolate chips, sour cream and even, on occasion, whipped cream, chocolate sauce and sprinkles.

We're so used to making our own from scratch, I usually steer clear of mixes. But I picked this mix up on a whim and I'm so glad I did.

Roger's Creek Grist Mill - not an old mill, but rather an old-fashioned water-powered mill - has come up with a delightful combination of whole wheat flour and corn meal for its mix. Even with the hearty ingredients, the pancakes were light and flavorful.

My son gobbled them up mostly on the way to the table. I thought he might finish before he even sat down.

There's an "old millers saying," printed on the back of the bag, that, while likely true, was a little bit of a downer, "The whiter the bread, the sooner you're dead. Eat whole wheat and stay on your feet."

Not quite the sunniest way to get me to add a product to our Saturday/Sunday morning routine. But I get the point. And I'm happy to know that my kids weren't turned off by the added cornmeal and stone ground wheat.

That's something, grist mill or not, I can start adding to our weekly pancake ingredient lists.

Photo from rogerscreekmill.com.

The Books We Have at Our Fingertips

I've been having fun with a Facebook meme that appears to have been around for quite some time, considering I'm seeing blog posts discussing it from 2008.

The idea is to grab the closest book to you, turn to page 56, and use the 5th sentence as your Facebook status. You then post the rules as the first comment.

Here are the rules of this game: grab the nearest book to you (not some sought out thing) and open up page 56 ...publish the 5th sentence as your status and publish the rules as a comment to it.

There doesn't appear to be a real object of the game and no resolution except what you make of it.

I've enjoyed plugging the sentences into Google to see if I can guess what books were at arm's length when my Facebook friends opted to join the literary exercise. Is that cheating?

Whatever. I'm impatient and Google is still my friend. Here are a few examples, not of what my friends and family are reading, but of the books closest to them:

"She believed the travel posters." -- From James W. Hall's Body Language.

"'Tal-ee-own-' cried twelve battalion commanders." -- From Kurt Vonnegut's Player Piano.

"The name was my last name, too." - From Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle. [I just love that two of my loved ones had Vonnegut at their fingertips. There's a great Vonnegut reading list over at makefive.]

"He had no sonnets to write, and it could not strike him agreeably that he was not an object of preference to the woman whom he had preferred." - From George Eliot's (aka Mary Anne Evans) Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life. [Hmm. Definitely intrigued by this one.]

"Besides, I had partying to do." -- From Brian Welch's Save Me from Myself: How I Found God, Quit Korn, Kicked Drugs, and Lived to Tell My Story

Not all books have been indexed by Google though. Google and I were stumped by the line my dad posted: "Surely never had the Corn Maidens been led by one so lovely."

It's from Dawn Boy of the Pueblos, by Lena Becker Scott and published by the John C. Winston Company (1935). [Wow. This sounds fascinating.]

Mine happened to be a book I'm reading:

"But I don't have a choice." -- From the first book by Becky Gillespie and Hollee Temple Schwartz, Good Enough is the New Perfect.

What's great about this meme, now that I've taken time to track down a few references, is that I now have a couple more books, ones I'd never have found on my own, on my must-check-this-out list.

There's Hot and Then There's Hawwwt

When I took the Devon Spice Tour a couple weeks ago, I picked up a few Thai green chilies to try in my Indian Slow Cooker dishes.

I'd been using serranos in my dishes largely because I am more familiar with the heat level and I can better predict the outcome.

Wow. What a difference those little firecrackers make.

I knew the Thai peppers were hotter, so I've been pretty conservative with their use. But still...they are hot. So hot that yesterday, when I finished my lunch (Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes plus a samosa w/tamarind chutney), I headed right to the fridge to neutralize the burn in my mouth with a yogurt smoothie.

My husband appears to be a fan. The hotter the better for him. But even though I thought I also liked my food on the spicier side, I'll be turning down the heat from now on.

I'd be tempted to abandon the Thai peppers, except they give the Indian dishes a bolder flavor that I do enjoy. So I'll experiment a bit more and keep a glass of milk handy just in case.

Thai green chili photo from beavela's Flickr photostream.

Backyard Chicken Workshop Coming Up

Jen Murtoff, or as I've been affectionately referring to her at the office, the chicken lady, will be training urban dwellers how to care for backyard chickens.

At Angelic Organics' Learning Center on March 12, Murtoff promises to show attendees how to keep yourself, your chickens and your neighbors happy with your decision to become a part of our growing urban ag scene.

The price is $35.

More info at the Chicago Chicken Enthusiasts Google site.

A Special Valentine's Evening - Just the Four of Us

It's unusual that an evening, a day or an hour of a planned activity plays out just as I've expected. In fact, things rarely go so smoothly as I dream they should.

But I've adjusted. I've learned to manage my expectations, to focus on what's turning out right or to go with the flow.

Tonight though, things turned out just about right. I got to have supper - all of us sitting down together - at a nicely dressed table (lit candle to boot), sharing good food and stories with my loved ones about our day.

I couldn't have asked for a better Valentine.

(And I'm not complaining about the locally-made truffles (that I'm required, according to the package, to each within five days or the goat-milk caramels. Yum.)

The meal was great too - Korean beef wraps - served on my in-law's wedding china (a gift to the happy couple from my father-in-law's boss). I also was happy to have on hand these lovely red and white lace placemats, which belonged to my grandmother.

It was good to have these beloved family members with us in spirit as we explained to the kids how the fancy plates, mats and glassware came to be in our possession.

Tomorrow it's back to the Corelle and probably a little more chaos at mealtime. So long as we're all together, that'll be a happy evening too.

'White Chili Isn't Frosty'

When I was a cub reporter in Florence, South Carolina, the recipe section of my paper, the Florence Morning News, was about the closest I ever got to gourmet food.

I remember stocking my cabinets with all the food my parents wouldn't let me have: white bread and Lucky Charms. Plus, there was the food I could afford -- ramen noodles and canned soups.

And when I wasn't indulging in free Happy Hour finger foods and $3 pitchers, I was experimenting in my tiny closet kitchen that adjoined the dining room/living room/bedroom.

I started reading and enjoying the food section, developing my cooking skills, refining my tastes and testing recipes on my starving friends and roommates.

Here's a recipe I clipped ages ago, probably in '93 or '94. It's pasted in my Recipe Hall of Fame book and I've made versions of it with pork and chicken at least twice a year ever since I first tore it from the newspaper.

It's a great alternative to heavy tomato-based chili.

Southwest White Chili

1 tbs olive oil
1 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into cubes
1/4 cup chopped onion (I use 2 small onions)
1 cup chicken broth (I use a full 14 oz can or two cups chicken stock)
4 oz. can chopped green chilies
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp oregano leaves
1/2 tsp cilantro (skip this if you have an aversion to cilantro)
1/8-1/4 tsp ground red pepper (I sometimes double this)
19 oz can white kidney beans (cannellini) undrained (I sometimes use two 19 oz cans)

Heat olive oil in heavy 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add chicken. Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Remove chicken, cover and keep warm. Add onion. Cook 2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and spices. Simmer 30 minutes.

Add cooked chicken, kidney beans and simmer for 10 minutes. Garnish with cheese and/or green onions.

I love to serve this with quesadillas or tortilla chips for a little extra crunch.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Super Bowl XLV Fan Fare

In our house divided, we have two Packers fans (me and my husband); a Steelers fan (our son still bitter over the Bears loss); and a Puppy Bowl fan, my daughter, who's also still battling a high fever and laryngitis.

But we can all come together over the food and the commercials.

Here's what we served.

 

Cheesehead Dip

Guacamole

Spicy Baked Wings with Blue Cheese Dressing

And here's our favorite commercial (by halftime).

Indian Spice Tour of Devon

Jen and Anupy at Fresh Farms.

Thankfully, the weather cleared up enough this weekend so that a friend and I could enjoy a spice and Indian cooking tour of Devon Avenue.

Anupy Singla, who wrote the my new favorite cookbook, "The Indian Slow Cooker," was our guide.

We must have spent a good two hours in Patel Brothers alone. The bulk of the time was spent on aisle No. 1, where most of the spices are stacked in floor-to-ceiling shelves.

Mr. Patel explaining chutneys.

I was delighted to have Mr. Patel there to help answer some of our questions and make recommendations. We also met a local chef and learned that Patel Brothers supplies most of the area Indian restaurants (including Indian Grill - Chef Ram was shopping during our tour) and many of the area's grocers. All except the neighboring Fresh Farms International Market, where there are competing brands sold, and a friendly rivalry between owners of the two groceries.

After some shopping and talking non-stop about food, I was ravenous. Anupy picked a perfect spot - Annapurna, where the five of us ordered so much food, we couldn't fit it all on our table or, sadly, in our stomachs.

But good Lord, we tried. I'm still stuffed.

Sled Hill Casualties

When we first moved to the Barrie Park neighborhood and bragged about being so close to the Sled Hill, a friend burst our bubble, warning of head injuries and broken bones.

I have no doubt there have been some painful crashes and wipe outs on the hill. But I've not noticed a steady stream of ambulances headed to and from the hill.

Seems to me, the biggest casualties are the sleds. They're scattered all around the hill, abandoned near trash cans and in pieces at every entrance, exit and at the base of the slope. There's an especially large concentration near the snow jump.

Those poor, flimsy plastic sleds don't stand a chance against a hill and a child with boundless energy and a high tolerance for wind and cold.

Finally Made it to the Sled Hill!

We tried for a while to build our snow bear, but didn't make much progress. The snow is still pretty powdery and hard to pack.

So we shifted our attention to the Barrie Park Sled Hill.

With just me and the kids, I didn't spend too much time taking pix. But you can get a flavor for the afternoon in the slide show below. You'll have to take my word for it that Bella and I had a fantastic run.

We were on the inner tube, hit a big patch of ice, sped up, then (much to my horror, then delight) hit the jump that the more adventurous kids had fashioned at the base of the hill. We caught air and landed safely just beyond the jump.

So much fun. Bella (who I learned later had a fever) was ready for more, but the boy was tuckered out, so we played a bit on the playground, then headed home.

Blizzard Comfort Food

This wasn't a big hit with the kids, but I really enjoyed the combo: broccoli and leek soup served alongside the star of the meal, a chipotle patty melt with caramelized onions and toasted sourdough bread.

I found the soup to be a little bland - so I'm not surprised the kids only their obligatory, don't-knock-it-until-you-try-it bites.

I like the idea of broccoli and leek. But this was pretty bland, so I ended up topping mine with a dollop of yogurt and a splash of hot sauce. (Find the recipe here at Bon Appetit.)

To finish off our Snowpocalypse '11 comfort meal, Sim served up some steaming hot toddies, complete with pat of butter and cinnamon stick stirrer.

Fun in the Snow: Making Our Own Sled Hill

Just as planned, my daughter walked out the back door and dove, yes, dove right into a snow drift.

It's what she's been dreaming of doing since she first saw the accumulation. And she did it.

I'm not sure we'll make it the half block down the street to the Barrie Park sled hill because the kids and Sim were busy making their own sled run in our backyard.

If we can get our inner tube sled blown up, I'm for sure going for a ride (or two) down the hill...if I can make it to the top.

 

 

 Now back to work for me.

Time to Contemplate Digging Out

So much for sleeping in.

Bella was up bright and early and I had to nearly physically restrain her from getting her brother up to show him the snow.

I couldn't resist getting up either and checking things out.

There's a ton of snow, looks like close to two feet.

The roads are plowed. But good luck getting out of the alley.

The drifting is our biggest challenge to overcome at this point. [It's also the point of fascination for my little girl, who has visions of diving off the deck into a snowbank.]

Oddly, we still have bare patches on our back sidewalk and parking space.

 

 Yet there appears to be more than three and close to four feet of snow pushed up against our garage.

Oh, and it's still snowing!

[And God bless copy editors. Thanks for correcting my headline error Sarah.]

On First Snow Day Since 1979, Here's the Bucket List

My kids are over-the-moon excited about this snow day -- their first ever.

And remarkably, it's only the 5th snow day ever in Oak Park. One of my son's teachers mentioned getting the day off in the '80s.

But the Chicago Tribune reported that since 1873, the only other Oak Park/River Forest High School closings due to snow were:

March 25, 1930

Jan. 9, 1939

Jan. 27, 1967

Jan. 25, 1979

Impressive. That's reason enough to celebrate and take full advantage of the day off.

So, weather permitting (sorry to be a Debbie Downer, but no one's going outside if this wind keeps up), here's their plan:

Sleep in; suit up & build a 10-foot snowman (as big as a full grown polar bear); come in to thaw out - drink a large cup of hot chocolate with jumbo marshmallows; read; play DSi games; suit up & head to the sled hill; back to warm up - more hot cocoa and jumbo marshmallows; and watch Percy Jackson.

Sounds absolutely exhausting. We'll see how much we can accomplish (especially considering Sim and I are expected to work a full day).

I'd like to take a crack at the hill though. And I'm pretty sure I won't be able to resist building a snow bear.

The Great Guinea Pig Rescue

My mistake was looking out over the balcony and seeing the wind whip our power lines like kite string.

That made me worry just that much more that our banished guinea pig Fluffy might not survive the night, especially if the power went out -- rendering his new heating pad and heated water bottle useless. I tend to think in terms of worst case scenarios (It's a blessing and a curse).

Plus, I was thinking -- if the wind is freaking me out, it must be terrifying for our little guy.

So, I suited up and headed out to bring him back inside for the duration of the storm. I'm glad I did too.

After shoveling my way to the garage, I realized that somehow, one of our garage doors popped open (or never fully closed). I shoveled about 2.5 feet of snow out from behind the van before the door would lock into place.

It hasn't snowed that much, but the drift down the alley is pushing the snow snug up against the garages, especially the ones on the east side.

The Beginning: Blizzard '11

You can still see a bit of the street. Our backyard walk is mostly visible because the wind is blowing the snow to someone else's yard.

 

We'll wee what it's like in the morning.