Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Is what "they say" true?

I had read that veggies grown up will be straighter than those allowed to grow on the ground. So I tested. I took one vine of the same cucumber and let it grow on the ground and one went up the trellis. Don't let the size difference bother you we collected plenty of straight long cucumbers! You decide if what "they say" is true! Next issue; can you plant your square foot garden even tighter than suggested? Of course you can. I put beets near each corner as well as the normal placement. You can see the beets that lived in the corners are odd shaped and the beets in the middle had the freedom to grow. And YES they all cut up and pickled the same no matter what their size.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

It's getting cooler now and you can see the signs of fall in the trees. My thinking goes to cozy food. Here is a favorite pancake recipe and if you aren't from the South you might never have eaten anything like it. These fill you up fast and aren't the most healthy food
(I know because I now have to cook heart healthy for Bleach Boy) but they are VERY GOOD!

Here is how the batter looks, not too thick. If it gets too thick add a bit of milk

They fry up nice and crisp if you use butter on the griddle

Oh and I wouldn't serve them with anything else but real maple syrup. The taste is amazing

from my first cook book

1963 Good Housekeeping cookbook

Southern Pancakes

1/2 cup sifted all purpose flour

3 teas. baking powder

1/2 cup corn meal

1/2 teas salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup boiling water

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup melted shortening (oh do use veggie oil!)

1 egg, well beaten

Sift flour with baking powder.

Into bowl, sift corn meal, salt, sugar. Slowly stir in boiling water; beat well.

Stir in flour

Stir in milk, shortening

Fold in beaten egg

Drop batter by tablespoonfuls onto hot griddle, spread each with the back of your spoon into a nice flat round. Cook until puffy, full of bubbles and the edges are cooked.

Turn, and cook the other side.

Serve Hot