Corny Salmon Cakes (Heather Thomas' loss)

Corny Salmon Cakes
cucumber, blueberry, and feta salad
big easy salad of rice and beans

The Background.

We tried to live for one week without refined sugar or refined flour. 

The Story.

Lemon fragranced brown rice

A friend of mine started a facebook workout support group. We are all from (or currently in) the Goshen area. While I love us all, a number of them kind of look and act like me (or is it he other way around?). I am that sort of women who you hope doesn't have an airplane seat next to you. I am a "husky" midwesterner who is overly friendly. A conversationalist on an international flight. Life is pretty miserable for any poor NYC chap sitting next to me - even more the poor Californian dude who gets up at 4:30 every morning to run before work. But if he came to my house he would be overwhelmed with hospitality...which really means a full tummy. 


I decided to take a challenge. It was almost like a double dare. One of the FB workout support group members had just recently taken a nutrition class and asked us to go for a month without sugar or white flour. I balked. Who can do that? Sure as hell not me! She must have been high on education and knowledge. But I wanted to support her efforts, and I figured that nothing lost is nothing gained. So I offered her a week. I told her that I would commit to one week if she provided the menu. She joshed and picked at me "Come on!" she said. "Don't be a quitter before you even start! Commit to a month! Don't be a wuss!"

I know a double dog dare when I hear one. 

A date was set. I mentally prepared myself for weeks before hand. I sent recipes to the dare-er to help support the menu she was to construct. Long story short? The educational high was temporary. The woman from the group backed out. Her name, which is Heather Thomas, has been kept anonymous to protect her innocence...I mean, guilt.

Typical lunch. Cucumber and tomato salad, locally made corn
chips, homemade salsa, celery with cashew butter,  cottage cheese,
and thumbprint cookies made with macadamia nuts

I set a menu for a week. It included breakfast, lunch, and supper for every meal. Sugar free, white flour free baked goods were made as an offering to Heather who had no choice in what was made that week. Stiva was purchased from an expensive market. Cookies were made with Stivia. Stivia cookies were thrown away (blech! Who eats that stuff and likes it?). I did have a glass of wine one night (I decided I didn't care enough to figure it out, but I am confident wine has refined sugar). But we avoided homemade birthday cake, and even went to TWO midwestern pot-lucks in that week. We rocked it.

All in all, it turned out the week was not too bad. Meals were more creative. Snacks were more filling. We ate a lot more nuts. We even had friends who wanted to have us over for supper, and when they found out we were sans sugar or white flour, still cooked for us (bell peppers stuffed with wild rice, smokey sausage, and goat cheese with a side of roasted sweet potato, carrot, and green been sticks). I got a little cranky around day 4, but all in all it was a good week. I was impressed with us.

dirty broccoli & cabbage and brown rice stirfry with a giant
dollop of sambal

 And then Saturday night came along. I had eaten nothing but cottage cheese for lunch and I was really hungry. But the College of Wooster bagpipe band (this really exists) did a concert downtown (really). It was super cool, and we met some friends (those same friends who cooked for us). But then it got late. Around 8p poor decisions were made. Papa John's was called, beer appeared...and just like that, the week ended a meal prematurely. 

Or maybe we can just say that I didn't eat supper on Saturday night, and therefore I did complete. And the pizza and beer was really a premature breakfast. 

Either way, Heather Thomas never stopped eating sugar and white flour.... 

I win, Heather Thomas, I win. ;) 

The Recipe.

This is for corny salmon cakes. What is awesome about this situation is that, although the recipe calls for whole wheat breadcrumbs, I made it with panko, thinking panko crumbs are potato (and realizing that most whole wheat bread has more white than wheat flour). Turns out it panko just wheat bread baked with an electric current (really!), and while it is made with wheat flour, it sometimes has sugar too. So this was an epic fail for this particular week, but still one our easy go-to meals. 

• 12 oz canned salmon, drained and flaked
• 3/4 c whole wheat bread crumbs (divided)  
• 3/4 c reduced fat cheddar
• 3/4 c corn (thawed) 
• 1/3 c light/fat free mayo
• 1 egg
• 1 T canola oil 

Mix thoroughly, EXCEPT for 1/2 c breadcrumbs. Form into 8 patties. Dredge each patty in the remaining crumbs (I seasoned my crumbs with whatever spices I feel like at the time). Place half of the oil in a skillet, cooking until golden brown (5 min or so). Add remaining oil and flip the patties, cooking for another 5 min. 

The Process. 

Substituting the whole wheat crumbs with panko resulted in salmon cakes that were not brown and pretty. I would stick to the bread crumbs. 

The Future. 

A big picture future comment section: 

Baked banana oatmeal (fat free and sugar free...
but still really good). Topped with a greek yogurt concoction 

I have adapted to agave nectar and don't think I will go back to honey. Also some of the desserts and snacks that we had around the house were really good. I have been eating a LOT of celery with cashew butter (locally made - just cashews and a bit of salt). I am also really into the thumbprint cookies. I have made those again with pecans this time. I will keep that recipe as a result. I know...nothing like doing no sugar and no flour and coming out with a cookie recipe. But this recipe is great as one batch (with 32 cookies) will last the two of us for an entire week. Two of the (very small) cookies will satisfy my sweet tooth while also filling me up with the healthy nuts and oatmeal that are the basis of the recipe. 

Sandwich Queen

Current favorite breakfast:
Locally made bagel, sprouts, tomatoes, and laughing cow cheese

The Background.

I have a coffee shop where I am a regular. It has trendy black tables and chairs, uses natural light effectively, and is independently owned. The owner was talking with people about revising their sandwich board and I thought "Hey! I can help with sandwich inspiration!"

The Story.

Woo's Brews of Wooster, Ohio is a cute place.  It is nestled in the corner and not necessarily obvious unless you are looking for it. That is one of the perks for me; the quiet location is part of its charm. 

Monte Cristo with strawberry jam

The other part of the charm is the atmosphere. It is like a roomy version of a city coffee shop (for roomier Midwestern bodies like mine, I am sure). The owner addresses people by name, often coming around the corner to give hugs. The barista knows my drink (down to the "hold the foam" part) and I always feel like I am being genuinely greeted when I walk in.

They opened in November of 2010 in downtown Wooster, Ohio, about a five minute walk from my house. They are the sort of place that sells baked items from local kitchens, shares samples of said baked goods with the regulars, and begins making my latte as soon as they see me through their glass doors.

This is the sort of place where a discussion among two retired men resulted in panic in the whole coffee shop; there was fear that  a local bakery had closed. I was able to provide the gentlemen with the address (with the use of that new fan-dangled Internet); it turns out that the bakery moved. One of the gentlemen drove to the bakery and called back to Woo's Brews to let everyone know that it is indeed still in business.

Regulars bring in cupcakes to share, and give me newspaper articles to protect me from new Mac viruses. Another regular is a retired man who used to design Lennox crystal; he brings a small portable tablet and paints with water colors while drinking his coffee. A group of cyclists comes in post ride and drinks coffee (picture 5 men in spandex with coffee in their hands). There is one guy who regularly pays for friends and acquaintances, and offers to get other customers coffee refills. It is the sort of place where I can exclaim frustration with the student work I am grading and someone well reassure me that I am invested and that my students should be pleased to have such a dedicated instructor.

Goat cheese, Balsamic V., and Turkey on left. 

One day the owner and her husband were talking about revisiting their sandwich board. They rely heavily on paninis, and since I am (a) trying to eat a bit healthier, (b) want this newly established café to thrive,  (c) not fond of the other options in town, and (d) still slighted from not going to culinary school, I offered to come up with some sandwiches for inspiration.

It seems like the husband was more interested in changes than the owner, but by then my head was already thinking of ideas. I offered to bring in a sandwich a day the following week for a total of 5 sandwiches.

Just two days ago one of my co-workers accused me of being an over-achiever. 

I created a list of 20 sandwiches, 2 salads, 2 potential themes, and an alternative to chips. 

The Recipes.

Turkey Panini with (cheap unauthentic) Mango Chutney

Turkey Panini with Mango Chutney
Country white or sourdough
Sliced turkey breast
Roasted red pepper
Jarlsbery cheese
Mango chutney

Garden Grilled Cheese
Whole Wheat
Cheddar
Sliced cherry tomatoes
Sprouts

MonteCristo
Country white bread
Shaved ham
Swiss cheese
(can consider a thin spread of honey mustard)

Grandma's Grilled Cheese

Grill and serve with strawberry preserves for dipping

Grandma's Grilled Cheese
White bread

Colby
Thinly sliced apple

Balsamic, Goat Cheese, and Turkey Sourdough french bread
Goat cheese
Shredded cooked turkey
Balsamic vinegar
Basil leaves
Sliced english cucumber

Consider broiling turkey and cheese, or grill 

The Process. 

I went to Local Roots and got some great bread that must have been made by a woman who must be either Amish or Mennonite. The honey whole wheat was very much like my own that I blogged about, and the white was perfect for indulgent peanut butter sandwiches. 

The Future. 

I want to work my way through my "theme" lists; I made a peanut butter list and a grilled cheese list. In addition to the sandwiches above these are a part of the lists that I want to make again/for the first
time:

Peanut Butter: (a) grilled PB&J, (b) grilled PB & honey, (c) grilled PB & banana, (d) PB & applesauce, (d) PB & nutella, (e) "Fools Gold": PB, blueberry jam, bacon, (f) fluffer nutter

Grilled Cheese:
(a) roasted red pepper, artichoke heart, and cheddar, (b) cream cheese and strawberry jam cheddar and bacon

Lentil Sprouts

Day 3

The Background.

Full disclosure: this "recipe" is all from Honest Fare. She seems to be an adorable gal and is just starting a food truck (gourmet empanadas - yum). You should go find her (and her two partners in crime) if you live near Winter Park, FL. 

The Story.

When I was in first grade I had Ms. Showalter as a teacher. She was amazing. The best teacher ever. She was my Kindergarden teacher as well, and she told our class she liked us so much she was following us to first grade to teach us again. It is only now, at age 32, that I question her motives for teaching first grade other than to spend more time with us especially cool kids. 


Ms. Showalter did all sorts of cool things with us, I am sure. But I remember a few things in particular about her class: 

Garden Grilled Cheese: Pre grilled

1) I learned how to write my first name in cursive, but since I go by my middle name, kids made fun of me when I didn't know how to spell my first name. In fairness there are a lot of letters in my name. People with names like Amy, Rob, Jason, Sara, or Kurt should not make fun of people with long names like Katharine Elizabeth McDonald. It didn't matter in the end anyway - no one writes in cursive anymore (the jokes on you, mean kids!) 


2) I learned that dried hard brown beans can quickly turn into tender green shoots with only a plastic baggie, some water, and a paper towel from the girls' bathroom. I remember how magical it was to watch the beans grow through the baggie; we measured the growth with rulers at the beginning and the end of the day. After three days we planted the tender shoots in pixie cups and took them home. 

I won't deny that I really wanted to grow beans again. I thought about doing this when I was at Penn State. Sometimes a dissertation really gets to a girl, and it seems like regression might be fun. Plus growing things is cool. 


I recently opened an account on Stumbleupon. It turns out that I am not interested in a lot of topics that are online (which seems strange, given the prodigious amount of time that I spend on the internets). One page, though, that was provided to me through Stumbleupon that made me excited. It was a blog. 

It turns out that, instead of taking those brown beans and putting them in dirt....you can EAT them. What a brilliant idea. It turns out that lentils can be used too! Who knew! They have a spicy crisp to them that are wonderful in salads, sandwiches, and even straight out of the fridge into my mouth. And you don't need any fancy kitchen gadgets, just a Mason or Ball jar! 

The "Recipe".

1. Rinse 1/2 cup lentils (not split or dal form) in cool water, checking for pebbles. 
2. Soak the lentils for 8-12 hours in cool water. 
3. Rinse lentils and place in a canning jar (with enough space that at least 2/3 of the jar is empty). 
4. Cover mouth of jar with cheese cloth and secure with a tight rubber band. 
5. Twice a day fill the jar with water and drain through the cheese cloth - do this a couple of times. 
6. In 3-4 days you will have lentil sprouts! 

The Process & The Future. 

I let my first batch grow for 4.5 days. This was too long and they took root. The roots are fine to eat, but they would be more tender without them. I also let them get too full in the jar and they were difficult to get out! Less grow time for me!


I now use only 1/4 cup dried lentils at a time and, upon Heather's brilliant idea, place the jar on its side. 

I have eaten sprouts in sandwiches both hot and cold, and I must admit that I am particularly fond of them in grilled cheeses! It is nice to know that I am getting that little bit of extra nutrition in, and the sprouts add a little zip without overpowering (think an extra grind of pepper). They also almost melt when warm, which is nice when trying to stack a whole bunch of things onto a sandwich. 

Garden Crilled Cheese: sprouts, tomatoes, & colby

(sneak preview: next post is on sandwiches)

I will be honest, as this time I am thrilled with the idea of sandwiches and salads and have not thought much further than these two items yet. Ideas are welcome!   

BARTENDING SCHOOL

The Background.

I get bored easily. I am also amused easily, so I suppose it evens out in the end. These characteristics result in some interesting credentials, such as an email that says I am an ordained Reverend, a PhD in counselor education, and...the completion of bartending school.

The Story.

Beading class

Moving to Wooster, OH was a bit of an adjustment for me. I used to describe my hometown as a small midwestern Mennonite community. Then I moved to Wooster....which is a tiny midwestern Mennonite community. I immediately began to travel for my job as soon as we moved, so I was experiencing fun cities like Denver, Orlando, and Minneapolis (ha!) and then would return to Wooster to my lovely sun room office. My career is largely online, which makes it a little more challenging to meet people, especially in a small community where I am an outsider. I didn't have natural connections in the community and I grew bored in the winter months. I took a bread class, a pottery wheel class, two tea classes, a few classes on beading pearls and (hold the laughter) a floral arranging class. I ran out of classes.

Blooming Tea from tea class

I was introduced to Groupon and Living Social. My world expanded exponentially. I suddenly had access to information about magical, far away places like Akron, Columbus, and Cleveland. Maybe a bit too much drama there, but these two websites did increase my view about the community in which I live.

Namely, it provided me with bartending school. Through Groupon I was able to attend a 5 day course for half price at the ABC bartending school. I pricelined a cheap hotel and stayed in Columbus for 5 nights to learn how to tend bar. Yes. I got a hotel room for 5 days to learn how to mix drinks.

Bread baking class

There are so many stories I could tell you about this experience. I could tell you about how I was 5 hours early to bar tending school. I could tell you about the interesting personalities who take classes on mixology. Or I could tell you about the Ohio video we were required to watch from 1970, or the woman who taught us who still contacts me about bar tending jobs because she thinks that I would make a great barkeep despite the fact that I didn't take the test at the end of the class. She is persistant.

Floral arranging class

I enter all learning experiences with a goal. I am open to knowledge of all sorts, but I set out with a specific goal. In bartending my goal was to be able to order a drink.You see, when a waitress asks for my drink order, I freeze up. It makes no sense at all. My brain shuts off and all I can manage to squeak out is "what's on tap?" so that I am presented with a multiple choice list.

I didn't really want to know how to make the drinks, I just wanted to learn how to order them. Yes. You read that correctly. I took a 5 day class to learn how to order a drink. It turns out that there is a lot of time for practicing mixology at bartending school. So I spent my time "ordering drinks" from the students who were practicing and and making index cards with recipes on them while they were mixing my drinks (errr...colored water). Since these were students they took a long time mixing, and as a result I ended up making a lot of recipe cards. I had to buy a second set of 100 index cards.

The result? Now I carry 3x5 cards in the car so that I have drink ideas. Sometimes I carry the cards into the restaurant.

Bartending class

But good news! I have a new favorite drink (the Malibu mojito below) and we even came up with one in class that we were proud of (OK - the military man came up with it, but I was the one who added the graham cracker rim and told him he could use it as a pick up drink for pretty ladies).

I am also including a "recipe" for another mojito that I got a bit "creative" about. I recognize I just added one ingredient, but it means that I am getting more confident. That is exactly what I wanted.

The Recipes.

Made with chocolate mint! 

Malibu Mojito 

* Muddle 6-8 mint leaves with 
* 1T sugar
* Add just of one lime and mix
* Fill glass with ice
* Add 3 oz Parrot Bay (or Malibu....) 
* Top off with 2-3 oz of Sprite or 7-up. 

Smore'tini

* Chill martini glass

* mix 1.5 oz Godiva white chocolate liquer, 

* 1 oz vodka, and 

* 2.5 oz half and half in shaker with ice. 

* Shake. 

* Rim the martini glass with chocolate syrup, then

* rim the syrup with graham cracker crumbs

* Strain liquid into glass. 

Mio Mojito 

* Add a squire of fruit punch of berry pomegranate Mio into a Malibu mojito. 

The Process. 

These are drinks that I have tried as a result of the class and my index cards. Quite a number of these were tried at Samantha's graduation party where her elder female relatives were impressed with the drinks. They enjoyed my 3x5 cards and kept passing my drinks around. I had to keep ordering more as my drinks kept disappearing into the fists of aunties and step mothers. Those with an * are among my favorites. The Malibu mojito and gimlet are my favorites right now. 

• *7&7
• Rum and coke
• Old Fashioned
• Bloody Maria (Bloody Mary with tequila instead of vodka)
• Red Snapper (Bloody Mary with gin instead of vodka)
• Greyhound
• *Salty Dog
• Harvey Wallbanger
• Tequila Sunrise
• Sea Breeze
• Bay Breeze
• Sex on the Beach
• Slow Screw
• Tootsi Roll
• Banshee/Gorilla Fart/Gorilla Tit
• Pink Squirrel
• B&B
• French Connection
• Dirty Mother
• **Gimlet
• *Vodka Gimlet
• Rootbeer Float
• Long Island Iced Tea
• *Mojito
• **Malibu Mojito

The Future.

Pretty sure this is obvious: keep trying new drinks. As you can see from the list above, I have avoided the martinis and cream based drinks. It seems like I should make a move. :) 








Unrelated side note: I am having terrible difficulty with the spacing in my posts. I left my last blog for a similar reason. The spacing does not have to do with the pictures (e.g. there are no pictures under the "The Process section, yet it is double spaced). Google searches have not been helpful. If you know of any solutions please let me know. 

SUNDAY NIGHT SPECIAL

I didn't alter this. It looks this good naturally. 

The Background.

Every Sunday night since I was a kid we had the same supper. This summer I am breaking tradition. 

The Story.

When I was growing up we ate popcorn for supper every Sunday night. 

Mom rocks the red hat with the
"Red Hot School Belles" for her b-day

My mom was a middle school school teacher for 39 years before she retired a little less than ten years ago. She was an exceptional teacher. I recognize that am biased in my belief, yet former students from 40 years ago still stop her in the grocery store and talk about the lectures she gave them as 8th graders. It probably helps that she lectured about the Donner Party, read from Sinclair's The Jungle and reviewed how hot dogs were made in the 40s. The former students who stop her usually have their own children and many of them have children that were also taught by my mother. My mother often remembers their names and always remembers their smiles. 
   
Mom often stayed at school until 6pm or so. Although she was a school teacher and could be at home when I returned home after school I was a "latch-key kid" because she stayed late readying her classroom and lesson plans. Mom placed a hold on her professional life around 6p, picked me up at latch-key, then began supper. Most meals included beef and a potato but we also entertained pasta and rice. Although mom did not highlight vegetables in our meals, she did a great job of ensuring that we sat at the dinner table to eat together every weeknight. I remember a friend of mine exclaiming that we were likely one of the few American families to still honor this tradition. After cleaning up the dishes mom would resume her professional life and settle down to grade in front of the TV. 

Mom often went to school on Sundays to change bulletin boards for the topic of the week and generally prepare the classroom. After returning home from her unpaid work she hunkered down to try and retain any possible energy that she had remaining from the "weekend off" so that she would be re-energized to teach cranky 8th graders on Monday morning. 
   
I am confident that Sunday night popcorn night was created out of my mother's sheer exhaustion. 

 So midwestern we make Finland look like Indiana. 

Every Sunday night mom would get out three large bowls (one for mom, dad, and I) a medium sized pot, oil, salt, and Yoder's tiny tender popcorn (the popcorn cannot be emphasized enough. Tiny Tender is...well...tiny and tender and does not have hulls). Mom would place oil in the pan, and while it was heating up she would microwave butter until it liquified. When the oil was hot mom salted the oil heavily, added the kernels, and vigorously shook the pan until the popping stopped. She added so many kernels that she had to carefully dump the popped corn out into one of the bowls, and return the pan back to pop the last of the kernels (this is a technique that I mastered with her expert assistance). Once the popcorn was popped and divided into the three bowls she generously poured butter and salt over each mound of popcorn. 
   
It still amazes me that I am still alive. 
   
This Sunday-night-popcorn-meal tradition has lasted for over two decades. Mom is no longer an educator and now I am. She taught me the value of knowledge and silently charged me to provide the best education that I can for my students. Now I need a quick meal on Sunday evenings. 

 
I have moved from popping popcorn in a pot (and using chemical spray butter-like product) to using an airpopper. I still use Yoder's Tiny Tender (I actually "import" it from Indiana) and now I add a bit of shredded cheese or popcorn seasoning. I have also integrated an apple into the Sunday night meal based upon a friend's family tradition of popcorn and apples. I noticed that my parents have kept popcorn night a tradition too, although they have moved to microwave popcorn. 

   
People have scoffed at this "meal", but those who protest are easily swayed with a single meal of Yoder's popcorn (e.g. Heather and Jennifer). Heather had never before had the pleasure of popcorn as a meal. Now, if for some reason we miss Sunday popcorn night she requests Monday be a make-up popcorn meal. 

All that to say that I have decided to break the 20+ year Sunday popcorn tradition for another one of my mother's made-up midwestern meals: strawberry shortcake. I might add that Heather had never had strawberry shortcake before me. You read that correctly. I am pleased to announce that Heather has easily made the transition from popcorn to strawberry shortcake. 

I officially declare this the summer of Sunday night strawberry shortcake! 

The Recipe.

This is very important: follow the recipe on the back of the Bisquick box. 

Only don't drop the batter onto a cookie sheet - place it in muffin tins. And buy local strawberries so that you can use minimal sugar to macerate the berries. 

Shameless PSU photo op

There is no angel food cake. None of those strange yellow cake cups encased in plastic next to the strawberries in the store (I can't even find the producer of those when I google it!). None of that red goo. 

Strawberry shortcake has to be made of Bisquick and macerated strawberries. And it has to be made in muffin tins. 

It can be made with the "heart healthy" Bisquick, and please do cut down on the sugar that goes on the strawberries....but don't follow the recipe on that box. Use the one here substituting the heart healthy Bisquick for the regular stuff. 

The Process. 

There is no process. This is shortcake out of a box. Mix it. Taste the batter. Taste the batter again to make sure it hasn't gone bad since the last spoonful. Bake it. Pour half a box of strawberries on it. Add milk to it if you wish. Eat it. 

Go back for seconds. 

The Future. 

Seasonal fruit will be used all year. When it is blueberry time blueberries and blueberry jam will be used. Peaches and nectarines will be used. Raspberries and raspberry jam will also be entertained. We might even consider using lemon curd. 

RELAUNCH

Sometimes people put a lot of thought into doing things. I am usually one of those people. 

This is not one of those cases. 

After very little thought I have decided to change the site of my blog. I have also decided to only write when I feel like it. I feel like it today. So after some editing and such you will have a new story on this site as an opening. 

The best of my stories may already be done. See "Mennonite Love".  

PETER PANCAKES

What an awful picture for such a delightful meal!

The Background.

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. In the morning I always choose the egg beater/egg white omelet, toast, and bacon over something syrup-y. When eating breakfast-for-supper though, for some reason I enjoy pancakes or french toast. Heather digs real maple syrup, and I think I have finally put aside my heated Hungry Jack days to join her in the syrup actually tapped from trees. Maple syrup is a whole food, right?!

This recipe is from the cookbook Crazy Plates: Low-fat food so good, you'll swear it's bad for you by the Podleski sisters. I wish that I could take some credit for it, as the cakes are light and airy and have a lovely depth in flavor. The Canadian sisters have two other great cookbooks titled Looneyspoons: Low-fat food made fun and Eat, shrink, and be merry. Despite terrible puns, the cookbooks are fantastic and worth purchasing. I even found myself grinning in some of their cheeze quips (e.g. Bon-bon Jovi).

The Story.

Thanksgiving of 2011 was the first time Heather visited Goshen. I was a bit anxious about her coming to my hometown and staying in the house I grew up with, just as as most people are when they bring home someone for a holiday. Truth be told, I had never brought anyone home for a holiday before, and I was especially nervous about bringing home a woman.

Regardless of romantic intention, all visitors to my childhood home need to know that food rules in my parent's house.

Mom's fav: Gma Betty's eggnog pie

Growing up, my Mom cooked week nights. We usually had a pasta night, a stir-fry night, a taco night, and a steak night. Other dinners consisted of meals of a meat, potato and a vegetable. Like most people my age, in elementary school my family ate beef multiple times a week, but as I grew older mom starting cooking chicken a lot more. As she gets older she cooks less and less, but she will still go out of her way to ensure others have high quality food. Mom makes turkey roasters full of beef vegetable soup for teachers every year (one time she walked into the teacher's lounge as a hungry teacher up-ended the roaster to get the last drops of soup). She feeds the red hatters at her house, even if they tell her not to. She has been known to take chicken noodle soup to her tenants when they are ill. It isn't just serving; she enjoys eating too. She eats slowly and savors every bite. Meals literally take twice as long if my mother is present. She takes a bite of food, closes her eyes and rolls the food around in her mouth before she even chews. If it is dessert you can be sure she will let out a happy-dessert-sound. It would be cute if she were not my mom.

See the wishbone in the middle? 

Although dad did not cook on a regular basis, his meals were always "special," creatively turning leftovers into new meals on the weekend and carving holiday turkeys as a work of art (the wishbone always in the center of the display). He helped develop my palate by placing a plate/bowl of food in front of me and not letting me eat my meal until I could correctly identify at least four spices (salt and pepper did not count). This was fantastic practice, and I feel fortunate that he did this. I also distinctly remember one lovely Sunday morning when I woke up to my dad cooking pancakes on the indoor grill-turned-griddle. The cakes were good, I am sure, but what I really remember is that he added melted butter and cinnamon to the maple syrup. At the age of 8 I thought this was brilliant both for the flavor and the time saving element. Then I dipped my bacon in the syrup; it was like ecstasy. I have no idea how I have lived to be 32.

We are equal opportunity eaters and we thoroughly enjoy food cooked by others too. I recently realized that my mother eats at the County Seat for breakfast just about every day. She likes to sit at the counter and watch the owner work the small grill for three rooms full of hungry men who are in a rush to get to their jobs. It is a daunting task. My dad annually barters his hair services with a Mennonite woman for our now-traditional Christmas morning Swedish tea ring. Every year my mother fills the freezer with the most amazing cheese balls (in true midwestern spirit they are made by a sorority and sold in a church). My earliest memory is sitting at my kitchen table with chopsticks in one hand and a kleenex in the other. The chopstick in my hand were to eat, of course. The kleenex was to dab my watery eyes and dripping nose; the dishes were very spicy. My parents had invited a few visiting professors to Goshen College (from China) to cook at our house. The professors cooked chicken and peanuts, dumplings, and "40 clove garlic soup" (which should never be cooked in a house with hardwood). Even at my young age I knew the food was amazing and wouldn't allow something as silly as water pouring out of my face to prevent me from eating.

Over Thanksgiving break of 2011 mom, Heather, and I went to the County Seat for breakfast...every morning. Heather ordered pancakes...every day. The only change to this schedule was the day the County Seat was closed (the owner's sister was being honored for her military service). On the last day we were in town Mom, Dad, Heather and I went to IHOP, where Heather ordered...pancakes. I suppose a change of scenery is still a change.

The Drs McMerk

Heather is not a big person, and when pancakes are placed in front of her you can almost see her adjust her mental state to go into eating mode. Heather rarely has problems in competition with a stack of flapjacks. She almost always wins regardless of the size of the stack. This achievement was not lost on either my mother or father. My mom noticed the robotic-like methodical cuts and bites of cakes at the County Seat, marveling that Heather could finish the monstrous oatmeal cake. At IHOP my dad actually stopped eating his own food to watch Heather eat pancakes. He crossed his arms and laughed while watching Heather devour the plate. Mom and dad like to watch people enjoy food.

Before Christmas mom called me and said that she had been thinking about getting Heather a Christmas gift and asked if she could run it by me before she bought it. She wanted to give Heather an electric skillet for pancakes. While I was at home for Christmas mom asked me to go with her to the Essenhaus to pick up pancake mix and a bottle of real maple syrup. Mom also picked up a pancake ornament for the tree for her.

And that is when I realized that my mother was communicating through food as she always did. When my mother gifted pancakes to Heather she was really welcoming her back into her home.

The Recipe.

PANCAKES:
1 & ½ cups All-Purpose Flour
½ cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 & ½ tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Baking Soda
1 & ¾ cups Buttermilk
2 Tbsp Reduced Fat Butter
1 large Egg , beaten
1 Tbsp Honey
½ tsp Vanilla
½ cup Bananas, mashed


SAUCE:
2 cups Strawberries, diced
⅓ cup Orange Juice
1 Tbsp Cornstarch
¼ cup Sugar

Directions: Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together buttermilk, butter, egg, honey, and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry; mixed until moistened (batter is crazy thick). Fold banana in. Drop by ½ cup on a griddle/large pan on medium-high heat (spread batter to make 4 inch circles).

STRAWBERRY SAUCE: Combine OJ and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Add sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until liquid has thickened and strawberries have softened (6-7 min). Let cool slightly.

The Process.

These pancakes lend themselves to additions. It is easy to add ingredients to the batter itself, or to add to each cake after it has been dropped on the griddle. Pecans, blueberries, and chocolate chips are our favorite additions. We also like to add melted peanut butter to the batter or use it instead of the strawberry sauce or syrup.

The Future.

I plan on taking Heather back home (the Mennonite Relief Sale is our next planned Goshen event) and take her to the pancake breakfast.