Mom’s Homemade Pancakes

 

Ever get that hankering for pancakes?  This morning I did.  So I made my fluffy buttermilk pancakes and they were so good!  Yes, I could use a pancake mix….there are so many to choose from.  But I know what a great pancake is supposed to taste like so I pulled out my Mom’s old recipe…. So much better than the boxed mixes. Light, fluffy, crispy on the edges….Yum. 

Mom’s Homemade Pancakes

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar 

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups milk (plus up to 1/4 cup extra if needed)

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

Combine together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large-sized bowl. Make a well in the center and add the milk, slightly cooled melted butter, vanilla and egg. 

Use a wire whisk to whisk the wet ingredients together first before slowly folding them into the dry ingredients. Mix together until smooth. The batter will be thick and creamy in consistency. If you find the batter too thick, fold a couple tablespoons of extra milk into the batter at a time until reaching desired consistency. Set the batter aside and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

 

Heat a nonstick pan or griddle over low-medium heat and wipe over with a little butter to lightly grease pan. Pour ¼ cup of batter onto the pan and spread out gently into a round shape with the back of your ladle or measuring cup.

 

When the underside is golden and bubbles begin to appear on the surface, flip with a spatula and cook until golden. Repeat with remaining batter.

You can let them get as brown as you want.  Lift up the edge and see if they are brown enough before removing.  I like mine crispy around the edges.

Serve with honey, maple syrup, fruit, whipped cream, or all of the above. Or enjoy plain!

 

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home

WE ARE BROKEN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here I am again, asking for your prayers. 

 

My girls are my whole life. They are all I have in this last leg of my life and I can't imagine my life without them. While I have had bad luck non stop with living in this house (that we feel is definitely filled with some sort of evil spirits) this is far worse than anything that could happen.

 

 

My Pip got sick two weeks ago.  It continued to get worse and so they rushed her into emergency surgery this past Monday and did a full hysterectomy. We are waiting for the labs to come back to understand what caused it and if she is now out of the woods. She is in recovering now and my heart hurts as I watch her every second of the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JoJo is having seizures.  Violent and scary seizures. It started this summer and they put her on a drug that would help but it took all summer to get the dosage right.  We have had to increase the dosage several times and finally we are seeing a little break in the activity.  The seizures still come. Just not as often. After spending so much money to see an Vet Neurologist we still have no answers other than the meds prolong the time in between. They are still as scary as ever and I am a mess when it happens. The longest period of time between them has now been 3 months but then one will just come out of the blue and what seems to be no reason.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Libby has a mass in her chest. Dr. Mark wants to do surgery as soon as possible to remove it to see what it is.  He will spay her at that time and do a diagnosis when the scans and labs come back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Then one morning last week my youngest, Emilu started acting so strange. She was hiding and shaking and frightened of us.  It took a week to get her in to see the vet.  Er's were filled to capacity and they were turning people away.  We then found this hard golf ball sized bump on her shoulder.  We got her to the vet and he did a culture and gave us HORRIFIC news.  Emi might have cancer.  The tumor contains Spindell cells which usually is cancer.  The options are he does surgery to remove it all...in that case she will be okay going forward.  If he cannot get it all, she will need to have her leg amputated from the shoulder down.  And I cannot even say what he will do if it is unable to get it all and its too late. In the meantime she is suffering. She is laying lifeless and shaking.  I can give her pain meds but nothing seems to help.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are broken. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Needless to say, we are scared and so devastated.  All of our kids are sick at the same time and the expenses are building with the tests, scans, surgeries, medications.  I need your help.  They will not treat my kids unless paid in full at the time of the visit.  Anything you can contribute will help.

 

Please visit this page for information:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-jo-jo-fight-epilepsy-with-your-support 

 

 

 

 

Salmon Pasta Casserole

 Salmon Pasta Casserole

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love to create recipes.  I like to look in the fridge and pantry and pull out things that might be good in a casserole, for example.  Then I like to put together in my head what it is that I want to accomplish.  I actually have a gift of being able to taste in my head. I know exactly how it will taste on a plate so it comes very easy for me to create something new.  This one for example starts with salmon that I fry in a pan and break up into pieces.  From then I decide on texture…will it 
be creamy with a thick or thinner sauce. Then its flavor.  What will I add that brings the most flavor. This one turned out absolutely delicious!  I call it my Salmon Pasta Casserole.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Salmon Pasta Casserole

 1 (6-ounce) Salmon Fillet 

1 pound of large rigatoni pasta 

1 broccoli crown, broken into little florets 

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1 Roma tomato, sliced  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monterey Jack Mornay Sauce

¼ cup butter

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk or heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Start with a roux made up of flour and butter and cook on low heat until it turns lightly golden. It will be thick. Add in 2 cups of heavy cream and whisk until it starts to thicken. Add in 2 cups of shredded Jack cheese and stir until smooth. If you want a thinner sauce, add another ½ cup of milk until you get the consistency you want.  Set aside while you make your casserole.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water, according to the package directions. Drain the pasta by scooping it out with a slotted spoon, saving the pasta water.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cook the broccoli florets in the pasta water for about 3-5 minutes. Again, using a slotted spoon, transfer broccoli to the bowl with the pasta and set aside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a medium skillet with a tablespoon olive oil, sear the salmon for about 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Add salt and pepper. Flake the salmon into pieces in the skillet. Do not overcook as it will continue to cook when you put your casserole in the oven. Remove the salmon to a bowl and set aside. It can still be pink in some places.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To assemble the casserole.  Add ½ cup of the Mornay sauce to the pasta and broccoli and toss to coat. Pour into a baking dish and top with half the Swiss cheese.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next stir in the salmon and toss to evenly coat with sauce. At this point taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slice a Roma tomato and lay the slices on top of the casserole.  Add a little shredded Swiss or Jack cheese around including the tomatoes. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with non-stick spray and lay it on top of the casserole. Bake for about 20 minutes. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is hot and bubbly.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serve hot and enjoy!  YUM!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home.