Love and Pancakes

Twenty one years ago, a Tall Boy and a Short Girl went on a date. The date was somewhat overdue, because they had met several times before, but the SG had other suitors and the TB was busy with work (do some things never change?).

So they went to dinner and drank way too much wine. Feeling very brave, TB asked SG to go skiing with him the next weekend and he didn't mean a day trip. "Here's my credit card number," said TB. "Do you mind making the plans?" Again, some things never change.

After much research (pre-internet) and discussion with girlfriends (one room, two beds? two rooms? one bed?), SG booked a room at the newly opened Inn at Round Barn Farm  in Waitsfield, Vermont.

You may use your imagination at this time. A cozy Vermont B & B, a snowy night, two twenty-somethings away from home.

 Oh stop it. What would you do?

At breakfast the next morning, TB and SG were greeted with the most delicious pancakes they had ever tasted. Thin, eggy and rich, they were served with a sweet raspberry sauce and real Vermont maple syrup. When asked about the recipe, Ann Marie was happy to share it.
The secret ingredient? Cottage cheese! Who knew you could make such delicious pancakes with cottage cheese, the stuff of diet plate specials?
That breakfast was the perfect beginning to a full day of skiing at Sugarbush. And the start of something bigger too.

Fast forward to one year later. TB and SG have arrived at the Inn at Round Barn Farm for a third visit. TB proposes marriage to SG in a room filled with roses and balloons. She happily accepts. Pancakes are served the next morning and all is right in the world.



Many, many batches of pancakes later, TB* has tweaked the recipe, making it a popular, healthy breakfast full of protein and calcium. They are served, with a side of happy memories, most Sundays at our house. And plenty of maple syrup.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups low fat cottage cheese (1% milkfat)

2 Tbsps. butter, melted

1/2 to 1 cup low fat or skim milk

 Mix flour, eggs, and cottage cheese in a food processor until well blended. Add melted butter and blend again. Add 1/2 cup of the milk and process.  Continue adding milk, until the batter is smooth, with small air bubbles.
Heat an electric or stovetop griddle until a drop of water sizzles on the surface.
You can now make your pancakes any size you'd like. Flip them when bubbles appear on the top. Continue to cook until lightly browned.
Don't forget the real maple syrup. Preferably from Vermont or Maine.

*In case you haven't guessed, that's Bob. He's quite tall by any standards but especially compared to me.

Bagels and an Apple

 

Hey, I'm back from my involuntary blogging hiatus!
With a new Mac laptop, fresh from the Apple store. I must say, it was such an easy, enjoyable and friendly experience that I barely even noticed the grand total. With no visible registers or lines, they make it feel like you're not really paying for anything. I'm sure I'll feel differently when the bill comes.

Do you remember that it's still March? And that means it's still Healthy Eating Month at Mignardise. Were you hoping I would forget, and start posting some more crazy chocolate- peanut butter recipes ? Don't worry my friends, I miss those too and they'll be back soon.

Meanwhile, I have something delicious and nutritious to tell you about, and an inspiring story to go with it.

Beth George is a Maine mom who solved a problem.
Her young son was experiencing both health and behavioral issues. Diagnoses were given and drugs were recommended. But Beth, who has had years of experience working with troubled children, was skeptical of these kinds of solutions. Soon, she and her husband Tim, began to explore the relationship between food and their son's problems.
They noticed that certain problems spiked when he ate certain foods. Wheat was one of them. Yes, it could be removed from his diet, but where does that leave a bagel-loving boy?

Beth took on the challenge to not just find food that would fit her son's requirements, but to create something he would love without feeling deprived.
Spelt became their new best friend. If you're not familiar with this grain, spelt is a relative of wheat, with origins reaching back to ancient Mesopotamia. It does contain gluten, but many people find it easier to digest than wheat. Spelt has very impressive nutritional stats - high in protein, B vitamins, fiber and complex carbs. It also has a light, nutty taste and texture. And it can be made into a delicious bagel.

After much trial and error, recipe testing and tasting, Spelt Right was born. The bakery turns out chewy bagels (4 kinds plus special order cinnamon-raisin, my favorite) all made with 100% organic spelt, extra virgin olive oil, no additives or preservatives. There's also artisan sandwich bread, rosemary bread, fabulous focaccia and even pizza dough. I have tasted almost everything and can vouch for its deliciousness.

Beth and the other bakers, Kip and Martha, work out of a beautiful old mill, powered by the water. It's a bright, happy place. The mood is relaxed and the views of the river are peaceful. I truly believe this special setting contributes to a better product.

Deservedly, Spelt Right has gotten a lot of good press . They're growing quickly, and working hard at increasing distribution. See the website for a list of places where you can buy the bagels and breads. Or order them online. Tell them you're a Mignardise reader and Beth will even give you an extra bag of bagels.
Our local students (my kids) are lucky enough to be offered Spelt Right bagels at lunch. They're also served at nearby Bates College.

But there's no one that appreciates them more than Beth George's son.

RIP My Laptop

It is with great sadness that I must announce the demise of my Dell laptop computer. Frankly I had no idea that they could just up and die like that. One minute it's fine and the next, well, it's not so fine. I thought it would be a fixable problem but according to my IT guy (not my husband), it's time for a new computer.

So I am asking you, my readers, to help me out here. I am considering making the switch from a pc to an Apple. What do you think? Has anyone made this change, and lived to tell about it? Please send any words of wisdom my way.

In the meantime, since it's a bit hard to write a blog on an iphone, my posting may be a little sporadic (or erratic) for the next week or so. Thanks to the great state of Maine and our generous school budget, my kids have very nice laptops. Hopefully they'll let me borrow them from time to time, like now.
Homework?
Honey, it can wait.  I have a blog to write.

Very Tasty Turkey Meatballs

It's Monday and it's snowing again.
Really, it's the third Monday in a row. At least the kids made it to school. You should see the cute dog team and sled that picks them up!

Just kidding...

Since it's still so wintery, I am still very much into comfort food. But remember, it's Healthy Eating Month here at Mignarise, so the comfort food will be slimmed down.
There's nothing to warm your heart and tummy like spaghetti and meatballs.  I would eat whole wheat pasta, but the kids won't.  Barilla Plus makes a great compromise, because even though it's made with all kinds of healthy grains, fiber and protein, it tastes a lot like the regular old white pasta.
And please don't be horrified, but I often use sauce from a jar. Doctored up of course (did you honestly think I'd just serve it straight from the jar? Not that there's anything wrong with that).
Chop up, very small, half an onion, 2 carrots and some red bell pepper (or any other vegetable you like). If you dice the vegetables small enough even picky children won't notice them. Saute the vegetables, along with a clove or 2 of garlic, in a little olive oil. When it's soft, pour your jar of sauce over it. Tastes like you made it all by yourself. Which you did.
And when the meatballs are done, plop them into the sauce too, then simmer about 15 minutes before serving.

Very Tasty Turkey Meatballs

1 lb. ground turkey breast

1/4 cup panko or fresh bread crumbs (use the dried only as a last resort)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 egg + 1 egg white

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

1 Tbsp. tomato paste


1 Tbsp. dried minced onion

1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

crushed red pepper, salt, and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Place all ingredients, except turkey, into a bowl and mix well, making sure eggs are well incorporated.
Add turkey and using your hands or a fork, combine with ingredients very well.
Form meatballs, about the size of golf balls, with wet hands. Place on parchment paper.
Bake for about 20 minutes. You can cut one open to make sure it's cooked through (it'll be completely white). Drop into spaghetti sauce, if desired.

 Buono appetito!

Creamy Corn Bisque

Welcome to Healthy Eating Month at Mignardise!
I was all psyched up to really eat well this month - low fat, low on white foods (except cauliflower) and vitamin-packed. Then we got another snowstorm and the kids were home from school. So what did I do to cope? I took a coffee cake out of the freezer and ate it, sliver by sliver.

But now the roads are plowed and I'm back on track. For dinner tonight I made a corn bisque that tasted rich and creamy but had exactly two tablespoons of heavy cream in the whole thing. It would be fabulous when fresh corn is in season, but it was still delicious using frozen. And it got two thumbs up from the peanut gallery.

This recipe doesn't make a huge amount, but could easily be doubled. But remember, an important part of healthy eating is portion control. Try serving this with a big green salad, topped with some nuts for protein.

Creamy Corn Bisque, adapted from a Canyon Ranch recipe

2 Tbsps. leeks, finely diced


1/2 cup onion, finely diced

2 Tbsps. celery, finely diced

1 1/2 tsps. olive oil

2 tsps. whole wheat flour ( I always use ww pastry flour - it's finer)

1 cup diced potatoes

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

2 cups (plus one more) low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth

1 bay leaf (fresh, if you can find it)

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. no-salt seasoning, like Mrs. Dash

a few drops of hot pepper sauce, or to taste

salt and pepper, to taste

2 Tbsps. heavy cream

1. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Saute leeks, onions and celery until soft.
2 Sprinkle flour over vegetables and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add 1 1/2 cups of broth and remaining ingredients, EXCEPT cream. Cook 15-20 mins. or until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Discard bay leaf.
4. Transfer 3/4 of soup mixture to blender and puree until smooth.( At this point you may want to add more broth to thin it out a bit. I probably used another 3/4 cup).
5. Add puree to remaining ingredients. Stir in heavy cream, and reheat on low if necessary.
Garnish with some chopped parsley or chives, if desired.

Coffee cake makes a nice dessert. Just a sliver.