Buttermilk Pancakes and My Friends Weigh In

This weekend we made our traditional buttermilk pancakes. This has become a weekly MUST make option. Kate (9) wanted to make them herself and she did, for the most part... I couldn't stand to not participate in the getting the batter onto the griddle part of the process.
The recipe follows:
2c. all-purpose flour
2 T. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. buttermilk
1/3 c. milk
1/4 c. melted butter
2 eggs.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together. Combine buttermilk, milk, eggs and melted butter in another. When you are ready to make the pancakes, add the wet to the dry, mix well, and make the pancakes.

What My Friends Feed Their Kids

I sent an email out to a bunch of friends asking them what they feed their kids. Here are some of the answers I got:

LOTS OF CHICKEN!

Chicken Tetrazini

Chicken Parmasean

Chicken Caccitore

Schnitzel (got to check that out)

Oven Fried Chicken

Beer Can Chicken

Baby Back Ribs

Lots of Flank Steak

A few macaroni and cheeses

A few Teriaki marinades

Meatloaf Muffins (hmmm)

Beef Brisket

And one really odd, but strangely appetizing sounding to me: Pork Chops stuffed with Red Onion Jam

Amazingly, not much pasta.

Penne with Tomatoes and Capers

I'm learning that it isn't so much that my kids are picky, it's just that they don't always want to eat what I want to eat. And the struggle is finding things that are exciting enough for me, and groovy enough for them.

I added Penne with Tomatoes and Capers onto the "22 Things" list, and really thought they liked it. But as anyone with kids will tell you, the dish that was a hit last month can be a stinker this month for no apparent reason.

I didn't get raves on this one, I remember once excused, several piles of capers and tomatoes left on the plates. But I loved it, and I WILL make it again.

The Recipe

Heat 2T olive oil add 2 cloves crushed garlic

Add 3 chopped tomatoes, cook for 5 minutes

add 1/2 c. chopped pitted Kalamata olives and 2T capers

Toss with cooked veggies, garnish with fresh basil.

Corn Chowder

As my first attempt at creative family-friendly fare I found a recipe for Corn Chowder.

It seems healthy, it has fresh seasonal ingredients. Wyatt loves soup. Chris (husband) wasn't home for dinner. I thought I'd give it a try. What's not to like?

Wyatt (11) liked it -- gave it a "make again" rating. Zachary (5), who really isn't too picky yet, also ate an entire serving (which is a passive make again). Kate (9) said, "It looks like vomit," and she honestly could not get past that to taste the wonderful soup. I froze the leftovers and will try again.

Recipe:

3 medium ears of corn

4 oz. bacon cut into 1/2 inch dice

1 med onion

1/2 red bell pepper (1/2 inch dice)

1 or 2 spigs of thyme

1/2 t. cumin

1/8 t. tumeric

1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes (1/2 inch dice)

3 c. chicken stock

2 t. corn starch dissolved in 2T. water

1 c. heavy cream

2 T. of chives or scallions for garnish

1. Cut the kernels from the corn cobs and with the back of your knife scrape down the cobs to get the milky substance from the cobs.

2. Heat a 3 or 4 quart heavy pot over low heat and add the diced bacon. Once it has rendered a few tablespoons of fat, increase the heat to medium and cook until the bacon is crisp and golden brown. Pour off all but 1 T. of the fat, leaving the bacon in the pot.

3. Add the butter, onion, bell pepper, thyme, cumin, turmeric and saute stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon for about 8 minutes, until the veggies are tender but not browned

4. Add the corn kernels, potatoes, and stock, turn up the heat, cover and boil vigorously for about 10 minutes. Some of the potatoes will have broken up. Use the back of your spoon to smash a bit of the corn and pototoes against hte side of the pot. Reduce the heat to medium and season the chowder with salt and pepper.

5. Stir the cornstarch mixture and slowly pour it into the pot, stirring constantly. As soon as the cowder has come back to a boil and thickened slightly, remove from the heat and stir in the cream.

From 50 Chowders by Jasper White.

So Now My Husband Wants More Fish

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. But the kids will NEVER eat fish. Kate objects solely on the basis that we have one in a bowl on the kitchen counter. I made Pacific Rim Salmon the other day (frozen popcorn chicken nuggets for the kids) and it was yummy. I've been pouring over the cookbooks looking for a good fish recipe, going to try one from Gourmet this week.

I've also started the experimental fruit of the week program here. I know it doesn't sound like much, but we've had nectarines, plums, and star fruit so far. I need to go out and search for more.