Pancakes! As a child I only remember being made pikelets (the much smaller version of pancakes). We’ve finally bought a crepe pan after much pining and now do super thin crepe-style goodness. I’ve also been reminded by experience that you can try all the fancy toppings, but nothing ever beats lemon and sugar. Perfection.
Lasagna! One of 7yo Sam’s enduring favourite foods is lasagna. I’ve pretty much settled for buying the posh and delicious version made at the local gnoccheria, but for a not insignificant period of time I lovingly made it from scratch. The biggest decisions seemed to be what meat you use (we went for a straight beef meat sauce) and team ricotta or team bechamel. Team bechamel all day every day! The saucy creamy goodness can’t be beat.
I am not a pancake master, I burn them. So I can’t weigh in there.
But music...that I can weigh in on. I thought I was the only “older person” who felt like they missed the new music bus somewhere when I was mired in a new career and raising kids. Enter Spotify. The recommendations have broadened my auditory tastes significantly for several years now. I’ve also discovered what my taste is called, which is kind of nice for that rare dinner party when music comes up and someone asks. Singer-Songwriter in case you’re wondering. You can also share playlists with other and create your own, all of hitch I love. I am a photographer and sometimes down hours editing at the computer. I have playlist titled ‘Mellow Processing Music’ that is hours long. Full of moody, melodic love. Maybe Spotify could help?
I love Spotify for this! Recently one of my kids told me to make sure I "like" all the music I listen to and then choose that list and hit "expand" - it's been great!
I will give it a go. I haven't tried that before, so I'll have to peek at how. It's Mellow Processing Music for my photography, so just keep that in mind. It's a little moody and angsty and "backgroundy". haha
It's not too hard to do - in the three little dots (...) at the top of your playlist there's a drop down. One of the options is to make a playlist public or private. Thanks Vanessa!
Hi from Germany! Here's our way to make pancakes - they're more like French crepes but not quite so thin and you can make them in a regular frying pan. You can have them sweet (think bananas, chocolate spread or pieces, coconut flakes) or savoury (roll up cheese, fried mushrooms, salad...). My kids just spread them with cinnamon sugar and roll them up. For 5 pancakes: mix 150g plain flour with 250ml of milk, stir in 4 eggs and a pinch of salt. Let it all sit for 15 mins, covered. Bake them in a frying pan with some oil or butter, from both sides until done. :)
The pancake recipe I have used for decades is- 1 cup of plain flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 egg, 1 tbs of sugar, pinch of salt & enough milk to get it to the consistency you prefer. Easy peasy.
Music....I’ll recommend Wet Leg, The Beths, Thelma Plum, Maggie Rogers, Meg Mac, Sophie May, Teen Jesus & the Jean Teasers.
About the music - “I Do It for Hip Hop” by Wild Wild Women is one pf my favourite new listens lately. Plus they’re from India! And a friend recommended Pariisin Kevät, a Finnish disco(?) band, great work music.
Here’s an idea for expanding your musical horizons… I use Apple Music instead of Spotify and every month I make myself a little playlist and try to fill it with at least 8 songs that I like that are new to me. They don’t have to be new release songs! Sometimes they’re classics that I’ve never really listened to before. It’s like making myself a mix tape/ CD! I find a lot of music through movies and TV shows (I’ll Google ‘songs in episode x of xxx’). Or I’ll look up a band and explore their whole catalogue while I’m cooking dinner or folding laundry. It’s a fun little project plus I love looking back on the playlists to remind myself what I was listening to in March 2020.
I didn’t the Candy House was half as good as Goon Squad, sorry :/ If you read it, let us know what you think! If you didn’t live a couple of continents away, you could have my copy :)))
I am and have just logged in for the first time in about 15 years to get my profile address! I see I was making granny squares back then too. https://www.ravelry.com/people/Loobylu
It's a long story! I can summarize it as a need for adventure... and a snowball of an idea that grew faster than we expected, until we were on an aeroplane heading for a tiny Canadian island. Now I am craving another adventure, I'm just not sure what that looks like yet.
1 & 2. I’m going to link to smitten kitchen again because she just posted a pancake recipe on Instagram this week: https://smittenkitchen.com/2017/05/tall-fluffy-buttermilk-pancakes/ (it uses buttermilk but I’m wondering if the dairy+lemon juice trick might work here if you don’t have buttermilk). She’s also got some lasagna recipes! I made the mushroom version once years ago, and it was really good (and worth all the dirty pots and pans).
3. I try and keep up with new music but it can be hard! One of my favorite bands that I found over the past decade is Katie the Pest. I discovered them on a compilation album and fell in love. You can listen to samples over on Bandcamp.com: https://katiethepest.bandcamp.com/album/you-are-a-wildfire
Some other bands I’ve been listening to lately: big thief, the Beths, beach fossils, the allah-las
4. I can’t decide on the knit collar, I feel like it may have been appropriate for the time, so yay?
Oh awesome! I will buy some buttermilk this morning. According to that "Lazy Day" article, the milk / lemon juice / vinegar thing should be avoided. But I know lots of people who swear by it. Thanks for the music recs... I only know big thief so there's some good exploring there. x
And now I know our 1° of separation! Ami is my friend and fellow Portlander, and I was lucky enough to be one of the Cloud 9 players in the Kickstarter video! Loving your newsletter.
1. Check out The Joy of Cooking "Buttermilk Pancakes"! It's a classic, though you need to triple the recipe. Who wants all that mess for only 8 pancakes?! (And DO try the 1 tbsp vinegar before filling milk to 1 c mark, set aside for 5 min, and you've got buttermilk — and such easy good pancakes) Someone has posted it online: https://www.joyofbaking.com/breakfast/ButtermilkPancakes.html
2. Lasagna - I got nothing. It is one of the 5 meals relagated to the Husband Guy.
3. Music - enjoying the old timey sound and twang of Valerie June lately (With You, Shakedown, Slip Slide on By)
4. Collin Farrell: Decidely, Yay! (Sorry, what was the question?)
Pancakes! As a child I only remember being made pikelets (the much smaller version of pancakes). We’ve finally bought a crepe pan after much pining and now do super thin crepe-style goodness. I’ve also been reminded by experience that you can try all the fancy toppings, but nothing ever beats lemon and sugar. Perfection.
Lasagna! One of 7yo Sam’s enduring favourite foods is lasagna. I’ve pretty much settled for buying the posh and delicious version made at the local gnoccheria, but for a not insignificant period of time I lovingly made it from scratch. The biggest decisions seemed to be what meat you use (we went for a straight beef meat sauce) and team ricotta or team bechamel. Team bechamel all day every day! The saucy creamy goodness can’t be beat.
Team bechamel! xo
I am not a pancake master, I burn them. So I can’t weigh in there.
But music...that I can weigh in on. I thought I was the only “older person” who felt like they missed the new music bus somewhere when I was mired in a new career and raising kids. Enter Spotify. The recommendations have broadened my auditory tastes significantly for several years now. I’ve also discovered what my taste is called, which is kind of nice for that rare dinner party when music comes up and someone asks. Singer-Songwriter in case you’re wondering. You can also share playlists with other and create your own, all of hitch I love. I am a photographer and sometimes down hours editing at the computer. I have playlist titled ‘Mellow Processing Music’ that is hours long. Full of moody, melodic love. Maybe Spotify could help?
I love Spotify for this! Recently one of my kids told me to make sure I "like" all the music I listen to and then choose that list and hit "expand" - it's been great!
I would love to listen to Mellow Processing Music. I can't find it on Spotify, though, can you make it available? :)
I use Martha Stewart's pancake recipe but cook it in our rice cooker. Mmmmm, cake for breakfast. And Saskatoon berry or chokecherry syrup is a must.
I am trying to get my head around pancakes in the rice cooker! Do you think the slow cooker is the same?
I'm not sure. Probably? It's the temperature and timing you'd need to figure out.
I will give it a go. I haven't tried that before, so I'll have to peek at how. It's Mellow Processing Music for my photography, so just keep that in mind. It's a little moody and angsty and "backgroundy". haha
It's not too hard to do - in the three little dots (...) at the top of your playlist there's a drop down. One of the options is to make a playlist public or private. Thanks Vanessa!
I use the pancake recipe from the Five Roses Flour cookbook, like my mom did, and my grandpa.
Is this the one? https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pancakes-canadian-version-five-roses-cookbook
Hi from Germany! Here's our way to make pancakes - they're more like French crepes but not quite so thin and you can make them in a regular frying pan. You can have them sweet (think bananas, chocolate spread or pieces, coconut flakes) or savoury (roll up cheese, fried mushrooms, salad...). My kids just spread them with cinnamon sugar and roll them up. For 5 pancakes: mix 150g plain flour with 250ml of milk, stir in 4 eggs and a pinch of salt. Let it all sit for 15 mins, covered. Bake them in a frying pan with some oil or butter, from both sides until done. :)
cinnamon and sugar - delicious idea. x
The pancake recipe I have used for decades is- 1 cup of plain flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 egg, 1 tbs of sugar, pinch of salt & enough milk to get it to the consistency you prefer. Easy peasy.
Music....I’ll recommend Wet Leg, The Beths, Thelma Plum, Maggie Rogers, Meg Mac, Sophie May, Teen Jesus & the Jean Teasers.
About the music - “I Do It for Hip Hop” by Wild Wild Women is one pf my favourite new listens lately. Plus they’re from India! And a friend recommended Pariisin Kevät, a Finnish disco(?) band, great work music.
Here’s an idea for expanding your musical horizons… I use Apple Music instead of Spotify and every month I make myself a little playlist and try to fill it with at least 8 songs that I like that are new to me. They don’t have to be new release songs! Sometimes they’re classics that I’ve never really listened to before. It’s like making myself a mix tape/ CD! I find a lot of music through movies and TV shows (I’ll Google ‘songs in episode x of xxx’). Or I’ll look up a band and explore their whole catalogue while I’m cooking dinner or folding laundry. It’s a fun little project plus I love looking back on the playlists to remind myself what I was listening to in March 2020.
PS. I like this pancake recipe: https://www.food.com/amp/recipe/chocolate-chip-pancakes-45935
Oh I like that idea. I have one big playlist that I add things to all the time, but it's for everything. I like this idea of focused little lists.
No answers (sorry) but just that Candy House by Jennifer Egan is a work of genius and you should definitely read it!
Ah, so good to hear! I read A Visit from the Good Squad years ago and really enjoyed it.
I didn’t the Candy House was half as good as Goon Squad, sorry :/ If you read it, let us know what you think! If you didn’t live a couple of continents away, you could have my copy :)))
Are you on Ravelry? I'd love to see what you're knitting...
I am and have just logged in for the first time in about 15 years to get my profile address! I see I was making granny squares back then too. https://www.ravelry.com/people/Loobylu
How on earth did you end up in Canada, I'm so curious. (Perth person myself, been in the USA for 16 years and still wondering how I got here).
It's a long story! I can summarize it as a need for adventure... and a snowball of an idea that grew faster than we expected, until we were on an aeroplane heading for a tiny Canadian island. Now I am craving another adventure, I'm just not sure what that looks like yet.
1 & 2. I’m going to link to smitten kitchen again because she just posted a pancake recipe on Instagram this week: https://smittenkitchen.com/2017/05/tall-fluffy-buttermilk-pancakes/ (it uses buttermilk but I’m wondering if the dairy+lemon juice trick might work here if you don’t have buttermilk). She’s also got some lasagna recipes! I made the mushroom version once years ago, and it was really good (and worth all the dirty pots and pans).
3. I try and keep up with new music but it can be hard! One of my favorite bands that I found over the past decade is Katie the Pest. I discovered them on a compilation album and fell in love. You can listen to samples over on Bandcamp.com: https://katiethepest.bandcamp.com/album/you-are-a-wildfire
Some other bands I’ve been listening to lately: big thief, the Beths, beach fossils, the allah-las
4. I can’t decide on the knit collar, I feel like it may have been appropriate for the time, so yay?
Oh awesome! I will buy some buttermilk this morning. According to that "Lazy Day" article, the milk / lemon juice / vinegar thing should be avoided. But I know lots of people who swear by it. Thanks for the music recs... I only know big thief so there's some good exploring there. x
seriously try the vinegar for buttermilk option before you discount it, it's great!
And now I know our 1° of separation! Ami is my friend and fellow Portlander, and I was lucky enough to be one of the Cloud 9 players in the Kickstarter video! Loving your newsletter.
I saw who I thought was you in the video!! <3
It looks like it's already public on Spotify. :)
Looks like it is already public!
1. Check out The Joy of Cooking "Buttermilk Pancakes"! It's a classic, though you need to triple the recipe. Who wants all that mess for only 8 pancakes?! (And DO try the 1 tbsp vinegar before filling milk to 1 c mark, set aside for 5 min, and you've got buttermilk — and such easy good pancakes) Someone has posted it online: https://www.joyofbaking.com/breakfast/ButtermilkPancakes.html
2. Lasagna - I got nothing. It is one of the 5 meals relagated to the Husband Guy.
3. Music - enjoying the old timey sound and twang of Valerie June lately (With You, Shakedown, Slip Slide on By)
4. Collin Farrell: Decidely, Yay! (Sorry, what was the question?)