Tunnpankakors (Swedish Thin Pancakes)

Are your Thanksgiving leftovers gone yet?  What do you have left?  For us, it always seems like the mashed potatoes are one of the last things to go, because our kids don't like them.  (I know, I know, what kid doesn't like mashed potatoes??) 

Surprisingly enough, this year we also ended up with leftover cranberry sauce, despite the two-year-old's best efforts to eat it all himself on Thanksgiving Day.  And what does this have to do with pancakes?

When Dr. S and I got married, I was introduced to a whole new world of cultures.  I obviously grew up with my family's traditions and he grew up with his, but on top of it all he was the sixth of his siblings to be married, so there were five other in-laws already!  They've all become some of my best friends, despite us living far away from each other. 

One of those darling women gave us a pan, a flipper and this recipe as a wedding gift.  In their family, this recipe graces the table for Christmas breakfast.  Traditionally, they're served with lingonberry jam.  Since lingonberries have a very similar flavor to cranberries, I decided cranberry sauce would be a fine accompaniment to the tunnepankakers.

Making them is super easy, so for me, this is the perfect time of year to make them.  Breakfast is served hot and I get to spend the rest of the day with my family.

First, just throw all the ingredients into the blender.  A few tips:  1. make sure your melted butter isn't hot enough to cook the eggs and 2. put liquid ingredients on bottom so things blend up a little more easily.

Blend until it's smooth!

Pour straight from the blender onto a hot, buttered griddle.  You only want a medium-sized puddle in the middle of the pan.

Because then you're going to lift, tip and turn that pan so the batter spreads out nice and thin.  If you don't have a circular flat pan like this, a skillet will work.  You can also cook on a large griddle, but you'll need to manually spread the batter with the back of a spoon.

When bubbles start to pop on the surface, (and the bottom is nice and golden) loosen the edges and flip.  I'm using a long, flat flipper, but you can use a regular pancake flipper or spatula!

Cook on the other side for just a minute until the bottom is golden, too.

Flip it onto a plate and stack 'em high!  (Provided you have time to make a stack before the hungry hooligans steal them all.)

Spread with your favorite fillings.  I'm using cranberry sauce here, but get creative!  Think yummy spreads:  yogurt, peanut butter, jam, or chocolate!  Then extra fillings:  chopped fruit, applesauce, granola, nuts, chocolate chips, pie filling, or ice cream!  (Dr. S wrapped up a piece of cherry pie in his first one, and decided it was so great he would try it with apple pie next.  It was apparently not disappointing.)  And finally, toppings can be as simple as a sprinkle of powdered sugar, or try:  cinnamon sugar, finely chopped nuts, chocolate shavings, berries, caramel, chocolate or berry sauce, or whipped cream. 

Sounds like a good excuse to have dessert for breakfast!

Lastly, just roll 'em up and serve.  Hot or cold, both are great.  And if you have any leftovers, they make perfect finger food.

Tunnepankakers (Swedish Thin Pancakes)

4 eggs
1 cup milk
2 T melted butter
1 T sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup flour (can use whole wheat)

Combine all ingredients in blender and mix until smooth.  Pour onto hot, buttered griddle and spread batter thin.  Cook until bubbles begin to pop and bottom is golden, then loosen edges with spatula and flip.  Cook second side until golden.  Turn onto large plate.  Serve with desired spreads, fillings or toppings.

Chicken (or Turkey!) Soup

This is about as simple and comforting as food can get.  When I was a kid, if I ever got sick enough to warrant staying in bed all day, Mama almost always fixed me chicken soup and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  That combination warms my little soul, even still today.

Besides being filling and nutritious, chicken (or turkey) soup is nice and light.  So it's easy on wary tummies, which is wonderful whether you're recovering from an illness or holiday binge-eating.  (Not that I speak from experience on that last one or anything...)

This recipe was photographed with chicken, but if you can tell the difference between that and turkey just by peeking at it floating in the broth, you should probably be writing, and not reading, this recipe!  That said, this is perfect for leftover poultry of any variety, but if you want to cook up some chicken for the purpose go ahead.  You know it will be worth it.  

Start by sauteeing some vegetables in a little oil.

When they're good and tender, (especially the onions) add cooked chicken and plenty of chicken broth.  If your chicken and broth aren't seasoned, now is the time to throw in a few spices, and some salt and pepper.

Let it simmer for awhile, at least 20-30 minutes, until the vegetables are good and soft.

Lastly, add in pasta (or rice), and cook according to package directions.  I used orzo pasta, so I just let the pot simmer for about 6-8 more minutes until the pasta was cooked.

Serve it hot, along side a couple slices of bread slathered in PB&J.

Chicken (or Turkey) Soup

2 T oil

1 onion, diced

1 cup chopped carrots (or 1 cup baby carrots)

1 cup diced celery

1 cup cooked, shredded chicken

1 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp garlic

1/4 tsp sage

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup uncooked pasta or rice

Prepare vegetables.  Saute vegetables in hot oil until onions are tender and transparent.  Stir in cooked chicken and spices.  Pour in chicken broth and simmer until carrots and celery are tender, about 20-30 minutes.  Add pasta or rice and cook according to package directions, or until desired softness.  Serve hot.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year has been a lesson in patience and gratitude for me.  Through many ups and downs, I've come to appreciate the most important things in my life--the things that truly bring me the most joy.  My wonderful and darling family, particularly my rock (a handsome rock, at that) of a husband.  Sweet friends.  And I can't ignore my faith, without which this whole lesson in patience and gratitude might have gone sour a long time ago.  I'm really looking forward to the Christmas season, when we get to turn our hearts toward the Savior.

In the meantime, the great feast fast approaches!  I'm busily cooking up things for my family, (and not you, sorry) so here's what we're having.  Next time I have a few minutes, I promise to share a few of the recipes I don't have links for yet!

Firstly, can't forget breakfast.  We have the same thing nearly every morning, and I dare not stray on Thanksgiving day.

Old Fashioned Oatmeal

Toast

Egg Nog (no, we don't have this every day)

Basic Muffins or something like it, just laid out on the table to keep the hungry wolves at bay.

And for the feast:

Roasted Turkey (although I made it this year--gasp--since Dr. S is hard at work on his dissertation.  If you're lucky I'll share my method later!)

Whole Cranberry Sauce.  My children eat this with spoons.  Literally.

Grandma's Butter Rolls.  Heaven in your mouth.

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy.  Tastes like home.

Sweet Potato Bake.  This one's just for me, since I'm the main sweet potato lover in my house.  But give it a try if you want a jump-start on dessert--it could certainly pass for it!

Sauteed Green Beans with Caramelized Onions (method a little different than what's posted)

Roasted Cauliflower

Creamed Corn

Tangerine Creamsicle Salad.  Dreamy.

And for the final (and most important) course:

click here for Simple Pie Crust how-to or

here for Grandma's Pie Crust how-to

Cherry Pie

Apple Pie or

Apple Crisp.  Another taste of home for me.

Pumpkin Pie.  Classic.  Try substituting sweetened condensed milk for the evaporated milk and sugar.  So creamy!

Lemon Pie.  Simple, yet sophisticated.

all topped with Sweetened Whipped Cream! (scroll to the bottom of the post for recipe)

What are you having?

Frugal Food: Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets

There's nothing fancy or extravagant here.  No real traditions to elaborate on.  Just the need for a quick and easy hot breakfast.

In Dr. S's family growing up, his mom set out boxes of cold cereal and instant oatmeal packets on Sunday mornings for breakfast.  It was a "help yourself" breakfast one day out of the week when much of Mom's time was taken getting other things (and children!) ready for church.

As a busy mama myself, I liked the sound of that.  We tried the cold cereal thing for awhile.  The tricky thing was, since I cook a hot breakfast on most days (yes, my family is a little spoiled) the kids didn't really want to have anything to do with cold cereal.  So then they were hungry and CRANKY at church.  Bad combination for reverence.  Also, with four kids under the age of six, cold cereal isn't usually the option that produces the least mess.

So we tried instant oatmeal packets--the ones from the store.  I kept it simple and got all maple and brown sugar so there wouldn't be any fights over flavors.  For our family, this was a great solution.  Sunday morning breakfasts became quick and easy, and our kids really love oatmeal, so their bellies were full for church.  

Since I try to pinch pennies wherever I can, I soon realized the instant oatmeal packets were not the most economical way to eat oatmeal, so I got to work making my own.  It's very simple.

Start by mixing together all the ingredients.  One of the ingredients is oat flour, which is just ground oatmeal.  I used steel cut oats in my grain mill, but you can also use a powerful blender or food processor to do small amounts (1/2 cup at a time) of rolled or quick oats.  It doesn't have to be perfect!

You can store this in an airtight container just like it is--just give it a little shake before scooping out your morning oatmeal.  In our family, part of the appeal for our kids was opening their own little packet and dumping it in the bowl.  So I went ahead and made them.  One serving is a generous 1/2 cup full.

Just dump one serving in a bag and seal.  I used snack bags, which were the perfect size.

To serve, dump out contents of the bag into a bowl.

Add 3/4 cup boiling water.

Give it a stir.

It starts to thicken after just a couple minutes, but to get it good and porridge-like, give it closer to ten.

Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets

adapted from Heavenly Homemakers

4 cups oat flour (grind quick or rolled oats 1/2 cup at a time in blender or food processor)

8 cups rolled oats

1 1/2 cups sugar (white or brown)

1/2 tsp salt

other optional mix-ins:

1 cup raisins, dried cranberries, or other dried fruit (freeze dried re-hydrates best)

1 tsp sweet spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, pumpkin pie spice--any combination)

3 cups milk powder

1 cup chocolate chips (or cinnamon, butterscotch, peanut butter, etc)

1 cup finely chopped nuts

Get creative!  But go ahead and put the mix-ins in your packets now, to keep them instant when the time comes to serve!

Combine all ingredients in large bowl and mix well.  Scoop heaping 1/2 cupfuls into snack bags and seal shut.  Alternatively, store mixture in airtight container, but shake or mix before scooping.  When ready to serve, dump contents of packet into cereal bowl.  Add 3/4 cup boiling water.  Stir.  Wait 5-10 minutes to allow oatmeal to thicken.

Apple Crisp

This tastes like home to me.  Our family adopted it from a friend of the family who spent plenty of time in my teenage years treating me like her own daughter.  She is a sweet lady, and some of the traits I try to emulate as a wife and mother come from her.  (Especially that wife part, as she has a sort of goofy hubby, and Dr. S definitely fits into the goofy scientist category.)

Anyway, during the fall Mrs. S (last name not the same) used to bring home bushels of apples from the local orchard and make this dessert as often as possible.  When I finally asked her to teach me how to make it and where the recipe came from, she said it came from a newspaper clipping of a pie recipe, and instead of going through all the effort to make a pie, she turned it upside down and dumped the crust on top.  Voila!  

This apple crisp has a delightful cinnamon-apple filling and a crunchy sugar cookie topping that really, truly, makes my mouth water just thinking about it.  It's delicious all by itself, with a tall glass of milk, or topped with some vanilla ice cream.  It's amazing when it's piping hot, and awesome served cold for breakfast the next day.  

Let's start with the crisp topping!  Combine flour and sugar together in a large bowl.  I used a food processor because I made an extra huge batch and didn't want to cut in all that butter by hand.  But normally, I would just use a bowl and a pastry blender for the butter.

After the sugar and flour are mixed, cut in the butter.  I usually chop up the (cold) butter into little cubes first to help give it a head start.  Growing up, Mama didn't have a pastry blender, so I always used the two knives crossing each other method.  But if you're into making pies and crisps and biscuits, I highly recommend investing in that pastry blender (click here to see a better explanation of using the pastry blender).

In the food processor though, I just turned it on and let the motor do the work.  

It's ready when it starts to hold together a bit...

It will be crumby and crumbly and perfect for dumping over cinnamon-coated apples.

Speaking of which, let's get those apples ready.  Granny Smith are my favorite, peeled and sliced paper-thin.  But you can use any variety of apple you choose.  During apple season there are lots of yummy kinds that taste good too, like macintosh, spartan, cortland, or whatever.  I definitely recommend something with a little tartness, and something that keeps some firmness when baked.

Slice those apples and put them in a deep baking dish.

Combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl,

And mix it up!

Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the apples,

and stir to coat.

Then comes the topping!  Spread liberally and unevenly.  It makes for a gloriously rustic spoonful of heaven.  Try to cover up all the apples so you get moist, saucy apples and not dry, chewy ones.

Bake at 425 for awhile to toast that topping before reducing the heat so the apples can cook.

Don't forget to turn down the oven though. :)

Bake until the top is golden brown and the apples are bubbly!

Apple Crisp

for the topping:

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

2/3 cup cold butter

for the filling:

5 to 6 tart apples, peeled and sliced paper thin

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

To make the topping, combine flour and sugar in large mixing bowl.  Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.  Set aside.  Peel and slice apples, then place in 8" square baking dish.  Combine cinnamon and sugar in small bowl.  Pour cinnamon sugar over apples.  Stir apples to coat.  Sprinkle topping over apples, trying not to leave any apples exposed.  Bake at 425 for 10 to 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbly.

Gramma Rosie's Saturday Night Meatless Chili (and How to Chop an Onion!)

Please excuse the ancient (and awful) photography of this post.  I promise it has no effect on the outcome of the recipe.  :)

I can't be sure about the creation of this recipe, but I have some good guesses about some of the details.  My Gramma Rosie fed five kids on primarily a teacher's salary (and work schedule), so most her recipes were simple and cheap.  Mama tells me that this chili was the star of the dinner table on most Saturday nights when she was a kid.  

I remember loving this chili so much as a kid that I always looked forward to dinner from the moment I first smelled it simmering on the stove.  Traditionally our family serves it with shredded cheddar and saltines, so don't be shy about adding a little somethin' to make it extra yummy.  

One disclaimer:  Dr. S isn't a huge fan of this particular recipe.  It's got a little too much tomato for his taste.  But being a few steps up from dumping the chili straight out of a can, I think I'll take it.  

This post includes pictures and instructions for meatless chili, however, feel free to brown some ground beef in the pot before adding in the chopped onion.  The meat-lovers (and tomato haters) in your house will like it better that way!

I always pick nice big onions.  They're cheap and they add plenty of flavor.

To begin chopping, cut off the top and bottom.

Then slice into the skin,

 and peel it off.

Give it (and your knife and cutting board/plate) a rinse.

Cut it in half from top to bottom.

Then make horizontal slices from one side of each half to the other.  If you finish at this step, you've julienned the onion.

To finish chopping, turn the onion 90 degrees and slice the other way.

Pour into a large, hot pot, where a couple tablespoons of oil preheated while you chopped.

Saute until beginning to become brown and caramelized.

Next stir in diced tomatoes.  Let them simmer for a minute and absorb some flavor.

Then lots of beans!  These beans are already cooked, so you'll need to make your own ahead of time (crock pot method here) or open a couple of cans.  

Last come the seasonings, for plenty of extra flavor!

And finally the soupy, saucy extras.  Gramma (and Mama!) always use condensed tomato soup, but you can certainly use tomato sauce if you prefer.  The condensed soup does add a bit of flavor and thickener, so just remember that if you decide to change the recipe.

The last step is to just simmer for an hour or two on low heat, stirring occasionally.  This works great in a crock pot!

Gramma Rosie's Saturday Night Chili

1 lb. ground beef (optional)

2 T oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 cups diced tomatoes (2 small or 1 large can)

3 cups beans, cooked (2 small or 1 large can, drained and rinsed)

1 T chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 1/2 cups condensed tomato soup or tomato sauce (1 small can)

water, to desired consistency

shredded cheddar and saltine crackers, for serving

If using the meat, brown in large stock pot and season with spices.  Add oil (if needed) and onion and saute until onion begins to brown and caramelize.  Add remaining ingredients and stir well.  Heat to boiling, then reduce heat to low and simmer 1 to 2 hours, or until thick and delicious.  Serve hot, topped with shredded cheese and crushed saltines.  Pour leftovers over baked potatoes or cooked spaghetti; or dump into the bottom of a casserole dish, top with cornbread batter and bake.