Blitz Pancakes.... Don't mistake for Blintz

Some of my favorite recipes are from my childhood. Some things just can't be changed and some things will always remain perfect. My comfort foods if you may.

I remember eating these a lot growing up. When my siblings would come into town, as we all became adults... my mom would always make these. She would pull out some freezer jam she had made in the summer, and we would all patiently await them as she cooked them. They are wonderful.

They are nothing like a pancake. They do not become light and fluffy. That is a plus in my book since I absolutely hate pancakes with my whole being. They soak up the syrup and are like little sponges. Makes me want to scrape my tongue on cement. EWWWWWW... BUT THESE, are a little bit of heaven. Each bite.

They are somewhat like a crepe, but they are thicker and have more flavor. My family loves them as well.

I need to say, my Aunt Becky gave this recipe to my mom. They were best friends for many years, and then they lost contact. I recently found her daughters through facebook, and found out that Aunt Becky had died. She was hit by a car in a parking lot at her job and she died. My heart hurt for her daughters and to know I didn't find them in time to say hello and good bye just one last time. Aunt Becky was a great cook and had a great smile and liked to laugh. She and my mom met through some sewing conference or something like that when I was in kindergarten. We shared holidays together and I used to go to their house in the summer now and again. I really liked her, and her family and I am blessed to be reunited with her daughters.

So, enjoy these breakfast goodies and raise your glass of milk and salute my Aunt Becky....


Blitz Pancakes....

1 c. flour
1 T. sugar
3/4 t. salt
1 c. sour cream
1 c. small curd cottage cheese
4 eggs well beaten


Mix all the ingredients and cook on a griddle, or in fry pan sprayed with nonstick oil. These are very moist...and yummy, but...make sure that the bottom side has set up before you flip them. Great to eat with jam and jelly, or fresh fruit and whipped cream.

Bacon Fried Rice

I have two daughters that love rice. Their dad actually makes the best fried rice out of anyone I know. Mine is never as good as his, although I don't get it quite there. I was amazed at the ease of making fried rice, as, well... I hadn't cooked it before I met him. He likes to cook it on a Friday or Saturday morning, and then he will get up and cook some over easy eggs on the following morning and place it upon the rice he made the previous night. This is what his mom did for him as he grew up and now he likes to do it for his kids. Our son loves this as well... but my girls... if it has rice in it, they love it.....

You can use any kind of meat you want with fried rice really... ham, chicken, spam... well to you spam is not a meat but to many people I know from Hawaii... it is. GRIN... ono grinds. It is a diverse dish where some put in peas... cubed carrots, etc. I put in shoestring carrots from time to time but not a lot of time. Peas... we don't... but not that I am against it. I use pretty much what I have on hand.

So... for us... bacon is the way we like it.

Bacon fried rice

Prepare enough rice that you would like to use. I am told it is very important that you rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Put it in a bowl... cover with water, and then swish it around... empty water... add fresh water... swish it around... empty. Do this as many times as needed to have the water run clean. It rinses the starch off... and I have been told by my Japanese mother in law... and many, many Hawaiian friends that this is very important. Cover the rice with water to about an inch over the rice. I use a rice cooker. I had never heard of a rice cooker before I met their dad. I swear by them. I am not sure what I did before I had one... so good.... It is best to cook the rice in the morning or the night before and let cool and keep cold until time to use. I am not sure why... but again... that is what they have told me and it has turned out great every time.

When ready to prepare the rice.... in a large skillet place...

1 pkg hickory smoked or plain bacon. (You wouldn't want maple... )
1 large sliced onion
1 zucchini sliced
1 handful of shoestring carrots

Saute until you are satisfied with the readiness of the bacon.
Add:
Sliced mushrooms (we love mushrooms so we use a whole package of them (fresh, not canned)

stir until everything looks done to your liking. Turn burner onto a medium or low setting so this won't burn at this point.

Add rice by the cupful... one cup at a time and cook after each addition to make sure it doesn't clump...

add soy sauce...

This is totally by taste... don't start out with a lot. Start out very sparingly as soy sauce is very salty as well as the bacon. Add some, stir, add some stir... until your liking.

Move all the rice towards the middle from one side to give you some room for scrambling your eggs. I use about 6 eggs. I just crack them into the pan and just stir them until they are scrambled and fluffy or in chunks. I then fold them into the rest of the rice. Add pepper to taste.

Garnish with sliced green onions.

This is a fun and easy dish. If you make this... be sure to make enough for left overs the following morning. Cook an egg over easy and eat on top of a bed of heated up friend rice.... pure heaven.

Polynesian Breakfast

I am adding this onto a great blog called Don't Waste Your Homemaking (party 21). Check it out and stop by to see a lot of people sharing blogs there. Also check out her button on my side.

This is a dish that my whole family loves. It could be made in a more inexpensive way, but, they love the meat in it, so that is what they get. It is a good and hearty dinner that is filling. I hope you try it, as everyone that I have fed it to love it. Enjoy... This makes enough for about 8 people. We like left overs...

2 boneless pork chops
2 chicken breasts
olive oil
1 top sirloin steak
3 Tbls chopped garlic
2 medium sized onions sliced
3 red potatoes cubed
1 zucchini cut into ring sized pieces
6 large mushrooms sliced, stems included
6 eggs scrambled set aside
4 pkg top ramen noodles crushed in the package
1/2 c soy sauce
3 Tbls worcestershire sauce
5 green onions chopped

Scramble your eggs and set aside.

In large skillet, cook your pork chops and chicken, which should all be cubed, along with the onions, and red potatoes. I fry in olive oil, just a couple of Tbls. worth. These are the items that take the longest to cook. When they start to get closer to being cooked, add in the zucchini, and cubed up pieces of steak. Cook for about 3 minutes... not long at all. Now add the crushed up ramen noodles and their spice packets, along with the mushrooms. Don't add water. You want these like stir fry and not like soup or soggy noodles. Keep stiring for a few minutes. Add about 1/4 cup of water, the worsestershire and soy sauce. Put a lid on the pan and let cook for 5 minutes. keep stirring until the noodles are done. Add in the eggs at this point. When ready to serve add the green onions for garnish. This dish is similar to a lo mein.

Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker... Southwestern Crepes

As per my previous post, you can see I do scour food blogs. One blog that caught my attention from day one is Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker. I love foodie blogs of course, but hers has so much more to it.... life stories... do it yourself articles, and it just has a homey feel to it. She likes a lot of the same food I do by the looks of things. Sooooooo.... when I saw this recipe... I had to change my whole breakfast menu for my upcoming girls weekend. It looked THAT GOOD to me.

Well I made her recipe, but I did half just the way she wrote and half, I put extra sugar and cinnamon on the top layer... for my son Taylor. He is autistic and he has a thing with textures sometimes and I wanted something a little crisper on the outside. Now you wonder I am sure, why I didn't take a photo of both textures... the one just like hers, and the special one for Taylor. Quite simply... since it was a half batch... and there were three of us eating it... it was gone in no time flat... and all I had left were Taylor's... so as Gilly from Saturday Night Live would say... SORRY....

First... here is her site and the recipe for southwestern crepes. You will love it over there as much as I do. She is a super sweet lady too. Her recipes are to die for. I have many on my list to try. I just had to do this one as soon as I saw it though as it looked so good and we have girls weekend coming up this weekend. Yeah. I will be topping these with whipping cream as well just so our butts grow a little bit more. What are girls weekends for?

Second... try this recipe.... super easy and so very good.

Third, I am not giving you the recipe here... you need to go to her site to see it... and browse there. LOL! You will be glad you did.

Ham, Swiss and Asparagus Strada...

My job has me so very busy trying to figure out some sort of sleeping schedule. It is difficult. Anyhow... I have tons of things to post that I have been cooking but I struggle to find the time to post them. I keep thinking they will give me two days off in a row so I can find time... yet... that is not happening. So for now, let me add this one with the promise of adding more later on. I am actually coming on as I have a few recipes in mind for our 4th of July celebration with the neighbors. Both Taylor and Amanda are coming, and Spence too obviously. It is always a great turn out and great company with the neighbors. I will try to do some of the cooking tomorrow for it since I work tons of days straight now.

Anyhow... for now... going to let this recipe rock your world.

4 english muffins torn into pieces I used sour dough
2 cups cubed ham
2 cups fresh asparagus cooked and in bite size pieces
(I put mine in in the oven at 450 for 20 minutes are so with salt and pepper on them sprayed with a little olive oil and fresh garlic)
4 oz swiss cheese slices torn into bite size pieces...
1/2 of a medium size onion diced
4 eggs beaten
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cup milk

cook asparagus and set to the side.

In 8x8 pyrex dish, place half of the english muffins. Layer with onion, ham, asparagus and cheese. I put cheese on last.

In bowl, beat eggs with the sour cream and the milk. Pour over the layered dish. Top with remaining enlish muffins. Push the english muffins down in the pan a bit to make sure they absorb some of the egg mixture. Let sit over night, covered in the fridge. Bake at 325 for 65 to 75 minutes or until thermometer reaches 170. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. A nice light dinner for the summer... or a great breakfast or lunch. This is similar to a quich. I have also made this with adding mushrooms to it and also zucchini and broccoli flowerettes.

Enjoy...

Raisin Bran Muffins (3 week muffins)

Today is wet and gloomy. Oh yah! I am from Oregon where we don't tan, we rust!!! Some days when it is rainy I want a comfort food. One of the reasons my butt refuses to stop growing. With that being said... I wanted to make Carlie some muffins today for when she returns from preschool. I also will want to make a plate for Amanda's apartment and some to take over to Taylor... so we use the batter up right away although it makes up four dozen pretty much. I wonder, do they have as much fun getting little surprise treats as much as I have making and planning them for them? I doubt it!!! That is ok though... I like doing it anyhow.

These muffins are great tasting! No kidding!!! Who knew I would reach an age where I would want to talk about bran cereal? (ps... the doctors love when we eat bran... it is a fiber... GRIN... ;) ) So the great thing about these is that you can make them and keep the batter up to three weeks in the fridge. That is great! Nothing like one coming out of the oven when a slab of butter drenched on it... ( reason number two for my butt growing!) Anyhow.... this is made with all staple foods pretty much. So you don't have to run to google, for those that are like me on measurements, a quart is 4 cups. I also don't buy buttermilk... I make my own... you know... milk with lemon juice... it will turn into buttermilk just like that!!!! These will make about four dozen. I use my demarl muffin tray so no oil or spraying... they pop right out...

Before I post this recipe... I must tell you... I have watched three episodes of baby story today. I am a basketcase! I can't let my daughter know or she will surely not let me in the delivery room with her come September... so this is just between us!!!! I will bring some of these muffins to tempt her or bribe her though...

On to the muffins...

Raisin Bran Muffins

15 oz. raisin bran cereal
1 c. oil
3 c. sugar
5 c. flour
5 t. baking soda
4 eggs
2 t. salt
1 quart buttermilk


Mix all ingredients. It makes a huge batch. This can be stored as a batter in the refridgerator for up to 3 weeks. You can make one muffin at a time, or a dozen, it is up to you. Bake at 400* for 20 minutes

Enjoy... and know these are addicting!