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Sunday, July 29, 2012

Sunday morning

Good thing my husband and I are both foodies. Good thing we also like to exercise. Our passions for both keep a good balance on our health, happiness, and of course our waistlines.

Why is this important? Because, my friends, Saturday was a food extravaganza. As many of them are...

 After a 50 minute training bike ride, I woke up Jared with the smell of cornmeal pancakes cooking on the skillet.


Let me announce that my favorite fruit stand is open again. Allred Orchards on Univeristy Avenue sells in season fruit that is always perfectly ripe and juicy. We bought 1/2 peck of peaches the size of softballs for $5. They were so ready to eat that naturally we did so right away. I love when the sticky warm juices run down your cheeks and dribble off the end of your chin.

In the same parking lot, an elderly man from Harward Farms had set up camp: a few bushel baskets of vegetables and a wagon full of melons. We bought onions, corn, cantaloupe, zucchini, and yellow squash. I should have bought the cucumbers too, but I thought that the one we had from Costco was still good. No luck there unfortunately. Those plastic wrappers don't do a good job of keep the cukes fresh, just keeping the runny juices from getting all over your fridge.

Our big purchase of the day was a 6 quart enameled cast iron dutch oven. I cannot wait to use it! It is a beautiful cranberry color and huge. I think we will have to make more bread tonight just to try it out :)


We also discovered Winco. A grocery store rather far from our home, but cheaper enough than the ones nearby that I will definitely be going there again. The store is set up somewhat similar to a warehouse, but since you do not have to buy everything in bulk, like at Costoc or Sam's club, it is a much better option for family of two. They do have large and diverse selection of "buy the weigh" items, including rice, noodles, beans, baking goods, candy, nuts and trail mix and spices. This section is probably my favorite thing about this store, since I love experimenting with ingredients, but naturally, I don't always want to buy a large amount of certain things, like split peas for example, if I am just using it once for a particular recipe. 

Cornmeal Pancakes with Berry Syrup

adapted from "The Pioneer Woman"

 Ingredients

Pancakes
  • 1-1/2 cup (scant) All-purpose Flour
  • 1-1/2 cup Heaping Yellow Cornmeal
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 3 Tablespoons Baking Powder
  • 4 Tablespoons Sugar
  • 2-1/4 cups Skim Milk (more If Needed)
  • 2 whole Large Eggs
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla

Berry Syrup
  • 1 pint frozen berries
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Water
  • 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch

Preparation Instructions

Mix together flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a bowl. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, mix milk, eggs, and vanilla. Pour into the dry ingredients, stirring gently.
Set batter aside. If batter is overly thick, splash in a small amount of milk.
In a saucepan, combine blackberries, sugar, and water. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 5 minutes on low. Stir in cornstarch, then continue cooking, using a whisk to stir frequently. Remove from heat when it's nice and thick.
Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. When heated, drop 1/4 cup batter per pancake and cook until golden brown on both sides. Remove from skillet and serve hot with butter, berry syrup and maple syrup, if your preferences head that way.

 

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