Dutch Baby Recipe--YUM!

Thanks to a high school classmate (Thanks, Tamara!), I learned what a "Dutch Baby" is today. It was a huge hit for our "breakfast for dinner." I just had to pass this on. It was so easy too.

The only thing I changed about this recipe is that I added vanilla for some more flavor. I also used a sifter and covered it with powdered sugar ;)

Enjoy!





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How to Make Delicious Big Dutch Baby Pancakes
By hauglund, eHow User

Friends shared this recipe with our family many years ago and we still enjoy this easy and delicious pancake recipe. Different from most pancakes because it is baked like a cake, rather than on a griddle.

Enjoy for breakfast or brunch with your favorite syrup and/or fruits.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions
things you'll need:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups of milk
1 1/2 cups of flour
9 x 13 cake pan
large mixing bowl

1. Gather ingredients. With oven rack in middle position, set oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

2. Cut butter into several small pieces and spread over bottom of cake pan. Put pan into oven in order to melt the butter. It is not necessary that the oven be completely pre-heated.

3. While butter is melting, combine the eggs, milk and flour thoroughly in the mixing bowl.

4. When butter is just melted, remove cake pan from oven. Immediately pour the egg, milk and flour mixture directly into the melted butter in the pan.

5. Place pan with butter and mixture immediately into the oven. Bake for approximately 25-28 minutes. Pancake will rise very high while baking, usually above the edge of the pan. Remove from oven when pancake has risen and reaches a golden brown.

6. Cut and serve with favorite syrup and/or fruits.

Tips & Warnings:
While the pancake rises very high in the oven, it is normal that it will deflate somewhat once removed from the oven.
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Monday Mingle for 3/28/11

Good morning! What a quick weekend. I have coffee in hand, and it's Monday Mingle time. This week's questions are:

1.What's your favorite song right now?
2. How good are you at using coupons at the grocery store?
3. Do you have a smartphone? What are your top 3 apps/games?

No way! I recorded my first vlog, but am getting an error msg when trying to load....I need to scoot to work, so I have to mess with that later...so.. Here are this weeks answers:

1. Fav song that comes to mind (I love music so it was hard to choose!) was "Just Wanna Say" by Israel Houghton. It's great to listen to in the car with kids. Love it! There's a video on You Tube if you want to check it out.

2. Not great at coupons---need to be better! I love a great deal, but I recently started working full time and haven't been able to carve out the time to clip coupons and plan like I need to.

3. Yes, I do have a smartphone. Love Sneezies (music is so calming--ha ha!). With family out of state and a great friend 2 hours away, it's been fun to have a couple of interactive games like Words Free and We Bowl. It's kind of like hanging out virtually :)

See you next week! Go to http://www.eightymphmom.com/ to join!

Dance Like No One is Watching

Our daughter is new to soccer. She's a bit afraid of the ball (and it didn't help that she got whacked in the face with the ball during last weekend's game...impressive bloody nose followed). As her team practiced before this morning's game, I noticed that her mind wasn't completely on soccer, but boy was she a happy girl. She was definitely dancing like no one was watching. It was beautiful.

The video is taken from too far away (iphone on the sidelines). I wish I could see her face while she danced, but you can definitely see the joy.

Oy with the Paint Cans Already!

We love our new home. It's surrounded by pine trees and wildlife and it's in a community of neighbors who want to know each other. After living in the Dallas area for years, the kids don't know what it's like to freely take the dog for a walk by themselves or jump on their bikes and go to the park. Here they can do all that & it's such freedom for them!

The one bugger about this home is that it has been a rental home for years and there's a lot to clean up around here in the yard etc. Literally dozens and dozens of old paint cans were left in the garage. I counted 62 of them...not counting the 2 or 3 that are cemented to the shelves because the paint leaked at some point. Those guys aren't going anywhere.

The only way to get rid of these paint cans is to air dry the paint that is still in them and haul them to the neighborhood dumpster. We lined them up in the sun last weekend and are hoping our neighbor doesn't mind the sight for awhile. Some of these cans are dated 1999 and are practically full...come on, Sun, do your work.

Simple Pleasures...the art of finding the millions of things to be thankful for...

My boss has a Kuerig coffee maker next to his desk. He also has a collection of flavors to choose from...Italian Blend, French Roast, Chai Latte, English Breakfast etc all displayed on this metal tree. I made my first cup today. It was an Italian Blend day. As I left his office with my fresh cup of coffee, in my favorite mug from my Mom, I rounded the turn in the hallway to my desk that's located right next to my husband's. As I sat down, I soaked up the images of my kids that I keep on my desk....these "simple pleasures" a.k.a "profound blessings" swirled around me.

There have been seasons when it's been much harder to identify those blessings, but looking back, they were there. Thank you, Lord, for surrounding us with your goodness every day. Your blessings are all around us~may our eyes be wide open to see them.

Monday Mingle Questions 3.21.11

I've joined a group called "Monday Mingle" hosted by www.eightymphmom.com. I'm learning from scratch how to blog/vlog/link/add buttons...and I'm not doing that great at it....which explains why I'm writing my Monday Mingle answers and not vlogging them (huge sigh--shaking fist in the air). Anyways, I'm believing I'll understand the details more by next Monday....here goes:

Questions for this week:

1. What would you do for fun if you had to give up TV & internet?

Honestly, somedays I would LOVE to not have electronics. I think my family would read more, play more board games, be outside more....I think it would be fantastic. All that said, our family members are all out-of-state, so the internet is such a lifeline to stay connected. I could do without TV, but I'm thankful for the internet.

2. What is your favorite breed of dog?

We have a schnoodle (schnauzer/poodle) and she's so sweet, so I really do like the poodle mixes. I think my favorite dog is the labradoodle. The ones I've seen are so big and happy and fluffy...so cute!

3. What is under your bed?

Two large, flat storage containers that house our wrapping paper, gift bags, crepe paper etc. I don't know why, but it's just evolved that way to keep the wrapping supplies there. I'm sure there is also I random sock and probably an empty plastic cup (I always have leftover water glasses by my bed--which I frequently knock over)

I'm glad to join the Monday Mingle community! I hope you all have a great start to your week!

OUCH!

I noticed this tree last week. The way the tree had enveloped that barbed wire looked painful to me. It must have taken a long time for this to occur. Honestly, it made me think of our lives...I wonder how often the "barbs" of life become absorbed into our lives, now undetected, instead of being cut away in time? I guess the barbs could be unforgiveness or remaining in a state of discontent or ungratefulness or even sin. What have we allowed into our lives that we've enveloped and are now numb to? May our eyes be opened to what may still need to be "cut away" so we can be the whole and healed child of God that He wants us to be.

Thinking on all of this reminds me of one of my favorite scriptures:

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14

A New Name

This is Abby's first pet (Abby is 6) and yes, we went with a fish. After numerous geckos, small rats from the pet store, hamsters, turtles and dogs through the years, we (meaning "I") needed a very low-maintenance pet. Abby named it "Goldie". Twice this fish has been at that place where it was floating on it's side, gasping for oxygen. His fish-life seemed to be ending. Both times it has happened we were about to change its water and when we would, that lil guy would tip over, float and gasp in the new water for a few hours and twice he's "come back to life."

Abby has changed his name to "Lazarus". Just like Jesus' good friend who was called back to life at Jesus' word, this little fish has returned to life--not quite from fish-death, but to a 6 year old it's just as significant. Swim on, Lazarus. You've been a great example to our Abby (and to me).

Chased by Cows and Other Joys of our New Life

We are such suburbanites and we recently moved to a more rural area. I think I'm a country girl at heart, as I soak up the experiences of living in a small town. A few things that have made me grin during the first few months here:

*Going on a walk and learning that waving at each person who drives past is the rule
*I'm learning the names of the women who work at the check-outs at the grocery store
*I'm on a first-name basis with the owner of the local BBQ restaurant
*I can tell you where to buy the best home-made pies
*I now know how to hose-down and brush a horse

The first month we moved here, I met a dear friend who has worked with horses her whole life. I was always the suburban girl who hung horse posters and calendars in her room, but never had any real-life experience with the beautiful creatures. I've learned so much from Jess and her family and have loved being around them on their ranch. They all wear boots because they work all day in them, not just because they look good, their goat likes to hang out on the porch, They go fishing instead of watching TV, and they patiently train and care for their horses. It's a life I've never been exposed to before---I. Love. It.

Today my girls and I went to visit them again. Jess wanted to take us to a further part of the property, so we loaded in their van, her daughter opened the gate, and we drove across the pasture. We turned and looked out the back window of the van to see 5 cows running and chasing the van. What joy to hear my daughters' laughter as they leaned over their seats and watched the small herd keeping close to the vehicle. We stopped at a dusty riding arena, where the kids got out and had it all to themselves. They ran in circles, whooping and hollering, while my friend and I sat on a barrel that had been laid on its side and talked.....I love, love, love the simple pleasures of this new life. Perhaps in time I'll own a pair of boots myself.