Four Grain Flapjacks

B.daddy and I are pancake connoisseurs.  We will not revisit a brunch cafe unless their pancakes make us moan.  (Although, with three kids and a mortgage we don't revisit brunch cafes as much as we used to. *sigh*)  We love pancakes.  A lot.  So I am constantly searching for the perfect recipe.  Perfect pancakes are more difficult than you'd think.  Especially since most people have differing opinions about what makes a pancake perfect.

For B.daddy, he basically wants a pancake to be light, fluffy, and slightly sweet.  I agree, but I sometimes want pure, white flour pancakes with a tiny bit of crisp at the edges.  Sometimes I want a seasonal pancake with pumpkin and spice or blueberries and oatmeal.  Most of the time I want a hearty pancake that I know makes my insides and my family's insides healthier and stronger, and one that keeps my kids fuller longer.

I have finally found the perfect pancake recipe to fulfill my most practical desire.  Four Grain Flapjacks.  I found it in the "Joy of Cooking" and the only thing I change is I double it, and freeze all the leftovers for easy mornings.  I made these for a Girls Only sleepover Li'l Bit had this Summer.  Sweet, serious L.W. said, "Can you please give my mom this recipe?!"  My husband and kids always love these pancakes.  They are light and fluffy in texture and easy on the tongue.  The addition of cinnamon and nutmeg can warm your soul on cold, winter mornings.  But the best thing of all: all the whole grains! These guys are healthy and yummy. 

Without further ado, I give you... 

Four Grain Flapjacks

~Makes 18 pancakes; doubled makes 3 dozen plus a few. 

1 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

(1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, optional)

(1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, optional)

~Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.

1 3/4 cups milk

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup honey

3 eggs

~Combine wet ingredients in separate bowl.

~Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir till mixed w/ lumps.  Cook on griddle or skillet. (I have to set my griddle on 300 degrees so the whole wheat doesn't burn before they're ready to flip.  Every griddle is different, so keep a close eye on your pancakes until you find the right temp.)  

~Butter, syrup--yes, those are verbs--and enjoy!

 

P.S. Whole grain pancakes were always a great take-along snack for my little toddlers.  Very little crumbage in the car seat, and tummy satisfying.

The Girl's Got A Plan

Li'l Bit just asked me if she's ever going to get married, or if she'll stay single all her life.  She has voiced desires in the past to stay single.  Resisting the urge to keep pushing her in that direction until she's finished grad school, I said, "Well, that depends on two things: what the Lord has planned for you, and what you really want in your heart."
What followed was true, Li'l Bit monologue:
"Yeah, I'll definitely get married.  There are just so many handsome men around me...."
--Note the "men" in her life are between the ages of 7 and 10.--
"I can't stay single with all these handsome men around.  I'll pick the strongest and most handsome."
Thoughtful pause, rubbing the top of her hand.
"I wonder if I'll marry one with light skin or dark skin."
Giggling at her own question.
"I'm colorblind when it comes to skin.  No, I can tell the color.  I just don't care.  As long as he's strong and handsome. I'll marry the most strong and handsome."

I didn't bother going into character and integrity.  She's got B.daddy in her life.  I don't think we'll ever have to tell her what sort of man to look for.  She'll just know.

Almost There

We are getting closer and closer to completing the living room!  Last weekend B.daddy did the very last of the Man Work, and I bought the perfect red and the perfect white on Monday.  The kids and I were zonked after spending the day at co-op an hour north of home.  Going to Lowe's with three tired kids-and a poor version of myself-is NEVER on my list of things to do.  But I. Could. Not. Wait!!

The last three days have been nothing but lessons and painting.  My house is an absolute wreck and our clean laundry--I did manage to wash it--is getting good and wrinkly in huge IKEA bags in the dining room.  But what's new about that, right?

We chose to paint the trim and chair rail down with the red.  It is the most historically accurate way to paint an interior from the early 19th century.  I knew I was taking a chance on how I would really feel about the look.  I don't want our house to be too niche-y.  It turns out I love it!  Following historical guidelines just makes this house sing!  

Being consistent with this project's pattern, we're adding just one more thing.  We're going to paint the floor.  Again, painting the floor is historically accurate.  Rugs were an absolute luxury for the most elite.  So the not-so-elite colonials used paint to protect their wood and give the decorative effect of a rug, and you can see the evidence of that on our floors.  But you can also see the evidence of a careless paint job that obviously took place right before they covered the beautiful wide, soft white pine boards with carpet.  May God have mercy on their souls.

We intended to leave the floors alone until we can get them all refinished.  But as the rest of the living room started looking so wonderful, I knew we couldn't leave the floor as is.  B.daddy has worked SO hard in there, and you can tell.  Everything looks perfect!  The floors left alone would ruin the whole effect of the rest of the room.  

I pitched the idea of painting the floor, assuming B.daddy would scoff.  See, I offered that we'd do no more than give it a good mopping before painting. B.daddy does not do things half-way.  I assumed he wouldn't want to paint until we could completely sand and clean the surface--something we cannot do right now.  However, he loves the idea and he loves the color I want to use.  So we're going for it!

This is the color we're going for.  It's called Sea Mist Green.  It's such a soft green it's almost gray.  It's B.daddy's favorite antique colonial color, and I think it will look absolutely amazing against our red and white.

Surprisingly the Historical Society of New England recommends that owners of historical homes NOT sand before painting a floor.  Leaving the original paint patterns to show through the new coat is the way it's always been done, so it's a more accurate way to bring out the historical bones of a home.

So instead of finishing our painting tomorrow and moving back in, we're adding another week on the project.  But it will be so worth it!  Can't wait to post the after photos!