Whole Grain Blueberry Pancakes

I had written on of my best blog posts for this recipe, come back to edit it, and lost it all to the wilds of the Internet. 

Now I'm sitting here, trying to figure out what to do. I might be able to remember it all, but it won't be as good. It was heartfelt, telling the story of my dear friend whose family lost everything in a fire a few weeks ago. It talked about my memories of the house, the 1,000 Christmas cookies we baked one year (at once an awesome show of Christmas spirit, and horrifying event) and how the material possessions are gone but the memories will always remain. Blueberry pancakes are her favorite, and the last thing we ate in her house together.

At first when I saw the post was gone, I was angry- the words had flowed easily, the post was neatly wrapped up in four paragraphs. I've never had a strong creative streak for one thing or another, but when I realized I regretted losing this one, I realized how what this blog means to me. It combines my love of cooking and experimenting with the reason I do it- to share with people. And, FINE Internet, life or whatever caused me to loose this, lesson learned . Sometimes the memories are the most dear- so make them count.

I do remember the most important line however: I will make these for her in my house, and hold her hand to let her know that memories remain and she is loved. 

Whole Grain Blueberry Pancakes

Serves 6

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour 


2 tablespoons ground flax seed- optional

1 teaspoon baking powder


1/2 teaspoon baking soda


1/3 cup granulated sugar


1/2 teaspoon salt


2 1/4 cups buttermilk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten


2 tablespoons butter, melted (melt in the pan skillet you are going to use)

1. Combine the flour, flax seed, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.

2. Add the buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter. Stir all the ingredients until they are just combined. Batter will be lumpy, you don't want to over mix.

3. Heat the skillet to medium-hot and brush it with a bit of butter. Temperature is very important here- too hot and they will burn, too cold and they won't look right.

4. Pour about 1/3 of a cup of batter into the skillet. Sprinkle a handful of blueberries over the top- don't add to the batter as they will break up and turn it grey.

5. Wait until bubbles start to form around the edges and the center of the pancake, then flip with a spatula and cook the other side until golden and cooked through. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Macarons

Ya'll.

Look at what I did.

Well, with plenty of certified help.

My Christmas present from Nic and Mr. J was to attend a macaron class January 17th, given by the lovely macaron guru, Helen of Tartelette. And boy howdy it was awesome.  Macarons are something I seen making waves around the foodie blogs, and I think they're beautiful.  But I've never A. made them or B. even eaten them.  So this class was going to be all new to me.

And let me tell you, it was quite the learning experience, wrapped up with snacks, champagne, plenty of other Atlanta bloggers of all varieties (even one from Raleigh!) and soaking up any tips, tricks and blog hints I could.  This was all part of the Sugar Coma weekend, as put on by The Broke Socialite, Atlanta's guide to fabulous. Being in the company of such talented women made me think about the serious duty I have to this blog.  I also got the scoop on what it's like to be a famous blogger (and many of you are, though you deny it), creep and mean fans, and the best commentary I've heard on Hoarders to date.

The star of the day were our hosts, Atl's Running with Tweezers Tami, Tartelette's Helen, and Anatomy of a Dinner Party's Patti.  I also met so many wonderful Atlanta bloggers, the Blissful Glutton, Bakerella, Hopeless Foodie, the Frugal Hostess, ATL_Events, Ultra Foodie who all taught me so much. I don't have many pictures from that day, as my pictures didn't turn out so well. My little point and shoot had some serious camera envy when everyone else whipped out their amazing machines.

My first macaron experience, with traditional almond flavored shells and chocolate ganache filling was...incredible.  Light, crunchy cookies with meringue-y insides and truffle like centers. Oh baby. Macarons have kind of a bad rap for being temperamental and difficult, but after Helen's directions, tips and tricks I know I can make these again easily.  And when I do, then I will definitely share it with you.

Here's one for the road.

Girl Crush

I have a non-secret girl crush. I don't know when it started, and I don't care. Its not secret because I share it with everyone. Probably too much. Its that je ne sais quoi style, creative talent, her bangs for crying out loud. I may not know what it started with, but I do know what cemented it was 500 Days of Summer, and this video. So without further ado, I present:

This might be true love. (or a great Christmas present! )

Texas Recap

This is actually from 2005...but you get the idea

And so I returned. I felt like Odysseus in the Odyssey, vaguely. After 11 months away from the great state of Texas, it was time to head back for Thanksgiving. For a week I ate, cooked, napped, looked at home construction sites, and heard stories from the farm.

Thanksgiving's Cranberry Compost from my Aunt Karen Crocker

Across the highway from my parent's neighborhood

This is that that fence contains. A herd of buffalo. And just beyond the hump is the second part of the herd, a camel. As a gift of a Sheik to the man who owns these buffalo and land, Ross Perot Jr.

This is a true story.

Soon enough both Nic and I will return for Christmas festivities. Stayed tuned for more Texas adventures.

Once in a Blue Moon

Come New Year's Eve 2010 not only will we have to figure out what we going to call the upcoming year [Twenty ten? Two thousand ten? The horror.], but also what to do with the extra full moon on our hands.

Source

A rare astronomical event, curiously named a Blue Moon, will occur that evening, featuring the second full moon of the month of December. And guess which national beer brand is taking advantage of this phenomenon? That's right, Blue Moon Brewing Co. has released a special Grand Cru [read: more Belgian-y, more price-y] in celebration, and is sponsoring entertaining ideas on Chow.com.

As a marketer myself, I have to say this may be the most brilliant beverage promotion to grace this decade. I mean, it's only once in a blue moon an opportunity like this comes along.

Whisking Away: Slapsgiving in CA

The past two years we pulled off the ultimate coup d'etat by convincing both my family and Chris' family come to our place for Thanksgiving. Rather than trying to split our time flying half way across the country or all the way across the country, they both showed up at our doorstep and I could cook my happy little non-traditional meal. Sleep in my own bed. Avoid suburbia.

But this year, we're headed to California to see the reason Chris' best man was absent from our wedding last month.

I think we've found a superior alternative to Butterball.

Instead of getting the extremely-recently-married-Thanksgiving-travel-pass, we're off to the OC to meet our nephew and teach him how to pronounce Aunt [distinctly different from the picnic-ravaging insect in my opinion]. And there will surely be serious lobbying for Thanksgiving ATL 2010.

So in the spirit of spending the holiday with your new and interesting collection of friends and family, may you discover the true meaning of Slapsgiving.