MR. KITTY COMES FOR TEA

Hi everyone,

How is your week going so far? Mine has gone really well so far.

My sweet friend over at Red Pine Mountain sent me these latte bowls. She had them up as a giveaway. Not that many people entered. Too bad for them, but very happy lucky for me :) :) These bowls are from a company called Anthropologie. Aren't they just the cutest? Plus, they are very vintage chic.

THE GREEN LATTE BOWL WITH ALL MY OTHER TREASURES, EVEN MY STUFFED PINK CAT NAMED MR. KITTY :) :)

I decided to have coffee today. I made my own version of a "Depression" (as in Depression Era) mocha latte coffee.  My little stuffed pink cat, Mr. Kitty, decided he wanted to drop by for some tea, too :) :)

If you remember, Mr. Kitty is the stuffed pink kitty cat that I made when I was just a mere five years old. I cut out the fabric, decorated it, stuffed it, sewed it together. Mr. Kitty and I go way back :) :) He's my precious toy from childhood. His eyes look a bit strange, like they burn with the fires of Mordor (remember the movies Lord of the Rings? )...but I was only five years old :) :) Anyways, I think Mr. Kitty fits in just nicely with everything today :) :)

My sewing box always looks like that, too. It seems like I can't make up my mind what to do with it. So I pile it with memories that make me smile :) :) Gifts, treasures, antiques.....:)

 THIS IS MY CHACULT CHINA TEACUP WITH MATCHING SAUCER. IF YOU LOOK REALLY CAREFULLY, YOU 'LL NOTICE THE PALE GREEN LEAVES MATCH PERFECTLY WITH THE GREEN LATTE BOWL.

Mr. Kitty loves to be color coordinated with his tea things, so  he chose the pink floral teacup today. I think it is a really nice compliment to the green latte bowl, too.

THIS IS ACTUALLY WHERE I ENJOYED MY "DEPRESSION ERA" MOCHA THIS MORNING.  THE PINK FLORAL FABRIC IN THE BACKGROUND IS ACTUALLY A BAG THAT I USE WHEN I'M GROCERY SHOPPING AT THE STORE OR THE FARMER'S MARKET.

Normally, I would sit at the table. However, my table is FULL of craft stuff and other things. So I sat in my dad's recliner and set the mocha on my wooden bench.  It was great :) :) I watched a little bit of tv while enjoying my coffee.  I'll post the "recipe" at the end of this post today :) It's really easy. It was just a matter of using what I already had in the kitchen :)

THE COFFEE TIN AND THE GREEN HOT PAD WERE FOUND AT A GARAGE SALE RECENTLY. THE COFFEE TIN WAS JUST $0.25 CENTS. THE HOTPAD WAS FREE. THAT IS THE BEST KIND OF DEAL.

I have to watch my money, which means I cannot shop at yardsales/garage sales as often as I would like to.  However, I had to purchase that little coffee tin because it was only a quarter . I thought it would make a cute container for sewing supplies. What do you think? What would you use it for?
The hot pad is great. I like this style in particular, because it's like a mitt without covering up your whole hand. I have another one like it that has a coffee theme on it. The green hotpad has a picture of a barn. In one of my magazines, there's a project that takes hotpads like this and extra fabric. You use the extra fabric to cover the hotpad. So  you make it prettier, more vintage chic AND you have recycled an item all at the same time :) :)

You can also see some of my Gooseberry Patch cookbooks and a glass latch/hook jar. I've been using a lot of recipes out of those cookbooks lately. So they are always nearby. The glass jar was purchased at my church's yard sale for  $1. I love jars like this and Mason jars, too. I LOVE Mason jars. So this will make a really pretty storage container for something really cute someday :) :)

MY RECIPE FOR DEPRESSION ERA MOCHA LATTE COFFEE:

*1 packet of instant coffee
*1 packet of cocoa mix
*some milk, however much you like
*boiling water
* sugar - to taste

Set some water to boil. While that is coming to boil, mix all the other ingredients together in a nice latte bowl ( or cup).  The order of ingredients doesn't matter, since it's all going to mix with the boiling water, anyway :)

Once the water has come to a boil, turn off the heat. Add boiling water and stir until everything is well blended. 

Make sure to drink this in a really cute latte bowl or mug. It's a guarantee that it will taste better :) :) In any case, this tasted really, really good :) :)  I added just a bit of granulated white sugar to help sweeten it up a bit. It turned out surprisingly well.  It was really cheap, too, because I just had to buy the milk. Everything else I already had at home :) :)

I'd love to hear some of your "Depression Era" tips and recipes.  Most of us have relatives who lived through the Great Depression of the 1930s. Economic times were tough here in the States and around the world.  I know it's not that bad now, however, it's important to be wise with what we've been given . So  I made up this recipe , because it was cheap and met a need. In this case, my need for a good cup of coffee :) :) :)

Oh, welcome to all the new followers. I definitely notice all of you. Welcome, welcome to my blog ;) :) You make my heart very happy. Feel free to sit a spell and visit ;) :)

One last thing, you have probably heard about the devastating tornadoes in Joplin, Missouri. The town has been virtually decimated/wiped out...even  important facilities like hospitals and fire stations.   Please pray for the people there. Pray for the weather. It's a difficult time for them right now. There are so many prayer needs. Right now pray for the people who are on the ground doing the daily task of trying to help the people there. There's so much to be done.  They really need our prayers and support!!  It is a difficult thing to see the images on the news. It's a very insecure world that we live in. However, God is the one sure thing in a world of uncertainties. In the midst of all this, there is hope we can cling too :) :)  Thanks, folks :) :)

That's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs, Heather :)

AVOCADO ICE CREAM

Hi everyone, I seem to be on an experimental-cooking frenzy lately.  That's okay. It is been well worth it, and very tasty too. As many of you many know, I subscribe to MaryJane's Farm magazine.  This magazine, and all other things related to MaryJane's Farm is lots of fun. I'm even a member of the Farmgirl Sisterhood. My member number is #2176 to be exact.  In any case, the June/July issue of MaryJanesFarm magazine arrived in my mailbox a few days ago. A I was "oohing and ahing"  over all the great recipes, craft projects etc, I stumbled upon this fabulous recipe. It's for avocado ice cream. yes, you heard me right, avocado ice cream. I've never eaten avocadoes before, so this was something I absolutely had to try. Mine turned out like this:

THIS IS MY VERY FIRST BATCH OF AVOCADO ICE CREAM. I DIDN'T HAVE A FOOD PROCESSOR. SO I HAD TO TRY AND PUREE IT MY HAND USING  A FORK AND A POTATO MASHER. IT DIDN'T WORK OUT TERRIBLY WELL. MY ICE CREAM WAS MORE LIKE AVOCADO CHIP. HOWEVER, IN SPITE OF THAT, IT STILL TASTED VERY, VERY HEAVENLY .

Here is the recipe, if you'd like to try it for yourself. It tastes like the best lemon ice cream, even though it has avocado in it. You do not taste the avocado at all.  It makes about three cups of ice cream:

Ingredients:
* 1 large avocado, peeled and diced
* 1 cup half-and-half
* 2/3 cup powdered sugar
*1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
* 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

First, combine ALL the ingredients in a blender. Puree until it is completely smooth.

Second, pour the mixture into a 2-quart baking dish.

Third,  cover and freeze it till firm, about four hours. (my freezer it took much longer than that, so you  may have to freeze it overnight)

Fourth, before serving, let stand at room te mperature for 15 minutes. Use an ice-cream or watermelon scoop to serve. The magazine suggests topping it with fresh fruit or mango salsa.

That's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs, Heather :)

"MOM'S MILD CHILI" FROM GOOSEBERRY PATCH

Hi everyone,
Oh, goodness, I'm really loving my Gooseberry Patch cookbook "Dinner$ on a Dime". It's just packed FULL of economical and super tasty recipes. Here's another one that I made the other day.

THIS IS THE  RECIPE FOR "MOM'S MILD CHILI" SUBMITTED BY JOYCE ROSSBACH OF TROY, MI.
YOU CAN FIND THIS IN  THE GOOSEBERRY PATCH COOKBOOK "DINNER$ ON A DIME".

I love chili. I mean, I really love to eat chili. It's just plain good comfort food. As far as I'm concerned, it's also very good for you. So when I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it.  It's easy :) :) Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
* 1 lb. ground beef chuck
* 1 Tbsp. dried, minced onion
*10-3/4 oz. can tomato soup
* 2/3  cup water
* 16 oz . can red beans
* 1- 1/4 oz. pkg. mild chili seasoning mix

In a skillet over medium heat, brown the beef with the onion; drain.

Stire in remaining ingredients; reduce heat to low.

Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Make 4 servings

HEATHER THE WEATHER'S NOTES ON COOKING IN THE KITCHEN:

This recipe is a hands-down WINNER :) :) :) This is just exactly how chili should taste  --- absolutely yummy :) :)

I did make some changes, because I'm making economical and tasty recipes while using up what I have already in the kitchen.  I didn't have minced onion. However, there was a nice little jar of onion powder in my pantry. So that's what I used instead of the minced onion. 

Also, I added some sugar to the recipe to counteract the sometimes sharp taste of tomatoes. It's actually a tip at the bottom of the recipe. So it's worth your money to buy the cookbook. I'm the kind of girl who likes her chili spicy, but also with a little bit of sweet.  It turned out so GOOD.

I'm making this again tonight. My father and I were at the grocery store earlier this morning. We got a one pound chub of ground beef for just $1.99 a pound. That's a steal of a deal, for sure. So I've had a hankering for this chili ever since the last time  I made it ;) :) :)

I also added some nacho blend cheese mix, because I do love cheese, too.  Now to figure out how to make a giant pot of this chili :) :) :)

Thank you so much to Gooseberry Patch for letting me share this recipe. I was not paid for this review. I am happily sharing  products and companies that I LOVE with you :) :) This is a company that combines cuteness/beauty with the very practical need for good things to cook and eat :) :)

Oh, there are lots of prayer requests. If you could pray for a family at my church. The husband, our church's worship leader, had back surgery today. Pray that everything goes well and he can make a full, complete, and speedy recovery. He has a lovely wife and two super cute kids :) :) :)  Pray for lots of things including that God will meet and exceed all the needs that will come up for this family, practical and otherwise. :) :) :)

That's the news from Oregon today . Love and hugs, Heather

SPEEDY STROGANOFF & OTHER INTERESTING THINGS :) :) :)

Hi everyone,

How are you all? Did you all recover from the Blogger blackout the other day?  I was starting to go through some blogging withdrawls. Everything is back up and running, so this post will be a little longer than usual.

First, here's a lovely lilac for you  :) :) The smell is lovely.

 THIS LILAC BUSH IS EASILY OVER 7 FEET TALL. IT LOOKS MORE LIKE A TREE, IF YOU ASK ME.  WHEN IT FIRST STARTED SHOWING BLOOMS, THEY WERE A DEEP PURPLE. EVENTUALLY THEY TURNED TO THIS LOVELY PALE  PURPLE COLOR.

Okay, I am just loving my Gooseberry  patch cookbooks. I have three of them so far. It is a very small, but very mighty collection. The one book I've been cooking A LOT out of recently is Gooseberry Patch's cookbook "Dinner$ on a Dime". You can click here and go to their website, if you want some more info.  

Oh, just so everyone knows, I am not getting paid for this. I'm happily sharing this information with you because I love this company and their product :) :) :)  I paid for the cookbook myself, because I really wanted a copy  :) :)

I REALLY ENJOY BEEF STROGANOFF. THIS IS THE PICTURE FROM THE THIRD TIME I MADE THIS. THE FIRST TWO TIMES, I FORGOT TO TAKE A PHOTO TILL AFTER I HAD ALREADY EATEN THE FOOD :) :) :)

My father and I are really making an effort to cook all our meals at home. Not only is it better for you, it also saves a lot of money versus eating out or buying pre -packaged foods. 

This particular day I decided to make the  Gooseberry Patch recipe for Speedy Stroganoff.  You can find it on page 7 of the Gooseberry Patch Cookbook "Dinner$ on a Dime".  

 SPEEDY STROGANOFF
(submitted by Connie Ferrell of Blanchester, OH )

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef 
1 onion, diced
2 tsp. paprika (  I left this out, since I'm not a paprika fan)
1 tsp. salt 
1/2 tsp. pepper
10  3/4 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
16 oz. container of sour cream
Cooked egg noodles

  In a skillet over medium heat, brown beef and onion; drain.  Add paprika (in my opinion, optional :), salt and pepper, stirring thoroughly.

Reduce heat to medium-low.

Blend in the mushroom soup and heat through.

Stir in sour cream. Serve over cooke noodles.

Serves 4

MY NOTES: I did change a couple of things in the  recipe based on preference and making sure to use what was on hand. I don't like paprika. I'm not a spice snob, it's just a taste that I prefer less over other spices.  The stroganoff sauce works great without it, too.  

Also the first time I made it, my father helped me. He forgot about the egg noodles, and he grabbed spaghetti instead. Well, it works  :) :) It's pasta :) :) :) It still tasted fabulous :) :) :) The second and third time we used spiral pasta.

You could also use another ground meat, if you don't eat beef.

This recipe is really super easy and very inexpensive. The meat was the most expensive item. That I purchased on special at the store. So depending on what's on sale, that might influence what you use :) :) I highly recommend this cookbook. Next time, I'll share the easy chili recipe. Oh, goodness, I was in chili heaven :) :) :)

In other news, here are  few things that I thought you might  get a tickle out of:

 HERE ARE SOME VINTAGE ITEMS I THOUGH YOU'D ENJOY.  I AM ALWAYS FINDING SOMETHING TO FEED MY LOVE OF ALL THINGS VINTAGE CHIC.

 The tin on the right is a real old-school Saltine crackers TIN. Yes, folks, you heard right, I said TIN . I found it at a yard sale for $1. It's practical and oh so cute. I'm thinking if the folks at the saltine cracker company started packaging their crackers in tins, they'd sell more crackers. My father and I are sort of "passionately discussing" who gets to keep this.

Oh, the soda bottles. Do those bring back memories. My local Fred Meyer store has an entire section of classic sodas.  So my father and I bought these three. He remembers  Bubble Up from his childhood. My dad's a father, so he thought "Dad's rootbeer" was cute, because it technically has  "his name" on it ;) :) The one in the middle, I've never had a sarsparilla soda.  So I had to try it. What are some classics that you love?

THE POSTAL SERVICE HERE IN OREGON IS HAVING A "STAMP OUT HUNGER" FOOD DRIVE TODAY. THEY ARE COLLECTING BAGS OF FOOD TO HELP FEED THE HUNGRY HERE IN OREGON. WE HAVE AN UNUSUALLY HIGH NUMBER OF HUNGRY PEOPLE.   

 It was really neat driving through town today, because almost everywhere I looked I saw white and yellow bags handing from mailboxes, sitting on sidewalks or on top of mailboxes. Every bag filled with non-perishable foods to help those who really need it.  It really is a beautiful sight :) :) :) 

HERE ARE SOME FLOWERS TO SEND YOU ON YOUR WAY TODAY. I THINK THESE ARE JUST GORGEOUS. THE PETALS HAVE RUFFLES. THIS PARTICULAR FLOWER GROWS EVERYWHERE HERE IN SOUTHERN OREGON. IT ALSO COMES IN MANY DIFFERENT COLORS. 

There are so many different color varieties of this particular flower.  Aren't they just gorgeous? I think I'd like to have these everywhere  . 

 Let's see. Here are some things I want to share with you later this weekend:
*More Gooseberry Patch recipes
*a recipe for avocado ice cream (intrigued? You'll have to stay tuned for that one)
*Plus two cute little yard sale finds. One for a quarter and the other FREE.

I hope all of you have a fabulous weekend.   Go visit a local farmer's market.  Make a craft project or whatever else makes your heart glad :) :) That's the news from Oregon today. Extra special love and hugs, Heather :)

BLOGGER IS BACK

Hi all,
Blogger is back. However, my post from the other day is missing. I'm hoping it will be back soon!!! 
Oh, ladies, I love it when I meet new friends. I just met a lovely lady named Cheryl over at Blue Sky Farm. She's also a MaryJane's Farmgirl Sisterhood member, too. Click here if you'd like to visit her super  cute blog. Say hello and let her know that I sent you :) :) It turns out, we follow many of the same blogs :) :)

Okay, it's time to eat late breakfast. I did laundry this morning. There was a bee just chillin' on the window of the  apartment complex laundry room. Fortunately it left me alone. Good thing, because I almost brought the Windex back to take care of the bee.

Hope you are all having a lovely, blessed Friday. That's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs, Heather :)

YOWZA!! SO COOL (AN UPDATE)

QUICK UPDATE (6:04 p.m. PST)
The Beyond Organic Insider opportunity is only available in the USA at this time. I verified it by leaving a question on their Facebook page.  So I just wanted to make sure everyone knew that :) :) Thanks :) :)

Hi everyone,

Wow, this is so cool. I see that four of you have signed up for the Beyond Organic Insider. That's so cool. I was TOTALLY SURPRISED...shocked, to be truthful. What a blessing.  This is yours to do with what you want. I'm so thankful for this opportunity. Pray that I'll glorify God in all that do, including this. Pray for me, that God will give me wisdom to make good decisions. So I just had to get that out there.

Here are a couple of pics I took to day. My father and I celebrated getting over a major hurdle..paying a bunch of bills. Bills always seem to congregate all together..so we got coffee and soda. On the way home, I spotted what I thought was a  tree with some awfully pink leaves. On closer inspection, it was a tree with pink flowers. This was in front of a business. Some of the employees saw me and thought I was weird. Whatever. I didn't care. I got my pretty photos ;) :)

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL TREE WITH PRETTY PINK FLOWERS.

 HERE IS A CLOSER LOOK AT SOME OF THE FLOWERS.

It looks like some of the blooms are starting to fade on the ends. Or maybe that's the nature of this particular flower. It's not quite clear. However, I think we can all agree that is a lovely shade of pink.

I hope you are all having a beautiful Wednesday :) :) Thanks for visiting me and following my blog :) :) That's the news from Oregon today, Heather :) :) :)

HEALTHY LIVING AND A NEW OPPORTUNITY

Hi everyone,
I was going to share my recipes for easy chili and beef stroganoff today. Nope. I'll put that off till tomorrow :) :) Both of them are recipes that I found in my Gooseberry Patch cookbook called "Dinners on a Dime" It's a great cookbook for me right now.

 THIS IS A SNOWBALL BUSH THAT I SAW NEAR THE OFFICE AT MY APARTMENT COMPLEX.  I'LL POST ANOTHER PHOTO AT THE END OF THIS BLOG POST.







I spotted this snowball bush when I was going to the apartment manager's office. My father had to copy some documents  he needs in order to get financial assistance with our electric bill.  Our landlady is really nice and helped him out.  While there, I saw this lovely bush. The maintenance guys, Bob and Tim , said it's called a  "snowball bush". It does look like floral snowballs, right?

Okay, so back to the topic at hand. As most of you probably know, I'm really working on being healthier, eating healthier etc. I have inflammatory bowel disease, specifically ulcerative proctitis. So one day I came across a book called "The Maker's Diet" by Jordan Rubin. Actually, my father purchased it at our local Christian bookstore. Who knows why at the time. Although, I think God knew why. About 13 years ago, Jordan Rubin was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. Through a process of changing his eating habits, he was able to reverse that and has been in re mission since that time. So I thought, "Wow, if this helped him. It can surely help me." That's the short version of it.

He's written quite a few books. He also has a health foods product company called Garden of Life. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, he has a new healthy foods company called Beyond Organic. What he's doing to provide beyond organic healthy foods at a reasonable price is amazing. I just love, love, love his philosphy on healthy eating and living. In fact, he and his wife have a ranch in Missouri where they're raising beyond organic cattle etc.

In any case, my friend over at The Maker's Diet Mom told me about a neat opportunity that Jordan Rubin was offering to people for free. His new company, Beyond Organic Insider is launching in October 2011. However, right now, he's offering a chance for people to sign up for FREE if they want to learn  more about  healthy living, having access to really good food at good prices, helping others etc. There's no obligation. It's completely free right now.

So it's definitely something that is perfect for me  and right up my alley. So I joined. I'm nervous and excited. It's a good nervous and excited.  Here's the link if you'd like to join for free right now. I did ask my friend if I can sign up just for myself and she said yes. So that was also perfect for me. Jordan Rubin will be on TBN's  "Praise the Lord" program tomorrow talking about this. You'll have to check your local listings or the internet to find out if it's available in your area

Friends, I'm so excited about this because I want to live healthier. Also, it's been a real good thing for me in this season of unemployment. It's a bright spot. So from that perspective, I'm really looking forward to what opportunities this will open up. Be in prayer about it. I'd love to have you join. I think this is going to be a neat  thing. However, I want it to be something you feel God is leading you to do. It is for me. Whether you sign up or not, is perfectly OKAY :) :) I just want to let you all know what I'm up to today :)  So here's the link again, if you'd like to join for free. Click here for the link.

THIS IS A PHOTO OF THE SNOWBALL BLOOMS UP CLOSE. IT REALLY DOES LOOK LIKE ITS NAME, DOESN'T IT?

That's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs, Heather :)

p.s. I'm not sure if this opportunity is available outside of the USA or not. I'll find out as soon as I can.

CREPES ARE MY NEW FAVORITE TASTY AND CHEAP EAT !!!

Hi everyone,
Okay, so I finally made it back into the kitchen to make crepes. I got the recipe out of the Fred Meyer "Naturally Preferred" magazine. It's a free publication that is located in the natural foods section of my Fred Meyer store. It comes out once a month. It's chock full of healthy information etc. So I really enjoy this little freebie. Plus, when I scanned the pages and saw the crepe recipe, I knew I had to make some.  The  recipe was changed just slightly because I only wanted to use what I had on hand. Here's how it went.

FIRST ADD A 1/2 (HALF) CUP OF ALL-PURPOSE FLOWER.

 I still had a nearly full bag of Bob's Red Mill flour, so I used that. You can tell from the photo what type of flower I used.  I personally don't think it matters in this case. Although, it's literally been YEARS since I made crepes. If you make them often, please feel free to share your tips for yummy crepes.

NEXT, ADD 1/2 (HALF) TEASPOON OF GROUND NUTMEG.

Why nutmeg? That is a total mystery to me.  I will say it added a very nice subtle spicy note to the crepes. So feel free to include it or leave it out. I'm sure there's some sort of health benefit to nutmeg :) 

Also, I used a literal "tea spoon" to measure out the nutmeg and the salt. I don't have measuring spoons, so I had to eyeball it. It's more fun that way, anyway. Besides, if it worked for the pioneers, than it will work for me, too :) :) :)

ALSO ADD 1/4 (ONE QUARTER) TEASPOON OF SALT.

Sea salt is what I had on hand. I don't even remember why I bought this particular brand. It was probably the best value when I was at the grocery store. Sea salt is "saltier" then regular salt? That's how it is, right? In any case, I personally love sea salt :) :)

Okay, so now that you have those first three inredients, mix them together in a medium-size bowl. I didn't post a photo of that because  it didn't look very interesting. Once you've mixed those three ingredients in a bowl, grab another bowl and add these two items together:

IN ANOTHER SMALL BOWL, MIX TOGETHER 1 CUP OF MILK AND  TWO LARGE EGGS.

Now in the original recipe it called for fat-free milk. NOPE!!! I like whole milk. Or as we now call it in my  home "chubby milk".  Again, I think it's a matter of preference. However, I do think everything tastes better with chubby milk :) :)

Also, the eggs should be "lightly beaten". I'm not exactly sure what that means. It just means don't mix those eggs, like you're in a race to the finish line.

GRADUALLY STIR IN THE EGG & MILK INTO THE FLOUR MIXTURE UNTIL YOU ACHIEVE "BATTER" :) :) IT SHOULD LOOK SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

I didn't think to use a different color bowl. So it's hard to see what the batter really looks like. Those darker bits are the nutmeg.  The batter should be a bit runny. It will make great crepes.
The recipe said to let the batter sit for 15 minutes.  Although, you could let it sit longer. I had a recipe given to me by a real Frenchman years ago. In that recipe, it said to let the mix sit for 2 hours. That's really up to you. Oh, I can't find that recipe, so that's another reason why I tried this one today.

 I didn't have a non-stick skillet. Since I'm using what I have on a hand, my yardsale steel frying pan would have to work. So that's what I used.  I turned the heat to a hair below medium, to give the  pan a chance to warm up without overheating or burning what I was about to cook :)

I USED JUST ENOUGH COCONUT OIL TO COAT THE SURFACE OF THE PAN.

Coconut oil is great to cook with. In addition to smelling really good in the jar, it burns very CLEAN in the pan. It doesn't brown, so it's perfect for cooking on medium heat.  There are a lot of benefits to using coconut oil. So I've read, anyway. I'll try and post a really nice article I found about that later this week.  Coconut oil is expensive. However, you only need a minimal amount. So that's what I went with. Besides that, butter is spendy and I have to save that for other recipes :) :)  I didn't use a spray because I didn't feel comfortable doing that near a hot stove.
So I added a little bit of coconut oil before adding about 1/4 cup of crepe batter. I repeated that process for every crepe. Also note, that when I did that, I removed the pan from the heat. There's no reason in particular for doing that. It's just what I felt should be done :)
Oh, how did the crepes turn out? Really yummy. The first crepe turned out really ugly and three -dimensional:

THE FIRST CREPE WAS NOT PRETTY. HOWEVER, THE TASTE WAS NOT AFFECTED ONE TINY BIT. IT STILL TASTED DELICIOUS. 

 This is one that I made using the coconut oil to grease the pan. Oh, next time I'm going to add oil to the recipe itself. I think that will be easier and use less oil. What do you think? Also, my crepes turned out browner than what I remember. However, I think that was due to the fact that I was using a steel skillet.  What has been your experience using different cooking utensils?

After you add the coconut oil to the pan, add about 1/4 cup of crepe batter. Let it cook and set for about 1 and a half minutes. Flip it over and let it cook on the other side for about 25 seconds. This worked great. Although, even here, you can alter that according to your needs. You'll know, after a few, when it's set and ready to be turned over.

THESE WERE ALL OF MY CREPES, MINUS THE UGLY FIRST CREPE. THIS RECIPE MADE 7 CREPES FOR ME.

I did switch to butter for the last half of the crepes. It didn't make one bit of difference, other than a slightly saltier taste.  

Those are my crepes. They turned out great. You can fill them with sweet or savory fillings. Today my dad and I ate them plain. They were so good. Next time, I'll make a bigger batch. It would be nice to have some for the freezer.

Here's the original recipe as it appeared in the Fred Meyer "Naturally Preferred" magazine for May 2011. 

CREPES
(from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook - Wiley, 2011)

Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup fat-free milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1. Whisk together flour, nu tmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat together m ilk and eggs in a small bowl. Whisk m ilk misture into flour misture until smooth. Let stand 15 minutes.

2. Spray an 8-inch nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles in pan. re-stir batter: pour scant 1/4 cup of batter into skillet, tiltingh pan to coat bottom completely. Cook until top is set and underside is golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes.

3. With spatula, loosen edge of crepe and turn over. Cook until second s ide is loightly browned, about 25 seconds.  Slide crepe onto plate. Repeat with remaining batter, lightly spraying skillet before adding more batter, making a total of 8 crepes.

 So there's that particular recipe. I'll definitely be making more crepes later this week, and trying a different recipe.  They were so good...and I only wish I'd made more, because now I'm dependent on crepes :) :)

That's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs, Heather :)

CREPES IN MY FUTURE

Hi everyone,
Wow, when I actually looked at my blog and noticed I hadn't written since April 21st...what??????? That's not good. Well, I am making crepes today. I only have a steel pan to work with. So wish me luck, everyone. I'll be taking photos and reporting back how they turned out. I know the first few always turn out weird-looking, but still taste great :) :)

That's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs, Heather :)