lemon poppy seed glory

sometimes you just need a lazy saturday morning. and sometimes that lazy saturday morning just needs to include brunch. and sometimes that brunch needs to be something spectacular and unique...like lemon poppy seed pancakes.

so, get out...

2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/3 c. sugar
pinch of salt
1/3 c. poppy seeds
zest of 4 lemons
2 c. buttermilk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. melted butter, plus some for greasing the pan and serving
strawberries, raspberries, and sugar for topping

then...

combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt in a large bowl. mix the buttermilk, eggs, butter, lemon zest and poppy seeds in another bowl. add the wet to the dry and stir all ingredients, but don't overmix.

heat pan over medium-hot and brush it with a bit of butter. pour about 1/3 c. of batter into the pan. wait until the pancake bottom is deep golden in color, then flip with a spatula and cook the other side until golden and cooked through. while your pancakes are cooking, place strawberries and raspberries in a sauce pan and sprinkle with sugar. warm over low heat until the sugar and fruit juices turn syryp-y. pour over pancakes and EAT. [find the original recipe here]

[and then do the dishes later]

aren't these adorable?

ever heard of chilean lemon pears? i hadn't. i was picking out some nectarines at the grocery store and in the corner of the nectarine/plum/peach display (is display even the right word? you know what i'm talking about) was a little bunch of chilean lemon pears. adorable.

pears and lemons make great looking babies, but honestly, they taste a little weird. they have the texture of papa pear, but the zing of mama lemon. my sour/spicy/tart-loving husband enjoyed them. i guess you need the right taste buds to appreciate them. i just liked looking at them in the fruit bowl.

(oops. this one snuck in. it still works under this post title, right?)

homemade holiday: chai tea concentrate

remember this photo from my homemade body scrub post?

things got a little out of hand after that post and i made about a million of them...

because they are just so cute. what's a girl to do? well, this girl had to figure out a way to use all of these newly-chalkboard-labeled mason jars. 

hello homemade chai tea concentrate! fav holiday bev for sure.

what you need:

1 quart mason jar
4 1/2 c. water
8 bags orange pekoe black tea
1/2 c. coconut sugar, date sugar or raw cane sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
3-inch section of fresh ginger, cut into pieces
10 whole cloves
8 cardamom pods
1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
2 whole star anise pods
1/2 tsp. whole black peppercorns
1 tsp. fresh orange zest
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. of vanilla extract
1 small 6″ square section of cheesecloth
kitchen twine

what you do:

remove any tags from the tea bags and tie them all together. prepare the spices (cinnamon sticks, ginger, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, anise, peppercorns, and orange zest) by laying them out on the cheesecloth square. pull up the edges of the cheesecloth and tie them shut to make a pouch.  in a saucepan, boil water and sugar over medium heat. once boiling, reduce to simmer and add the tea bag bunch and the spice pouch. simmer for 20 minutes, then remove the bags and pouch. add honey and vanilla extract and stir until dissolved.  allow the mixture to cool completely, then pour into your mason jar.  keep refrigerated and use within one week.  to use, mix one part chai with one part milk and serve warm or iced--both are so tasty!

i tripled this recipe because i had quite a few jars to fill...

 

healthy eats : baked oatmeal

some days i really enjoy cooking. i like knowing what goes into my food and where it comes from. i also like to experiment with new recipes and revamp old ones. so here's an old baked oatmeal recipe revamped and health-ified. it's great for warming your soul in the cold months, and providing some nutrients while you're hibernating.

b a k e d o a t m e a l

3 c. quick-cooking oats (old wessex ltd. makes whole grain, high fiber quick-cooking oats and 5-grain cereal)
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c. fat-free milk (or soy milk)
1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. vegetable oil

a combination of any of the following fruits:
3/4 c. chopped peeled tart apple, 1/2 c. blueberries, 1/2 c. cranberries, 1/2 c. peaches, 1/2 c. raspberries or blackberries

in a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. combine the eggs, milk, and apple sauce; and add to the dry ingredients. stir in your fruit combination (the more fruit the better, so get creative!). pour into an 8-in. square baking dish coated with cooking spray. bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. serve warm with milk.

happy (late) love day!