German Pancakes

This treasure is not only easy to make but tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen!  I was given this recipe by one of my German neighbors while living in Deutschhof, Germany.  She would serve it with the buttermilk recipe below, fresh fruit, or orange marmalade.  Anyway you choose to serve it, I know it will soon be one of your favorite "go to" recipes! 

German Pancakes with Buttermilk Sauce- serves 8

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon good vanilla
• Dash of cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Buttermilk Syrup

• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup buttermilk*
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• Confectioners' sugar

*If you don’t have buttermilk, measure out ¾ cup of regular milk and add 1 tablespoon vinegar. Let set for 5 minutes before adding to saucepan

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

• In a blender, combine the first 7 ingredients; cover and process until smooth.
• Pour the melted butter into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish; add the batter. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20 minutes.
• While pancake is baking, in a small saucepan, combine the first five syrup ingredients; bring to a boil. Boil for 7 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Dust pancake with confectioners' sugar; serve immediately with the syrup. Yield: 8 servings (about 2 cups syrup).

A Taste of Childhood

Do you relate certain foods to fantastic childhood memories?  For years I've searched and searched for an "official" waffelbackerei set (In the US we know them as rosette irons).  I've found some sets called Rosette Irons but they were made from aluminum or some other metal I don't want to cook with due to medical studies.  Alas, the original ones were made from cast iron but were impossible to find. 

My problem was recently solved!  While browsing www.shopgoodwill.com I came across an original Waffelbackerei set and I WON!  (For those of you not familiar with this amazing site, not only can you find great deals but your money helps put people to work!) 

So, now that my new waffelbackerei set is in the mail, I am surfing the web to find a tried and true recipe.  I've asked my mom for her recipe, and while she has promised she would look, it is gardening season and her time is limited. So, I'm reaching out to my faithful readers.....Do you have a great Rosette receipe?  If so, send it to me and I'll publish it with your credit (if you like). 

I cannot wait to make these for my grandchildren!

Decadent Chocolate Pudding

In our effort to eat healthier (almost, but not quite, vegetarian) I scoured the recipes on Dr. Oz's website.  One day I happened upon this recipe, and being a lover of avocados, I knew that this would be great!  I wasn't disappointed.  If you are a lover of chocolate, you will LOVE this recipe.  I found it quite rich and would lessen the amount of chocolate next time. 

Decadent Chocolate "Fix"    
Ingredients
6 dates
1/2 avocado
4 tbsp high quality cocoa
1-2 tsp water (optional)

Directions
Place all ingredients in a food processor and purée until smooth. Add 1-2 tsp of water if mixture is not blending.

Recipe courtesy of Kate Geagan, MS, RD

Low-Country Boil

I apologize for the sabatical from blogging but sometime during the night Illness crept into my room and took hold.  After rounds of antibiotics, I'm finally starting to feel better!  Besides the antibiotics, this wonderful dish helped me in regaining my strength.  Not only is it quick to prepare and can be served on newspapers for little clean up, it tastes AMAZING!

Whether it is called Frogmore stew, LowCountry Boil, or simply Country Boil, this LowCountry South Carolina staple is a favorite! 

Low-Country Boil
Ingredients

• Old Bay Seasoning-to taste (I use about 1/4 cup)
• 2 pounds new potatoes- cut in quarters if larger, halves if small
• 1-1/4 (16 ounce) packages cooked turkey kielbasa sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 9 pack frozen corn halves
• 1-1/2 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
• water or chicken broth (I prefer chicken broth diluted with some water)

Heat a large pot of water over medium-high heat. Add Old Bay Seasoning to taste, and bring to a boil. Add potatoes, and sausage, and cook for about 10-15 minutes. Add the corn and sausage; cook for another 10 minutes, then add the shrimp when everything else is almost done, and cook for another 3 or 4 minutes.               
Drain off the water, and pour the contents out.  Pour back into pot and pour melted butter over top and stir. Now it is ready to serve!  Choose a bowl or pour directly onto the table covered with newspaper. Bon Appetit, Ya'll!