Feeling Cheesy (Cottage Cheese Pancake Recipe)

Pancakes - what's not to love?

Tasty? Check

Easy? Check

Customizable? Check

Good for batch cooking? Check

Kids love them? Check

Easy to hide healthy ingredients? Check

Portable for an "on the go" option? Check

Okay. Okay.  Clearly, I have a thing with pancakes.

A few years ago, I saw a recipe in my facebook newsfeed that I thought was worth a try - Cottage Cheese Pancakes.  Using only a 1/2 cup of flour in the recipe, it is low-carb friendly.  It is also a great high protein recipe if you have a bunch of eggs on hand.  With 12 laying hens, that fits us.

This is the link to the original recipe at The Fountain Avenue Kitchen: http://fountainavenuekitchen.com/kathleens-cottage-pancakes/.

Cottage Cheese/Protein Pancakes)

Recipe Notes:   I always double the recipe for our large family.  I use my mini-chopper to blend my cottage cheese.  I have found that fat content in the cottage cheese does not affect the final product. I usually increase my cottage cheese to use a full two cup container. If you don't have quite enough cottage cheese, in my experience, you can sub in sour cream, although you may need to increase the flour content to adjust consistency.  I do NOT add the salt since the cottage cheese I purchase (Daisy brand) contains salt. Rice flour or a gluten free flour blend can be subbed in for regular flour.  I have NOT tried whole wheat flour for fear the pancakes would be "heavy." Any leftovers are usually eaten within 24 hours - we like these a lot. See my adjusted recipe below.

Ingredients Our Way:
12 Eggs, beaten
4 cups cottage cheese, smoothed in mini chopper or blender
1 cup flour, more if needed
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Our new 3.5 cup chopper

Cook like normal pancakes - greased griddle, hot enough that a drop of water will sizzle on it, drop pancakes to desired size (I keep ours small and use a 1/4 cup scoop to pour.), cook until golden brown on bottom, flip with non-stick spatula when bubbles begin to appear on top and pop (Wash spatula if raw batter gets on it during flips.), cook until golden brown on other side, serve.  Be careful to let pancakes cool appropriately so mouths aren't burned, especially eager, little mouths.

Farm fresh eggs

Serving Suggestions:  You CAN eat these plain or with the traditional syrup or honey or with flavored cream cheese - that's how my kids and husband like them - BUT MY favorite way is to layer the pancakes with plain cream cheese; fresh, sliced strawberries (or blueberrries); and a light sprinkling of powdered sugar.  You can also go with plain cream cheese and bacon if cholesterol is not a concern.  These pancakes DO NOT have quite the same texture as regular pancakes.  The texture is a bit more crepe-y in my opinion.  Our kiddos have not noticed the difference yet or just don' t seem to care.

Notes: I am not a professional chef nor do I play one on T.V.  I'm just a mom with a lot of eggs and a lot of hungry kids.  Also, if your midwife tells you to eat two eggs a day during your pregnancy, this is an easy way to increase your egg/protein consumption.

Is it just me or does this one look like Pac-Man?

Have you tried this recipe before?  How did you serve it?  Did you adjust the recipe with great results?  Tell us about it.  Be sure to see all the notes in the comments section at The Fountain Avenue Kitchen (which I am in no way affiliated).

We really enjoy this griddle we received for a house warming gift.

Putting Down Roots (My Attempts at Propagating Herbs)

We have some beautiful, rocky hills that are not conducive to grass but seem like the perfect spot for herb gardens.  This spring, my high hopes led me to order 2,000 herb seeds and buy about $50 worth of herb plants.

So far, the seeds were 0% success, and the plants are about 50% successful.  I'm a beginner and my results go to prove that.  Read more to see how I am trying to boost my success rate.

Seeds- I tried to germinate the seeds at home and had wonderful initial results with the herbs sprouting quickly.  As this was my first time to try this, I did not realize that the seedlings need much more direct sunlight time and a lot less water.  It took me a few weeks before I could admit the moldy soil with stringy seedlings was a failure (AKA "a learning experience for next time").

Plants- The herb plants are fairing decently given the poor, compacted soil around our house that is result of our house pad being built and given two, large puppies who like to wrestle right where I planted the herbs.

So, here we are, a few months into this grand experiment, with a few, thinly planted herbs - not exactly the lush herb gardens I envisioned or the thriving rosemary hedge lining the driveway.  And, I don't want to lay down any more money on my efforts this year.  What's a girl to do?  Give up? Nope. Time to propagate.

---Wait!---  I'm not here to change your political views.  I'm just trying to multiply my herbs using the surviving herbs I have.  "A vote for more herbs is a vote for a stronger ecosystem and a weaker grocery bill"  Maybe there are bumper stickers in my future...

Back to the topic at hand.  How to propagate.  Research on the internet showed propagation is as simple as a jar of water (preferably filtered) and a cutting of the herb you want to grow.  Suggestions include:

1.) Watering the plant 30 minutes before taking the cutting so the cutting will be fully hydrated.  This suggestion does not seem crucial to success based on my findings.  See my notes on the trampled rosemary.

2.) Cut the stem right below a set of leaves. Make the cutting about 6" in length.

3.) Remove all lower foliage from the cutting so the cutting can focus on sprouting those highly desired roots.

4.) Keep foliage out of the water.  It reduces the instance of disease.  Always a good idea, even if you are just arranging cut flowers that you want to last for a while.

5.) Make a second cut at the base of your cutting while it is under the water, at an angle.  I'm all for angle cutting, but I'm not sure the underwater cutting really did anything of major significance.

6.) Change the water as needed - whenever it begins to look cloudy/dirty.  Be sure to top off your water as it evaporates if needed.   Fresh water, a good idea.

7.) Scrape the base of your cutting with your fingernail if it is a woody herb like rosemary. This suggestion was a winner.

While I did not see any specific recommendation of placing the cutting in a sunny place, a spot with indirect sunlight (but not so sunny your cutting fries) is probably best.

Armed with these suggestions, I began my efforts with Chocolate Mint, Wrigley's Spearmint, and Lemon Balm.  Predictably, the Chocolate Mint took off.  Mint is a hardy herb that loves to put down roots.

Surprisingly, the Wrigley's Spearmint and Lemon Balm were a bust even after a fresh cut and fresh water.

How do you know it's time to give up on a cutting?  Look at the leaves.  If the leaves are starting to look dry, limp, or spotted, it may be time to try another cutting.

When I was transplanting my new Chocolate Mint into the ground, I found Rosemary that appeared recently broken by exuberant puppy play.  I took the Rosemary inside and placed it in a new jar of water after scraping the bottom of the stem with my fingernails.  We went on a trip for a few days and returned to a bunch of roots.  This surprised me, because I had read that it took two months for someone else, but they had tried it in winter and we are in the middle of summer. At the recommendation of my Master Gardener mother, I placed the rosemary in a pot with potting soil to strengthen the new roots before transferring it to the ground.

In our windowsills, you will now see all sorts of cuttings in various jars. I'm still dreaming of hills lush with herbs.  At minimum, our windowsills look cheery and smell good.

Propagation is an easy way to add to your garden without adding costs.  Have fun.  Experiment.  See what you can grow; you may be pleasantly surprised.

Hungry for more?  Check out this article that shows 25 Foods You Can Re-Grow Yourself from Kitchen Scraps. << I have not tried these myself, but it looks interesting.


What are your experiences/suggestions for propagating plants?

The propagated rosemary now thriving in its pot.
I have since began taking cuttings and propagating from it, saving about $3.50 for each new plant grown instead of purchased.

The transplanted Wrigley's Spearmint is flourishing in its new home. 

Turtle Tagging

I love turtles, and I find most people do. These (mostly) sweet and harmless reptiles with their good sense of style and "take it easy" attitude are hard not to love. Here at the homestead, we have our fair share of turtles. Several very large red-eared sliders have been finding their way into our yard to the chagrin of our puppies. Over the past few days, I seem to have a side career of rescuing turtles from curious puppies and returning the reptiles to the pond in front of our house.

This morning, I had the "aha!" idea of marking the turtles with nail polish on their shells to see if we either have a bumper crop of super large turtles or if we have some not-so-bright turtles on our hands. My brilliant husband suggested that we actually paint numbers on the shells.

As I was returning "1" to the pond today, Maggie (our German Shepard bird dog mix puppy) found what soon became number "2." My family couldn't believe that I left with one turtle and returned with another on that quick walk.

We have been using our handy National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Southeastern States to identify our turtles.  A couple of weeks ago, we used our guide to identify an Eastern Box Turtle (three toed race).  If you live in the Southeastern states and enjoy getting out into nature, I highly recommend you pick up your own copy of this guide.

   

Also, check out this interesting article about the turtle industry in Louisiana.  I didn't even know we had a turtle industry, much less that we dominated the market.

A Bloomin' Good Time (Summer Fun Idea with Kids)

Last year, at the Dallas Museum of Art, I saw a great idea I could easily bring home for the kiddos. By "good idea," know I mean simple, inexpensive, a lot of bang for your buck, and educational. They had taken flower leis, separated the silk flowers from the leis, placed the plethora of silk flowers in a container, and added some buckets and shovels to the area. Voila! An activity center that the kids really enjoyed.

When we returned home, I made my way to Dollar Tree, where I picked up several leis. I returned home, cut the flowers away from the string, and placed the flowers in a sealable container. I also left a few leis whole for my little ones to play dress up. Since this can be understandably messy, we only bring out the activity as our day allows, which also keeps the activity "fresh" and "special" instead of becoming another toy that sits on the shelf or a source of frustration.

 So, here are the steps again:

1. Go to the store and buy leis.  I bought these at Dollar Tree.

2. Cut up the leis.

3. Place the leis in a sealable container.

4. Play.

The kiddos enjoy making flower showers, "planting" flowers, sorting flowers, playing restaurant (making salads and cleaning up), playing garbage collector, dance class, and whatever else there little minds cook up. This activity can be used for teaching sorting, counting, colors, and how flowers/plants grow to name a few.

Note that the silk flowers will leave little threads in their wake, so be prepared to vacuum sometimes.

A Day in the Life...

Today, I am recovering from a cold/flu-like bug that hit me hard two days ago.  You would think that would mean things would be pretty calm around here...yeah right, with three kids five and under, think again.  Things you could have heard at Halls' Homestead today if you were a fly on the wall:

1. Kids Fighting over Millipedes  No, seriously. Our house is having a mini invasion of millipedes at the moment.  I've been quietly disposing of the little guys, but, our precious three year old found one during her nap time last week (when she should have been sleeping, right?) and declared "He's SO CUTE!!"  The kids played with that first millipede for an hour and a half before he was released into the wild.  Today found the two oldest with empty containers fighting over who gets the newest millipedes.  You know it's going to be an exciting day when there is a screaming and shoving match over household pests.
2. Lunch Does Not Need 'More Cowbell'  Ahh, the Saturday Night Live sketch with Christopher Walken proclaiming a need for "More Cowbell."  Well, today, our three year old thought lunch was an appropriate time to leave the table, find a cowbell, and clang it loudly, which prompted me to say "Lunch does not need more cowbell.  Please put the cowbell away and return to the table."
3. Me Asking Our Five Year Old If He Peed on the Dog's Face  Wait! Before you call PETA, know that no dog was hurt in this event.  While on the porch, I heard my son ask my husband if he could go outside.  Next thing I know, Max (a curious black-lab puppy mix) is on our porch with an odd wet pattern on his face wanting me to pet him.  Putting two and two together left me asking our son if he had peed on the dog's face, resulting in a sheepish "It was an accident mom."  Of course, a few moments later, I found myself distractedly petting Max while watching the one year old equaling an "Eww! Gross!" moment. (Note: Upon reading this entry, my hubby clarified the situation - Our son was helping my husband feed the chickens in the chicken pen when he asked if he could pee and show his dad how he could "shoot" through the chain link enclosure.  Poor Max just wandered into the line of fire.  All of this makes me wonder how our son's aim is so good to go through chain link but not so much when it comes to the potty??  Boys.)

There were also the normal "don't eat the play-doh" and "put on your underwear" kind of moments too.  These will be the days we miss.  I hear it again and again.  I know in my heart is true, and most days, I am a pretty good sport about the craziness. My motto that helps? "Outwit. Outplay. Outlast."  Thanks, Survivor!  It's a great motto for a household full of preschoolers.

More Cowbell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGBD1KUz2RA