on the table

Some good eats to share....

Keeping with our mission to cut processed foods from our weekly meals, we have been trying new pancake recipes.  With some real maple syrup this one has hit the spot!

Sour Cream Pancakes 

{adapted from the Barefoot Contessa}

• 1 cup flour
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• 1/2 cup wheat flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon of grated lemon or orange zest
• 2 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• butter
• pure maple syrup 

1. With a fork, mix all of your ingredients in a bowl.  Stir until just combined.  Try not to over mix.
2. Melt a dab of butter in a frying pan and wipe up access.  Spoon in batter and wait for those bubbles before you flip!  The trick is to reapply the butter in between each batch. {we don't use cooking spray or non-stick pans because they just aren't good for ya!} I often put my oven on 200 degrees F to keep the whole batch warm so that we can eat together!  

I have posted this one before but something hit the fritz and it was erased.  I wanted to get it back up because it is a WONDERFUL cake filled with garden veggies.

Carrot and Zucchini Bars

• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups shredded carrot
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or raisins
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 {8 oz} package of cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon zest

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, oil, honey, and vanilla.  Then mix in the carrot, zucchini, and walnuts....or in our case raisins.
2. In another bowl combine your dry ingredients.  Flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.  
3. Add your dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Stir just until combined. Spread batter into an ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
4. Bake about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool the cake completely in its pan on a wire rack.
5. When the cake is cooled you are ready for the icing.  With a mixer, beat the frosting ingredients until fluffy.  Spread the frosting on your cake and you are ready for a light and delicious cake!

Partying with...Chantille Fleur & I Should Be Mopping the Floor

bits of Easter

Our Easter mantel is taking shape...

Photo of our youngest which symbolizes new life.

My Gram's teacup to remember Easters of the past.

Something handmade to represent love.

A sprig of boxwood for the arrival of spring.

I hope that everyone is having an outstanding day!

linking up here....

Timewashed

Nifty Thrifty Things

Osie Moats
The Shabby Nest
Vintage On A Dime
A Humble Creation

thrifty spring

We were in need of some spring and Easter decor to brighten things up around the house.  So yesterday, I went on a quick thrifting trip and here is what I found to add some zip to a couple of projects I'm working on.

 A retro style egg holder.  The beans love this!

 A green and white footed bowl for some spring things.

 I like birds and this one was bright and funky.

 A pretty rose colored vase for my spring mantel.

 This little pitcher caught me eye with all of its lovely colors.

And a fancy butterfly egg.

And one non-thrifted pic...my sweet bean

Linking up with...

Young Heart

Apron Thrift Girl

Thanks for the feature Wendy!

some seed scenes

We are busy planting and growing seeds for the upcoming spring!

   

My helpers were unsupervised for 2 seconds!  Not sure how they got the soil out of the trays so fast!

These are our "White Wedding" zinnias growing under the play table in our family room.  J found the shop light for me at Menards for a grand total of 20 dollars. I fastened it to the table with 3m command hooks...sure beats spending over 100 bucks on a pre-made stand from the seed catalog.  Though, we did get a suspicious look from a neighbor who popped by! Ha! Gotta laugh in life!

A big thank you to Tammy at Casa Mariposa for her post about sowing seeds outside in plastic containers.  It is just what this budget gardening mama needed!! 

We have Morning Glories and peas out here so far, but with this method I have much more space, so i plan on picking up some more seeds this weekend.

Here is what Kevin Lee Jacobs has to say...
"These natural actions loosen the seed-coatings. This is why advance soaking or nicking of hard-shelled seeds, such as Morning Glories and Sweet Peas, is not necessary when you winter-sow."

Cheers to our first sprout of the season.  May your weekend be full of all things lovely!

Over here today...

Jack Avery's Kin

I hope that your day is filled with good things....a little tune from my brother...enjoy!

a song about home

on the table

I have been practicing baking a new bread every week. I loved the homemade breads my grandmother made when I was a child and I wanted to do the same for my beans. I also want healthier options for my family.  Our son has a peanut and tree nut allergy, so our bread options from the bakeries and stores are limited.  My thoughts on food allergies another day.  For now. I'm focused on cutting as many highly processed foods from our diets as possible.  This includes trying to eliminate high fructose corn syrup as well.

Here's what's on the table...Minestrone Soup and No Knead Bread

In my Pop's old neighborhood, they called it the poor man's soup.  If they were short on food for the week, they would take whatever they had in the fridge and make a pot of minestrone.

via-Pinterest

Ingredients~

2 zucchini cubed
2 summer squash cubed
2 cups of small pasta
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
Olive oil
salt and pepper
2 carrots-don't worry about peeling
1 onion
3 stalks of celery with leaves
2 cans of beans (garbanzo, cannellini, or red kidney beans)
1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
8 cups of organic chicken broth

(I have made this recipe with whatever veggies I have had on hand...you can't go wrong!)

Minestrone Soup

{adapted from The Pioneer Woman}

1. In a large stock pot drizzle some olive oil.  Cut up one onion, a couple of carrots (I have even used baby carrots cut up), and a couple pieces of celery. Cook them until they are lightly browned.
2. Next add 8 cups of organic chicken broth to the pot.  Bring all the ingredients to a boil and then reduce heat to low.
3. Next grab 1 or 2 cans of beans and drain them in a strainer. Red kidney beans, garbonzo beans, and cannelini have all worked
4. Throw those into the pot and let the soup cook for another 10 minutes
5. While this is cooking cut up your zucchini, squash, and mushrooms. (broccoli works great too) Spread them out on a baking dish.  Drizzle olive oil over the veggies, stir, and add some salt and pepper.  Cook them in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 500 degrees.  They will be added to the soup at the end.
6. After the beans have gone in choose any type of small pasta to throw in.  Let the pasta cook in the pot for about 10 minutes.
7. Check those veggies in the oven!
8. Now throw in a 14 oz can of diced tomatoes and the juice.  I cook it for another 10 minutes at this point. This is when I add salt to taste.  You may need several pinches of salt to give it a kick!
9. Make sure the pasta is done and then add your cooked veggies from the oven and mix it up!
10. Now it's time to dig in!  Don't forget to sprinkle on some parmesan cheese.  

No Knead Bread

I first saw this recipe at Elaina's blog A little bit country-a great blog if you haven't visited yet!
The original recipe is from Tania's blog  Ivy Nest another inspiring place to visit!

Tania lays it out fantastically, so i will let you pop over there to check it out!!  Here are the ingredients you will need..

Ingredients~

3  cups water, lukewarm

1 tablespoon instant yeast

1 tablespoon sea salt

6 1/2 cups plain white flour (or 5 cups white and 1 1/2 cups wholemeal)

And like the Italians say...bada boom bada bing...your done!

Etsy please

It's a wonderful thing when you meet someone cool and their work is just as lively and awesome as they are.  My friend Tanya from the blog Bead and Needle has an amazing Etsy shop full of outstanding one of a kind creations that I am over the moon about!

Bead and Needle Etsy Shop-jewelry and clutches
{for more of her work go Here}