Happy Little Stove

Archive for July, 2009

At hand: a can of Bumblebee canned crab, going spare.
Needed: a sandwich filling with versatility (since it was unlikely that we’d consume the entire can in one evening’s meal, between only my husband and me).
The solution:

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I’m experimenting once more with a variety of nut butters. Having much more success this go-around than I did back when my older son was a baby and I was being “safe” by abstaining from peanut products while nursing him; I must have gotten a brand that didn’t suit me or something, because it left a bad taste in my mouth (figuratively, literally, etc.) and I never went back.

This time around, though, I am loving my almond butter. Maranatha brand, for the win!

I do wish, though, that I had a greater variety of butters available to me locally. I don’t often order foods online without being completely convinced, without any doubt, that I’m going to love what I get, and since I had that bad experience, I’m a bit wary; I’d much rather get a small jar to sample, then move on to larger amounts, but that’s not as cost-effective when it comes to mail order. Enthusiastic endorsements from other folks – real people, not paid ads – go a long way toward making me feel more confident.

“Free” also works wonders.

Clare, then, is speaking my language! Maybe she’s speaking yours, too? She’s hosting a giveaway for a nut butter company that’s…well, hey! Looks like I could actually get their products in person without driving too far! Maybe if I win, and the sample hooks me, I’ll be making a few extra car trips a month…

Anyway, go comment, but if you click through to there from here and you win, I want to hear your opinion, too!

Katie gets either the credit or the blame.

I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me that pancakes can be like oatmeal. I know quite well how to top a bowl of oats and create a huge variety of concoctions, from pumpkin pie to peanut butter and jelly. But pancakes (ooh, and probably waffles, too!) can be just as versatile, in much the same way! The only crucial key is making sure you keep the right balance between wet and dry ingredients, and the sky’s the limit!

So I took out our trusty copy of The Joy of Cooking and found the base pancake recipe…
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My parents are visiting starting tomorrow, and in anticipation of their visit, I may have gone a bit overboard in grocery shopping. My fridge’s produce bins were full to the point of overflowing. I needed to do something fast!
Yep, that’ll do the trick.
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