Buttermilk

For some reason, I always want buttermilk in my refrigerator.  Probably because it is an ingredient in so many things that I love - chocolate cake and pancakes.  So I will keep it stocked and try and find new ways to use it.  I just tried blue cheese dressing - need a better recipe, too liquidy. and then i use it in place of milk in many recipes, like Trader Joe's corn bread (the best box cornbread ever!)  I have memories of me and lizabet making a pan of it in our single days and then eating the whole dish before we went out on the town.  I love her so much.
I love the sound of butter in milk though - Definitely not to drink - yuck! but to make everything more tender and yummy.
So here I make oatmeal pancakes - delicious

recipe (williams-sonoma entertaining):
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus more for cooking
*fresh strawberries and salty pecans for topping*

Whisk together flour, oats, sugar baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and 5 tbsp melted utter until well combined.  Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk until combined.  Let the batter rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Cook pancakes a few minutes on each side and serve with lots of butter, maple syrup, strawberries and salty roasted pecans ;)
Here's to BUTtERmiLK!!!!

A butter knife

you know you are having a hard day when it all comes down to letting your 2 year old play with a knife and cut carpet and then savagely (embarrassingly) try and yell at her monkey with a knife (NO i do not yell at my kids with a knife)  Ok fine, you can play with a butter knife.  What was i thinking!!!  I guess I wasn't doing much of sane thinking at this moment.

There are days when I have nothing else in me to be an adult and teach/discipline my kids - thank the good Lord that He steps in.  I love the verse "He gently guides those that are with the young."