Anytime is a good time for PANCAKES

Here are the rules...these pancakes contain chocolate and butterscotch chips so no syrup needed.  Since no syrup needed, no silverware needed.  Serve on paper plates and eat with your hands.  And leftovers the next day can be heated in the microwave for 12 seconds.  I use the large glass measuring cup to melt my butter and then I add the milk and egg directly to the butter and mix.  Once bowl for dry ingredients and no other dishes needed.  I have a panini press than opens flat with griddle plates that serve as the best non stick platform ever (plus clean up is simply a wet paper towel).  I use a fork to mix pancake bater, an ice cream scoop to pour and a spatula to flip.  When was the last time you had pancakes for dinner......

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Celeste's Favorite Pancakes 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

3 Tablespoons sugar 

1 egg 

3 Tablespoons butter, melted 

1 1/4 cup milk 

(I have used whole, buttermilk and 

lowfat milk with a splash of heavy cream) 

Optional:  Mini chocolate chips and butterscotch chips 

Directions:

In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar, stir 

In a heatproof glass bowl, melt the butter, add the milk, crack the egg and mix until well blended. 

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until blended.  

At this point I add the mini chocolate chips to the batter and mix.  I add the butterscotch chips when I pour in pan.  

Ladle pancakes onto hot non-stick pan or griddle (this way you don’t have to use butter) 

Add butterscotch chips before you flip, a few per pancake

Cook on both sides until golden brown 

We serve these hot, without syrup and we eat with our hands.  

Note:  If you have a glass measuring cup, use that to melt your butter first, than pour milk in directly and crack your egg.  Makes for less dishes to clean.  

Bored?

OK....let's do some crafting.   These salt ornaments are super easy to make, really fun to paint and will use only pantry ingredients.  Make the dough, form the ornaments with cookie cutters and then bake them to harden.  Spread out an old sheet or towel on the kitchen table and paint away as a family.   My family has made these as Christmas ornaments and gift tags.  One year my Dad helped paint (see below) and his ornament is our most treasured...it's also really good!  You can use circles to make monogram wine tags, use Halloween cutters to create spooky ornaments you can hang on a branch for your October table or get a head start on the Christmas holiday ornament exchange.   Be sure to make a hole in the ornament before you bake...we use a new pencil to poke a hole.  

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Salt Ornaments

Recipe courtesy of Celeste Podojil

2 cups salt (not kosher salt)

4 cups all purpose flour

2 cups luke warm tap water
(I also add lavender or grapefruit extract, peppermint would be fun too) 

In the bowl on a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (this works best) combine the salt and flour.  

Turn on medium setting and slowly add the water.  

Mix/knead for about 5 minutes.  

The dough will be soft and shouldn’t be sticky.  

If too sticky you can add more flour, 

a Tablespoon at a time.  

After using the stand mixer, I hand knead as well.  

You can do this by hand but add kneading time by 

hands to 7 minutes or until dough is soft to the 

touch and not sticky.  Start in a bowl with a wooden 

spoon and add to a floured surface to knead until soft. 

You can store it in a Ziploc at this point to use in a few days. 

If you are ready to go, flour your surface and roll the dough out to about ¼ inch thick.  

Cut shapes with cookie cutters and place on a cookie sheet over parchment paper.   

If you want to use as ornaments at this point take a new pencil and poke a hole in the top of the ornament for your hook (use the unsharpened side of a pencil).  

You can dry them for a few days or bake them at 200 degrees for 45 minutes-3 hours or until they harden.

You can paint them with craft paint (don’t forget the back) and when dry modge podge both sides….you can also use a spray polyurethane but it turns white paint yellow after some time. 

You can add to your tree, gifts, wine bottles, use as tags (write on back with sharpie) or they make cute placeholders at your holiday table. 

Leftover Turkey Chili

I don't know why I don't make turkey more often during the year.  It is delicious, really easy and the leftovers are coveted in our house.   This recipe uses every part of the bird but you can also make this with smoked turkey you buy at the store...just omit salt becasue smoked turkey is really salty.   I like this chili because it is light and more like a soup plus I prefer white beans and this recipe lends itself nicely to great northern beans.  My other favorite thing about chili is you can make a huge batch, freeze half and invite friends over for a bowl of chili with lots of toppings.  Our family always uses large corn chips instead of spoons and therefore the dish is super fun to eat!  

Watch the 3 minute "how to" video below 

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Tailgating Tidbits 

Leftover Turkey Chili 

Recipe courtesy of Celeste

This recipe uses your leftover turkey in the dish and the bones 

to make stock for the chili.  

Ingredients for stock:

1/2 medium Vidalia onion, cut in quarters

8-10 cloves of garlic, leave whole

3 ribs celery, cut in large chunks 

2 carrots, cut in large chunks 

The stems from your cilantro

Place the above items in your crockpot, add your turkey bones with any leftover skin and cover with water.  

Add any spices you want, 1 teaspoon of each or just a pinch.   I always add salt, pepper, herbs de Provence, thyme, fennel seeds and turmeric (for health benefits).  

Cover with water and place on low for 24 hours.  

Strain the broth into mason jars using a fine mesh strainer.   You need 2 cups for the chili. 

You can freeze the broth or make soup, risotto or drink it to warm you up!   You may find a layer of fat on the top as it cools. I usually scrap that off and freeze it to use in matzo balls.  You can use or discard. 

Ingredients for chili:

1/2 medium Vidalia onion, chopped

8-10 cloves of garlic, chopped

3 ribs celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

6 scallions, chopped

½ jalapeno chopped (optional) 

A handful of cilantro, chopped 

2 cans of Great Northern Beans, do not drain or rinse 

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 beer, dark beer preferred 

1 teaspoon each:

Kosher Salt, Cumin, Paprika ( I use both Sweet Hungarian and Spanish Smoked Paprika , Turmeric, herbs de Provence, thyme and any other spices you like especially for heat.  

1 Tablespoon of chili powder 

For the chili: 

Heat 3 T olive oil in a huge stock pot with a few cracks of black pepper, add the chopped onion, garlic, carrots, celery, jalapeno for about 8-10 minutes to soften the veggies.  

Add two cans of beans, 1 can of beer, 2 cups of your turkey broth, all the spices, half your chopped scallions and cilantro and simmer over low heat for about an hour.  

Serve with shredded cheese, sliced scallions, sour cream, lime wedges,  cilantro and hot sauce.