Snow, Inventions, Betty Crocker, and KAMUT

It snowed last night. A quiet 3 to 5 inches of snow. The air was still enough that the storm left a smooth surface. Very few drifts.

Our small snowblower did a nice job of clearing our drive...then the two of us lifted it into the back of the pickup to go do two more on the other side of town. We made several observations this morning...

1) The lady who drove straight through the intersection in front of us without looking to the left or right, must have been thinking "if I don't look, I won't feel the pain when some car slams into me crosswise". Driver denial.

2) When I call a side street a "main street" I mean that it is a "direct route" to some main area of town. Being a native I know, for instance, that even though Diamond Street is a "side street", it is nevertheless the main thoroughfare from the southeast end of town to the center of town. Spouse, being a relative newcomer (having lived here a mere fourteen years), still arrives at intersections expecting the person to the right to have the right-of-way. It doesn't compute with him that drivers on Diamond have the right-of-way regardless of whether they are on the right or the left of the other car. It's local custom. It has nothing to do with legality. You just know that they see themselves as being on the main drag and you, on the other hand, are on a "side street" so to speak. So you'd best pay attention and keep out of their way.

3) Someone could make a fortune with my new "invention". Today I dreamed of a mechanism that would make sweeping/scooping snow from a deck obsolete. Think venetian blinds...the deck boards could be rotated sideways to dump the snow underneath the deck. Or they could rotate a full 180 degrees to place the snow/icy surface underneath and the dry surface atop. All this of course would require a sturdy mechanism to do the rotating and to properly support and lock the boards in place. (This is MY invention and if someone develops it and sells it to rich folk -- of which there aren't too many right now -- I expect a ten percent cut of the profit. I can dream, can't I?)

4) Pancakes for breakfast are a good followup to shoveling snow. Especially Kamut Pancakes. And here's the recipe!

KAMUT PANCAKES (adapted from my almost antique Betty Crocker cookbook)
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk (use 1 cup milk and 1 T lemon juice or vinegar)
1 T oil
1 cup Kamut flour (or use regular white or whole wheat flour)
1 T sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

In a medium bowl, Slightly beat egg, milk, oil.
In a separate bowl stir together the dry ingredients. Then add to the liquid. Stir only until mixed together. A few lumps is good. Over-stirring is not good.

Pour an appropriate amount of batter into a heated skillet that has been sprayed with veggie spray. Or swipe with a bit of butter. Turn when pancakes are puffed and full of bubbles but before the bubbles break. Flip and cook other side. If you're an old hand at pancakes, you can skip this last paragraph. If you're new, you'll soon get the hang of having the skillet at just the right temp.. Too cool and the pancakes will be pale. Too hot, and they'll burn.

This recipe makes a very small batch...enough for the two of us with no leftovers. If we have a hungry grandson in the house, I always double the recipe.

Serve with butter, syrup, applesauce or other fruit.

The BEST Pancakes in the World!

When my grandchildren stay overnight we often have pancakes the next morning. Pancakes made from scratch. Pancakes made from whole grain. Pancakes made from KAMUT! And I tell them (just in case they don't notice) that "Nobody makes better pancakes than Gramma!" (Somebody has to keep reminding them!) You can find my recipe for Kamut Pancakes here.

I'm posting my Secret here for all the world to see. It's the Kamut! Here's an excerpt from this website!...Kamut "is an ancient relative of modern durum wheat, two to three times the size of common wheat with 20–40% more protein, higher in lipids, amino acids, vitamins and minerals, and a "sweet" alternative for all products that now use common wheat. Nutritionally superior, it can be substituted for common wheat with great success. Kamut brand wheat has a rich, buttery flavor, and is easily digested."

Look at this photo! The hard red winter wheat is on the left and the Kamut on the right. Look at the difference in size of grain as well as color. (Remember, you can click on the photo for a closer view.)

Kamut grain and the resulting flour have a more golden hue and a flavor that is sweet and nutty. Kamut Pancakes! Ummmm! The Best! And now you, too, can make the "best pancakes in the world". And don't forget to show those grandbabies how good pancakes can be when topped with applesauce or peaches or fruit of any kind. (HINT - To make breakfast a bit easier I like to make my own 'Pancake Mixes'...simply toss all the dry ingredients for a single recipe into a baggie and toss it in the freezer. When it's time to make breakfast, just stir up the liquids, add the baggie contents, and you're ready to go.)

You can google 'Kamut' to find sources online. Or if you are a member of a food co-op, check their catalog for either the whole grain or for Kamut flour.

P.S. Kamut makes great whole-grain bread, too!