power in change

As a school-girl, I loved the fall.  New pencils and notebooks ready to be put to use, new teachers and classrooms, a wide-open year of learning ahead.  Even the air in the fall smells new, so crisp and clean.  I loved that the changing school year brought with it so much opportunity.   

Since those early years, I have come to truly believe that incredible optimism comes with change.  Not knowing what lies ahead can be scary, but that is also what makes it so exciting:  you have the power to shape this new venture into whatever you want!  And while you are at it, you may as well make it amazing.  The clean slate and jumping board are ready for you.   

As you know, my sweetie and I have made a move to the mountains.  We find ourselves giddy when we wake to fall-yellowed aspens and sunlit granite peaks.  This change was something we pursued for the balance it brings to our lifestyles and the proximity to the activities we love.

However, in this change, I needed to find a new job (I will wait to tell you the details, but I am super excited to share the news soon!).  In this new position, I will be doing something I have never done before.  And the company I am working for has never done it either.  Sure, I have experience with a good portion of what will be required, and both my employer and I think I am qualified (whew!), but I will be learning a lot as I go.  

It can be pretty terrifying to leave something you know how to do, you do it well, and it feels comfortable, to go to something completely unknown and therefore very uncomfortable. But that is precisely why I am so excited about this new position (sure, part of it is the fact that the company, people and job are all super awesome!):  that discomfort will push me to work harder, learn more, and make sure this is successful for everyone.  No-one knows how this is supposed to go.  I get to be the one to figure it out.

movin'

I have piles of boxes in my living room that could make a pretty decent fort.  My counter has a collection of random things: spackle, magic eraser (it really is magic, have you seen what it can do?!), some snacks, a padlock, and a little plastic dinosaur I like to call Rawr.  These are all the signs of a move in progress.

After much day dreaming, and then some very serious thought and planning, my sweetie and I decided to make the move to the mountains.  We definitely feel most at home when we are surrounded by high altitude air, sweet pines, and inviting granite.  And now we are packing up our respective homes to combine our belongings and our lives (eek!) together in Tahoe.  We are pretty excited about it all and are looking forward to loading up that UHaul tomorrow. 

I'm kind of an old pro at moving.  Prior to coming to SF, I had moved something like 13 times in 10 years (its probably actually more, I lost track along the way).  There was a time when I could surely pack a UHaul in my sleep!  But this time, I've hired movers to load the truck.  No point in asking my friends to break their backs carrying my couch down the stairs in exchange for a six-pack.  I am sure the movers really probably CAN load a truck in their sleep, anyhow.   

In the past month, among our packing and organizing, we tried to take advantage of every SF thing we could: America's Cup racing,  Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival this past weekend (nearly across the street from my house!), trips to our favorite places and restaurants, visits to the museums, catching up with friends.   As much as we are excited to be in the mountains, I am sure there will be plenty that we find ourselves missing about our SF home. 

 

But tomorrow, we get to load up that truck and head up the hill for the next chapter in our lives, creating new favorites along the way.  We hope you'll come visit!  

lemon ricotta pancakes

I have been wanting to tell you about these pancakes for a long time.  So very good, they have worked their way into being a regular at our brunch table.  I am pretty sure you would like to try them too; The ricotta makes them tender, the lemon bright and fresh and I make them only slightly sweet.  Topped with fresh fruit or a fruit compote they are really divine.  I just don't know why I waited so long. 

  Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

feeds two hungry people

3 eggs, separated

3/4 c. ricotta (fresh, if you can swing it)

1 c. milk

zest and juice of 3 medium lemons

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/4c. AP flour 

(although, I use oat flour with great success)

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat a griddle to 350F.

Whip egg white until soft peaks form.  Set aside. 

Combine dry ingredients.  Set aside. 

Combine egg yolk, milk, ricotta, lemon juice and zest, and vanilla.  

Stir dry ingredients into ricotta mixture.

Fold in egg whites. 

Spoon batter onto hot griddle and let cook for about 1 minute, or until evenly browned on the bottom. 

Flip pancake and let bake until evenly browned, about 30 seconds. 

Serve with your favorite toppings.  Surprise, surprise, we love figs that have been quartered and sauteed with a little sugar and a pat of butter.  Then we top with some fig syrup from those preserves.  

Tricks and Tips:

To make your own fresh ricotta, bring a half gallon of unpasteurized whole milk to a low simmer in a heavy bottomed pan.  Add 1 T salt and 1 T cider vinegar and stir until curds begin to form.  Remove from heat and let rest to separate the curds from the whey.  Spoon curds into a cheesecloth-lined strainer (first dampen the cheesecloth and squeeze out extra water, for best results).  Let strain for an hour or two, depending on the dryness of the ricotta you prefer.  I sometimes eat it immediately after spooning into the strainer! Store refrigerated for up to a week, if you can make it last that long!

When you combine the baking soda with lemon juice as you combine the liquids and dries in this recipe, the batter will foam up.  The protein foam in the egg whites will help hold the foam for a little while, but try to griddle your pancakes as soon as you can after mixing.  This will give you the lightest pancakes possible.

We discovered during our century ride that you could make the pancakes the night before, layer them between waxed paper or parchment, and freeze overnight.  In the morning, just pop them into a 350F oven in even layers and rewarm the whole batch.  This way you don't need to work away griddling pancakes all morning.  The pancakes 'deflate' a little, making them a little less light and fluffy, but they are still delicious.