Cornstick Pan

I picked up this vintage Lodge cornstick pan from a thrift store a few years back, but I haven't used it much, and the few times I have, I wasn't impressed with the cornsticks. Time to try again.

 

I wanted to try to make baked pancakes in it, so I found this recipe and modified it:

Baked pancakes

1/2 c flour

2 Tbsp sugar

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

about 1/2 tsp spice of choice- cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. I used pumpkin spice blend

1 egg

1/4 c plus 1 tbsp milk

1 tbsp oil

Preheat oven to 400. Oil cornstick pan with about 1/2 tsp oil in each well and preheat pan in oven. I don't think I preheated the pan before, and that's a smart move. Mix batter, it will be enough for the 7 wells in the pan. Bake 15-18 min. I pulled them at 15 min but a couple of minutes more would be good next time because they were pretty brown on top but could have been even browner on the bottoms.

These came out pretty well. Nice and crispy, but fluffy on the inside.

Baked pancakes

Corn Sticks

Small batch, makes 7

1/2 c cornmeal

1/4 c flour

1 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp baking soda

1/2 c milk

1 egg

1 1/2 Tbsp oil

Preheat oven to 450. Grease pan well with oil or crisco and preheat. Mix all ingredients. Bake 12-14 min.

Savory Muffins

2 Tbsp melted butter

1/2 c milk

1 egg

1 c flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

about 1/4-1/2 c shredded cheese

Herbs- rosemary or basil

Preheat oven and greased pan to 375. Mix wet ingredients, add dry. Bake 15-20 min.

Wool Wrap Blanket Skirt

 The home office gets cold in the winter. For a number of months, I was wrapping a fleece blanket around my waist with a binder clip, but this wasn't very glamorous. I heard about the NorSari "wearable blanket" made in MN, but it's made of a blend fabric consisting of a lot of poly and acrylic, and costs about $150. 

I found a Westaway & Westaway tartan 100% wool throw blanket (49" by 31") on eBay for $22 ($32 including shipping.) It's the perfect dimensions and I didn't have to do any edge finishing. I added a velcro strip so it could wrap around my waist. It keeps me so warm and cozy, and I love the colors of the plaid.