German Pancakes-Chambers' Style

German Pancakes.

Dutch Babies. 

Puffed Pancakes. 

Saturday Morning Special.

Whatever you call them,
I just all them delicious. 

They're a pancake, but with a crunchy edge that my brother and I would fight over.

As a kid, we would see the pie plates out and know that it was German Pancake morning. 

In our world, there wasn't a better breakfast than that.

While visiting my dear friend in Seattle, I thought that I'd test these pancakes out on a new audience. Though I had taste-tested (and still do) these often, there's really nothing more enjoyable to me than watching someone else try something I've made. I live for it.  So I had a captive audience that I knew would be honest...brutally if needed. 6 & 4 year-olds tend to be that way.  Plus, I could show my friend how crazy easy these are to make! And they are crazy easy, but the hungry mouths don't need to know that.

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1/4 tsp baking powder

1cup flour

1 & 1/4 cup skim milk- 

        if you don't have skim, it's ok. Just add 1cup milk and 1/4 cup water...

        it's a little trick that I've learned.

Butter

***Easy vegan substitutes: Use Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer, almond or soy milk, and vegan butter.  Still works very well and yummy too.  Also, shhhh....no one will know the difference.
 

Toppings:

Any pancake toppings you LOVE!

The Chambers Way:

-Syrup

-Lemon Juice

-Powdered Sugar

Directions:

You can make this in two 9 inch glass pie plates or a glass 9 x 13 pan.
I'm sure you can cook it in other pans, but this is what I use.
Go for it and let me know what else works.
The key is a hot pan and a hot oven.

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and place your baking dish in at the same time. You want your baking dish to heat up with the oven.

2. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

3. When the oven and baking dish are heated, take the dish out and place a pat of butter in the hot pan. The butter should sizzle, if not place it back in the oven until the butter has melted.

4. Pour the batter into the sizzling pan and immediately back into the oven.

5. Bake for 15-18 minutes depending on pan size and oven.

6. When the edges are crispy and remove from the oven.

7. Serve immediately. 

This won't be a problem, because your kids/family/loved ones
will be hovering around the kitchen because of the delicious smells.

To serve this in the classic Chambers' Style, you will make a puddle of syrup on the pancake, then drop lemon juice into the puddle.  Finally, top with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.  Dig in and I promise, you'll love these and make them often.

Enjoy!

Lasik: My Fears- Are these yours?

My eyes.
Everything about them has always freaked me out.
Going to the eye doctor was always like stepping into a haunted house...
all those pictures of the inner-workings of your eyes...freaking.
Growing up many kids have fears of monsters lurking in the closet or hiding under the bed. 
Those monsters were probably hairy and scary,
not mine.
My biggest monster was a big, shiny, scary eyeball...with legs.
It would chase me around with it's huge blinking eye yelling, "I see you! I see YOU!"
Simply terrifying.

In high school I had the best job. 
I worked for a Veterinary Hospital...I played with puppies and kittens. 
While there, one of the doctors learned vividly about my fear of eyes.
While helping with a surgery removing a tumor, we were talking about things that could be found in tumors...from teeth to, get this, the forming of an eye.  EEK!
That solidified my fear.
But, it didn't stop there.
My favorite doctor to work with, Dr. Q took my fear a little further.
While I was a lunch he created a fake eyeball tumor...with suture eyelashes and everything...
and placed it somewhere so that I would find it.
Well, it worked, I was completing freaked out!
Needless to say, anything to do with the eyes, terrified me.

For years, I had convinced myself that I was too scared to have Lasik.
And I came up with every excuse in the book.
Plus, wearing glasses and contacts wasn't so bad anyway....
At least that's how I used to feel.
Until two years ago when my contacts weren't so comfortable anymore.
It's as if my eyes were rejecting them.
I guess after wearing them for 23 years, it wasn't so surprising.
So I had a choice...Either wear glasses for the rest of my life, or face my fears.
I chose to face my fears.

If you are in the same place that I was, scared, I totally get it.
But believe me, if I can have the surgery, than anyone can.

So what were my fears?
1. I'll blink in the middle of the laser cutting.

Ok, there is NO WAY that you can blink! None at all.  Keep in mind that your eyes are numb and you can't feel anything...you can only feel the coolness from the solution that he uses to keep your eye lubricated. You can't blink..they have taped your eye open and there is a device that is holding your eye open as well. But you can't feel it! You can't at all! Dr. Waldman talked me through every step, so I knew exactly what was happening. Really, you can't blink.

2. Wait, I have to be awake?! Why can't they just knock me out?! 

This one really freaked me out! Anything to do with the eye already freaks me out, and now I have to be awake for someone slicing into it?! Seriously? While you are awake during the procedure, you have been given a relaxer to help take some of the edge off your nerves. Believe me it helps...a lot. I felt me relaxed, but fully able to understand and follow directions. The reason they can't knock you out is because they need your eye to have "active eye movement." It sounds creepy, but it's just so that the laser can accurately track your eye.  Your job the entire time is to stare at the blinking light. Needless to say, me and the blinking light became best friends. I loved that blinking light, and stared at it like it was the most interesting thing I had ever seen. And it was interesting because I can see. 

Though being awake was scary before the procedure, it was calming to know exactly what was happening. Plus, in my experience with Dr. Waldman and staff, they were extremely comforting and kept my nerves under control.

3. I'll move and the laser will slice my face apart!

This isn't the movies, but I really had pictured the machine going out of control and leaving me missing half of my face. I know. Ridiculous. And it really is. The laser only activates when it has everything lined up AND your surgeon initiates it. If your eye moves at all, the laser shut down. In actuality, the laser is only working, cutting, for 30 seconds, and again, you're just staring at a blinking light. It would be impossible to have it slice my face off. 

I'll have it done, but it won't actually work...I'll still won't have good eye-sight.

Yes, there is that chance, but to me it was worth it. Also, I knew that Dr. Waldman would only perform the surgery if he was confident that the outcome would be close to 20/20 vision in the end. And close to 20/20 is WAY, WAY better than what I had ever seen in my life. So I figured, "Cool!"

4. I'll actually be blind!

Again, small chance of this happening...and really it would be because of a genetic issue and not because of the surgery.  But, they have to tell you all of the statistics, even the small ones. Of course, I was ok with this, to a certain degree because I had always wanted a seeing eye dog. I know. Weird, but totally true. The reality was that I felt completely confident in Dr. Waldman. He was extremely detailed and even double-checked the numbers the night before the surgery...I liked that. I knew that every angle was being evaluated...I really liked that.

5. It will be too painful.

Is there pain? Yes. Unbearable? No, it's bearable. To me it felt like getting soap in my eyes...but it lasted for a few hours. The good part was that I slept through most of it and that when I woke up, about 4 hours later, I could see perfectly and the pain was gone. It was amazing!

Dr. Waldman and all of the staff at EyeHealth Northwest were so supportive. This was fantastic experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat.  If you are even contemplating having the surgery, you should do it.  It will literally change your life. Guaranteed.

Promote Love

People spend a lot of time griping

about what they don't like about the world, people or things in it. 
I have to admit, that I too sometimes fall into the grip of the gripe.
It can be difficult to avoid. 
It's easy to gripe, but it never, ever makes me feel any better. 
In fact, I often feel worse. 
That why here on my blog,

I only like to promote the positive...the things that make our world better.

To me, the simplest things make the biggest impact.

Kindness.

I think kind people get a bad wrap...

people sometimes act as if kindness makes you weak or if anything, a pushover.

To me, kindness is the exact opposite. 

Kindness=strength 

It takes strength of character to look into someones eyes
and see a need.

It takes a gentle word or touch to make someone trust you with their weakness.

I've known many people who use fake strength and the power of intimidation to get their needs met.

That's a temporary fill.

Nothing enriches the soul and leaves a lasting impact, like kindness.

 

Are you thinking of someone who showed you kindness?

Not the person who was kind because they wanted something in return, 

but they were kind because, well...just because.

I've been lucky.

I have the greatest example if kindness around me.

She is the epitome of kindness.

Always the person to give a loving smile and a gentle heart...

My mom.

Now mind you that I have the best parents in the world.

No, seriously.

I know that people say that, 

And I'm sure that those parents are outstanding too...but mine, well they're my favorite.

There's a reason that this year is their 40th wedding anniversary.

But more on that another day.

My mom.

The other day she was shopping.

Normal shopping day.

As she entered the security guard said, "Hello! Good morning." 

My mom, "Good Morning! How are you?"

Now the guard had done this to every customer...

The surprising part...my mom was the first to smile and respond...it was almost noon.

They talked for a bit.

The lady said that she smiles and greets every person, but rarely gets a reply or even a simple smile.

Are we so egocentric that a simple smile is too much to give away?!

I shiver at the thought, and pray that isn't true.

If I have anything to do with kindness and love, that will not be our world.

Kindness isn't weakness...no way!

It takes a strong, secure person to care...step out of their own needs and fill another.

So today... Say hello to the person at the door greeting you.

Talk to the cashier and ask them about their day.

When they person cuts you off, just breathe...take ten if you have to.

Hug your parents if you're lucky to have them near.

And for goodness sake...

SMILE!!

So simple, yet so overlooked.

No go out there and promote love.

Together we can make an impact.

It may be small, but not to the one that needs it.

Hugs,

Lori