Eaton’s Chicken Pot Pie and Toasted Asparagus and Cheese Rolls / April's Full Pink Moon

Happy Earth Day!

It’s been a long winter here on the prairies, and we have just gotten into double digit temperatures this past week.

Everything is a bit behind schedule, including the return of our geese.

We’re a bit late seeing greenery, but at least it isn’t a test of endurance to go outdoors.

Hope you’re enjoying Earth Day with proper Spring weather, birds and foliage.

A few years ago I posted the recipe for the Red Velvet Cake that was served in Eaton’s, a local department store.

Eaton’s was a mainstay of downtown Winnipeg, providing the complete department store experience, plus many delicious meals.

It was torn down and replaced by Bell MTS Place, an indoor arena.

A few people have asked if I had any other Eaton’s recipes.

These recipes are from the book A Store Like No Other: Eaton's of Winnipeg by Russ Gourluck, a book filled with the history of the store and its importance in Winnipeg.

It also had a few surprises. 

Apparently Eaton’s Grill Room had a slightly pudgy ghost!

The chapter The tastes of Eaton’s brought back many memories.

The introduction to the Chicken Pot Pie recipe and Asparagus Rolls says that the recipes come directly from food services manager Alan Finnbogason.

In Winnipeg the individual Chicken Pot Pies were served in oval green bowls.

The Asparagus Rolls were served, three on a plate, with a generous serving of Eaton’s own Thousand Islands Dressing in a silver sauce boat.

A meal in Eaton’s was not eaten with plastic cutlery or on paper plates.

Yes, a meal in Eaton’s was a dining experience.

But times change, and some places are just a memory now.

I hope that pudgy ghost is happy in Bell MTS Place.

Hints:

About the Chicken Pot Pie:

If you have chicken stock you can use 4 Cups of that instead of the water and chicken soup base mixture.

You can also use the puff pastry that can be found in the frozen food section.

These notes weren’t mentioned in the book, but they answer a few questions:

Tuck the crust into the ramekins or casserole and pinch the edges against the sides of the dish. 

Place the ramekins on a baking sheet. The casserole doesn't need a baking sheet. 

Cover the pie(s) loosely with aluminum foil before placing in the oven. 

Check the pie(s) a few minutes before the end of baking time. If the crust isn't browning properly, remove the foil and continue baking.

Bake until the crust is golden brown and crusty: 18-20 minutes if using ramekins, 25 to 30 minutes if using a large casserole.

About the Toasted Asparagus and Cheese Rolls:

Some people add a bit of garlic.

A few people insist that sandwich bread is better than regular bread in this recipe.

In a rush? You can use processed cheese spread and/or canned asparagus.

The rolls can also be served with a spritz of lemon.

                        Chicken Pot Pie 

6 servings

Heat in a medium pot

4 Cups water

Stir in

1 - 1 1/2 Tablespoons chicken soup base

Place in a dutch oven

1/3 Cup margarine

Heat over low heat.

Add

3/4 Cup carrot, sliced

3/4 Cup onions, chopped

3/4 Cup celery, sliced

Cook a few minutes.

Stir in

1/4 Cup cornstarch

Stir in

the heated chicken stock

Bring to a boil.

Add

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon savoury

1/4 teaspoon basil

3/4 Cup green peas

Place cooked chicken in 6 ramekins or a large casserole.

Cover with sauce, mix, then top with raw pastry.

Bake at 350º F 

Bake until the pastry is browned and the contents are heated thoroughly.

                        Toasted Asparagus and Cheese Rolls

Cut the crusts from one large fresh loaf of bread and cut into 3/4 inch slices.

Place a slice of good quality cheddar cheese, sliced thin, on each slice of bread and place some butter and a fresh asparagus spear in the centre of each slice.

Roll each bread slice and hold it together with a toothpick and place them on a cookie sheet.

Add a bit of melted butter to the top of each slice and place under a broiler for 2 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove toothpicks and serve with Thousand Islands Dressing.

About the sky, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

Hope you enjoyed the Lyrid meteor showers this weekend. Its meteors are often bright. The Lyrid meteor shower has been observed for more than 2,600 years; Chinese records say “stars fell like rain” in the shower of 687 B.C. Quite spectacular displays have also been witnessed at least a dozen times since. These meteors are the dust left behind by Comet Thatcher, which visited the inner solar system in 1861.

If you missed them, don’t fret. They return every April when Earth passes through the dusty tail of the Comet Thatcher, consisting of debris traveling at 110,000 mph, disintegrating as ‘fireball’ streaks of light when they hit the earth’s atmosphere.

April 22 - First Quarter Moon, 5:46 p.m. In this phase, the Moon looks like a half-Moon in the sky. One-half of the Moon is illuminated by direct sunlight while the illuminated part is increasing, on its way toward full.

April 29 - April's Full Pink Moon will be astronomically full at 8:58 p.m. In this phase, the visible Moon is fully illuminated by direct sunlight. Though the Moon is only technically in this phase for a few seconds, it will appear full for about 3 days. This is the first full Moon of the spring season.

Anna Sultana’s Ricotta and Cream Cheese Pie / The Hyades Star Cluster

Easter is over.

All that holiday work and the drowsiness from the tryptophan in the turkey distracted us from the monster in the room.

Income Tax is due this month.

Yeah, Big Brother wants his share of your money.

Worse, you have to read through a bunch of government papers, filled with tons and tons of legalese gobbledygook.

No other word for it than gobbledygook - that’s language that is meaningless or is made unintelligible by excessive use of technical terms.

I mean who writes this stuff? 

Why don’t they turn their talents to writing science fiction. That makes just as much sense, right?

And there’s also pages of math to do. Sheesh!

Okay… you’ve done this before and you can do it again.

You’ve got your bits of papers in a nice box… or two… or three.

Anyway, they all somewhere in the house, and that’s a start.

Take this in baby steps.

Gather the papers, then eat some cheesecake. Really.

This is no time to pretend to be a hero.

You’re still weighed down from an Easter dinner that totally wiped out all the good you did during Lent.

Not to worry. Make your cheesecake with ricotta.

Combined with eggs and cooked grains, ricotta is in La Pastiera and Pizza Rustica, which are traditional Easter dishes.

So there’s a good chance you have a tub or two leftover in the fridge.

Ricotta is low in fat and is similar in texture to cottage cheese, but lighter.

And, like cottage cheese, it is a dieter's friend.

Ricotta can be a substitute for mayonnaise in egg or tuna salad.

It can also be used as a sauce thickener.

Add cinnamon sugar or chocolate shavings, and serve it as a quickie dessert. 

Ricotta, combined with chopped pistachios and candied citron, is the filling of the Sicilian dessert cannoli.

Ricotta is also used in main dishes: pasta, calzone, manicotti, lasagne, stuffed shells, and ravioli.

Ricotta and Cream Cheese Pie isn’t as sweet as a regular cheesecake.

But it will get you through the Tax Guide at the very least.

Hints:

You can use whole milk or part skim ricotta.

Use crushed ginger snaps or graham crackers, or regular pie dough, for the crust.

You can also leave the crust out.

Instead of almond extract, you can try using 1/4 Cup Amaretto liqueur.

Do not use a springform pan. The filling needs the support of the pan. Trust me.

You can also pour the filling into six 4-inch diameter individual ramekins without adding a crust. It’ll be more like having a bowl of dairy-free custard, which also feels comforting. Win-win!

If your pie plate isn’t deep, or you went heavy on the crust, you can put the excess filling in a ramekin or two and bake along with the pie.

Allow the pie to cool for at least an hour before serving. Two hours is better.

The leftover cheesecake can be stored, wrapped, in the refrigerator.

                                                Ricotta and Cream Cheese Pie

Place the oven rack in the middle of the oven.

Spread over the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate or a 9-inch square pan

2 Tablespoons butter, softened

Place in a bowl

1 to 2 Cups ginger snaps

Crush to medium-sized crumbs and stir in

4 to 6 Tablespoons butter, melted

Press the mixture over the bottom of the plate or pan and halfway up the sides. 

Set aside.

In a large mixer bowl place

8 ounces ricotta cheese

16 ounces cream cheese

3/4 Cup sugar

Beat until creamy. 

Beat in 

6 large eggs

Add 

3/4 teaspoon almond extract

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt 

2 teaspoons grated lemon or orange zest (or 1 teaspoon of each)

Mix until well combined.

Preheat the oven to 350º F. 

Pour the filling into the prepared pan. 

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until it is lightly browned around the edges. A thermometer inserted into the centre should read about 160º F. The pie will still be soft in the centre, but will become firmer as it cools. Do not over bake.

Remove the pie from the oven and cool the cheesecake on a wire rack.

Serve at room temperature or refrigerate to chill.

About the sky, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

This month, be sure to check out Jupiter, which starts rising about 90 minutes evening twilight, but it comes up earlier and earlier each week. As soon as it clears horizon obstructions in the east-southeast, it grabs the attention of any sky watcher. Telescopic views of Jupiter during April are best in the middle of the night, when the planet has gotten at least moderately high. April is also a good month to locate the Big Dipper, even though this month, it’s upside down!

April 8 - Last quarter Moon, 3:18 a.m. In this phase, the Moon appears as a half Moon in the sky. The half-Moon will also be at apogee, its farthest to Earth in its orbit. Lunar apogee will happen less than 2 hours before the Moon reaches its last quarter phase.

April 15 - New Moon, 9:57 p.m. At this stage, the Moon is not illuminated by direct sunlight and is completely invisible to the naked eye.

April 16 - Right after sunset, look low toward the west-northwest for a view of a slender 2-day old crescent Moon, just 5 percent illuminated. And situated about a half-dozen degrees to its upper right is the steady, dazzling light of the planet Venus. Earth’s “sister planet” gets a little higher each week during April. It remains small and roundish in telescopes this month, but from early April until early September, Venus will be at least 10° above the horizon 45 minutes after sunset (though never very high), and during that period we will see its disk grow and enter its crescent phase.

April 18 – Look for the crescent Moon as it appears to float near the bottom of the beautiful V-shaped Hyades Star Cluster, marking the face of Taurus, the Bull. Initially, in the bright evening twilight, only the Moon will be visible, though once the sky has become completely dark soon after 9 p.m., the Hyades stars should be readily evident with the unaided eye.

Anna Sultana’s Creamy Baked Ziti / Full Blue Moon for Easter

The weather has been a bit strange, what with the snow storms to the east of us and the tornadoes to the south of us.

I’m praying everyone stays safe and well while Mother Nature makes up her mind.

The thing is, crazy weather notwithstanding, we’ll be celebrating Easter next weekend, and that means making a holiday feast.

By now you know Ma’s favourite holiday trick: ALWAYS serve a nice hefty, filling pasta dish as a first course. That way there’ll be a large amount of the main course's roast left over for a meal or two during the following week.

Ma had her priorities: Nobody should away from the table feeling hungry, but the wallet should get a much deserved break.

Ma didn't work at Lily Tulip because she thought it was a fun thing to do.

And, if you're serving something with bones, don’t forget to make a pot of soup.

The crazy weather isn’t through with us just yet.

Happy Easter!

Looking for other pasta recipes to start your holiday dinner? Here are a few old favourites:

Anna Sultana's Timpana - Pasta Casserole, Maltese Style

Anna Sultana's Imqarrun il-forn - Baked Macaroni, Maltese Style

Anna Sultana’s Baked Macaroni and Sausage, Maltese Style

Anna Sultana’s Rigatoni Pizzaiola (Rigatoni, Pizzamaker's Style)

Anna Sultana's Timbale - Pasta Casserole, Maltese Style

Anna Sultana's Timballo with Pastry - Pasta Casserole, Maltese Style

Anna Sultana’s Meatless Penne alla Vodka

Anna Sultana’s Baked Penne with Cauliflower

And let's not forget Carmela's recipes...

Carmela Soprano's Ziti al Forno / Baked Ziti with Tiny Meatballs

Carmela Soprano's Baked Ziti In Bianco and Bechamel Sauce

Carmela Soprano's Vegetarian Baked Ziti

Carmela Soprano's Penne alla Vodka / Penne in Cream Sauce

Carmela Soprano's Rigatoni with Sweet Sausage and Tomato Sauce

Carmela Soprano's Pasta all' Amatriciana (Bucatini Amatrice - Style)

Hints:

This recipe also works with penne, mostaccioli or rigatoni.

The sauce amount is up to you. 

Some prefer a dryer baked dish, while others like something verging on a soup.

If you don’t have, or don’t like, sour cream or cream cheese you can leave them out and use 1 to 2 Cups of heavy cream or ricotta.

This casserole can be prepared ahead of time. 

Refrigerate up to 8 hours. When ready to serve, bake, uncovered, in 375º F oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until it is heated through.

If you want to make a non meat-free meal of this dish you can add 1 pound cooked ground chicken, turkey or beef (or a beef / pork mixture), or sausage meat - or a mixture of any of the above - to the sauce before combining it with the pasta.

Have leftover cooked meatballs? They can be placed on top of the pasta before baking.

Serve with a salad and crusty Italian or sourdough bread for a full meal.

Want veggies in the casserole? 

Mushrooms, chopped spinach, onions or zucchini, or eggplant slices could be added.

The leftover Marinara Sauce can be refrigerated, covered, for another meal.

                        Creamy Baked Ziti 

8 servings

                        

Marinara Sauce 

in a heavy-bottomed pot combine

2  28 ounce cans crushed tomatoes

1  6 ounce can tomato paste

6 bay leaves

6 whole garlic cloves, peeled 

1 Tablespoon dried oregano

1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil

pinch of salt (to taste)

1 Cup cold water

Over medium heat bring the sauce to a boil. 

Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 2 hours.

Stir occasionally, and add water, as necessary.

Remove bay leaves and garlic before serving.

Ziti

Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan

In a large pot bring to boil

4 quarts water

Add

4 Cups ziti

Cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente.

Drain. Set aside the pasta and use the same large pot to continue.

Place in large pot

4 to 5 Cups Marinara Sauce

4 ounces cream cheese, cubed 

Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently until the cream cheese has melted and the mixture is blended. 

Return pasta to the pot and mix well. 

Heat oven to 375º F

Place half of the pasta mixture in the prepared pan.

Spread over the top of the pasta layer

1/2 to 3/4 Cup sour cream

Sprinkle over the sour cream

1 Cup shredded mozzarella cheese 

spread the remaining pasta mixture over the cheese.

Top with

1 Cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 Cup grated Parmesan cheese 

Bake 20 minutes or until heated through. 

About the sky, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

March 28 - The planets Venus and Uranus are in close conjunction, the second-closest of all of 2018 (the conjunction of Mars with Neptune on December 7, 2018, will be closer). Venus passes only 4 minutes of arc (0.066-degree) south of Uranus - that’s equal in apparent dimensions to almost twenty-three Venus disk diameters. Least separation between the two planets will take place at 8:47 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. For western time zones the Sun will still be up, but the two planets will still be nearly as close when darkness arrives.  The only drawback is that you’ll have to wait until the background twilight sky has sufficiently darkened for you to sight Uranus. Wait until about an hour after sundown, but be aware that by that time the planet duo will be very low – only about 6 degrees above the western horizon.

March 31 - A full Blue Moon at 8:37 a.m. A “Blue Moon” occurs when there are two full Moons within a calendar month. 

The term is also has another definition - it’s also used when there are four moons in a season; the third of these is referred to as a “Blue Moon.”  

Anna Sultana’s Easy Shepherd’s Pie / Mercury and Venus Pair Up

Goodness, we’re almost halfway through March!

We had a bit of snow last week, but, with the warmer weather, it’s been melting nicely.

Hope March is being kind to you, too.

Well, the last post was about Saint David's Day and had a Welsh Pancakes recipe.

It’s always handy to have another pancake recipe on hand.

Now it’s time to get ready for St. Patrick’s Day.

Shepherd’s Pie is also known as Cottage Pie.

it’s a nice basic recipe that has familiar ingredients.

The kiddies never get spooked by ground beef or mashed potatoes.

And it’s a great way to use up leftover bits in the fridge.

After all, we have to start making room to defrost the Easter turkey.

Looking for a few more Irish dishes to round out your family’s dinner? Try

Anna Sultana’s Irish Cakes / Boxties

Anna Sultana’s Shepherd’s Pie (Yes, there are other recipes.)

Potato and Cabbage Casserole

Anna Sultana’s Colcannon and Irish Cream

Irish soda bread

Don’t forget to top off your meal with a glass of Irish Coffee!

May you always have 

Walls for the winds, 

A roof for the rain, 

Tea beside the fire, 

Laughter to cheer you, 

Those you love near you,

And all your heart might desire! 

Hints:

Have a bit less than a pound of ground beef? Kidney beans, or any other beans, can be added to up the protein.

If you’re serving vegetarians, the beans can totally replace the meat.

Like your Shepherd’s Pie filling spicy? Add, to taste, any of the following:

cumin, basil, oregano, garlic powder, onion soup powder, chili powder or chili sauce. 

A mixture of thyme and crushed rosemary leaves (about 1/2 teaspoon of each) also adds a nice touch.

Don’t have any gravy on hand? 

Use BBQ sauce or a can of tomato or mushroom soup diluted with 1 can of water.

If you have leftover or canned mixed vegetables or mushrooms or corn or peas (or a combination), you can use that instead of the frozen. Creamed corn adds a bit more moisture, which is handy if you don’t have much gravy.

Have a bit of mozzarella or herb and garlic cream cheese in the fridge? You can use that instead of the plain cream cheese. Or you can leave the cheese out entirely.

You MUST allow the filling to cool down before adding the mashed potatoes. If you don’t the potatoes will sink into the filling. If you are in a rush let the filling cool in the refrigerator while you make the potato topping.

To get really creamy mashed potatoes, use a potato ricer or sieve. Be sure the mashed potatoes are hot when you spread them. Cold mashed potatoes is harder to spread. You want a textured surface on the potato topping, so rough it up a bit. It’s like adding the meringue to a lemon meringue pie - the points become nicely browned bits and make it look more appetizing.

If your mashed potatoes seem a bit dry or not quite enough, you can add sour cream.

Want to get fancy? Top the potatoes with pieces of bacon and fried onions.

You can prepare the pie in a casserole in advance, then refrigerate or freeze.

Cooking for one or two? The pie can be made into individual or for-two pies, using smaller pans. You can freeze the extra servings. Remember to defrost at room temperature before baking as directed in the recipe.

For a crisp golden topping, flash under the broiler for a few minutes before serving.

The kiddies might like a dollop of ketchup on their servings.

                        Easy Shepherd’s Pie

Finely chop 

1 or 2 garlic cloves

1 medium onion

Place in a large skillet

1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil

Heat oil over medium high heat. 

Add the chopped garlic and onion.

Cook for 1 minute.

Add

1 pound extra lean ground beef

Cook, stirring, until browned.

Stir in

2 cups beef gravy  

4 Cups frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, corn, green beans, peas)

Pour the filling into a 6 cup casserole. 

Set aside, preferably in the refrigerator.

Peel and cut into 1" cubes

2 pounds potatoes

Cook in boiling water for 15 minutes or until soft. Turn off the stove.

Drain, then return the potatoes to the pot and place it on the burner you had used. 

Shake the pot briefly and allow the potatoes to steam dry for about a minute.

If there is excess liquid in the potatoes it will make the topping watery.

If you have a potato ricer or sieve, use it and return the riced potatoes to the pot before adding

2 Tablespoons butter

Mash until melted.

Add

1/2 - 3/4 Cup milk

salt to taste

a dash of nutmeg (optional)

Mash until smooth.

Preheat oven to 375º F

Spread the potatoes onto the filling, and rough up the surface.

Sprinkle with 

1/2 Cup shredded old cheddar cheese  (optional)

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden on top and bubbling on the edges. 

Stick a knife into the middle to ensure it is piping hot.

Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. 

About the sky, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

March 15 - Look to the western horizon after sunset to see Mercury and Venus paired up. Search for them low above the western horizon about a half hour after sunset. While both should be evident to the naked-eye, binoculars will certainly enhance their visibility against the bright twilight.

March 17 - New Moon at 9:12 a.m. In this phase, the Moon is not illuminated by direct sunlight and is completely invisible to the naked eye.

March 18 - About 45 minutes after sunset, look low toward the western horizon to sight an extremely narrow (2-percent) crescent Moon.  About 4-degrees to its upper right shines Venus, and a similar distance to Venus’ upper right will be Mercury, still shining at a respectably bright +0.4.

March 24 - First quarter Moon at 11:35 a.m. In this phase, the Moon looks like a half-Moon in the sky. One-half of the Moon is illuminated by direct sunlight while the illuminated part is increasing, on its way to full.

March 26 - The Moon is at perigee,at 1:26 p.m., which means that it is at the closest point to Earth in its cycle.

Anna Sultana’s Welsh Pancakes (Crempog) and the Full Worm Moon

Happy Saint David's Day!

Dydd Gwyl Dewi hapus is Happy Saint David's Day in Welsh.

March first is a very special day for Paul and me.

No, we’re not Welsh.

We don’t have any Welsh relatives or friends, as far as I know.

It’s just that, a couple of times, a few years ago, we made some big changes in our lives at this time.

In 1975 we moved from our house in Vancouver, British Columbia to an apartment in Winnipeg.

On March 1, 1978 we moved into our first little house on the prairie.

As we'd lived in two apartments in this city, it was our third home in Winnipeg.

So Paul and I stroll down a few memory lanes on March 1.

Oh, about St. David of Wales…

He was an aristocrat from West Wales who lived in the sixth century.

In his honour many wear either a daffodil or a leek, or display the flag of St. David, which is a yellow cross on a black background.

St. David appreciated the impact of doing the little things in life.

One of his sayings: A mighty flame followeth a tiny spark. 

He was a saint, not a Rhodes scholar.

Since Malta was part of the British empire until 1964, there were a lot of British recipes that became quite popular on our islands.

One such recipe is Welsh pancakes, also known as Ffroes, or Welsh crempog.

Crempog is a small thick pancake resembling a Scotch pancake and is similar to the French crèpe and the English crumpet.

Wales has a history of baking on a bakestone, a large round portable flatstone. 

The flagstone was replaced by a metal plate known as a gradell (griddle), which appeared among the list of objects made by 13th century blacksmiths in the Laws of Hywel Dda.

Crempog is one of the oldest recipes in Wales.

They are traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday and birthdays.

They also can be served as a nice simple dessert that goes well with a cup of tea.

Well, that’s how the Brits serve tea.

To do it Maltese style, serve the tea in a glass.

If you’d like to do something Welsh try reading this children’s song:

Modryb Elin Enog

Os gwelwch chi'n dda ga i grempog?

Cew chithau de a siwgr brown

A phwdin lond eich ffedog

Modryb Elin Enog

Mae 'ngheg i'n grimp am grempog

Mae Mam rhy dlawd i brynu blawd

A Sian yn rhy ddiog i nol y triog

A 'nhad yn rhy wael i weithio

Os gwelwch chi'n dda ga i grempog

Before you go to Google translate, here's the song in English:

Auntie Elin Enog

Please may I have a pancake?

You can have tea and brown sugar

And your apron full of pudding

Auntie Elin Enog

My mouth is parched for pancakes

My mum is too poor to buy flour

And Sian is too lazy to get the treacle

And my father's too sick to work

Please may I have a pancake?

Maybe I should've left out the translation...

Hints:

If you don’t have buttermilk you can pour 2 ounces vinegar into a measuring cup and add enough milk to make 15 ounces. Let set a few minutes, stir, and use.

You can also add raisins or currants.

Crempoq can also be smothered with butter, and stacked in a pile. The stack can be sliced like a cake. This was served for Welsh birthdays. The wedges are also eaten as a teatime treat.

Welsh Pancakes also freeze well.

If you’d like to provide a bit of variety, you could also make

Anna Sultana’s Welsh Cakes 

                        Welsh Pancakes

Serves 4 to 8

Place in a large bowl

2 Cups flour   

Heat in a medium saucepan

15 ounces buttermilk

Add

2 Tablespoons butter

Stir until the butter melts.

Gradually pour the milk and butter mixture into the the flour and beat well.  

Leave the mixture to stand for at least 30 minutes (2 hours is better). 

Combine in a small bowl

1/2 Cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Place in a medium bowl

2 eggs

Beat well.

Stir  in

1 Tablespoon vinegar

the sugar, baking soda, and salt mixture

Pour this mixture into the flour and milk mixture.

Beat well to form a smooth batter. 

Heavily grease a griddle, frying pan or a cast iron bakestone and heat well.

Drop the batter, a tablespoon at a time, onto the heated surface.

Cook over a moderate heat until golden brown on both sides. 

Remove and keep the pancakes warm.

Continue this method until all the batter is used up.

Spread butter on each pancake, dust with confectioners’ sugar, and eat while warm. 

You can also top the pancakes with jam, sliced banana, golden syrup, currants, powdered sugar or a chocolate drizzle.

About the sky this week, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

March 1 - As the temperature begins to warm and the ground begins to thaw, earthworm casts appear, heralding the return of the robins. For this reason, the March full moon is often known as the Full Worm Moon.

Northern Native American tribes knew this moon as the Full Crow Moon when the cawing of crows signalled the end of winter. They also used Full Crust Moon because the snow cover became crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night.

The Dakota Sioux named it Moon When Eyes Are Sore From Bright Snow. The Full Sap Moon, marking the time of tapping maple trees, is a Colonial American variation. To the settlers, it was also known as the Lenten Moon. It was considered to be the last full moon of winter.