Pizza and Pancakes
Lately, our Friday-night fall-back dinner seems to be homemade pizza, and last week was no exception. What was exceptional was the way we topped the pizza this time. Usually we opt for the standard pepperoni (a special brand from Whole Foods that Kellen can have because it contains no dairy) and mozzarella cheese (or a vegan mozzarella-style “cheese” in Kellen’s case)—although Shawn and I have been known to spice our slices up a bit with onions, bell peppers, garlic and other stuff that we know the Littles will end up eyeing suspiciously and then picking off if we put it on their pieces. But Friday morning we picked up our order from A Bar H Farm, which delivers grass-finished beef and lamb, and pasture-raised chickens and eggs to a drop-off point near our neighborhood every six weeks. (The farm is a little more than 150 miles from where we live and is so far the most “local” and convenient option I’ve discovered for putting most of these desirable dietary staples on our table.) Our standard order includes four whole chickens, one beef chuck roast, 6 pounds of ground beef and a dozen eggs. (We’re working on acquiring a dedicated freezer so that we can order more at a time. As it is, we tend to go through it all a few weeks before the next order is due to arrive.) This time around, I had added 1 pound of ground lamb sausage to our usual list, and after we picked up the order I decided to brown it up and use it to top our pizza. Kellen’s pizza also was topped with Follow Your Heart mozzarella-style vegan “cheese,” while the rest of us enjoyed ours with melted slices of the raw milk mozzarella I made last week. We all had the same simple Pizza Sauce, as well as a gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free Pizza Crust. Needless to say, it met with rave reviews: Out of three whole pizzas, not one slice was leftover.
On Sunday morning, I served up the A Bar H eggs—with their amazing, almost-orange yolks—to everyone but Kellen, along with our traditional Sunday Pancakes. (I promised a couple of weeks ago to post the recipe, and I’ve finally gotten around to it.) The ground lamb sausage would have been a real treat with this meal, too—especially for Kellen, as it’s challenging to provide a good source of breakfast protein for him when eggs are on his list of things to avoid.
Today I pick up 2 gallons of raw cow’s milk, plus our monthly order from Azure Standard, an Oregon farm that delivers bulk grains and myriad other specialty items to drop points in cities throughout the western United States—including one not far from my house. I’m expecting organic strawberries and peaches, so I’ll be looking for creative ways to put those on our plates—as well as culturing some of the raw dairy I pick up. Suggestions welcome!
This post is part of the Tuesday Twister blog carnival hosted by www.gnowfglins.com. To link to today’s Tuesday Twister on that site, click here.
9 comments
I can’t wait to check out your pancake recipe.
I love that you’re so dedicated to good food from a local farm that you make that drive to pick up the selection of high-quality meats. Are they able to supply you with whole chickens year round or just seasonally? Thanks for participating in the Twister – everything looks delicious! Love, Wardeh
We love our pancake recipe—just need to convert it to a soaked recipe, which I think is absolutely possible. And luckily we don’t have to drive 150 miles to A Bar H Farm (although I would like to go there for a visit sometime). They deliver to a church close to my neighborhood, which is so handy. I’ve investigated other options, such as purchasing a whole cow or 1/2 cow from other farms, but the cuts you can order are not as flexible, and I just don’t have the freezer room—yet. I have been ordering from A Bar H since January, and they have always had chickens. We’re hoping to get our Thanksgiving turkey from there this year, as well!
Love,
Sonya
The farm you order from looks great! How nice to be able to get it all in one place. We do a beef CSA once a month but it would be so nice to find a regular source for chickens and eggs. Great looking pizza.
Sonya~ your children and hubby are so blessed to have you as a mom! You do so many wonderful things for them ! HUGS!
Sonya,
I just “took” your pancake recipe and can’t wait to try it. Thank you so much for sharing. Have a wonderful rest of the day.
Hi, MarLou: I hope you like the pancakes! Let me know!
—Sonya
Thanks, Tawnya! You made my day! Hugs right back to you!
—Sonya
Wow..it all sounds delicious! We do homemade pizza once a week too, using italian chicken sausage we get from a nearby farm. We have ours delivered just like you do! We get our meat and dairy from two different farms, both delivered to a nearby location where we pick it up.
Hi, Kara! Ooh, Italian chicken sausage sounds great for pizza. The farm we buy from doesn’t offer that. Might have to seek out a source for it.
I’m glad you have some good resources for real food in your area, too!
—Sonya
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