Mid-April Adventures
Oh, the broom, the bonny bonny broom…*
Yesterday we had our Journey North Mystery Class wrap-up party. Huge fun all around: each family revealed its Mystery City location and we celebrated with a feast of dishes from the far-off locales. (Even the one American city in this year’s batch is far-off from us here in San Diego.) I won’t say more about the secret locations, since I know some of you are participating in your own groups and may not have had your big reveals yet. But ohhhh, was the food good.
I’ll give this much away: Beanie’s and my contribution were these Icelandic pancakes (pönnukökur).
(Beloved Carl Larsson print hiding a snarl of electrical cords.)
Here’s the recipe we followed, and here’s a delightful video demonstration by Icelandic cook Margret:
How to Make Icelandic Pönnukökur from Iceland on Vimeo.
At the end of the video she demonstrates the most common ways to serve the pancakes: sprinkled with sugar (as we did above) or spread with jam and a generous dollop of whipped cream. I didn’t think the cream would hold up at a potluck, but you can be sure we’re going to give that version a go very, very soon.
*My sweet broom is in bloom, lightening my heart not only with its sunny blossoms but also the way it puts one of my favorite Scottish ballads into my head every time I glance its direction.
Tomorrow Jane, Rose, and I are off on a new adventure—a Peterson family first: open house at the university Jane plans to attend in the fall. Talk about blinking. Seems only last week this happened:
tanita says:
It should probably worry me that there are SO DANGED MANY Scottish songs about that filthy weed also known as broom (I am SO allergic, but I have at least one slender sprig in the yard, for the memories). This is my favorite, and it’s kind of an earworm, but I love it.
On April 17, 2013 at 5:50 pm
Jennifer says:
We were supposed to wrap up JN today but the baby is sick. Maybe tomorrow! Anyway I have such strong sweet broom memories. They are shipped to our nursery from California early in the spring and I spent many Aprils hauling them in and out of the greenhouse with every late cold snap. I haven’t thought about them in sometimes now. Happy times. Have a super time at the university!! That last photo- wow.
On April 17, 2013 at 5:56 pm
Jennifer says:
Typing on iPod. Pardon my typo.
On April 17, 2013 at 5:58 pm
Ellie says:
University!! What adventures await her, oh my 🙂 I hope you all have a wonderful visit!
(What is up with all this growing?!)
{{hugs}}
On April 18, 2013 at 4:07 am
mamacrow says:
I always think of broom as gorse without the prickles. WHY is gorse – and broom for that matter – always described in kids-by-the-sea books as smelling coconutty?! I grow up by the sea, in amongst the broom and gorse and it DOESN’T!
On April 18, 2013 at 12:49 pm
Tabatha says:
The pancakes look delicious (similar to crepes?). Congrats to Jane and to the lucky university that she chose! My oldest will be attending university in the fall, too. It seems like only yesterday that you were wowing me in class with your poetic genius.
On April 21, 2013 at 1:41 am
KatieKaput says:
Cherish the Ladies do a great version of the Broom of the Cowdenkowes, as well as a song based on the Yeats poem for which your blog is named. 🙂 –Katie
On April 24, 2013 at 6:42 am