Small Bites…Adventures in Downsizing

By Jan Kinzel 

Just when the caterpillar thought his world was over, he became a butterfly!

Nothing encourages transformation more than when people are afforded second chances. Finding a place to serve in my community has positively affected the downsizing experience for me. You’ll find that many opportunities for service exist in most communities. Explore, discover, and be amazed!

At the alternative high school where my team and I cook and serve breakfast to the students, faculty, and staff, I have discovered a whole new world and am surprised at what I have found. Through the offering of food and conversation around the tables, the kids become willing to share some of their life experiences and are eager to receive input from adults. Surprising! By slowly building bridges of trust, sharing happens.

I put this to the test after about four months of being with students every other week for breakfast. I used a butterfly theme for the table setting, and I even found a butterfly shirt. I did this to illustrate the beautiful saying that began this article.

While shopping for ingredients, a package of butterfly stickers caught my eye. At school that week, I asked each student if I could put a “tattoo” on their hand. As I did, I told them to be sure to read the saying at the bottom of the menu. Everyone accepted it except for one big, burly boy. He told me he wasn’t a butterfly kind of person. I smiled and told him that was OK and started to walk away. Then he said that he guessed I could put one on his backpack. I thanked him and put the sticker there. A little later, I saw that he had taken the sticker from his backpack and placed it on his cheek!

PUFFY FRENCH TOAST

1 cup whole milk

1 cup cream

¾ cup cinnamon sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 eggs

½ teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

6 cups cubed bread

⅓ cup sliced almonds

⅓ cup Turbinado sugar

Non-stick vegetable spray

½ cup melted butter

Spray a quarter sheet pan with non-stick spray and brush with melted butter. In large bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, cinnamon sugar, nutmeg, baking soda, and baking powder. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Add 6 cups of cubed bread. Mix well and let rest for 5 minutes.

Spread mixture on pan and sprinkle with sliced almonds and coarse sugar. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown and center is set. Cool and cut into 12 squares.

Serve with warmed maple syrup, fresh berries, and a light dusting of powdered sugar.

DENYSE’S FABULOUS BUTTERMILK PANCAKES

I had never heard of pancakes made without eggs, but my friend Denyse assured me this is quite common in the South. They are delicious. The students at the high school made a point of telling us how much they liked them!

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon each of baking soda and baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

4 cups buttermilk

1 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 teaspoons vanilla

Sift together the dry ingredients into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, melted and cooled butter, and vanilla. Mix well. Stir into the dry ingredients and let rest for at least 20 minutes. This batter can be made ahead, stored in an airtight container, and refrigerated overnight.

Using an ice cream scoop (¼ – ⅓ cup batter per pancake), drop batter onto a hot buttered griddle. Add a little more butter to the griddle as you cook a new batch. Cook until the edges are set and bubbles appear on the surface. Flip and cook until golden brown.

Serve with warmed maple syrup. No need to add more butter!

 TIP: Let yourself be surprised!

Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJV

 

Jan Kinzel resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, Chris. They have three married children and five grandchildren. A former classroom and music teacher, Jan now enjoys her church, serving other in Christ’s name and all things creative. Downsizing has opened many new opportunities for her to pursue activities she loves: writing, teaching cooking classes and finding inventive ways to live in a much smaller space which she has delighted in making cozy and charming.