Oh Joy! Ode to Swedish Pancakes

I was born and raised in the Midwestern town of Rockford, Illinois. It was heavily, overwhelmingly Swedish. And while I've not a drop of Swedish blood, my taste buds were inevitably influenced; primarily by Swedish pancakes. Granted, frequent family trips to places like the Swedish Pancake House and Stockholm Inn have a lot to do with my love of Swedish pancakes. Like many comfort foods, they transport me back to happy times in the arms of a loving family.

So why, you might ask, has it taken me decades to learn to cook this delightful treat? The short answer is that they aren't terribly easy or intuitive. Plus, despite being a pretty good and often adventurous cook, the risk of failure where it really mattered to me was intimidating. Years and thousands of miles away from my Swedish hometown, living in a small, rural western town and relegated to seeking out iHop on business trips, I often bought Swedish pancake mix only to toss it later when it became clear that the expiration date preceded the birth of several neighborhood children.

When I turned fifty, my resolution was to learn and participate in at least one, major new skill or activity each year for the rest of my life. Still, more than a decade later, Swedish pancakes had not even made the list. Well, it hovered at the bottom for a while, but then there was that one huge failed attempt.

About a year ago I decided this was it and bought a Swedish plätt pan. Surely the right equipment would make this a success. Swedish pancake batter is extremely thin, doesn't bubble like traditional batter, requires high pan heat as well as exquisite timing and a great spatula to turn. I have never seen such a mess of mistimed, both underdone and burned slop in my life. Yuck! The pan went into the cupboard for over a year.

Last week it made a brief appearance, but the batter was old, the heat high enough to start the butter in the pan on fire and set off our smoke alarm and the final results were underdone - but a bit closer to actual pancakes than the ball of batter I tossed the year before. While neither my husband (nor the cats - who clearly do not like loud smoke alarm noises) were terribly impressed, I was encouraged.

So today, my resolve firmly in place, new batter in the cupboard and a few clues as to what not to do, I made Swedish pancakes. Real, edible if not yet perfect Swedish pancakes. While I have a long way to go, this morning's Swedish pancakes can be considered a success. Evenly done (mostly), unripped from turning, pansized and round (again, mostly), properly thin they lacked only the traditional lingonberies. Repetition may even be possible! Maybe even from a scratch recipe rather than a box mix!

Best of all, while I was eating Dad, Mom, Melanie and Michele were right there in the room with me.

Facts, Truth and Opinion

"I have one major rule: everybody is right. More specifically, everybody including me has some important pieces of the truth, and all of those pieces have to be honored, cherished and included in a more gracious, spacious and compassionate embrace" ~Ken Wilber

Truths, based upon facts, leading to opinions, make our conversations a lively and learning experience. Passion, based on respect, leading to understanding, make our families and communities a brightly colored kaleidoscope of efforts for the common good.

When did we forget that facts matter?

A whole industry has grown up to check our public speech, making sure our truths are based on facts. An industry we should be ashamed is necessary. Where is our built-in monitor for speaking clearly either facts or opinion; not confusing one for the other? When did we lose concern for the reverberations of our speech; for the impact of our words on others, in favor of our adamant grasping at the right to say what we want, when we want, as loudly as we want? How have we forgotten to listen?

Rotary, one of our time-honored service groups, has a simple and straightforward Four-Way Test:

"Of the things we think, say or do
Is it the TRUTH?
Is it FAIR to all concerned?
Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?"

Perhaps it is time, not just for every Rotarian, but every American to take up these principles and judge ourselves, our thoughts, our actions and surely our words by their light.

OPEN LETTER TO CONGRESS - SAVE THIS DATE: JANUARY 17TH

Dear Congress,

The horrifying event in Arizona presents a challenge and a choice to you; not just all of you, but each and every one of you. Will you choose to continue the great American history of democracy or will you follow TSA, fleeing shoes and underwear toward fear? Will you cower from your own constituents or will you say "Not in Our America"?

Will you be any less brave in fighting for and carrying out our American means of governing than our men and women fighting exactly the same rule of fear and lawlessness in the Middle East? Or the citizens of those countries whom we ask to risk much for a philosophy of government?

Thank you for the pause to respect and reflect. But then it is time to rise up, without party or prejudice, without thought for personal or political gain, without endless planning and plotting and dare to do what Congresswoman Giffords demonstrated. Congress and constituents must converse, debate and interact face to face for our democracy to survive.

If we preach democracy abroad, we must be willing to demonstrate it fully at home. The list of Americans, who at considerably more risk than that faced by a Congress in a comfortable world and capable of mustering reasonable security resources, is long and illustrious - starting with the likes of George Washington or Patrick Henry.

How will our generation of leaders measure up?

I propose that on January 17th (a date with it's own illustrious history of bravery) every Congressperson hold a 'Congress on Your Corner' in their own District.

Let us say to those who would have America ruled by firepower rather than persuasion, by passion unbridled rather than passion assembling, by force and fear rather than courage and conferring: Not In Our America.

And yes, I know it is easy to ask for others to be brave in the face of danger, however limited. Yes, I know prudent precautions may stretch already reduced law enforcement resources. Yes, I know moving 535 individuals in one direction is currently proving arduous.

However, I'm betting on you and on us. If you come, we will too.

Sincerely,
Marcia Illian Banta
One American Citizen