crepe batter is mostly egg related, right? but bisquick has levening in it already....and it seems to take a ton of oil even making pancakes...

So did you end up making plain old pancakes, Bob? Or waffles? (I know.....not the same thing at all when you're wanting crepes.)

I made the "Bisquick crepes" and ate them, but surely won't ever attempt it again. If there is a bright side to this its that in a few days at a family gathering in Vermont, a brother-in-law has volunteered to make crepes for breakfast one day, and at least I'll be able to prevent him from making the same mistake.

To help me when I'm there I'll add my usual crepe recipe to this message:

Its mostly the Betty Crocker recipe modified with some aid from a former co-worker from France.

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups milk
• 2 Tbsp melted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs (beat separately first)

I think that Bisquick contains flour, shortening, and baking powder... the problem is not knowing how much.

Bob, have you ever made blintzes? :)

OOOhhh, cheese blintzes with blueberry sauce!!!!

I cringed when I saw "Bisquick crepes." Not surprised they didn't turn out well. At least now you know. :-)

I don't like Bisquick, I've never fully understood its advantage compared to spending a minute or two adding fresh and likely better quality constituent ingredients AND in the appropriate proportion for what's being made.

It also contains an unhealthful and soon to be banned ingredient, partially hydrogenated oil (transfat).

The advantage of home food storage and storing hundreds and hundreds of pounds of grains/seeds/beans, you don't run out of much of anything, and you have plenty of options to choose from if you do.

I make Blender Breakfast Crepes from either freshly-milled flour (1/2 c. per recipe) or the whole grain (1/3 c. raw and uncooked). So if you happen to have some whole grains around like wheat, kamut, spelt, einkorn (and many other choices, including gluten-free choices like rice, quinoa, buckwheat), you can make crepes.

The original recipe for Blender Breakfast Crepes is from Sue Gregg: http://suegregg.com/ (I have all her cookbooks), but I also like the recipe the way it's found at the Passionate Homemaking: http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/11/blender-crepes.html - which is adapted from the Sue Gregg recipe; and the gluten-free, dairy-free recipe I recently made for Buckwheat Blender Crepes from Meaningful Eats: http://blog.meaningfuleats.com/buckwheat-blender-crepes-gluten-free-dairy-free/

I also store #10 cans of OvaEasy Egg Crystals (holds 6 vacuum-sealed packets with the equivalent of 12-eggs per packet) so I have powdered whole eggs I can reconstitute to use for cooking. I wish they would have had OvaEasy whole egg crystals when my mother-in-law was alive - that woman wasted sooooooo many eggs! But I digress.....

As far as "Bisquick" goes, it was one of the first "convenience foods", and I've always made my own versions, whether it was one of the many original homemade versions, or my own original wholegrain concoction using freshly-milled white wheat, spelt, oats and cornmeal (I called it "Good-For-You Baking Mix"), or a gluten-free version I now use since going gluten-free.

I've collected Bisquick recipes and cookbooks since I was a new bride (1971). To this day I make (crustless) Impossible Pumpkin Pie, rather than a traditional pie, because I dislike making and eating pastry, especially the soggy pastry of a Pumpkin Pie - it's all about the filling ;-). I make many of my own pantry-ready "convenience foods" so I can control the ingredients used in them, including baking mix. Another favorite I make is "Magic Mix" (the gluten-free version using cornstarch instead of wheat flour).

-Grainlady

You have hundreds of pounds of food at home for (what I think you've said) is a household of two people? I don't think you'll find many interested in jumping on this bandwagon.

GrainLady, every time I read your wonderful posts, I want to "come for supper!"

Do you grind you own wheat or grain for what you're cooking that day or week? I want to try fresh ground wheat made into biscuits - and home ground and made buckwheat pancakes.

Now I'm really hungry!

I was a bride in 1971 too ;), and know in my heart while admiring her organization, I will never be as efficient as Grainlady. I do keep Bisquick here, or its counterpart, the Krusteaz product. More often than not, the use by date gets away from me because I use it for little other than dumplings. I really like chicken and bisquick dumplings - it's one of those comfort food dinners for me. I don't make it often, DH would rather have the chicken over egg noodles or rice (and he prefers brown rice), but sometimes I will do it my way, with the dumplings. From the mix.

caroline94535-

I've been milling grains/seeds/bean for decades for cooking and baking needs. I live in the middle of wheat country and I develop recipes for a small mill just outside of town, and I teach classes on home-milling, and I also taught bread classes and bread machine classes for many years, and have been a foods judge at County and State Fairs - especially in the whole grain class - for over 20-years. Now I mostly mentor people referred to me from the County Extension Office and teach mostly at the Food Bank.

For biscuits, choose soft white wheat for milling (or whole wheat pastry flour if buying commercial whole wheat flour) because of the low amount of protein/gluten in that type of wheat. Biscuits are all about avoiding gluten-development whether you make them with White Lily (a southern all-purpose flour which make lovely biscuits) or freshly-milled flour. Spelt and einkorn (ancient forms of wheat) will also work well because of the lower amount of gluten in the grain. If you need to use a high-gluten hard wheat, just add a little more fat to help coat the gluten in the flour to prevent it from forming when you add the liquid to the flour/fat mixture, and keep mixing to a minimum.

Sadly, I've been gluten-free since Jan. 2013, but I can still grow grains that contain gluten into grass and juice the grass. I also mill my own gluten-free grains for gluten-free baking/cooking and I still make all our baked goods.

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For the rest of the members:

Is anyone else offended by what Snidely refers to as "my bandwagon" - whatever that is? Do I HAVE a bandwagon I'm trying to lure the unknowing into? I've been GRAINLADY at the Garden Web for a reason... it happens to be my way of life and a decades-long hobby/avocation. I have also been freely sharing that information with others, whether it's cooking, baking, milling grain, or about how to save money on groceries.

Or is everyone else, like me, offended by Snidely? I've never understood why someone who spends so much time insulting members and being generally rude and obnoxious hasn't been banned from the Garden Web? But I'm not in charge, just his official target to be shot down and insulted when, and wherever, on the Garden Web, I post.

-Grainlady

Grainlady, I have a lot of admiration for you. I know how hard you work to help others provide well for themselves and others. I hope that you never tire of sharing your expertise because, even though I will probably never jump on board "that bandwagon", I find it very interesting and educational.

I don't know know why Snidely insists on belittling your endeavors, but it is his habit to do that when he doesn't understand or appreciate something. I used to be offended by him, but pretty much ignore his posts whenever I see his name. It's almost a given that someone will be put down or belittled just for the sake of doing so.

I hate it because he can be helpful and interesting and even kind. I know! It's true, lol!

Is he behaved in this manner towards you in other forums?

At the risk of being accused of being a pot calling a kettle black,

No insult was intended and if it so seemed, I certainly apologize. The tone of the post as sometimes with others seemed to be an admonishment. And (again, running the risk of an accusal of hypocrisy), an intolerance for others who act differently.

Our resident expert on EVERYTHING insults everyone every day. You aren't special ;-) I also ignore his posts whenever I see his name. In other circles he would be called a troll but we don't do that here.

Sign my name too, I have also been on his "INFERIOR PERSON" list but it is even worse when his partner in crime butts in to a conversation to insult you for a double whammy and has nothing else but that to add to the conversation......re the meatball request back in September. Even the apology? is familiar. Sad part is that it is has become so old that it isn't even fun to come in here and take part in any conversation.

I grew up eating crepes and watching both my grandmother and mother make them. Too me, the above recipes are too thick to be called crepes. They seem more like Swedish pancakes in consistency. Crepes should be delicate and almost paper thin. The crepes you get in most American restaurants at breakfast are not true crepes. Too sweet and too moist. A crepe IMHO is almost doily like if that makes sense. The worst I had were from the chain restaurant called "The Magic Pan" back in the 70's. They only cooked one side of the crepe. Had some kind of contraption that revolved over heat with the underside of pans dipped in batter. UGH.

This is how I make them. My DGM/DM didn't measure but this is (I think) Julia Child's recipe. It uses the ingredients how I remember. It works for me. The batter should be thin.

Whisk together 1 cup flour with 1 1/3 cups milk and 1 1/3 cups water, 3 large eggs, a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Heat the pan (somewhere around medium) and brush on more melted butter. I use a well seasoned cast iron round like you would for tortillas. Pour about 2-3 tablespoons of batter in the pan and swirl. As crepe sets (about a minute) and lifts up (underside should be browned) flip it and cook the other side for about a half minute. Done.

Don't think I have attempted crepes, but Grainlady....I always look forward to your posts and believe I have copied and pasted many of your explanations about ways of using different grains and seeds. The information...ALL of it...that you share, both here and on the Cooking Forum is so helpful even tho I don't do a lot of cooking anymore. I wish you had been around when I was cooking, I would have been better at it. I'm 81 now, and DS, who cooks for us is also getting the benefit of your sharing. Keep your "bandwagon" going; your "sharing" is truly a gift!