Blueberry Cheese Blintz
Sometimes I get asked “Don’t you want kids?”
“No. Not really.” I always reply.
“Well, why not?” They always come back.
Sometimes, I pretend to be vague and say “Well, we weren’t lucky enough” and let them think that we actually tried but for some reason weren’t able to conceive.
Other times, I just make light of it and say “My dogs are my kids!” and leave it at that.
The real reason, if you want to know, is this…
“I’m just too selfish.”
Blueberry Cheese Blintz
Being a mother requires a big heart. I see it everyday – especially in what people consider to be the “little things”. I see it in my Mom, who spends every afternoon cooking on what should be a “vacation”, so that when her kids come home, there is always a hot meal prepared for us. Every night, when I come home from a tiring day at work, there is only one phrase that can lift my spirits up. Its my Mom shouting “Come and get it!”
I see selflessness in my my eldest sister, who would rather spend her money on getting my nephew toys than on herself.
And then, there is my other sister, who is about to give birth in a couple of months – she’s always been the most thoughtful of us sisters – I know she will be a great mother. She had a baby shower this weekend and I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many mother gathered together in one room. Many of them had put their careers on hold to take care of their children. Many of them had one story or another to tell about how they spent hours in labor, take their kids on play dates, parties, the hospital, sports events… No one was talking about the latest Gucci or Prada handbag. It was all about the latest trend in children’s toys and games.
A big heart…
Cheeze Blintz
When Simone and Nurit decided on making Blintzes this month (please check out their sites for more yummy blintzes too!), my sister’s Baby shower was the perfect opportunity to try this dish. I decided on a very traditional blueberry blintz recipe. I adapted this from Tyler Florence’s The Ultimate Cookbook. And guess what, the recipe was so delicious, I made it again for Mother’s Day – this time with an Orange Sauce from Stephanie Alexander.
These blintzes are so yummy but they do require some effort to make, but hey, I was making it for a room full of (mostly) mothers and another batch for Mother’s Day so it was all worth it!
Cheese Blintz
Recipe – Cheeze Blintz From Tyler Florence
Crepes
- 165 grams flour
- 420 ml milk
- 2 eggs
- pinch of salt
- 150 grams melted and cooled butter
- Blend all ingredients (I used a blender) except the butter.
- Add the butter in and blend a few more seconds.
- Strain through a sieve into a small bowl and allow to rest for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day (this ensures the batter is not rubbery).
- Using a non stick skillet, brush lightly with melted butter over medium heat.
- Pour 1/4 cup batter into the crepe pan and swirl until it is paper thin.
- Cook each crepe in one side, for around 30 seconds until the edges are slightly browned and then flip over to the other side for another 15 seconds or so.
- Place the crepes on a plate separated by some baking paper to ensure they don’t stick to each other.
Cheese Filling – from Trissalicious
- 250 grams ricotta cheese
- 250 grams cream cheese
- 55 grams caster sugar
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 egg (optional)
- 100 ml cream
- Using a stand mixer, blend all ingredients together until smooth and creamy
- Place the filling in a piping bag (optional)
Orange Blintz
To assemble
- Pipe the filling onto the middle of the crepe and fold over each of the two sides on to the center.
- Roll the crepe to cover the rest of the filling (see above)
- Pan fry the crepes in a little butter on each side until golden brown (optional)
- Top with either the blueberry or orange sauce
Orange Sauce – from Stephanie Alexanders The Cook’s Companion
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water (125 ml)
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice (125 ml)
- Orange wedges
- Stir sugar and water over heat until sugar has dissolved then leave alone until a rich golden amber.
- Stand well back and pour in the orange juice.
- When spluttering has died down, stir gently until you have a smooth syrup. Add some orange wedges
Blueberry Sauce from Tyler Florence
- 500 grams frozen blueberries
- 100 grams sugar
- juice of half a lemon
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- In a heavy based saucepan, pour in the blueberries, the sugar and the lemon.
- Stir over medium heat for around 15 minutes.
- Mix the cold water and cornstarch in a little bowl and add to the blueberry mixture
- Stir until thickened.
Orange Blintz
Trissalicious 
[…] and Trissa from Trissalicious. Check out their posts on the subject rom Nurit here and from Trissa here. And if you haven’t checked out their blogs yet, you should really do so as both ladies are […]
I have two kids and I love them dearly, but they do require a great deal of time and energy, both physical and emotional. I don’t think anyone should feel bad for not wanting kids. I think you should feel good that you know yourself well enough not to bow to social pressure to have kids.
You may someday change your mind, but if you do, remember: they will be hungry, and there will be fewer blintzes for you.
I have had home made cheese blintz’s before and they are yummy. I looking to learn how to do the fruit stuffing
I have tears in my eyes when I read what you wrote about mothers..
How true it is..
I have 2 girls.. and sometimes, I wanted to be just selfish and self centred, and just do what I want to do, and buy what I want to buy.. then I reminded myself.. “I’m a mother.”
Lovely piece.
I want a daughter to make me these…truly, and with BOTH sauces, not just one. {sigh} They look divine.
Sigh, a mother’s life is always tough, but your post makes me HAPPY! It’s gorgeous, just like these stunning blintzes.WOW!!
Trissa
I totally applaud your decision; after having had kids (I really wanted them) my feeling on it is that if you imagine it to be hard, it is in reality 100 times harder. Selfish? You may call it life-preserving because kids can and do suck the life out of you! the first four years after they were born I never slept, one of them was always screaming at 3 AM; the when they get older, you worry about a whole new set of problems: their social network, influences, drugs, etc.
Every single one of my mother-friends has said to me: If I had to do it over again, I am not sure I would have kids!
So, don’t let people fool you into thinking that you are selfish: you have a developed sense of self-preservation, is all!
By the way the blintzes are awesome! Love that orange sauce the most.
I must try this Trissa! Loved it when I got to taste it at the baby shower. Sure winner! 🙂
I applaud your honesty.
I’m having cereal right now and I’m pretending that they’re your blintzes.
I think it takes one big ol’ heart to spend the time and effort to make such lovely blintzes for a ton of people you care about. Children or no children, you have it, my dear. 😉
So i thought I couldn’t ask for more today given I’m about to board a flight to the Caribbean in less than 4 hours until of course I see this! The flavours here are outstanding. I’m with you 100% about mothering. I feel the same as you and right now which I suppose means I’m not ready. It’s great that you are so open and honest about the topic.
I like how you’re being completely honest about why you don’t want to have children. Everyone is different and there’s just too much societal pressure that women should fit into one mould of marriage and kids. Or look in a particular way. I’d say live life how ever you want it with no regrets. It’s not about them. It’s about us.
Sory, I was sidetracked. The orange blintz looks gorgeous. Its beauty undoubtedly heightened in your beautiful pictures.
how lucky those mothers were to taste these..they look goregous…..great pics
sweetlife
Trissa, I get you. It’s all about personal choices, and if you are happy with your choice, who’s to say whether it’s right or wrong? (Hugs) You’re a bighearted lady. It’s clear for all to see. 🙂 Gotta go now … blintz calling Ju.
Your Cheeze Blintz look so tantalizing. What a nice way to celebrate Mother’s day. Hope you had a wonderful one as well.
these looks sooo good! orange and blueberries?? wonderful flavors…
Wow, Trissa, they look amazing! And I can’t imagine you as being selfish… everyone just wants different things.
I can identify with you, hubby and I don’t have kids either by choice. For me it’s partly selfishness and I don’t think I have the motherly instinct. I do enjoy my many nieces and nephews.
Those blintzes look incredibly yummy!
These look amazing. The perfect dish to take to your sisters baby shower 🙂
I love your honesty in your posts. Each to their own in their decisions, as long as you are true to yourself and happy. Congratulations for your sister! Those Blintz would go down a treat 🙂
these look great trissa
i would love to have children i plan to have a whole bunch .. but its definitely not for everyone so as long as you are happy that’s the main important thing anyway
Oh My Gosh! These look flipping amazing!
It’s refreshing when people are honest about why they don’t have children. As one of the commenters said, everyone is different and that’s why diversity exists. I agree with you wholeheartedly, to be a mother, you’d have to be selfless, I see it in my mother every time. Thank you for such a great recipe, i’m sure this is soemthing my mum would like although I’d probably add bananas to the cheese mixture, her favourite fruit.
The textures look just perfect, and finishing them off in the pan to get that slight crispiness? Ahh! I want one!
I dare say I’m too selfish to have kids, but I will cross that bridge if and when I get to it!
How can you be selfish when you’re always sharing the most amazing recipes?
These crepes look delicious but I don’t have a crepe pan. Do you think I can use a normal pan?
Trissa its a personal choice. Everyone has a reason for choosing the things they do in life. I dont think its selfish at all. You have so much to offer the people in your life. You are an amazing friend, wife, sister, aunty and daughter. You certainly have my respect. The Blintz look delicious. I particularly like the Orange Blintz. Oranges are quite sweet at the moment.
You have the heart and patience to take care of your doggies – don’t sell yourself short, Trissa!
Trissa I remember we had this conversation in Sydney 🙂 These Blintzes look wonderful.
I know how you feel. I too sometimes think that becoming a mother means putting my life on hold, forgetting about my needs, not being able to do all the things I dreamed of, but I really want to experience motherhood. I really hope to, one day.
I love the look of your blintzes Trissa, all that cheese creeping out… I haven’t had breakfast yet and these constitute a serious temptation.
Magda
I get asked those questions often and I don’t have a dog as an excuse! :O
But am with you on having a big heart and more so, the kind of lifestyle we are ready for. As you observed, I don’t think I am into the kids-everything lifestyle. And I believe not all are suited to be mothers. That’s what diversity is all about. Ha.
I am bookmarking your crepe recipe cos it seems easy to make the crepes and the ingredients are basic. Do you think it would work if I did not have a blender?
Süper bir lezzet!
To be honest I think that to cook food for other people, to have a big heart must be a prerequisite. I think if you ever decide to have children, you’ll be able to pull out things you never thought you had 🙂 (but of course, that doesn’t mean you don’t have them if you don’t have children. Just saying.)
Anyway, these are just so lethally good. I must have one now, but if only we had blueberries for cheap!
Trissa- you have a HUGE heart. You’ve made a choice that suits you, and you shouldn’t have to justify it to anyone else. The same way mothers have made their choice. That’s just the way it rolls. Lovely tribute and yummy blintzes!
(Btw- I made sure to type my address correctly this time!) 🙂
What a sweet post. There’s nothing wrong with not having kids if it’s not for you! You’ve gotta live the life you want not the one that others expect of you. Besides if you don’t have kids then you can spend your time pampering the rest of us mom’s with yummy Blintz’s… heh heh heh.. 🙂
Happy belated mother’s day to The blog monster and your sisters. The blintz are gorgeous. Your kindness and generosity towards everyone around you shows the motherly love you have. I always feel blessed to have known you as a friend.
I love that you are so honest about not having kids. I have just waded through the “do I or don’t i?” stage knowing full well that if the answer was “don’t” that I had probably just signed my own divorce papers. People can be so funny about kids – but I have 2 gorgeous cats and a psychotic dog that I adore and always wonder how I could possibly love human children more. But to say that to a real mother always gains me some kind of grimace… oh well! We’ll see what the future has in store for me yet 🙂
Congrats to your sister! And dayuummm these look sooo goodd!! I must makkkessss
What a georgous treat this is!! I have never tasted them or made them before but they sure looks so apart & special too!
Grand pictures, as allways!
Trissa, thank you for posting this – I can relate to it so well! I always tell people I only like to play with kids if they are not my own…. I know how one has to devote 150% to the kids. I once had my partners kids with me for a week, I almost turned into a zombie – every hour and minute is about them…. Your blintz look really good and so well made!
These look soooo delicious and creamy! Love the photos! 😀
haha … I actually share your sentiments 😡 and the blintz looks yummy, love the blueberries.
So SO good. And there is nothing with having dogs as kids.
Hi Trissa, you should have joined our conversation at the balcony. We were talking about shopping in greenhills and fake LV bags! lol
What a sweet post! Congratulations to your sister! I am sure that you will be a fabulous auntie! Those blintzes look fabulous!
Thanks for hosting the best baby shower!!! I loved the Blintzes – I could eat 10 of them if I didn’t stop myself!!!!!!!
Very pretty! Believe it or not, I have never tried to make blintz before.
About the kid question, I get asked a lot. I understand your sentiment. Being a mother requires a lot of commitment, something I cannot do at this stage. 🙂
Hi Trish, you can be a good Auntie by baking all those Trissalicious cakes & cookies for your nephews & nieces… and a good daughter also with your recipes for your Dad & Mom and sister to everyone in the family… have a great day :))
sigh. sometimes folks just don’t know when to mind their own business. i like your attitude, and i love your blintzes. gorgeous work and wonderful words!
Your blintzes are lovely, Trissa! My mouth is watering.
We aren’t all cut out to be mothers. Some by choice, some by accident. It’s difficult to be a part of gatherings like showers…you feel left out. (At least that’s what my unmarried daughter tells me.) But you are loving to go and enjoy your sisters’ children and baby showers. That says a lot.
I often wonder if I have the selflessness in me to have a child… I used to not want kids at all, but now that I’ve decided that I do (down the road, of course :P), I wonder if I could actually do it?
I suppose I’ll have to cross that bridge when I reach it.
I’ve never had a blintz, but they sure sound amazing! Perfectly photographed, as well!
That looks so good. I love the blueberry sauce.
Trissa, you are so kind and hence has such kind words to say about mothers even though it didn’t happen for you. It shows your greatness!
And your blintzes look *beautiful* and deliciuos. I’m sure they made all mothers happy.
I had challenging time with the photos because the cakes are so flat 🙂
Oh yum – i have a kid and would simply hide in the closet and not share any of these LOL! no seriously to each her/his own as long as they are happy.
trissa i am totally loving this. i make similar ones with quark ! awesome!
I am totally with you on this one (the not wanting kids, and the blintzes too). I am a selfish housewife. I like it that I AM THE BABY. Selfish girly that I am, you will surely understand then when I steal one of these luscious blintzes. Ahhh… what I wouldn’t do for one of these. They are truly stunning.
Sometimes I think that too, that I couldn’t do it. But at the same time, yeah, I wanna have that experience. I’m torn, as you can see. :p
But it’s totally ok, not wanting to have kids. A lot of people choose not to, and if they’re happy that way.. whatever, their choice. 🙂
Those look amazing and delicious, btw!
I am just going to say, I totally get you!! :)) HUGS!
oh and the Blintzes are soo yummy! so sweet of you to take the effort :))
Oh, the orange blintz is gorgeous! Hope you had a great Mother’s day (you are mum to Baci and Bizou, after all!)
Gosh Tris, thanks for the post! and the compliments! But I must say, I have to disagree with you… you are definitely not selfish! Your selflessness is evident in the love you show us when you cook for us. We can taste it when we eat your delicious food. We feel it in the special care you always take when you make us breakfast, lunch or dinner! Nothing is too much trouble for you. You open your home not only to us, but to our friends as well… And we can always count on having a wonderful meal, surrounded by family and friends whenever we sit down to eat at your dining room table. lots of love, m
Now this looks perfect. What a pro you are, and how lucky is your sister? And selfish? Hmmm… I doubt it, but it made a cute intro. I wrote a lengthy diatribe on Simone’s site about: what is the difference between a blinz and a crepe and…? etc. I won’t write it again, here… but will tell you that this presentation is absolutely inspiring and Tyler Florence usually has great recipes… but I doubt his looked anything as yummy as yours!
🙂
Valerie
Oooo yours look so beautiful Trissa (as compaired to my slightly too pale ones…lol) and that filling sounds absolutely delicious! I am gonna try your recipe next. Can’t wait to see what we’re gonna be making next…:))
[…] and Trissa from Trissalicious. Check out their posts on the subject rom Nurit here and from Trissa here. And if you haven’t checked out their blogs yet, you should really do so as both ladies are […]