Sweet Zucchini Pancakes

The zucchinis are taking over the world!  Actually, I kinda wish they were.  It seems anyone with a garden is anxious to get rid of them, but I audibly gulped as I noted the priced of $1.30 per pound at the grocery store.  Zucchinis are the best sneaky veggie there is!  You can disguise them in just about anything, and they don't take over.  I love them!  So if you hadn't noticed, this post is a shout out to all my friends with gardens to pass some my way so I don't have to buy them at top dollar.  OR WAIT... I guess if I were being a little less demanding, {guilty smile} this is my gift to you.  You now have another yummy way to use up those green guys. :)

Sweet Zucchini Pancakes (Tasty Kitchen)

½ cups All-purpose Flour

3 Tablespoons Sugar

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

¼ teaspoons Baking Soda

¼ teaspoons Salt

1 whole Egg

½ cups Greek Yogurt (nonfat Is Fine) (I used plain yogurt, not Greek, and it don't think it worked as well.  Greek is quite a bit thicker, and my batter was kind of runny weird.  Just saying. :)

2 Tablespoons Melted Butter

1 whole Zucchini, Grated

½ cups Water Or Milk

Preheat a nonstick skillet or griddle to medium-high heat (350ºF).

Whisk dry ingredients together (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt) and set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk egg, yogurt, and melted butter together. Combine dry and wet ingredients together and mix until just combined. Fold in grated zucchini. Add water or milk a little at a time until the batter consistency reaches the desired thickness. The more you add, the thinner your pancakes will be. For me, 1/2 cup was enough to thin the batter but keep them nice and fluffy.

Scoop 1/3 cup of batter onto the griddle and gently spread the batter if necessary. When you see bubbles rising around the edges, flip the pancakes. I found that some of the pancakes took as long as 10 minutes to cook (5 minutes per side). Top with butter and maple syrup!

Quinoa Pancakes

Quinoa Pancakes have a very "healthy," chewy ring to them, so my husband and kiddos were quite skeptical when I served them up hot off the grittle, but we were all happy with the results.  I've been hearing a lot about how nutritious quinoa is, and I had some left-overs that I had added to the Chicken and Wild Rice Soup, so I thought I would give this a try.  They were actually pretty tasty!  (Possibly in part, because I added just a bit a sugar to give it some sweetness. :)  We had ours with some applesause and it made for a yummy, healthy, filling breakfast!

Quinoa Pancakes (Popsugar)

1 cup cooked quinoa
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon course salt
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg white
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, plus more for skillet

1/4 cup low-fat milk
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, plus more for serving (I used sugar, because I was out of syrup)
Fresh fruit or fruit preserves (optional) for serving

1.     In a medium bowl, whisk together quinoa, flour, baking powder, and salt. In another medium bowl, whisk together egg, egg white, butter, milk, and syrup until smooth. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and whisk to combine.

2.     Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle with butter and heat over medium-high. Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls into skillet. Cook until bubbles appear on top, 2 minutes.

3.     Flip cakes and cook until golden brown on underside, 2 minutes. Wipe skillet clean and repeat with more melted butter and remaining batter (reduce heat to medium if overbrowning). Serve with maple syrup and fresh fruit or preserves if desired.

Makes about 12.

Quick & Easy Pumpkin Pancakes

I love a good home-made pancake, but I must confess that on a busy morning, those mixes can really come in handy.  This recipe takes the "convenience" of a mix and gives it some holiday flare in a hurry.  I was happy to find that they no longer tasted like pancakes "from a mix". :)

Quick & Easy Pumpkin Pancakes (about.com)
·           2 cups dry boxed pancake mix
·           1 1/2 cups water
·           3/4 cup canned pumpkin
·           1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
·           powdered sugar

Spray non-stick cooking spray onto griddle or frying pan and preheat on medium high heat.

In a large bowl, mix dry pancake mix and water until well blended. Add pumpkin and cinnamon and continue to mix until thoroughly blended. If mix is a little too thick add water, one tablespoon at a time. If mix is too thin, add dry pancake mix, one tablespoon at a time.

Pour onto griddle or frying pan to desired size. When mix begins to bubble at the top, flip and continue to cook until golden brown on both sides.

Once pancakes are done, sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired, or use syrup of choice.

Pop-up Pancakes-- Whole Wheat, Dairy-Free & Delicious!

If my face would have been comfortable pressed up against the oven glass door, that is where it would have been.  As a child, I distinctly remember WAITING FOREVER by the oven door for those pop-up pancakes to "pop-up".  It was fun watching my kids, particularly my 3 year old, get just as excited.  Mom made them for us often, but I think I have her beat on this batch, because I don't remember them being whole wheat (although ww flour found it's way into almost everything else that I can recall).  This is a breakfast favorite for me, because I can mix it up quick, throw it in the oven and get everyone ready and come back and they're all done... no flipping of pancakes... or should I say burning of pancakes. :)  AWESOME.  And, might I add, quite tasty. :)

Pop-Up Pancakes (healthyfoodshouldtastegood.com)

2 T butter

6 eggs

1 cup rice milk

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven 400 degrees.  Melt butter.  Pour half of butter into 9x13 dish (I did mine on a baking sheet, and I think it cooked faster).  Using your washed hands, spread butter over bottom and sides of pan.  This works better than cooking spray.  In a separate bowl beat eggs well.  Then add flour and mix well.  Add remaining ingredients including the second half of the butter and mix well.  Pour into the greased pan and bake for 20-25 minute.  Serve warm.

Cornmeal-Wheat Pancakes

I love pancakes! I never get tired of trying out a new recipe. I do get tired of mixing them up in the morning though. This took a little more work, but it was worth it. Made a great batch of pancakes with a nice texture from the cornmeal. I passed on the honeybutter for the homemade plum syrup I recently made. Delish! :)

Cornmeal-Wheat Pancakes (Taste of Home)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil

HONEY BUTTER:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Combine the eggs, buttermilk and oil; add to dry ingredients just until moistened.
Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a greased hot griddle; turn when bubbles form on top. Cook until the second side is golden brown.
In a small bowl, combine the butter, honey and cinnamon. Serve with pancakes. Yield: 12 pancakes (1/2 cup honey butter).

Dukan Diet Oat Bran Pancakes

My sweet momma introduced me to these yummy filling pancakes. They are hearty- they "stick to your ribs" so you're full all morning. They are also really easy to make- and quite scrumptious with a bit of cream, peaches, and a sprinkle of sugar. Sweet or savory, this is a good one.

Oat Bran Pancakes (from the Dukan Diet)

(*This recipemakes one large pancake.)
1 Egg

2 tablespoons Fromage Frais (Plain yogurt or low fat cream cheese works great.)

2 tablespoon Oat bran (I found a good deal on oat bran at our local COOP.)

1 tablespoon Wheat bran (I didn't have wheat bran, so I did another tablespoon of oat bran.)

1. Mix the ingredients together in a bowl. If the mixture is too stiff, add a couple of teaspoons of skim milk.

2. Add a couple of drops of light oil to a frying pan. Wipe off the oil with a sheet of paper kitchen towel.

3. Spread the mixture in the pan.

4. Cook on a medium heat until the underside is golden and the upper side starts to dry.

5. Flip the pancake and cook the other side.

Blueberry Sour Cream Pancakes

Blueberries and sour cream were just meant to be best friends, I’ve decided. They just go so well together! I made some Sour Cream-Blueberry Bread a while back, and I thought it was such a happy mixture… and here they are again, like old friends, only much easier to make in a quick pancake. Blueberry pancakes are my favorite and my best! Hope you ENJOY! (P.S. I didn’t make the sauce for this one- I usually make a yummy sauce, but as you can see, I literally couldn’t wait to tare into this bad boys, and they stood on their own two feet without the sauce.)

Blueberry Sour Cream Pancakes (Taste of Home)

For the Sauce:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup cold water
• 4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

PANCAKES:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions

• In a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water until smooth. Add blueberries. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; cover and keep warm.
• For pancakes, in a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Combine the eggs, milk, sour cream and butter. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in blueberries.
• Pour batter by 1/4 cupful onto a greased hot griddle. Turn when bubbles form on top; cook until the second side is golden brown. Serve with blueberry topping. Yield: about 20 pancakes (3-1/2 cups topping).

Editor's Note: If using frozen blueberries, use without thawing to avoid discoloring the batter.

Nutrition Facts: 2 pancakes with 1/3 cup topping equals 332 calories, 13 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 79 mg cholesterol, 387 mg sodium, 48 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 6 g protein.

Strawberry Mango Lime Syrup

I’m just coming out of three birthday’s in a row, so I’ve got some catching up to do!

Is Strawberry-Mango combination truly such a novelty? (I search and could not find!) What a pair they make! I basically had to make this syrup recipe up. It was delicious! Now you can thank me tomorrow morning for this priceless little invention as you are spooning it over your warm pancakes. :)

Strawberry Mango Lime Syrup (By Lyd)

• 4 cups chopped ripe mango, from 2 (1-pound) mangoes
• 1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 and 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
• 2-3 tablespoons cornstarch
• pinch of cinnamon

In a small pot, stir cool water and cornstarch together until well mixed. Turn on heat to medium. Add sugar, lime and cinnamon and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add fruit. Don’t over cook the fruit—unless you like it that way- I just like mine a little fresher.

Lyd’s Confession:

I have never properly cut up a mango before, so I turned to good old YouTube for a tutorial… thought I would share in case you are in the same boat. :)

Orange-Pecan Waffles

You would think after a couple years of not having a waffle iron, I would remember that I don't own one. I don't know how I still forget, mix-up the batter, and then remember. It's a good thing I have my back-up sandwich maker. :) Surprisingly, it works pretty well, you just can't fill it very full. Anyway, my sweet Momma gave me a cute little "Christmas at Home: Delightful Desserts" recipe book, and I have had fun trying a couple of them out. This was a yummy one. Doug and the kids wished that I had left the nuts out, but it was still good.

Orange-Pecan Waffles
2/3 cup butter
3 cups sifted flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 T sugar
4 large eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Zest of 1 orange
1 cup pecans, finely chopped (I used walnuts.)

Melt and cool butter. Set aside. Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl. Beat eggs in small bowl on high speed for 1 minute. Add milk and vanilla. Then add egg mixture to dry ingredients. Add orange zest and pecans. Beat on medium speed about 1 minute until blended. Blend in butter on low speed. Bake in preheated waffle iron. Makes 4 full-size, four-section waffles. Serve with additional butter and warm maple syrup.

Pumpkin Pancakes

I had some extra pumpkin and since pretty much all I make for breakfast, if we're not having cereal, is pancakes (or so it would seem lately) I thought it would be festive to combine the two. These are yummy and easy to make! Thanks Aunt Martha! :)

Pumpkin Pancakes (Martha Stewart)
For a spiced breakfast treat, whisk 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 2 tablespoons sugar; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt; 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg; and a pinch of ground cloves. In a separate bowl, stir together 1 cup milk, 6 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and 1 egg; fold mixture into dry ingredients. Melt some butter in a skillet over medium heat; pour in 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook pancakes about 3 minutes per side; serve with butter and syrup. Makes 8 to 10.

Multigrain Pancakes

Not only are pancakes delicious, but they are cheap! I found this one in the August edition of allyou.com magazine. They throw all kinds of fun stuff into these pancakes- a little labor intensive for me in the mornings. I like really basic pancake recipes, but the taste and the texture made up for it. They were great. I also just went ahead and made it 1 cup of whole wheat flour- why go to the trouble of measuring out that 1/4 cup? We like to top ours with a blended up can of pears. Good pancakes! You will like.

Multigrain Pancakes (myrecipes.com)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Yield: About 12 pancakes (serving size: 3 pancakes)
Cost per Serving: $.48

3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
2 tablespoons cornmeal
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 200ºF. In a bowl, whisk together both flours, oats, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, whisk milk, yogurt, butter, egg and vanilla. Stir milk mixture into flour mixture until just combined.
2. Preheat a large skillet or griddle; mist with cooking spray. Pour batter 1/4 cup at a time, spreading gently. Cook until bubbles form on tops of pancakes and bottoms are light golden, about 2 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook until light golden and cooked through, 1 minute longer. Keep pancakes warm on a plate in oven while cooking remaining flapjacks.

Crab Cakes... Wanna Be Crab Cakes

My problems all started with imitation crab meat... and ended with imitation crab meat. I have used it in other things- hey it is cheap and it is still fish, but in this particular dish, it took on a whole rubbery texture and these "cakes" did not hold together like cakes at all. Needless to say, I was a bit disappointed, because I have been wanting to try out crab cakes for some time-- but I guess... no, now I know, that is cannot be a crab cake without the REAL crab. HOWEVER, that being said, the flavor was wonderful, and I could tell this would have been a hit, had I not tried to cut corners. I didn't even make the sauce because I was so sad... so if you've got a hankering for real crab cakes, tell me how it goes. :)

Crab Cakes with Spicy Remoulade (From Cooking Light May 2010)
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 crab cakes and 1 1/2 tablespoons rémoulade)

Crab cakes:
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons canola-based mayonnaise (such as Spectrum brand)
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 large egg
1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 pound lump crabmeat, drained and shell pieces removed
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

Remoulade:
1/4 cup canola-based mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
1 1/2 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped
2 teaspoons Creole mustard
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1. To prepare crab cakes, combine first 8 ingredients. Add panko and crab, tossing gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
2. Fill a 1/3-cup dry measuring cup with crab mixture. Invert onto work surface; gently pat into a 3/4-inch-thick patty. Repeat procedure with remaining crab mixture, forming 8 cakes.
3. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 crab cakes to pan; cook 4 minutes or until bottoms are golden. Carefully turn cakes; cook 4 minutes or until bottoms are golden and crab cakes are thoroughly heated. Remove cakes from pan; keep warm. Wipe pan dry with paper towels. Heat remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in pan. Repeat procedure with remaining 4 crab cakes.
4. To prepare rémoulade, combine 1/4 cup mayonnaise and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Serve with crab cakes.

Zucchini Pancakes

The Zucchini is on! If you are wondering what to do with those big green beauties, try grating them up and throwing into your pancakes. I love sneaking zucchini into things; the kids (and the hubby) get their veggies and you can hardly taste it. Zucchini is great at blending in. Throw a handful of chocolate chips in there too for good measure! This is a great pancake recipe that is really easy- but you might want to double it just in case you are surprised by the goodness of zucchini and you need another. :)

ZUCCHINI PANCAKES
(Dairy of a Locavore)
Serves 2 (I double this recipe and it worked out great for a family of five.)

Mix Together:
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 tablespoons sugar

In a separate bowl, whisk together:
3/4 cup milk
1-2 tablespoons melted butter
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Add 1/2 to 1 cup shredded zucchini (depending on taste) and stir into dry ingredients until just barely mixed.

Fry in butter on hot griddle or cast iron pan until golden. Serve hot with butter and maple syrup. (The zucchini really moistens things up, so I had to cook they pancakes longer then I typically would to make sure they were cooked through.)

Meyer Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Macerated Strawberry Coulis

Is that title an intimidating mouth full or what? Well, just wait until you get a "mouth full!" Don't shy away- you can do it! The lemon and ricotta makes this one stand out from your typical pancake, but then you fold in the fluffy egg whites, and the strawberry stuff- sounds so fancy- (I don't even know what coulis means) but I do know it tasted incredible! SO SWEET and yummy. What a way to kick of the day! If you've got some time... because trust me, this one takes some TLC, whip these babies up... you'll thank yourself after, I promise. Doug said, (and I quote,) "These are by far the BEST pancakes I have ever had."

Meyer Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Macerated Strawberry Coulis
(Recipe courtesy of Food Network's Anne Burell)

Strawberry coulis:
1quart strawberries, topped and quartered
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
Pancakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus a pinch for egg whites
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs, separated
1 heaping cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup milk
2 Meyer lemons, zested and juiced
Butter, for cooking the pancakes
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Strawberries:
Toss the strawberries with the sugar and orange juice. Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
After the berries and sugar have macerated and become very juicy, remove 1/2 of the berry mixture, put it in a food processor and puree until smooth. Return it to the rest of the berries and reserve until ready to use.
Pancakes:
Sift together all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine the egg yolks, ricotta, milk and lemon zest and juice, and mix until it becomes homogeneous. Make a well in the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients to the well and whisk until combined.
Preheat a griddle.
In another bowl, using a whisk or electric mixer, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt to stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the flour mixture in thirds. Do this quickly and gently so the pancakes will be light and fluffy.
Melt small pats of butter onto the preheated griddle, and spread it around with a paper towel to remove any excess butter. Spoon or ladle the pancake batter onto the prepared griddle to desired size of the pancake. When the top of the pancake is full of holes, like bubbles have risen to the surface and burst, the pancake is ready to flip. Flip the cakes and cook until the bottom is golden brown.
Remove the pancakes from the grill to serving plates. Top with the macerated strawberry coulis and garnish with powdered sugar.

Simple Pancakes and A NEW BLOG!!!

Yet another pancake recipe-- I know, I'm out of control with my collection of pancakes! So much so that Amy Jo (sis-in-law) has given me permission to contribute to a blog called:
"Piles of Pancakes"
that she started a while back. I think we're going to do kindof a "Sister Thing" :) and I am so excited about it! I think the name and the idea are genius! We'll include every wonderful breakfast pancake, waffle, crepe etc. recipe that we come across! You won't want to miss it, so stay tuned!!! I'm going to have to do some catching up with all my other pancakes recipes, but I think it is going to be super fun!!!

This is a simple easy-to-remember pancake recipe I found of kraftfoods.com. I thought it turned out well, and I liked how basic it was and how quick I could mix it up. The fancy ones are good, but they can't get a little too technical for me early in the morning when my mind isn't fully awake yet. You'll make it through this one at 7am! :)

Pancakes
1 cup flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp. oil

MIX flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
BEAT egg with milk and oil in medium bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Add flour mixture; beat until well blended and smooth.
LADLE batter onto hot griddle or into hot skillet, using 1/4 cup of the batter for each pancake; cook until bubbles form on top, then turn to brown other sides. Serve with syrup.

Chocolate-Fruit Crepes

LauraM- I'm with you when you said you don't usually have buttermilk. It isn't usually on my shopping list either, so when I do get it, I have to make about five things containing buttermilk- feast or famine! :) (I thought your idea with the milk, lemon juice and vinegar was brilliant by the way. I have heard of it, but never tried it, so I would be curious to see how well it works.) I love it in breakfast things! It really does seem to make a difference and give it that perfect flavor! I was excited to have it on hand, because I saw this recipe a little while back and really wanted to try it. It wasn't as chocolate-y as I had imagined, but it was still really good. The filling sounded fabulous, but I didn't have the cherries, so I stuck with chocolate and bananas.

Lyd Tips: I love to mix the batter the night before so I don't have to hassle with it in the morning. It seems to work well cold too. It just gives me some direction in the morning when I know I have a plan that is mostly already carried out! :)

Chocolate-Fruit Crepes
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
3 eggs
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa

FILLING:
1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
1 can (8-1/2 ounces) sliced peaches, drained and chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup hot fudge ice cream topping, warmed
Whipped cream, optional

In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, eggs and butter. Combine the flour, sugar and cocoa; add to buttermilk mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat a lightly greased 8-in. nonstick skillet over medium heat; pour 2 tablespoons batter into the center of skillet. Lift and tilt pan to coat bottom evenly. Cook until top appears dry; turn and cook 15-20 seconds longer. Remove to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter, greasing skillet as needed. When cool, stack crepes with waxed paper or paper towels in between.

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the pie filling, peaches and cinnamon. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 3-4 minutes or until heated through, stirring once. Stir in extract. Spoon 2 tablespoons filling down the center of each crepe. Fold sides of crepe over filling. Drizzle with ice cream topping and garnish with whipped cream if desired. Yield: 10 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 2 filled crepes (calculated without whipped cream) equals 241 calories, 6 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 74 mg cholesterol, 109 mg sodium, 41 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 5 g protein.

THE BEST Buttermilk Whole Wheat Pancakes!

Ok- so as I was frying up these pancakes, I realized that I pretty much use a different pancake recipe EVERY TIME I make them. I'm not sure why this is... something about the morning... I don't know exactly. It isn't like the pancakes I've made in the past aren't good. I have found some recipe I really like, but hunting through my blog in the morning seems too complicated, so I almost always pull out a cookbook. My latest search, however, will be my last. I will look no further because I found the winner! I'm always looking for a "hearty" whole pancakes with the nutrition, but that doesn't taste like it. The buttermilk offset the "wheaty" flavor and combined to make, what I think is... THE BEST PANCAKE I have made yet! (And just look if you don't believe me... I have made quite a few!) I found this one in the Bosch Sensible Cooking cookbook. Doug and I said this was definitely the best whole wheat pancake we've ever had! I'm sticking to this one--with that gourmet coconut cream syrup drizzled all over it! (It is worth every penny! There is nothing else like it! I totally recommend it!) I have to get my whole wheat in so that I have some "nutrition" to my breakfast. :)

Whole Wheat Pancakes (Dixie Shaw - Nutrition Lifestyles)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 T oil
2 T honey

Add ingredients to Bosch (or other) blender or combine with wire whisk until thoroughly mixed.

Calico Corn Cakes

I was rummaging through some of my old simple and delicous magazines, and came across this one. I thought it had a really fun "South-western" flair. I liked the flavor. It was easy and fun too, because they could be used in a variety of ways- as a side or breakfast. It is a great way to use up old salsa. :)

Calico Corn Cakes
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup 2% milk
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 tablespoon diced pimientos
1/2 cup salsa

In a small skillet, saute onion and green pepper in oil until tender; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, oregano, baking powder, cumin, egg and milk just until combined. Fold in the corn, pimientos and onion mixture.
Heat a large skillet coated with cooking spray; drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls into skillet. Cook for 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Serve with salsa. Yield: 3 servings.

Crepes and a Bosch

WARNING: "Not to brag, but"... I am going to brag. Did I mention my husband got me a Bosch for Christmas. Well, he did. And, yes... he IS the best. And yes, it IS the best! I was admittedly sceptical at first. I grew up with a Blendteck Kitchen Champ (which is also very awesome!) that my mom swears by, so I was nervous whether or not this would be the right fit... but I AM SO HAPPY with it! I feel so incredibly spoiled! I make bread (SO EASILY) every week! That is my favorite part about it, but I have also loved making yummy smoothies in the blender and it came with this great recipe book called "Sensible Cooking." I have found a few recipes in there I really like. This crepe recipe was one of them. I love that it leans towards the healthier ingedients, but you still get that thin, delicous crepe in the end. You even use the blender to mix this one, so it is so easy to mix and just poor onto the crepe pan! (Although you can just mix it in a bowl as well.) Anyway, I'm done bragging now, but I am thankful for the BEST husband and an awesome mixer, and a really yummy crepe recipe. I won't be sharing the husband or the mixer, but I'll pass on the recipe, just to "even" out the scales a very little bit. :) Happy cooking!

Whole Wheat Crepes
(Bosch: Dixie Shaw-Nutrition Lifestyles)

3/4 cup fresh ground whole wheat flour (spring whole wheat is best- sifting out the bran for this recipe.) (I just used the plain whole wheat, unsifted and it was great.)
3/4 cup soy milk or milk of choice
2 eggs
1 T honey
1 T olive oil
dash of cinnamon

Combine ingredients in blender and process 1 minutes. If time allows, refrigerate about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Brush bottom of a 6 inch nonstick skillet or crepe pan with oil or butter. When pan is hot pour about 3 T batter into hot pan. Tilt pan in all directions until batter covers pan in a thin film. Cook crepe one minute. Turn or flip crepe and cook addition 30 seconds on other side.

Gingerbread Waffles Smothered in Blackberry Syrup

Doug promised to make the girls waffles for breakfast and boy was I glad he did! Can you believe my cute husband whipped up these beauties? :) Unfortunately, our waffle iron broke a while back, and we didn't realize until half way through the recipe. Luckily, we were able to whip out the sandwich maker and it worked just fine- I thought they were cute little triangle waffles. :) And of coarse I have to make some yummy syrup to go on top! The combination was dynamite! Thanks Doug! (*This recipe came from "Where's Mom Now That I Need Her?"- a gift to Doug from his mom when he was out on his own... it's a good one! :) She taught him well, wouldn't you say!

Gingerbread Waffles
1/4 C butter or margarine
1/2 C brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup light molasses
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup milk
2 cup sifted flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt
Optional topping: 2 bananas, sliced and 1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped

Cream butter, brown sugar, molasses, egg, and milk. Sift together flour, baking powder, ginger, allspice, and salt; add to molasses mixture. Bake on greased waffle iron. Top with sliced bananas and whipped cream.

For the Syrup:
I have posted these syrup recipes before. I just kind of make it up as I go, most of the time. This time I used frozen blackberries. (They have really big seeds, but they are tasty.) But it is usually the same general concept. I really liked how this one turned out, but the "very berry" is still my favorite.

Very Berry Syrup
Rasberry Sauce