The ONLY pancake recipe you will ever need.

I'll admit it. I used to only make pancakes with Bisquick (later I switched to the Heart Healthy Bisquick). I did this because I could never find a recipe that made good pancakes. The ones I tried to make from scratch were usually way too dense, and just not good.

One day I was out of Bisquick, and my kids just HAD to have pancakes for breakfast. I googled and I searched allrecipes.com, and I pieced together a recipe that was just downright awesome. I have not bought a box of Bisquick since!

I do have a few tricks for this recipe. First thing, use a whisk and beat the eggs until they are nice and fluffy - this keeps the pancakes nice and fluffy too. Second, if you do not have buttermilk, make your own by combining milk with 3 TBSP white vinegar, and let it sit for a few minutes. Lastly, use a whisk to stir in the butter as you pour it into the buttermilk mixture. If you pour the warm melted butter into the cold milk, it will get chunky!

 

Pancakes

2 c flour

3 TBSP sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1-1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1-1/2 cups milk mixed with 3 TBSP white vinegar)

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 TBSP butter, melted

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until evenly mixed.

In another bowl, whisk or beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add buttermilk and vanilla, whisk to incorporate. Continue whisking while slowly pouring in melted butter.

Pour wet ingredients into flour mixture and whisk until lumps are gone. 

Melt a little butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Pour pancake batter by the quarter cup onto skillet. Flip when bubbles appear on surface.

Enjoy!!

30 Day Shred - The Beginning

This post won't contain a recipe, and is in no way food-related. But it will give you a little background on me. And, I am hoping it will make me a bit more responsible as well!

About a year ago, a close friend of mine started on a program to train for a 5k race. She asked me to join her, and I politely declined. While the concept was interesting to me, I was not a runner. I would never be able to run 3.1 miles straight. Right?

As the weeks passed, I heard about her progress and began researching couch to 5k apps for my iPhone. I started thinking that maybe I would like to try to run a 5k, but was still nervous about running in front of other people. Downloading an app and hitting the road by myself was a much safer alternative to joining a running group that would probably laugh at my lack of skills. 

Once I decided on an app, I headed to Target and bought a $15 pair of sneakers, and I was off. Let me tell you, I was hooked from Day 1! I was SLOW as could be, but I was proud of every step I took. Biggest lesson learned: $15 sneakers from Target are NOT good to run in!

Fast forward to today. I've run several 5k races, the most recent was a fundraiser race in honor of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. I've greatly upgraded my sneakers, and also my running wardrobe. But as happy as I am with my progress this past year, I want more - I want to go faster and farther. Right now, running is the only exercise I do, and that needs to change. If I can get stronger, I will run faster. 

I don't have a gym membership, or any type of strength training equipment. What I do have is a dvd player - so I bought Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. I just finished day 2, and I. Am. Sore. Push ups are hard!!! I will post more about my progress at the end of Levels 1, 2 and 3. As long as I survive, that is. 

Anyone else have experience with the 30 Day Shred? Did you get the results you hoped for?

Walnut Raisin Salad with Lemon Dressing

I can't believe it is April already. How is 2013 already a quarter of the way over?  And, where is Spring hiding? Here in the northeast, we're still dealing with highs in the 30's and 40's this week. I'm ready to open the windows for some fresh air but Mother Nature refuses to cooperate! In honor of the Spring-to-be, here's a nice light salad recipe to get you in the mood for the impending warmer weather.

If you like salads, you will love this one. Even if you don't like salads, you'll probably like this one anyway. A few simple ingredients blend together for a simply divine masterpiece of a salad.

The salad part is easy. I usually use hearts of romaine or baby spinach, whatever happens to be on sale at the grocery store that week. Top it with a tablespoon or 2 or 3 of walnuts, raisins, and gorgonzola cheese. This salad is easy to customize. If you like sweeter, add more raisins. If you like saltier, add more cheese. Feta is also a good substitution for the gorgonzola if you want  a little bit of a milder taste.

But the real star of the show is the simple dressing. Its only 4 ingredients: olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice, oregano and salt. I'll give you my basic measurements, but I have to admit, I rarely measure the ingredients exactly. Just taste it as you go - you'll figure out the proportions that work for your tastes. 

This recipe probably sounds too easy to be good, but trust me - it is amazingly good!

 

Walnut Raisin Salad with Lemon Dressing

For Salad:

2 cups baby spinach

2 Tablespoons chopped walnuts

2 Tablespoons golden raisins or regular raisins

2 Tablespoons Gorgonzola cheese

For Dressing:

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp oregano

Whisk together all dressing ingredients until well blended. Adjust to taste. Serve over salad ingredients and enjoy!

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

So, homemade cinnamon rolls. If you have never made them, you must. Like, right now. You will never buy the rolls-in-a-tube again!

The very first time making my own cinnamon rolls, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I searched through tons of different recipes. I came to the conclusion that the easiest way to make the dough was in my bread machine. I have this one and I love it! Every bread and dough I have ever made has come out perfectly using that machine. I highly recommend it.

The next decision was what kind of filling to use. My family has varied tastes when it comes to additives like nuts and raisins, so I decided to stick with traditional butter, brown sugar and cinnamon on the inside.

I really wanted to make cream cheese frosting for these, but I had no cream cheese and the snow/ice we were getting convinced me to stay home and work with what I had on hand. So, that meant a milk/powdered sugar glaze, enhanced by the addition of almond extract.

I was really surprised at how easily this all came together. The bread machine did all the work on the dough, so all I really had to do was roll out the finished dough and add the filling. My hands-on time for this recipe was maybe 20 minutes for the whole thing.

So for the dough, I added the milk, oil, eggs, sugar, flour, salt and yeast to the bread machine and let it work its magic for the next hour and a half.

When the machine beeped, I took out the dough and rolled it into a large rectangle on my floured up cutting board. Then I melted 2 TBSP butter, brushed it on top of the dough, and sprinkled it with the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture. 

Next, I rolled the dough lengthwise to get a long, skinny roll. Be careful not to roll too tightly! If the centers of your rolls pop up, it means you need to roll a little looser next time. Trust me on this one, I speak from experience. 

Then, slice into 12 rolls and place them into a greased baking pan. Put them close together but not crowded. 

 Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Glaze them immediately after coming out of the oven, and enjoy!!

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
For the Dough:
1 cup plus 2 TBSP warm milk
3 TBSP Canola oil
1 egg and 2 egg whites, beaten
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups bread flour
1 tsp salt
3 tsp yeast

For the Filling:
2 TBSP melted butter
3/4 TBSP cinnamon
2/3 cup brown sugar

For the Glaze:
1 tsp milk
1-1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 TBSP softened butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract

 Begin by adding all dough ingredients to your bread maker and run the dough cycle.

When the dough is done, remove from bread machine. Roll out a large rectangle (approx. 12"x18") on a lightly floured surface. 

Brush melted butter onto the rolled out dough, stopping about 1 inch from the edge of one of the long sides. Mix together brown sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle on top of melted butter.

Roll dough into a long log taking care not to roll too tightly. Cut into 12 slices and place into a 9x13 glass baking dish. Bake at 350 for approximately 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Mix all glaze ingredients and spread on top of warm rolls.

Avocado Hummus Dip

OK, I admit it. I am obsessed with avocados. The creamy, nutty flavor is so unique and satisfying, unlike any other single food. I’m always looking for new ways to use this food of the gods, and I’ve discovered a good one. It’s Avocado Hummus Dip, and I can’t get enough of it. I use it as a dip for fresh vegetables, a dip for tortilla chips, on top of quesadillas, spread on sandwiches, and sometimes I just eat it by the spoonful.

This is probably one of the easiest recipes I’ve ever made. All you need is one chopped avocado, a can of white kidney beans (rinsed and drained), 3 cloves garlic, juice of half a lemon plus zest, and some olive oil and salt and pepper. Just dump it all in the food processor or blender, process it until smooth, and... that's it! This dip tastes great right out of the food processor, and even better after its been in the fridge for a few hours.

If you are making this for a party, I recommend making it the day you plan to serve it. After it sits overnight, it tends to turn a little brown. The flavor is not affected at all, but its not as pretty as when its fresh made!

Since this is a hummus dip, it technically should be made with chick peas. However, I prefer the smooth, creamy texture of the white kidney beans. Either one will work!

 

Avocado Hummus Dip

1 very ripe avocado, chopped
1 can white kidney beans (or chickpeas), rinsed and drained
3 garlic cloves
Zest and juice of half of a lemon
2 TBSP olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to food processor or blender, mix until smooth. Add extra salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Tastes best if chilled for 1-2 hours before serving.

Breakfast for Dinner: Sausage Quiche

Breakfast for Dinner, aka brinner, has been a controversial topic in my household. I can eat a big stack of pancakes covered with maple syrup and a side of bacon any time of the day - breakfast, lunch or dinner. Or anytime in between, really.  My husband, on the other hand, loves his breakfast but only in the morning. And when my oldest daughter was about 3 years old, I made pancakes for dinner and she refused to eat them. Because pancakes are for breakfast ONLY. I had to make her a grilled cheese sandwich that night.

So brinner was reserved for very rare occasions, usually my birthday or other day special day where everyone has to eat what I pick. That is, until now. Tonight I made a sausage quiche for dinner, and everyone loved it. I've never made quiche for breakfast, but this one combined the delicious flavor of breakfast with the heartiness of a dinner. It pleased brinner lovers and haters alike! And as a bonus, it takes only a few minutes to whip up and makes hardly any mess!

Breakfast Quiche
5 eggs
3 TBSP milk
2 TBSP flour
1 small onion, finely chopped
6 fully cooked breakfast sausage links, chopped
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste
9 inch unbaked pie crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sautee onion and breakfast sausage in 2 teaspoons olive oil until onion is soft and sausage is lightly browned. 

In large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Add flour and salt and pepper, whisk until well combined. Stir in sausage and onion mixture, cheese, and spinach. Pour into unbaked pie crust.

Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned and center is set.

Approximately 4 dinner-sized servings.

Soft Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies

Growing up, we only ever had one kind of chocolate chip cookie. Not the hard, crunchy kind...not for us! My mom made the softest, most delicious chocolate chip cookies in existence. Although this is my favorite cookie in the world, I have to admit that I don't make it too often, and that's because of the boxed pudding mix in it. Have you read the ingredients in boxed pudding? Well, I'll save that for another post. The thing is, the pudding is the key. I have yet to find another recipe that produces the same texture and flavor as this.

My mom was a wonderful cook. But as I look back through her recipes, most of them are a list of ingredients with some very vague instructions. I guess that's how she learned to cook - by doing, not following instructions step by step. Luckily, I've made these with  her plenty of times throughout my childhood to know exactly what to do!

 

Start with your basic cookie ingredients - flour, butter, sugar, eggs, baking powder, vanilla, chocolate chips, and a very cute 4-year-old helper.

Start by creaming the butter with the white and brown sugars.

Then, get your helper to measure the vanilla and add it to the bowl.

Add eggs and mix well using an electric mixer. I'm very fortunate that my awesome friend Karen has a bunch of chickens and gives me fresh eggs. If you've never had fresh home-grown eggs, you are missing out! The taste is unbelievable.

Add flour, pudding mix, and baking powder, and mix well. I usually do this part by hand, it seems to go faster and easier than using the mixer.

Finally, fold in the chocolate chips.

Totally unnecessary close up of the finished dough. Isn't it delicious, though?

That's it! Spoon onto a cookie sheet and bake about 8 minutes at 375. Keep a close eye on these, they go from raw to baked to burnt very quickly!

Soft Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/4 C flour
1 C butter, softened
1/4 c white sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 small box vanilla instant pudding
12 oz semisweet or milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375.

Start by  creaming together butter and sugars in a large bowl. Add vanilla and eggs, beat well. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pudding mix, and baking powder. Add to butter mixture and stir until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 minutes or until edges start to turn brown. Keep a close watch on these, they go from raw to baked to burnt very quickly.