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!