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Slightly Sour Milk – Use or Toss? Part 4 – Pancakes with Secret Ingredient

Carol — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:18:30 +0000

And still we have milk! This is Day 3 of the challenge to use up 1/2 gallon of slightly sour milk so you don’t have to toss it.

This morning, I made pancakes. Nothing special about that, but wait until you hear what I did. (And don’t tell my family!)

I love using Bisquick to make pancakes. I’m too lazy to make them from scratch, even though I know it’s more frugal. (Maybe we’ll come up with our own homemade Bisquick recipe).

I served the Pie that I made on the first night for dessert last night. I’d give it 2 thumbs up, but I wish I’d added a bit of sugar. My kids wouldn’t eat it because it had “pumpkin” in it. (Son#3 asked me this morning, “Is syrup considered a vegetable?” This coming from my vegetarian! You wish! I’ll laugh about this all day!) So I had about 2/3 of the pie left over.

I made a double batch of pancakes so I could freeze the leftovers. That also used 2-1/2 cups of milk! But my secret is…I took the pie from last night, scraped the filling from it and except for the crust, added it to my pancake mix. Think about it, the pie had pumpkin, cream cheese, and pudding…all good ingredients for a pancake. I also added about 1/2 cup Malt-O-Meal to the mix, which adds vitamins and protein. (The remaining pie crust and small amount of filling can be eaten as usual)

Mix and cook the pancakes as you normally would. Every one liked them, and no one knew the wiser, except you and me. (Actually, after I wrote this post, the girlfriend of son#2 did ask me if I had added the pie to the pancakes! Smart girl!)

Freeze the leftover cooked pancakes by placing them between waxed paper and freezing them in a ziploc bag. They can easily be reheated in the microwave.

Continue with the Challenge!
Part 1 – Pumpkin Vanilla Pie
Part 2 – Fruit Smoothies
Part 3 – Spinach Ravioli with Alfredo Sauce
Part 5 – Flank Steak with Mushroom Gravy
Part 6 – Wrap Up

Homemade Pancakes for Sunday Breakfast

Carol — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:38:52 +0000

Sunday mornings you will find me in the kitchen cooking up pancakes. Sometimes pancakes and sausage, or maybe pancakes and bacon, either way, I want to get in and out of the kitchen as quickly as possible. I have included my recipe for pancakes and my method of planning ahead to save time and money, especially if you are one to use a boxed pancake mix–you know the one I am talking about!

Follow this recipe and place only the dry ingredients into a large baggie, marking it “Pancake Mix” and then note on the baggie the wet ingredients needed. I make up several bags at a time, so that when I am ready to make pancakes I simply add the wet ingredients to the contents of the baggie. It is as easy as a boxed pancake mix, but will cost you less and tastes much better. I keep a basket in the kitchen where I place all my baggies of mixes. Reuse the baggies for your next batch of pancake mix. This recipe will make up approximately 12 to 14 good sized cakes–more if the cakes are smaller. If you are feeding an army, double the recipe.

Quick and Easy Pancakes

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
3 Tb. oil
Optional:
1/2 cup oats (may need to add a little more milk)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
walnuts

If you are out of buttermilk you can add to 2 cups of milk either 1 TB of lemon juice or 1 TB. white vinegar. Let it set for a few minutes before adding to your mix. You can also buy powdered buttermilk, which doesn’t expire like your buttermilk can if you don’t use it quickly enough.

One of the best things I purchased for my kitchen was an electric griddle. I can cook the bacon or sausage all at once and put them in a warm oven while I cook the pancakes (several at a time). It is quick, easy and clean up is a piece of cake (no pun intended).

Pancakes come out best when you don’t over mix the batter or overcook the cakes. I much prefer a good whisk to mix the pancake batter, and I don’t mind a few lumps. Make sure your pancakes are done before flipping; otherwise, if you keep flipping back and forth, they can become hard or tough.

I am ready to serve my pancakes, but instead of pats of butter, I like to melt butter to pour over the top of each cake. Sprinkle a little powdered sugar on top, add warm syrup, a few berries–then enjoy!

What to do with leftover sausage or bacon? Check out Breakfast Sausage Sandwiches.

Leftover Sausage Makes Great Breakfast Sandwiches

Carol — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:20:20 +0000

Check out the blog on my Sunday morning pancake breakfast. I gave you a great pancake recipe that is a hit with my guys. On occasion I will fix bacon, but most Sundays I cook sausage patties knowing that any leftovers will make great Breakfast Sandwiches the next day or two, depending on how many I have left over.

Add a little mayo or butter to a whole wheat English muffin, (or a bagel if you prefer) add a fried egg and the sausage, then send them out the door with a healthy protein packed breakfast. My guys love it with a homemade smoothie. It is an easy fix for busy moms!