Fun Pancakes

I love pancakes. Actually I love all breakfast foods. It is my favorite meal and I can eat it at any time of day or night. Mmmmm... Anyway - back to my point.

The other evening my kids asked if we could have pancakes for breakfast the next morning. Sure! That morning my darling 5 year old daughter crept into our room, to my husband's side of the bed, and whispered excitedly "Daddy! It's Pancake Day!!!" How can I possibly stay in bed after that!

There are tons of good pancake mixes and recipes out there so I am not going to bore you with mine. Besides it is not the recipe that matters as much as the extras you add to it. For us it is color - food coloring that is!

When my brother and I were little, my mom worked a few evenings each week and my dad made us dinner. One of my fondest memories is when he would make us pancakes for dinner. He would color them, even getting creative and marbeling two different colors together.

When my 8 year old son was tiny he loved Blue's Clues. It was like an obsession with him. I began making Blue's Clues pancakes for him. To do this mix in several drops of blue food coloring until it is a good blue color (otherwise it looks green). Take a large spoon and pour batter into a 3-4" circle, then quickly add 4 smaller circles as the "toes" to make the paw-print.

My daughters requested Magenta pancakes so I used several drops of red and one or two of blue.

For me I skipped the color but added some whole ground wheat.

So make a fun memory for you and your kids. Have breakfast for dinner and make it original. Have fun!

Cute, huh?

Fruit Crisp

Crunchy, sweet and oh-so-yummy!


This is a dish that never leaves any leftovers no matter how much I make! I originally got the recipe from my Better Homes & Gardens recipe book. I made a few small alterations.



Ingredients:

5 cups slices, peeled cooking apples, pears, peaches or apricots, or frozen unsweetened peach slices (I increase the fruit)
2-4 tablespoons granulated sugar (I use 1-2 tablespoons sugar or 1/2-1 tablespoon Splenda)
1/2 cup regular rolled oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (unpacked if you prefer it less-sweet)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I use whole-wheat flour)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ginger or cinnamon (I use both nutmeg and cinnamon)
1/4 cup butter or margarine, room temperature
1/4 cup chopped nuts or coconut
Vanilla ice cream

Directions:

1. For fruit filling, thaw fruit if frozen. Do not drain. Place in a 2-quart square baking dish. Stir in granulated sugar.

2. For topping, in a medium bowl combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, nutmeg (or cinnamon, ginger). Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the nuts. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit.

3. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes (40 minutes for thawed fruit) or until fruit is tender and topping is golden brown. If desired, serve warm with ice cream.

Nutrition Facts (based on original recipe)
6 servings
319 cal., 13 g total fat, 6 g sat. fat, 22 mg chol., 92 mg sodium, 53 g carbs., 5 g fiber, 3 g protein
Daily Values:
7% vit. A, 1% vit. C, 4% calcium, 7% iron


***There are also variations for microwave cooking and for blueberry, cherry and rhubarb crisp. If you want these leave a comment and I will get them too you. ***


A lighter version we love to make during the summer will be coming soon!