Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

I recently bought whole wheat flour on a whim.  Naturally, I had to look up some whole wheat recipes, because I had none.  I have since made whole wheat chocolate chip cookies, blueberry muffins, and blueberry pancakes.  I used to be a Bisquik gal when it came to pancakes, but I have converted to the whole wheat, homemade pancake and haven't looked back!  With whole wheat flour, the pancakes seem much heartier and you feel healthier eating them.  I want to share the recipe I've used with you.  It was found here, and I only made a couple changes.  The first change was that I doubled it.  The second was that I replaced the artificial sweetener with sugar.  I don't really do artificial sweetener these days.  Here is my version of the recipe.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
2 Cups of milk, plus more if necessary
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 cup blueberries*

1.   Mix together flour and baking powder, set aside. Beat the egg, milk, salt and sugar in a bowl. Stir in flour until just moistened, add blueberries, and stir to incorporate. Add additional milk if batter is too thick.
2. Preheat a skillet over medium heat, and spray with cooking spray. Pour desired amount of the batter into the pan for each pancake. Cook until bubbly.  Turn, and continue cooking until golden brown.

 *Tip: I used frozen blueberries and if you do this, you may want to let your berries thaw a little bit before cooking the pancakes or the batter surrounding the blueberries will not cook as fast as the rest of the pancake, resulting in batter-y spots.

I like recipes like this, because you usually have most of the ingredients on hand (especially if you buy frozen blueberries).  It makes for a great weekend breakfast.  I hope you enjoy!

Makeovers and Salads

Hey folks!  Like the new look?  Thanks to my hubby, this blog got a total makeover :)  At Caleb's new job he is learning how to design websites, so he helped design this new look!  We still have a few edits to make, but his new skills definitely come in handy for me!  I intend to write more on his new job soon.  I'm overdue to update you all on that..  Also, the family photos we had taken were by Alison Herron.  I just wanted to make sure she received credit.  We are so pleased with the pictures and we highly recommend her to any of you! 

But tonight, I have to share with you this a-mazing new recipe we tried last night.  It is totally a do-againer (as we call them in our house).  Have you ever had a salad with warm dressing and toppings?  It might sound a little scary to you, but just try it.  You WILL not regret it, I tell ya.  Caleb and I were inhaling it.  This recipe came from my Country Living magazine.

Spinach Salad with Bacon and Roasted Mushrooms

Ingredients:

8 slices bacon, cut cross-wise into 1/4 inch pieces
4 C sliced mushrooms (about 8 oz)
1 red onion, cut into slices
3 T olive oil
2 T lime juice
1/2 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. salt
8 C spinach

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Sprinkle bacon onto 2 baking pans.  Scatter mushrooms and onion over bacon.  Cook for 15-20 min, stirring halfway through.
2.  When the time is almost up, combine olive oil, lime juice, oregano, salt, and 2 tablespoons of water in a microwavable bowl.  Microwave for 30 seconds.
3.  Place spinach in a large bowl.  Sprinkle bacon mixture over spinach and drizzle warm dressing over salad.  Toss to combine.

Honestly, this is one of the best salads I've ever had.  And Caleb and I thought it felt heartier and more like a meal than many other salads.  Please, try it :)

Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

 

I promise.  This is the last pumpkin recipe I am going to post.  This season, at least.  I told you I am a pumpkin fanatic.  But I stole this recipe from my good buddy, the Pioneer Woman (here).  I made it for a get together of friends recently and it was a huge hit!  I intend to make it for my family while I am "home" for Thanksgiving break.  If you make it, you won't be sorry!  Just follow this recipe:

Ingredients:

-⅓ cups Water
-1 can Pureed Pumpkin (15 Oz)
-2 whole Eggs
-1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
-2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
-1 box Yellow Cake Mix (18 Ounce Box)
-1 teaspoon Baking Soda
-1 cup Brown Sugar, Divided
-½ cups Flour
-⅓ cups Walnuts, Chopped
-4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
-¼ cups Granulated Sugar
-1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
 -¼ cups Heavy Whipping Cream

Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a large bowl mix together the water, pumpkin, eggs, 1 Tablespoon of vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice until well combined. Add the cake mix and baking soda and mix until just combined.
Grease a 9×13 pan with butter and pour batter into pan.
In a small bowl mix together 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, walnuts, and melted butter. Use fingers to sprinkle over the top of the cake. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
For the glaze, combine the other 1/2 cup brown sugar, granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and heavy cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir until all sugar is dissolved.
When cake is finished baking, poke holes in the top with a toothpick. Pour glaze over the cake, making sure to cover all surfaces. Serve cake warm or at room temperature.

Serve with hot coffee and all will be right in your world.  Enjoy!