Sunday, August 5, 2012

Pancakes...Pancakes...

My family loves when we have pancakes for breakfast.  They especially love when I make them for dinner!  I try and add things such as cinnamon, blueberries, or canned pumpkin.  Planning a "pancake breakfast"?  Try these...


http://blogchef.net/chocolate-chip-pancakes-recipe/

Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons melted butter
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Step 1: Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
Step 2: In a separate bowl mix together eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla. Beat the wet ingredients with the dry mixture until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips.
Step 3: Heat pan or griddle. Pour or spoon batter into pan (each pancake should be about ½ cup of batter).
Step 4: Flip the pancake when the top begins to bubble. Fry for 1 minute. Remove from pan and repeat until batter is gone.


Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes

Preparation Time:  20 minutes for mixing, 1 hour to let batter rest

Cooking Time:  20-30 minutes
Ingredient List:
2 cups flour
5 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons sugar
1-1/2 to 1-2/3 cups buttermilk
6 Tablespoons melted butter or Crisco Oil
3 eggs
Instructions:
Step 1: Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Step 2: Make a well in the center and add wet ingredients.
Step 3: Stir with a wire whisk to mix, just until ingredients are blended, scraping sides and bottom of bowl to get everything incorporated. Be careful not to over-mix. Batter will be thick.
Step 4: Let batter sit in bowl for 1 hour to rise. Do not stir batter at all during this time.
Step 5: Do not stir the batter when you are frying the cakes. Just use a large ladle to scoop out batter. Fry on a hot griddle or frying pan.
This recipe makes 10-12 cakes.

Banana Pancakes

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/banana-pancakes-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter, plus 3 tablespoons
  • 3 ripe bananas, cut into 1/3-inch slices

Directions

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. In large bowl sift together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder. In separate bowl whisk together egg, buttermilk, milk and melted butter. Slowly combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Stir until the flour disappears, but being careful not to overbeat the batter. In a large cast-iron skillet, melt about 1/2 tablespoon remaining butter. Ladle about 1/4 cup of batter into the pan for each pancake. Immediately press 4 or 5 banana slices into each so the batter oozes slightly over the fruit. Cook until bubbles appear and then flip and cook on the other side, about 3 minutes total. Transfer the pancakes to a platter and keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining batches, adding butter to the pan as needed. Serve hot with syrup.

5 Minute Vegan Pancakes

http://www.food.com/recipe/5-minute-vegan-pancakes-132263


Fruit Pancakes That Kids Can Help Make


http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/fruit-pancakes-that-kids-can-help-make-678061/



Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
2 eggs
2 cups milk
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
Butter


About 1 cup of fruit, such as blueberries, raspberries,


Sliced strawberries, apples, peaches or bananas
Maple syrup


Instructions: Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a large bowl. Show the chef how to measure accurately, using dry measuring cups and leveling off the flour. And be sure to have him check for any remaining lumps in the bottom of the sifter.


Whisk the eggs and milk in a separate bowl, then whisk in the oil. Pour the egg mixture over the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon, but do not beat. The batter will be a little bit lumpy, but that's okay. For fluffier pancakes, substitute buttermilk for the milk and use 2 teaspoons baking soda instead of the baking powder.


Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a griddle or an electric skillet on medium high. Then, being careful not to splatter the hot butter, drop about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake (a job for older kids and parents only). Be sure to leave enough room between the cakes for them to grow. For fun, you can drizzle the batter into shapes. Pour it into a plastic bag, snip a small hole in one corner, and squeeze the batter into hearts, teddy bears, numbers or your child's initials on the hot griddle.


Ask your kids what fruits they want to add to their pancakes, then gently press blueberries, raspberries, or apple or banana slices into the batter. To help the kids pick their favorite fillings, set out bowls of the prepared fruits. Six-year-old Tom picked five blueberries and one raspberry, whereas his sister, four-year-old Ruth, said "I don't want to put anything in it, just on it."


Cook until the pancakes bubble on the top and brown on the bottom. Flip, then cook until brown on the other side. For successful cooking, use a griddle that heats evenly. Keep it on medium high--if it's too hot, the pancakes will burn on the outside and remain gooey on the inside; if it's not hot enough, the crust will turn hard and the inside will be dry. Cook a test pancake in the beginning, then adjust your heat accordingly.


Serve the pancakes hot with butter and maple syrup, if you like. Or, stockpile them on an oven-proof dish set in a warm oven for any late sleepers. Makes 20 pancakes





Saturday, June 30, 2012

Kraft~ 4th of July cupcakes

Check these out!

Firecracker Cupcakes recipe
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/firecracker-cupcakes-53449.aspx?cm_mmc=eml-_-rbe-_-20110628-_-1127

What You Need
1-1/2 cups BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut, divided


4 drops each: blue and red food colorings

24 yellow cupcakes

2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

24 red string licorice pieces (4 inch)

Make It
PLACE 1/2 cup of the coconut in each of two separate resealable plastic bags; set remaining 1/2 cup coconut aside. Add blue food coloring to coconut in one bag and red food coloring to coconut in second bag. Seal bags; shake until coconut is evenly tinted.

SPREAD tops of cupcakes with whipped topping. Sprinkle with red, white (uncolored) and blue coconut as desired; press coconut gently into whipped topping to secure.

INSERT licorice piece into top of each cupcake for the firecracker's fuse. Store in refrigerator.

Kraft Kitchens Tips:
Divide whipped topping into thirds. Color one portion with 4 drops red food coloring and second portion with 4 drops blue food coloring. Leave remaining portion white. Spread onto cupcakes and continue as directed.  Have children decorate their own cupcakes. 

Friday, June 8, 2012

Father's Day Gifts For Children To Make

     World's Greatest Dad Father's Day clip art with gold seal and ribbonGet your children thinking about what they would like to make for Father's Day gifts. We always include their Papa and Grampy!  One tradition that we started, I found in a magazine.  That is is a great way to find creative ideas.  We head to Border's each year and pick out a favorite children's book that reminds them of Dad... Then they get to work glueing photographs, or drawing artwork to the inside page.  We also include the year and a note.  They still love to pull those books out and read them.  Its really fun to see how much they have grown year after year.

Coupons for Dad are always fun...
Fun Father's Day Coupons
http://familyfun.go.com/assets/cms/pdf/printables/0607a_coupons.pdf

Control of the Remote Coupon
http://familycrafts.about.com/od/fathersdaycrafts/ig/Printable-Father-s-Day-Coupons/Control-of-the-Remote-Coupon.--Qm.htm

Car Wash Kit


Have the kids decorate a bucket using permanent markers or non-washable paint.
Place somewhere to dry
Once the work of art is dry have them fill it with everything dad needs to wash his car. Examples include sponges, paper towels, cleaning products and an IOU to wash his car for him
http://www.allstaractivities.com/general/Holidays/Fathers-day.htm

Check out these great sayings to go with a candy bar treat for Dad:
http://www.allstaractivities.com/general/Holidays/Fathers-day.htm
YOUR ARE THE GREATEST DAD IN THE WORLD BECAUSE…


“You make us roll with laughter”






“You’re the jolliest, sweetest Dad in the world”





"You are an All-American classic”





“You work so hard for all of us”