Classic Pancakes–Revisited!

I have long had a favorite pancakes recipe.  But since we are changing up our eating lifestyle at our house I thought that if we were going to have pancakes, maybe I could do something to make them have more UMPH!  We’re kicking it up a notch!!  (And by the way, these tasted no different to my kids than regular pancakes, BOO-YAH.)

This is a double batch, but since I haven’t tested it with a halved batch, this is what you get!  Half at your own risk.  ;)

Preheat: --
Category: Breakfast, pancakes, oatmeal

12 Eggs
3 cup Milk
2 1/4 cup Oatmeal, finely ground (I used my little food processor, but you can also use a blender)
4 cups All-purpose flour
1/2 cup + 2 Table. Oil
4 Table. Baking powder
1 Table. Salt
1 Table. Sugar

1.  In a large bowl, mix together the ground oatmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.

2. In a second large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and oil.

3. Pour the whisked liquids into the mixed dry ingredients and whisk well.

4. Heat up the griddle until water sizzles.  Turn the heat down to about an 8, or the higher side of medium-high.  Prepare pan surface with non-stick spray.

5. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, measure out a serving of batter onto the hot griddle.  Cook until bubbles form, and the middle bubbles do not refill.  If your pancake is burnt at this point, turn the heat down!

6. Serve hot with your choice of syrups, jams, powdered sugar, or just plain.

Pan-Seared Sirloin Steak

MMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, Yummy.  I know it’s simple, but it’s a delicious classic.

Category: Beef, steak

Ingredients:
1 lb. Beef sirloin steak, 1” thick
1/4 teas. Lemon pepper seasoning
1 teas. Grated lemon peel
1 Tbsp. Soy sauce
2 Tbsp. Olive oil

Directions:
1. Sprinkle beef with lemon pepper
2. Mix in other ingredients + 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
3. Brush on beef.
4. In a 10” skillet, heat up the other tablespoon of olive oil  at a hot medium heat.
5. Add beef for 10-12 minutes—browned on both sides.

Black Bean Soup

This is a recipe from Mrs. John W. Fox, who knew we’d want the recipe!

Category: Beans, Soup
Preheat: --


Ingredients:
1 can of Black black beans (Or you can use my yummy, no-soak crockpot beans recipe)
1/2 cup Vegetable broth
2 Carrots, chopped
1/4 cup Onion, chopped
1-2 cloves Garlic
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 cup Corn (frozen or canned)


Directions:
1. Cook carrots, onion, and garlic in the vegetable broth.
2. Add in black beans
3. Add corn, olive oil, salt and pepper
4. Cook until corn is tender or crisp, your preference.

Teriyaki Chicken

Over the last few months, I’ve had a family member, Phyllis, languishing from the effects of cancer.  She passed away last Sunday and I am putting a few recipes onto this blog in her honor. This recipe is from Phyllis’ niece, who sent the recipe up in Phyllis’ early days of convalescence.


Category: Chicken


Preheat: --


Ingredients:
12 Chicken thighs, skins removed
1 Tbsp. Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tsp. Ground ginger
1/4 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Soy Sauce
1/2 cup Water
1/4 tsp. Garlic powder
1/2 tsp. Sesame seeds


Directions:
1.  In 1 Tbsp oil, Brown thighs in a large skillet on medium-high heat.  Season with Salt and Pepper.
2.  In a large pot, stir in ginger, sugar, soy sauce, water, garlic powder, and sesame seeds.
3.  Transfer the browned thighs into the pot and cover.  Simmer on a low heat for about two hours, rotating thighs every 30 minutes.  The meat should be tender and ready to fall off of the bone. 
4.  Serve hot with steamed rice, using the extra sauce over the rice.  You can use my yummy rice recipe to complete this recipe!  This sounds amazing with broccoli, mmmm!  And it sounds SOOOO EASY!

Artichoke Dip

My mom and I made this delicious (SINFUL!) recipe for a friend’s wedding reception.  It was soooo good!!  We found it on food.com, recipe #18257.

1 14-oz can Artichokes, drained and chopped
1 cup Mozzarella cheese, grated
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup Mayonaisse
2 cloves Garlic, crushed (The recipe indicated you can use 4 cloves if you like garlic)
1 dash Lemon juice
1 Tablespoon Jalapeno pepper, chopped finely (We seeded the jalapeno, but it must have been an old jalapeno because our mouths were burning!!)
1.  Purée everything in a blender. Or, if you’re cooler than I am, you can use one of those cool puréeing thingies you can use right in the bowl!
2.  Cook on high in microwave for 2 minutes, or bake at 350*F in the oven for 20 minutes.  I think it’s better in the oven, but microwaving is so fast and easy!
3.  Serve hot with crackers, or with cut-up French bread.  Chewy French bread.  Hands down the best of the two options, though crackers are yummy too.

Italian Night Soup

This thick, hearty soup was served at a church function and we all BEGGED (on our KNEES) for the recipe.  It’s delicious hot, my husband thinks I’m nuts, but I think it’s delicious cold, too.  You can probably only reheat it once because of the noodles, but good luck having leftovers.  I have modified it just a bit (to make it my own, of course).

Preheat: --
Category: Soup, Italian, Partially Homemade

Meat, cooked (I have used ground turkey, cut-up pork chops and both were amazing)
6 c. Water
1 can Diced Italian-style tomatoes, undrained
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1 box Hamburger Helper – Lasagna
1-2 Tablespoons Olive oil
Zucchini, diced
Carrots, diced
Onion, diced

1.  Cook the meat in a small soup pot.  Or if you spill everything, like me, use a large soup pot.  Drain fat if necessary and set aside.  Also, I like to drain the juice from the can of tomatoes in to cook with the meat.  Yum!

2.  In the soup pot, add the olive oil and add diced vegetables.  Sauté until soft.

3.  Add the cooked meat, the water, the diced tomatoes, the Hamburger Helper seasoning packet, and the noodles.  Boil for 10 minutes, or until noodles are al dente.

4.  Turn the heat down to simmer and allow the soup to thicken for 5-15 minutes.  This is the perfect amount of time to throw together some AMAZING HOT BISCUITS (my mom’s recipe) and bake them!

Crockpot Beans (revisited!)

My friend Jolinn shared her recipe for crockpot beans with me about two years ago.  They were soooooo good!  But my kids wouldn’t eat them!!  So last night, as I was pouring beans and water and salt and pepper into the crockpot, I thought to myself, “What if we switch up the seasoning a little?”  So I did.  My kids CHOWED DOWN their lunches today!  First time in a week that they’ve really eaten their food!  My really picky eater said he loved it, so that tells you something.  :)

I have leftovers for another 2 meals for us, and two containers for my husband to take to lunch!

Preheat: --
Category: Crockpot, Beans, pictures

This recipe can be cut or multiplied easily.  Leftovers are AWESOME, AND you can make healthy, homemade refried beans by mashing them (not to mention far CHEAPER than the store!).

8 cups Water
4 cups Beans (Pinto are my fave, but you can use Great Northern, Black beans with this recipe… also, for chili, you can do a mix of Pinto, Great Northern, Kidney beans and have your beans uncanned!)
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Pepper
1 Tablespoon Cumin
1/2 Tablespoon Garlic powder (you could use fresh garlic, too)
1 Tablespoon Onion powder (fresh onions minced are yummy, too!)
1 Tablespoon Chili powder

1.  Throw everything into the crockpot.

2.  Give it a quick stir.  Be sure to break up those powders if you use them!

3.  Set the crockpot on high for 8-10 hours.  Nine hours is about the sweet time.

4.  To eat it like us, serve it hot with a scoop of hot, cooked rice, with a Tablespoon of Reduced fat sour cream, and 1/8 cup Grated Extra Sharp Cheese.