Pancakes!!!

I am not a huge pancake lover, and because of this I don't really think to make them all that often.  Well, my boys DO like them and are starting to ask for them more and more.  So, I make them, and they LOVE them, and they ask me to make them almost every day!  I still limit it to Saturdays and special occasions...but today is Saturday so I am going to share my recipe for making pancakes! So easy, so yummy and I bet you have all of the ingredients in your pantry or fridge right now!  The following recipe makes about 18 pancakes, they store wonderfully in the fridge or freezer!

Pancakes
2 1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 TBL baking powder
1 1/2 TBL sugar
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups milk
1/2 stick butter, melted

Cherry Syrup
1 pound pitted cherries (I used a bag of frozen cherries, check ingredient list it should just say cherries...no sugar or anything added!)
1/4 cup water
1 TBL sugar
1/2 tsp lemon zest

In a mixing bowl mix flour, baking powder and sugar together.  Make a well in the center and put your eggs and milk in the well.  Stir together, just until combined...there will be lumps!  Finally pour in your melted butter and stir that in as well.  Now its time to cook them!  I like to use an electric griddle because its non-stick and easy!  The key to super fluffy pancakes is to cook them slowly and whatever you do DO NOT press them down with the spatula!!  I always have maple syrup in the house, but my favorite way to serve them is with a fresh fruit syrup/puree'!

While you are making your pancakes put all the ingredients for your cherry syrup in a saucepan and cook over high heat until cherries are boiling.  Now, put in a blender and blend until smooth (I used a stick blender which didn't get rid of all the cherry skin, a traditional blender will make it completely smooth!)  That's it!

 

PS.  Want to be a super cool mom and make SPRINKLE pancakes?!?!  I thought you might!  Just add in a handful of sprinkles to the flour mix before you add in the wet ingredients.  Then top with more sprinkles!  This is a great birthday treat, or way to celebrate special days!  Use red and green sprinkles at Christmas, red and pink for Valentine's Day, or even the colors for your kid's sports teams!  So fun!  Here is Braydon on his 5th birthday loving some sprinkle pancakes!!



It's Valentine's Day!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!  I have been busy and haven't blogged in a while.  I know I've said it before, but I will say it again...being a mom to 4 little boys is CRAZY {or if I was cool like the young kids I would say cray cray!}  I love it...but am constantly exhausted and constantly going!  It's all good though, because today I have 5 sweet Valentines to love on!

I joined in on a fun little Valentine's Swap and wanted to share what sweet Colleta from Colletta's Kitchen Sink sent me!  Alissa and Caroline hosted the swap and sent me Colletta's name, her blog info and some of her favorite things and I put together a fun little package for her and in return she sent a package to me!!  Getting fun mail is seriously one of my favorite things EVER!!  So when my package arrived I couldn't wait to tear it open!  She sent a comfy, cozy valentines throw with a heart pillow along with a love wax warmer!  So fun!  Thank you Colletta!!!

I tend to down play Valentine's Day because Braydon's birthday is the day before, my hubby always works and I'm in a house full of boys...BUT it has been so fun this year as I decided to embrace it!  The cozy throw has been snuggled by me with all my boys and the warmer has added a fun warmth to my mantel decorations!  Tonight I am going to take it easy for dinner, especially since Casey will be working anyway.  I know I share pasta dishes often, but lets face it kids LOVE pasta!!  I always put veggies in it and I figure if a little pasta will get them to eat the other stuff they can have pasta all the time!!

Lemon Broccoli Pasta
`1 pound short pasta
`3 cups broccoli florets {I prefer fresh but frozen works too!}
`3ish tablespoons olive oil
`Zest of 1 lemon
`Juice from 1/2 lemon
`1/4 cup parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
`Salt & Pepper

Boil your pasta according to the directions on the package in salted water.  3 minutes before the past is done add in your broccoli florets.  Drain pasta/broccoli and then return to pan.  Add olive oil and toss.  Next add lemon zest, lemon juice and parmesan cheese and fold it it.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with freshly grated parmesan on top!  My boys can't get enough of this pasta, in fact my most picky eater calls me "the best mommy in the whole wide world!" when I feed him this dish!  Seriously delicious!