GREEN PANCAKES

GREEN PANCAKES

So, some of you may know that my youngest son is autistic and he is completely obsessive about food.  The last six months or so, he has been obsessed with pancakes.  So, I thought the least I could do was try and make them a little healthier for him to eat.  I sort of played around with the ingredients until I finally got a pancake with good texture and that tastes good too.  No amount of bribing or begging will make him eat something that doesn't taste good.   And since he doesn't eat vegetables, other than green beans, I snuck in some spinach, hence the name Green Pancakes. 

GREEN PANCAKES

1 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup oat flour*
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup coconut oil (or canola or vegetable oil)
2 eggs
3/4 - 1 cup spinach

*  I make my own by blending quick oats in my blender to pulverize.

Directions:

Preheat griddle to around 325 degrees.  Stir flours, baking powder, salt and soda together in a large bowl.  Add buttermilk, oil and eggs and whisk together.  Take about 1 cup of the batter and put in your blender.  Add your spinach and blend until smooth.  Now stir your spinach mixture into your pancake batter.  It should be the consistency of shampoo.  Pour about 1/3 cup of batter onto griddle.  Turn pancakes when they begin to get dry around the edges.  Cook until golden brown on the bottom. 

Top with pure maple syrup.  Enjoy. 

THE BEST PEANUT BUTTER SHEET CAKE

So, as you know, I've been on a journey towards a healthier me.  That means I am staying away from processed foods as much as possible and limiting my sugar intake.  That being said, every once in awhile, a girl just needs a little cake.  Am I right?






So, a few years ago, one of my favorite cousins, Jamie, brought this cake to my mom's for 4th of July.  I fell in love instantly!!!  It's so rich and moist and wonderful and peanut buttery.  YUM!  Anyway, I made it a few months later for a work function and everybody wanted the recipe.  In fact, one of our 5th grade teacher has requested it for her birthday the last two years.  I love being able to have one piece of my favorite cake and then sharing the rest!  BEST CAKE EVER!!!


So, here's the recipe:




PEANUT BUTTER SHEET CAKE

Ingredients

• 2 cups Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 2 cups Flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 2 sticks Butter
• 1 cup Water
• 1 cup Peanut Butter
• ½ cups Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1 stick Butter
• ½ cups Peanut Butter
• 6 teaspoons Milk
• 1 pound Powdered Sugar
   
  Preparation
  In a large bowl, mix together sugar, baking soda, flour and salt. Set aside.
  Combine butter, water and peanut butter in saucepan and bring to boil. Pour over flour mixture.
  Add milk, vanilla and eggs. Mix.
  Pour in large cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Bake at 400F degrees for 20 minutes.
  Frosting:
  Bring butter, peanut butter and milk to boil in saucepan. Add one pound of powdered sugar. Pour warmed frosting over cooled cake.
• So, just for the record, I do 1 and 1/2 recipes of the icing.  
  
  

  

  
  

Healthier Banana Oatmeal Muffins

So, my little girl is obsessed with muffins.  She loves the boxed kind from the grocery store and would eat them constantly if I would let her.  I don't let her.  Therefore, we have a little tug of war going on constantly.  You see, about 11 months ago, I adopted a new healthy lifestyle.  I've lost 25 pounds and am very enthusiastic about trying to eat healthy, but it is a battle to get my kids on board with the healthy lifestyle.  So, I decided to try to make some healthier muffins.  This is my own recipe and to tell the truth, I'm surprised by how well they turned out.  Not bad for a first try if I do say so myself.  Even my daughter loved them.  So, here ya go!


HEALTHIER BANANA OAT MUFFINS


Ingredients:


1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. honey
1 egg
2 ripe bananas, mashed
2/3 whole wheat flour
*1/3 cup ground whole oats
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
Optional:  walnuts, pecans, chocolate chips, blueberries

*  I put whole oats in my shake blender and blended until ground.  After they are blended, measure out 1/3 cup. 


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray muffin pan with cooking spray.  Stir together sugar, honey, egg and banana.  In separate bowl, whisk together the flour, ground oats, salt and soda.  Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients stirring gently until incorporated.  Pour batter into muffin tins - about 2/3 full.  Bake for 20-25 minutes depending on your oven.  Enjoy!!