Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

These are a family favorite. Bisquick makes them quick and easy.

2 cups Bisquick

2 very ripe bananas, mashed well

1/4 cup oil

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 cup chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Batter will be slightly lumpy. Fill greased muffin tins or paper muffin cups 2/3 full of batter. Bake for 15 min. or until golden brown at 400 degrees.

Amazing Pancakes!

This recipe is from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook! Sometimes I secretly wish that I was married to the dude in charge of ATK so he could do all the amazing cooking at my house, but Steve is way cuter!

This is their standard pancake recipe, although I would consider it a buttermilk pancake recipe!

2 C. all-purpose flour

2 T. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 large egg

3 T. unsalted butter, melted

2 C. buttermilk

1-2 tsp. vegetable oil

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, melted butter, and then the buttermilk. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour the buttermilk mixture into the well, and whisk very gently until the buttermilk mixture is just incorporated (a few lumps should remain). Be careful not to overmix the batter.

Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Brush the pan bottom with 1 tsp. oil. Using 1/4 cup of batter per pancake, add the batter to the skillet (only 2-3 pancakes will fit at a time) and cook until large bubbles begin to appear, about 2 min. Flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown on the second side, about 1 1/2 min. longer.

They suggest heating your oven to 200 degrees and putting a cookie sheet with a cooling rack on it to keep the pancakes warm while you cook them all.

*If you do not have buttermilk on hand, whisk 1 T. fresh lemon juice with 2 C. milk in a medium bowl and set aside for a few minutes to thicken.

I had to scrape the batter out of my 1/4 C. measure with my finger (I'm sure a mini spatula would also do the trick), and spread it around a little. The batter is so thick I thought I was making muffins for a second! These pancakes were so fluffy and delicious! I only ate two they were so big! 

I always try to follow their directions pretty precisely, since they did test to get this perfect recipe after all! :) I don't always have unsalted butter on hand though, so I used regular. They recommend using unsalted butter in everything because butter peeps put different amounts of salt in their butter and it can throw off your recipe.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Also called "Flap-Jack-o-Lanterns," these are delicious served with maple syrup. Our favorite way to eat them, though, is to just put a dollop of whipped cream on top. It tastes like pumpkin pie for breakfast! The last time I made these, I made a double batch, and my kids would take a leftover pancake from the fridge and eat it plain for a snack.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (or 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp. ginger)

2 eggs

1 3/4 cups milk

3 tbsp. melted butter plus 1 tbsp. for frying

1/2 cup cooked and mashed pumpkin or canned pumpkin

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and milk. Add 3 tablespoons of melted butter and the pumpkin to the wet ingredients and whisk together.

Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients and stir just until blended--a few lumps are okay.

Heat the remaining butter on a griddle over medium-high heat. Then pour 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. When the flapjacks bubble on top, flip and cook until brown on other side. Makes 20 pancakes.

Rice Mush

1 C. rice (3 C. cooked rice)

2 C. milk

2 beaten eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

sugar to taste

In a heavy pan combine all ingredients over medium heat till warm and slightly thickened. Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired. 

We love this for breakfast with leftover rice! This is a recipe from Grandma Aleen. Steve remembers his mother making this many mornings too!

P.S. The flat pancake post is up. Look for it below. I started it awhile back so it is further down the page!

Flat Pancakes aka. Swedish Pancakes!

2 eggs

1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 C. flour
1 C. milk
1/4 C. butter

1 C. water



Beat eggs in large bowl; add sugar and salt. Add 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 flour; beat smooth (use electric mixer). Add remaining flour and milk; beat smooth. Melt butter; add to mixture. Beat again to mix. Add water and mix.

I'm not sure this picture is helpful, but the batter will look quite runny after you add the water.

Heat a large electric skillet to 380 degrees. (Best to have a skillet with a handle on it) Spray with Pam. Scoop 1/3 - 1/2 C. batter into hot pan and tip pan immediately to completely cover bottom of pan. Cook until edges turn dark brown, then turn with pancake turner and brown on the other side.

*Note: I cannot find an electric skillet with a handle anywhere. Grandma said she had to special order hers 10 years ago! So I just use my non-stick skillets on the stove. It took a couple of times to figure out exactly where to put my knob to get my heat right. So, I have included a few pictures of the pancakes in hopes that it will help you to know what they should look like.

This is my stove set-up so I can cook two at a time!

This is what I like mine to look like!

Steve prefers his like this!

Place on warm plate; sprinkle with sugar. Roll them into a cylinder and eat.

I have two plates next to the stove so I can flip the pancakes onto them. Steve sprinkles the sugar on and rolls them while I start on the next two!

The final product!

We fold ours in half so the sugar doesn't fall out the bottom!

Most people like to eat these with their fingers . . . the children certainly do! They are also good spread with jam. Please do not confuse these with crepes, they are not the same.

This recipe is from Steve's maternal grandma, Aleen Madsen. The very first time I stayed with her in Bountiful, UT (while Steve and I were still dating) she made us these for breakfast. We've had them every time we've been back! Steve remembers sitting around with all his siblings and cousins devouring grandma's flat pancakes. We love them at our house too! They are Byron's most requested breakfast, sometimes even a Sunday night dinner! We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

As a final note we always double this recipe for my little family. There is usually just enough batter left for Steve to cook some up the next day for his breakfast.

Waffles!

Waffles

2 C. Milk
2 Eggs
1/4 C. Oil
2 Tb. Sugar
1/2 Tsp. Salt
4 Tsp. Baking Powder
2 C. Flour

Plug in waffle iron. Seperate eggs and put yolks in with milk and oil. In a seperate bowl beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, set aside for later use. Add all dry ingredients and mix well. Then with a spatula add egg whites and gently fold in. Cook in waffle iron for 2-3 minutes. Top and enjoy!

Here it is before egg whites.

After they are gently folded in.

With some of our favorite toppings whipped cream and strawberries.
Yummy!!