No more cereal!

It is the first Friday of summer break and although I've offered my girls breakfast options each morning, they've chosen cereal all but one day. Today we said "no more!' It IS summer after all, so we can take our time and there's no where we have to be (I love the feeling of not rushing around).

On today's breakfast menu ....

.... homemade pancakes!

I tried a new-to-me recipe from Martha Stewart, and I've gotta say I really liked how they turned out (and the kiddos agreed). 

Here's the recipe for

Martha Stewart's Basic Pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, or vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Assorted toppings, such as butter, maple syrup, confectioners' sugar, honey, jams, preserves, sweetened whipped cream, or chocolate syrup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees; have a baking sheet or heatproof platter ready to keep cooked pancakes warm in the oven. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
   
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, butter (or oil), and egg. Add dry ingredients to milk mixture; whisk until just moistened (do not overmix; a few small lumps are fine).
   
3. Heat a large skillet (nonstick or cast-iron) or griddle over medium. Fold a sheet of paper towel in half, and moisten with oil; carefully rub skillet with oiled paper towel.
   
4. For each pancake, spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter onto skillet, using the back of the spoon to spread batter into a round (you should be able to fit 2 to 3 in a large skillet).
   
5. Cook until surface of pancakes have some bubbles and a few have burst, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip carefully with a thin spatula, and cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a baking sheet or platter; cover loosely with aluminum foil, and keep warm in oven. Continue with more oil and remaining batter. (You'll have 12 to 15 pancakes.) Serve warm, with desired toppings.
   

I used a 2 Tablespoon measuring spoon to dip and pour the batter into the skillet, and this gave me 15 pancakes. We topped them with Best Life Buttery Spread and Log Cabin Original Syrup. I put the left overs on a cookie sheet and freeze them in a single layer. Once frozen, you can wrap stacks of two in wax paper and keep in a ziploc bag in the freezer. Remove a stack and place in the microwave or oven to reheat and serve for a fast warm breakfast another day.

Feeling Hungry?

This is my first post for my blog ... I'm so excited! As the blog title indicates, I hope this blog will provide nourishment for your mind, body and soul. I plan on sharing some of my favorite recipes, as well as reviewing books.

Serendipitously, the first book I want to share with you is ...



..."The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins. I admit I'm behind the trend, because I've been hearing about this book for well over a year. That said, I am so glad I finally got around to reading it.

While you might not want to eat while you're reading, as some of the content might be a little unappetizing to you, I think you will LOVE this book. The characters are vividly described, and you find yourself cheering the main characters (Katniss and Peeta) on as they embark on an unusual quest for survival.  I don't want to give too much away, but the themes of survival and family, paired with Suzanne Collins' easy-to-read style, made this such an enjoyable book for me.

I purchased my copy at Barnes & Noble for my new nook (a sweet Mother's Day gift from my hubby) and I cannot wait to get my hand on the next two books in the series.

Now for some good eats .... the first recipe I want to share with you is "Italian Beef Sandwiches" (shared by my friend, Emily Young).

Ingredients:

41/2 pounds beef tip sirloin roast
1 can beef broth
1 can beer
1 cup water
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 envelope onion soup and dip mix (I use the Market Pantry brand from Target because it doesn't have MSG)
1 envelope italian salad dressing mix
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon basil

King's Hawaiian Sandwich Rolls - 2 Packages (for 8 rolls total)

Preparation: Place roast in a slow cooker. Combine broth, beer, water, vinegar, soup mix, dressing mix, garlic, oregano, and basil - pour over roast. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until meat is tender. Remove roast and shred (mine was so tender that I was able to leave it in the crock pot and pull it apart with my meat fork); return meat to juice in slow cooker. Use slotted spoon to spoon shredded meat onto rolls. Serve dipping juices for dipping.

Make it a meal: Serve sandwiches with a side salad and/or some steamed corn

This shredded beef is melt-in-your mouth good! For leftovers, I used the meat for soft beef tacos ... delish!

Looking forward to many future shared meals and books with you! (I realize there are none of "you" yet, but hopefully you will join me on my journey at some point!)