Easy Pancakes from Scratch with Molasses and Blueberries

Easy Pancakes from Scratch with Molasses and Blueberries

I love pancakes, but I don't like using a mix.  The boxed pancake mixes are so full of sodium, preservatives, calories and lots of other additives.  I've been using a recipe I found several years ago, to make homemade pancakes.  The recipe is so easy, and delicious.  I've modified it a bit to suit our tastes.  My son loves these pancakes, he wants peanut butter on his instead of syrup.  Peanut butter is good for him since it's full of protein, so I don't mind putting it on his pancakes in place of syrup.  Where we have trouble, are the days, he wants to add syrup to his peanut butter pancake.  Um, no.  That's too close to a candy bar for me to allow as a breakfast meal.  It's either, syrup or peanut butter, not both.  We use pure maple syrup, or molasses instead of those processed syrups full of artificial colors and flavors.

Our favorite pancakes are blueberry pancakes.  Fresh blueberries are so expensive and not always available during the winter.  I have found an easy, as well as, less expensive alternative.  Frozen blueberries.  The only ingredient in the frozen blueberries are.....blueberries.  I buy a big bag of frozen blueberries, which lasts me for months.  After I mix the batter, I add the frozen blueberries to it and then put on the griddle.  They thaw and heat through while the pancake cooks.  I've had too many experiences with super hot, or "molten" blueberries, when fresh ones were used.  Too hot, not nice in a morning breakfast meal.  Frozen ones work very well, try it, you'll see! 

Easy Pancakes from Scratch:

1 Egg, beaten

2 tablespoons Canola Oil

1 tablespoon molasses

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup self rising flour

3/4 cup 2% milk 

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg

Then add the 2 tablespoons oil

(To keep the molasses from sticking to the measuring spoon, put the oil in first, then measure the molasses in the same spoon.  The oil keeps the molasses from sticking to the spoon.)  

Add the molasses, (I usually add a little bit more than 1 tablespoon because I like the flavor so much.)

Whisk together, then add the flour

Add the milk (feel free to add more or less depending on how thick you like your pancake batter)

Mix well, then add the frozen blueberries

Pour onto a griddle heated to 350 degrees

When bubbles start to form on top an the edges have drawn up a little, flip the pancakes.  

As a treat, add some dark chocolate chips to the batter with the blueberries, it's really good!

Any kind of frozen berries works, I've used mixed berries, raspberries, and strawberries.  

Roasty Toasty Peanut Butter Marshmallow Mini Bagels

Coming up with lunch ideas that are healthy, easy to make, as well as, nutritious is not an easy task for me.  I tend to find something that works, then stick to that.  If it isn't broke, don't fix it.  That gets boring, so I've been trying to come up with some different ideas. 

This past summer, Bens friend Alex came over to play.  A thunder storm came along bringing with it a pelting rain mingled with flashes of lightning.  I knew the boys were a little scared of all the noise.  It's easy to tell them a story about why there is such a loud noise coming from the sky. Sometimes it's easier than trying to explain the real reason for something.  I have always had a very good imagination, my son has one also.  That said, sometimes the funny little stories conjure up a different image for an inexperienced child.  My favorite story was, why the mountains would have smoke curling up towards the sky, after the rain. Mom told us that the bunnys were baking bread.  Well, that explained forest fires.  I love that story, I do tell my son that one. I adored the idea of little bunny chefs, in little bunny holes baking up warm yummy bunny bread.  Who doesn't love the smell of fresh baked bread! 


The reason for thunder, I was always told that the angels were bowling in heaven.  Now that's a cute story, we'll all agree.  However, I did wonder a little anxiously, what if the Angel threw a gutter ball, would it land down here?  I hoped it wouldn't land on my head. Therefore, I try not to make up a reason why something behaves in a certain manner.  Every book I read about childhood development says a childs "foundation" is developed with the first 5 years.  Therefore, I try not to make up a reason why something behaves in a certain manner, I simply try to explain it on his level.  Even the "Bunny bread" phenomena.
 
When he started being a little wary of thunder, I told him that thunder is just warm air and cold air bumping into each other.  The warm air says, "Oh excuse me!" while the cold air says, "No, excuse ME" and then (clap hands together) BOOM, thunder.  He laughs so hard when I tell him that.  It doesn't always comfort him, however it lightens his mood.  On this day, it wasn't doing a lot to comfort either of them, 3 years olds boys together equals more imagination.  We needed some comfort food, special food that only gets made during Thunder storms.  I fixed bread with peanut butter, and marshmallow creme toasted in the oven.  They were called Thunder Boomer sandwiches.  That did the trick, by the time they'd finished their Thunder Boomer sandwiches, the storm was over.  That didn't help me today, during the winter, when there is no thunder.  I couldn't exactly make a Thunder Boomer, if there was no thunder booming. 

I was reading in a magazine, that said, mini bagels are an excellent breakfast choice for toddlers since they are small and easy to handle.  Why not use them for lunch too, after all, it's just bread.  When I was little, we use to love to fix toast and as soon as the toast popped up, spread peanut butter over it.  It melted and tasted so good.  My little one loves peanut butter, he loves bread, he loves marshmallows.  Just like that, the Roasty Toasty was born.  It was delicious.  I served it with fresh orange slices and cottage cheese.  It was very good to see him eat well again.  He's been sick with a chest cold, that took his appetite away.  Thank the Lord he's feeling better and his appetite is back.  I had some leftover gingerbread marshmallows in gingerbread man shapes.  Good way to use them up and add a little special touch to lunch.

Roasty Toasty:

Mini bagels
creamy peanut butter
Fun shaped marshmallows, or small regular marshmallows

Turn oven broiler on low

Halve the bagels
Spread peanut butter on each half
Put marshmallows on top
Place on a cookie sheet in pre heated oven

Watch carefully, don't burn the marshmallows!

When the top of the mallow gets golden and a little smoky take out of oven immediately

Smush the mallows down and into the warmed peanut butter
Cut in four, bite size pieces making sure that the peanut butter and marshmallows are not too hot for your little one to eat. 

If anyone has any fun lunch items to share, feel free! Have a super day.