Pancake/Waffle Mix in a Jar & freezer waffles

I don’t do much freezer cooking, but this morning when we made waffles I decided to double the batch & put the rest in the freezer for breakfast later in the week. I make my own mix adapted from a recipe by deltasky at allrecipes.com. It is quick and easy to put together and I can control exactly what goes in it. Plus, it will save us $$$!

Homemade Pancake (& waffle) Mix

2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups powdered milk
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup baking powder
1 TBS salt

Combine all ingredients; stir to blend. Store in an airtight container for up to 8 months (Ours never lasts that long).

To make pancakes:

2 cups mix, 1 cup water, one egg and 2 tablespoons oil. Beat with a wire whisk or fork until large lumps are gone.

To make waffles:

2 cups mix, 1 1/4 cup water, one eggs and 3 tablespoons oil. Again, beat with a wire whist or fork until large lumps are gone.

This makes about 12-16 pancakes or waffles.

We made a double batch this morning. I put the left-over waffles on cookie sheets in the freezer. Once they are frozen we will seal them with our foodsaver. Then we can just pull them out of the freezer and pop them in the toaster! The kids love them!

Broccoli Slaw

My kids and I love broccoli! One of our favorite ways to eat it is in broccoli slaw I use shredded broccoli (& carrots) from the store. This makes it super quick and easy to make. Normally I make my own dressing, but I got a great idea from The Yummy life: use poppy-seed dressing. Since I have some in the fridge left over from Hawaiian wraps, I decided to get it a try. I made it today and it was a hit. All three kids want some in their lunch tomorrow!

Here’s how I made it:

One bag of shredded broccoli
Poppy Seed dressing
Dry Roasted Sunflower seeds

It’s super easy! Mix the broccoli slaw with salad dressing to taste. Refrigerate for a least an hour. I’ll add the sunflower seeds when I put it in their lunch boxes tomorrow. They would be crunchier if added right before eating, but that can’t be helped. Done! The flavors and texture combine beautifully: It’s crunchy, nutty, sweet, tart! Awesome! Thanks The Yummy Life!

Slow Cooker Egg Casserole

My son is in basketball season right now. Sometimes he has basketball 4 times a week (too much for a 10 year old, if you ask me). Since I do not believe in eating out all the time, I use my crock pot often during basketball season. It is great to come home to a hot meal waiting in the slow cooker. My family loves breakfast any time of day, so I decided to make breakfast in the slow cooker today. It is very easy to put together & very versatile. The ham could be replaced with bacon or sausage; sauted onions and peppers could be added.

Slow Cooker Egg Casserole

32 oz hash browns
1 lb ham, cubed
1 1/2 c. shredded cheese
12 eggs
1 c. milk
salt and pepper to taste

Spray inside of slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Place one third of the frozen hash brown potatoes in the slow cooker. Add one third of the ham, onion, and cheese. Repeat layers, ending with the cheese.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, milk and seasonings until well mixed. Pour over the ingredients in the slow cooker, cover and turn on low. Cook for 8-10 hours on low or until casserole is set and eggs are thoroughly cooked.

Serve with a green salad and

Weekly Supper Menu (1/20-1/26)

Sausage Gravy & Biscuits

Crockpot Lasagna (made with venison)

Burgers with oven fries and Kale chips

Bacon & Venison white Chili

Pizza!

Saturday: Kids cook!

Menu Plan (Sept 29 – Oct 4)

I am trying to keep this week’s menu plan simple and quick. I have been doing a lot of canning and I find I am too tired to spend a lot of time in the kitchen for supper.

Oven Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Crockpot Chili

Oven Frito Pie (from Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures)

Chicken Pot Pie (I’ll use store-bought crusts)

Pizza!

Grands! Doughnuts

It has been a busy week at our house – and it isn’t over yet. Tonight we decided to relax, make some treats & watch a little tv. Last week Meijer had Grands! biscuits on sale in their 10/$10 eleventh one free sale. I stocked up and bought 11! Tonight we made doughnuts! The kids all pitched in & we had a great time!

We used 2 tubes of Grands! biscuits, cutting the centers out.

I put them in our fryer for 3 minutes per side.

After they had a chance to cool, we shook them in powdered sugar. (Sometime we use cinnamon sugar, sometimes plain white sugar, whatever we feel like). They were ready to eat. The kids really enjoyed them & can’t wait for breakfast tomorrow!

Waffles

I promised the kids yesterday that if we had a snow day today, I would make waffles. So, the snow day is here, but when I went to the fridge, I only had one egg in the house! (I’ll have to get to Jack’s this week. I see they have eggs 1$/dozen). I don’t keep pancake/waffle mix in the house. Those of you who know me, know I like to make things from scratch. Luckily, I was able to find a homemade pancake/waffle mix that only requires one egg for a batch of waffles. Gotta love the internet! I thought I would share the recipe I found on Allrecipes.com. We have waffles for brunch & I have enough mix left for 2 more batches!

Homemade Pancake Mix

Ingredients

5 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups powdered milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 baking powder
1 TBS salt

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl;stir to blend. Store in an airtight container I use mason jars) and use within 8 months.

To make pancakes or waffles:

Combine
2 cups pancake mix
1 cup water
1 egg
2 TBS oil (3 for waffles)
Beat smooth with a wire whisk or fork

Supper Menu – Feb. 11-17

Here are our supper menus for this week:

Monday: Chicken Pot Pie, Salad
Tuesday: Crock pot Lasagna, Garlic Bread, Peas
Wednesday: Sloppy Joes, oven fries, corn
Thursday: Pancakes & sausage
Friday: Crock pot Mexican Pork Chops & Rice
Saturday: Aaron’s BB Tourney at Lansing

What are you cooking?

Homemade Bread Recipe

I’ve started using my bread machine again. The kids are a little older now & we’re trying to eat healthier. I’m also trying to make mostly from scratch food, hence, more homemade bread. The kids have even started asking that their sandwiches be made from homemade bread instead of “store-bought!” I think that is a step in the right direction. Lately I have been loading the bread machine at night and using the delay so that the bread is ready when we get up in the morning. I love waking up to the smell of freshly baked bread! This way the kids are getting good, fresh bread for their sandwiches. It is a win-win situation!

I thought I would post my goto bread machine recipe.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

1 1/8 c. warm water (110 degrees)
2 TBS oil or melted butter (I use canola oil)
3 TBS honey
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur Flour white whole wheat)
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp yeast

Add ingredients according to manufacturer’s directions for your bread machine. Use the whole wheat cycle and light crust setting. Enjoy your homemade bread!

What is your favorite bread machine recipe?

Easy Granola Bars

I am always looking for snacks the kids will like and this one fits the bill. They love it, it is easy to make, and very versatile. One drawback: it is a little sweet. Next time I make it I will definitely cut back on the brown sugar. These granola bars are easy and delicious.

Easy Granola bars

2 1/2 c. crispy rice cereal
2 c. quick cooking oats
1/2 c. raisins
1/2 c. packed brown sugar (i’m cutting to 1/4 c.)
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract

directions:

1. In a large bowl, stir together rice cereal, oats, and raisins. Set aside.

2. Lightly grease a 9×13 pan (I use a 7×11 in.)

3. Combine brown sugar and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat until just boiling, then remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla until creamy. Pour over cereal mixture and coat well.

4. Press into prepared pan (I use wet hands & it doesn’t stick). Allow to cool and cut into bars.

You can use whatever you have on hand in place of the raisins: sunflower seeds, slivered almonds, walnuts, craisins. Use you imagination!

I adapted this recipe from “Gobble Up Granola Bars” by TINAMARIES at allrecipes.com

Enjoy!