Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes

4:00PM: I think to myself, "What should we have for dinner? {the husband} will be home in one hour...hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..." and yes, more often than not I stand in front of my menu thinking what else could I make.
BREAKFAST!!! mmmm! Sometimes breakfast for dinner is the answer to everything.
So, when i saw this recipe let me just say my arms tickled, my ears tingled and my feet twitched. (recognize the quote? any of you read Pinkalicious 800 times a day? I love that book and so does my little girl) 

 Well, here is your new favorite breakfast for dinner recipe. These were amazing and quick! 

There are a lot of lemons but trust me just like the girl who originally posted this, USE THEM ALL: they are so yummy and fresh! mmmm! I didn't have as many poppy seeds as I thought so I only used 1/2 the poppy seeds and it was still so delicious but next time i'll use the full amount. 

Mix the wet and dry, just until combined. Don't over-mix. It will be lumpy (even more lumpy than usual pancakes because of the lemon zest.)

Top with some delicious fruit and syrup. 

Recipe:

{This recipe was found here}

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1/3 cup poppy seeds
zest of 4 lemons
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted

butter, to serve (and for pan)

To make the pancakes combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt in a large bowl. In another bowl the buttermilk, eggs, butter, lemon zest and poppy seeds. Add the wet to the dry. Stir all the ingredients until they are just combined. Don't worry if the batter is a bit lumpy, you don't want to over mix.

Heat your skillet, pan, or griddle to medium-hot and brush it with a bit of butter. Test for the right temperature. If a drop of water dropped onto the pan starts to dance, you are in the ballpark. Pour about 1/3 of a cup of batter into the skillet. Wait until the pancake bottom is deep golden in color, then flip with a spatula and cook the other side until golden and cooked through. Repeat with the remaining batter.  

Recipe for fruit compote:

Place about 1 C frozen or fresh berries in small saucepan along with about 1/3 C sugar and approximately 3Tbsp. lemon juice. heat until there is enough juice to pour over pancakes. 

Pour compote, fruit and syrup or any other toppings you choose. These are wonderful and worth it!

(Check out what else pickycook.com has. Great ideas!)

this week's menu

So, as I planned the next 2 weeks of dinner I got too excited to keep it to myself so I thought I would share my menu with you and maybe give some inspiration.

I promise to post as I go so that you can have the most delcious dinners too!
(*I'm only posting if they are fab! No drab on this blog!)

• Broccoli cheddar Soup with garlic parmesan pull apart bread
• Lemon Chicken 
• Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes with fruit
• Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken
• Crock Pot Minestrone Soup
• Mozzarella/Tomato Gnocchi Bake
• Life-changing Mac and Cheese (i'll let you know if it lives up to the name)
• Barbeque onion Burgers
• Crock Pot Meatball Stew (with home-made meatballs)
• Pork Chops Agrodolce
• Smoked Chicken Pizza (We just bought a smoker!!!!!!!)
• Smoked Sausages with flat bread (again, we just bought a smoker!!!!!)
• Fish n' chips. I lived in Ireland for 18 months and fall always reminds me of it. This feels like the right time of year for fish n' chips. 
• Black Bean Chili - I already know this is AMAZING! Jared made it up last winter and it has been a regular repeat at our house; Winter in bread bowls or just alone, summer on scones for Navajo Tacos. mmmm! Always delicious!

Hopefully you get some sort of inspiration. :)
I'll let you know how it goes. The pancakes are tonight. MMMM!!!

Homemade noodles

These are easy peasy! Just plan ahead.


Homemade Noodles:

• 1 beaten Egg
• 2 Tablespoons Milk
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup Flour (approximately)

Combine egg, milk, and salt. Add enough Flour to make a stiff dough. Roll out very thin on a floured surface. Let stand 20 minutes.
Roll up loosely and slice ¼” wide. Unroll and spread out to dry for at least 2 hours.
Drop into boiling soup or boiling, salted water and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes.
Notes: Makes about 3 cups cooked noodles. Can be stored in a container until needed. 

Delicious in chicken noodle soup!

Chicken Noodle Soup over Mashed Potatoes

Your life is about to change in ways you never could have imagined. 

You have been warned.

Imagine with me if you will. It is spring in Salt Lake City, Utah. The flowers are out, the sun isn't warm yet but it's warmish and things are starting to thaw out and live again. Now, enter me in my wedding dress. It was the perfect day, the man of my dreams was there (thank goodness because that could have been awkward and terrible), we both said yes, I looked awesome :), everything was just as it was supossed to be...enter the weather. IT WAS FREEZING!!!!!! annnnnnnnnnd, it was the windiest day i've ever seen! (Everyone's hair looks awesome in the pictures!)

Ok, so it was maybe not the windiest day ever, but exaggerate with me because every story is a little better if there is drama. 

So 3.5 years ago I married into the most amazing family and I have learned so much and tried so many new things since that freezing day in March. One of those new things is my mother-in-law's chicken noodle soup. 

Like I said at the beginning, this will change your life. period. 

We took this to my sister the night they brought their baby girl home from the hospital and they still talk about it, 3 yrs. later. Oh yeah, it's that good.

So, are you curious enough? ha ha i'll get on with it.

2 words of caution.

1. Making your own noodles is EASY peasy if you plan ahead - don't be intimidated (i was my first time, i think I purposely didn't mention that I was going to make it to anyone the first time so that if it was a disaster, no one would ask how it went)
2. Come HUNGRY because you won't want just a "taste."

 Now, The recipe. Drumroll please...........



{Ingredients}

• 1 cooked Chicken
• 1 ½ quarts Water & Broth in equal parts
• 3 Chicken Bouillon cubes
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 2 small Onions, chopped
• 1 cup diced Carrots
• 1 cup diced Celery
• Celery Leaves, chopped
• 2 cups Noodles
• 2 Tablespoons chopped Parsley
• 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
   

Put all ingredients except Cream of Chicken Soup and parsley in a pot and simmer until vegetables are done.Just before serving, add parsley and the can of soup. Stir until well mixed and serve.

*Tips:
You can use the salted water the chicken was cooked in as the broth.

This soup is delicious with homemade noodles and/or served over homemade mashed potatoes. (Do both. trust me.)

Variation:Add 1 cup diced potatoes to recipe if not serving over mashed potatoes.

Homemade Noodles:

• 1 beaten Egg
• 2 Tablespoons Milk
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup Flour (approximately)

Combine egg, milk, and salt. Add enough Flour to make a stiff dough. Roll out very thin on a floured surface. Let stand 20 minutes.
Roll up loosely and slice ¼” wide. Unroll and spread out to dry for at least 2 hours.
Drop into boiling soup or boiling, salted water and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes.
Notes: Makes about 3 cups cooked noodles. Can be stored in a container until needed. 

Delicious in chicken noodle soup!

Fettucini Alfredo {Light!}

Sometimes I just need that rich heavy sauce that Alfredo is. Sometimes I just want to go out to Italian food and not worry that there are more calories in the appetizer than I should eat in a week, right? Tell me i'm not alone on this. 
Well ladies and gentlemen. Your day is here (well, my day is here I guess. I might be alone on this endeavor) This recipe is from Cooking Light and is a healthier version. And, it is without question, one of our favorites!!! hope you enjoy!
Now, splurge when you need the Italian food and really go crazy and have a breadstick with it! Don't worry, I will never tell.
{Ingredients)
1 T butter
2 garlic cloves, minced

1 T all-purpose flour

1 1/2 c 1% milk

1 1/4 C (5 oz.) grated fresh Parmeggiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

1 T 1/3 less-fat cream cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

4 C hot cooked fettuccini (8 oz. uncooked pasta)

2 tsp. chopped fresh leaf parsley

cracked black pepper

{Directions}

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, cook one minute stirring frequently. Stir in flour. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook 6 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup cheese, cream cheese and salt stirring with a whisk until cheeses melt. Toss sauce with hot pasta. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and chopped parsley. Garnish with black pepper. serve immediately. Serves 4.

We always add some type of meat. Chicken is delicious in it and 1 chicken breast is usually plenty!

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

If you are intimidated by fish -- this is your recipe! EASIEST FISH RECIPE EVER!

This was discovered on allrecipes.com and it is extremely delicious!
source

1/4 cups Parmesan cheese  

2 tablespoons butter softened 

1 tablespoon and 1 1/2 teaspoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/8 teaspoons dried basil

1/8 teaspoons ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoons onion powder 

1/8 teaspoons celery salt

1 pounds tilapia fillets

{Preparation}

Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the filllets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to overcook the fish.

Baked Oatmeal

So for all those that have found and loved this recipe, you are holding out on the rest of us! My sister--in-law has been talking about baked oatmeal for awhile now and as it was raining this morning when we woke up I felt fall-ish and needed a breakfast to follow suit. What better, than the mysterious baked oatmeal i had heard so much about!

Did it live up to its expectations? You better beleive it! This stuff is YUMMY!
and super easy! It takes about 10 minutes to get everything together and into the baking dish (and that's at "i-just-woke-up" speed) and then it only cooks for 20 minutes. Perfect for a relaxed morning and today was the perfect day to try it; raining, a little darker than usual and fall. Ahh, welcome to this beautiful season where the leaves change colors and crunch under your feet, where pumpkins start emerging from the front of stores to peoples front porches (mine are coming out this weekend after our pumpkin painting extravaganza this weekend...stay posted i'll post some pictures) and where baked oatmeal and apples take over the menu.

source

Happy breakfasting!

Baked Oatmeal:

{Ingredients}

2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup raisins (opt.)
1 tablespoon chopped walnuts, plus more if you so desire -- i put in about 3 T and loved it.
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
1/2 cup applesauce (you can substitute cooking oil for this but i think it would be best with applesauce, sticking with the season and all)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg, beaten (or 2 medium eggs)
Cooking spray

{Preparation}

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine the milk, applesauce, butter, and egg. Add milk mixture to oat mixture; stir well. Pour oat mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Serve warm.