Protein Waffles

Owen and I loved these waffles this morning. I added some cinnamon and cooked them a little longer than I usually cook waffles, and they were awesome!

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/recipe/chris-powells-protein-waffle-19138305

Cinnamon Braid

This is my new favorite way to use cinnamon roll dough. This turned out a really pretty loaf with several layers of gooey filling. I rolled the dough like usual--a rectangle, then filled it, then rolled it up. Then, I turned it so it was facing me the same way it is in the picture (sorry, still on the pan) and cut it in three strips, stopping about an inch from the end. I cut off a half inch from the end that was still intact to use as the "glue" on the cut end. I braided the strands (will be a little messy), then stuck them together with that extra half inch of dough from the other end.
I'm still using this cinnamon roll recipe because it's just so good.

(Freezer) Fake-out Starbucks Breakfast Sandwiches

As I was looking for freezer recipes, I figured I should probably do something other than just "dinner" type foods. I made some pancakes (they're great reheated in the toaster) and a double batch of these breakfast sandwiches, which Norris says are amazing (he is my eager taste tester). I used the whole wheat 100 calorie English muffins and the baked 9x13 pan of eggs method here and it worked so great. I know I will appreciate a breakfast that is filling and full of protein. I am sure these will be made again!

Fake-out Starbucks Breakfast Sandwiches (links to recipe)

from Thriving Home Blog

Good Old-Fashioned Pancakes

I think this is my favorite "regular" pancake recipe I have ever made. Nothing will ever beat my dad's pancakes, but these were good stuff, super simple, and made with ingredients most people have in the kitchen. I like all the oatmeal, fruit, wheat, etc. pancakes, but I celebrated snow day #4 (are we really still celebrating or ready to go back to school and get this done??) with pancakes.

Good Old-Fashioned Pancakes

Apple Cider Baked Donut Holes

Fall in a bite! These are really great. We couldn't keep our hands out of them. If you run out of butter or don't want to use butter, you can roll them in cinnamon and sugar without it, but be warned you won't get as much coating. We also made a pumpkin version and they're amazing as well. They're baked, so they're healthy, right? :)
Link to recipe

Maple Bacon

I have a hard time deciding on menus for showers because I want to please every type of person/diet, have something available most people can eat, and have a nice variety while still balancing cost and prep time (especially since the last two showers I have helped host have been out of town and out of my own kitchen!). When we decided on a brunch for this shower, I needed to do some sort of meat, so bacon was pretty much the automatic choice. To jazz it up, we brushed the bacon with syrup in the last few minutes of baking and it was like candied bacon. Made me think I might like to try that bacon ice cream after all!!

Maple Bacon

16 slices thick cut bacon
16 skewers, soaked for five minutes in water
~4 tbsp maple syrup

Preheat oven to 375 F. Skewer bacon (you can skip this step if you want to; it was just for presentation!). Place on rack fitted to baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, or until it's close to how you like it done. Brush on maple syrup, then return to the oven for about three minutes. Be careful when removing it from the oven so you don't get burnt by the grease!

French Toast Sticks

I really like French toast, but hate when it gets soggy or when all of the slightly crispy edge is gone. These French toast sticks remove both of those factors and taste great doing it. I love the crunchy outside and they're just the right amount of sweet when sprinkled with powdered sugar and drizzled in syrup.
The hardest part about this recipe is finding the Texas toast (because the best French toast is made with Texas toast...figures, right?). I found one brand at Dillon's/Kroger and my grandma said she finds it at the day-old bread store. Good thing, because you need this bread to be at least a day old anyway. I set it out on the counter overnight to let it get stale, which really helped during the soaking and coating process.
These are great because you can make them and just pull a couple out of the freezer to bake whenever the mood strikes you. Or, if you're making them for a party, they're completely make ahead besides the bake time! They'd probably be fun with other crushed cereals (we tried a pumpkin spice cereal that would be great on them) for a kid treat. The only thing I changed was to use more cornflakes, so I changed that in the recipe below.


I have no idea how I managed to do this, but I must have deleted some of my pictures from my camera. Half of the food/drink photos are missing. Oops!!

French Toast Sticks

6 servings

6 slices day-old Texas toast

4 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups crushed cornflakes
Confectioners' sugar
Maple syrup


Cut each piece of bread into thirds; place in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. dish. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over bread; soak for 2 minutes, turning once. Coat bread with cornflake crumbs on all sides if desired.
Place in a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Freeze until firm, about 45 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container or resealable freezer bag and store in the freezer.
To use frozen French toast sticks: Place desired number on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 8 minutes. Turn; bake 10-12 minutes longer or until golden brown. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar if desired. Serve with syrup. Yield: 1-1/2 dozen.

slightly adapted from Taste of Home

Mini Quiche

The thing I love about food presented as small bites is the same thing I love about self-serve froyo places: I don't have to commit to any one dish or flavor. I can have a little of each and try it all. These little quiche are not only cute, portable, and easy to eat, but the crust is flaky and puffy and the filling is excellent. The most time consuming part is pressing the crust into the tins, but even that doesn't take long. They're also great because, if you don't have a warming tray, these can be served at room temperature and still taste great. (the food safety person in me needs to tell you not to just leave these sitting out overnight or all afternoon, though!)

Mini Quiche

makes 40 mini quiche

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

6 oz cream cheese, softened

2 cups all-purpose flour

FILLING:

2 eggs

1 cup half-and-half cream (can use fat free half and half or evaporated skim milk)

1 cup shredded cheese

1/4 teaspoon salt
dash cayenne pepper or ground black pepper
filling of your choice
          example: 1 large bell pepper, chopped and 2 tbsp chopped green onions was enough veggie for the whole recipe. You could choose sausage, mushrooms, onions, or even just keep it simple and don't add anything to the mixture!

In a mixing bowl, beat butter, cream cheese and flour until smooth. (I thought it made it easier that, at this point, I refrigerated the dough and then took it out about an hour before using it the next day to soften up some. It made it harder and not so sticky). Take one tablespoon of dough and flatten it into a circle. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of greased miniature muffin cups.

In a bowl, beat eggs, cream, salt and pepper. Stir in flavorings. Pour into shells. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 25 minutes or until browned. Serve warm.

adapted from allrecipes

We also had fruit parfaits for the shower. Thank you to Gram, Granddad, and my parents for helping tie tiny little bows and dip marshmallows in chocolate and sprinkles!!!

Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake

One of my very favorite people is going to have a baby soon, so we recently had a baby shower to celebrate! I hosted with two other girls and it was a breeze to plan (all via email from different cities!) and so fun to have so many of her friends in the same place. We had it at 11 AM, so we went with brunch food and the theme was the colors--bright-ish coral, pink, yellow, orange, and green. I'll share some of the decor pictures, too--I hope I can figure out how to make the poms like she did!!
When I was looking for a muffin or bread to try for the shower, I had a few different recipes picked out. Heath bar coffee cake, cinnamon-sugar muffins....they all sounded good but weren't quite right and weren't sounding like something the mom-to-be would just love. We went to the lake for a weekend with the family and our cousin made this cake and I knew I had to make it and that mom-to-be would love it! Well, we all loved it and there was only a tiny bit left, and that was probably because we were all being too polite to eat the last. This stuff is excellent! It's also really pretty with the blueberries throughout and the sugar sprinkled on top. It's definitely not a healthy breakfast by any means, but it's a great indulgence that you'll probably pull back out for dessert the very same day!

Buttermilk-Blueberry Breakfast Cake

Serves 6-8

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 tsp. lemon zest or more — zest from 1 large lemon

7/8 cup* + 1 tablespoon sugar**

1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups fresh blueberries

½ cup buttermilk (or 7 1/2 Tbsp milk + 1 1/2 tsp white vinegar..stir and let it sit for about five minutes before using)

* 7/8 cup = 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons

** This 1 tablespoon is for sprinkling on top

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with lemon zest and 7/8 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.

Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.

Grease a 9-inch square baking pan (or something similar) with butter or coat with non-stick spray. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. (Note: Baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary.) Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

from Alexandra Cooks

Chewy Fruit Smoothie

Now that the hottest days of summer are setting in, cold breakfasts taste even better than they have the rest of the year. As soon as spring hit, I started making these smoothies in my new Ninja, and if I go more than a day or two without one, I find myself craving it. They're perfect to throw together and bring to work and I can drink/eat it without rushing. I like them best with a straw, but you can eat them with a spoon like ice cream, too! The "chewy" part of the title comes from the addition of oats. I think it gives it an almost dough-like consistency that I just love. You can play with the flavors of your yogurt and fruit (or even your milk!) to get your best results. My favorite combo is Yoplait triple berry torte yogurt, Great Value frozen mixed fruit (pineapple, mango, strawberries, peaches), and skim milk. Use frozen fruit so you don't have to use ice--between not using ice and adding the oats, I don't think the smoothie is icy at all, which I appreciate. My smallest Ninja bowl filled to the top makes exactly enough for my insulated cups!

Chewy Fruit Smoothie

1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup frozen fruit
6 oz yogurt
~1/4-1/3 cup milk

Put oats in bottom of Ninja, then add yogurt, then fruit, then milk. Process until well blended.

Lemon poppyseed muffins

I love lemon poppyseed and have made a few variations, most of them trying to be on the healthier side. These are made with a higher percentage of whole wheat flour than white, but still have the good stuff: butter and sugar, that would lead some to call these cupcakes. Since I'm planning to serve them for a friend's birthday breakfast, I am calling them muffins to make myself feel better:)
These are very good and have a strong lemon flavor, which I love. The greek yogurt adds some extra moisture and a tiny bit of tang, which I also love. With a simple powdered sugar glaze on top, they're perfect!

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

makes 9 muffins

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp lemon zest
1/4 lemon juice
1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
1 tbsp poppy seeds

Glaze:
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 F and line muffin tins.
In a medium bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and lemon zest and beat until combined. With mixer on lowest setting (or use a spatula), alternate adding 1/3 of the flour mixture and the lemon juice until just combined. Stir in yogurt and poppy seeds.
Fill muffin tins 2/3 full (batter is thick) and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until they test done.
For glaze, stir together ingredients and drizzle over warm muffins.

adapted from forgiving martha

Pumpkin Cranberry Apple Baked Oatmeal

Mmm..fall in a dish, available every morning! Remember, I look for everything to use pumpkin in, and in my head, a baked oatmeal with pumpkin, cranberry, and apple in it sounded good. Behold the power of Google--typed in "my idea" and a whole bunch of other people already had "my idea"!! If you try this and you like sweet oatmeal, you'll want to add in more sugar. I like to sprinkle this with cinnamon and a touch of sugar or honey in the morning after reheating. The fresh cranberries are much more tart than dried would be, so follow your preference there, too. This is a healthy way to start a cool fall day!

Pumpkin Cranberry Apple Baked Oatmeal

adapted from My Kitchen Addiction

2 cups old fashioned oats
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup fresh cranberries or 1/2 cup dried cranberries (chop up your fresh if you use them--but be warned, they'll be super tart!! I had fresh on hand this time but will switch to dried next time)
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup apple, chopped
1 cup walnuts, chopped (didn't use this, but it sounds good!)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a square 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray.
Combine oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder in a bowl.
Combine milk, pumpkin, butter, and egg and stir well. Add apple and cranberries. Pour into oat mixture and stir to combine.
Pour into baking dish and bake for 20 minutes.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin Tops: Lightened Up

Yes, still putting pumpkin everywhere I can. I used to have a pumpkin face mask from BBW that I looooved. Wish they still made that!
The original recipe calls these cookies, but Nikki had the right idea of changing the title to muffin tops. Pumpkin makes things so moist that they could be called really moist, cakey cookies, or muffin tops. Muffin tops is much more appealing, and with my lightened up version, they won't give you a muffin top!:)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin Tops

adapted from Pennies on a Platter

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 egg
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup Splenda
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 F.
Combine flours, soda, salt, and spices.
Cream the eggs and sugar/Splenda. Add oil, applesauce, pumpkin, and vanilla and beat until blended. Stir in flour just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop by ice cream scoop (1/4 cup size) onto Silpat lined baking sheets, about two inches apart. Bake for about 16 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Store in airtight container for up to 4 days.

Caramel Apple Sticky Buns

Yum!!!I loved these so much. I think I liked them better the day after I made them after the caramel had a chance to set up and get thick like icing instead of glaze. I'll be making them again and adding walnuts...that would just take these over the top. 
 I used my regular cinnamon roll dough and followed her instructions for the rest, so I'll just link to her site for the recipe. Try these out this fall--be sure you have someone to share them with!!

Caramel Apple Sticky Buns

Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

Pumpkin is back! Pumpkin is back!
Well, it never really went away in my house because I hoarded a few cans at the end of last fall to have for this year just in case it was difficult to find again. But, it's back at the front of my mind in everything from candles to soap to food. I just love the scent and the flavor. Here are a few of my favorite pumpkin recipes:


Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin Ice Cream
Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Brownies
Pumpkin Chiffon Cake
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Pumpkin Pie Bars
Pumpkin Dip
Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle


I have wanted to try pumpkin oatmeal for a loooong time now and for some reason am just finally getting to it. I used my favorite standby baked oatmeal recipe (remember, I'm boring and make all my breakfasts and lunches on Sunday and reheat oatmeal every morning and soup every lunch for a week!) as a base and here is my adapted recipe. If you love pumpkin, this is perfect for you--pumpkin for breakfast (and healthy!)!
**I should have originally added--this is not super sweet and therefore does not taste like pumpkin pie. It has pumpkin flavor, but you can amp up the sweet factor with more brown sugar, honey, whatever you like. I was trying to get a semi healthy start to the day by not adding in lots of sugar:)

Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

2 cups uncooked oats
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
4 egg whites
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups skim milk
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice


Spray a square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and preheat oven to 375 F.
Combine oats, baking powder, brown sugar, and pie spice.
In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin, egg whites, and skim milk.
Stir wet and dry ingredients together, transfer to baking dish, and bake for 20 minutes.

Banana Peanut Chocolate Chip Muffins (Whole Wheat, too!)

Okay, these clearly aren't muffins, but they are the fruit of my first vegetable "garden"! It was really a planter on my driveway that I grew a few peppers in, but I was pretty excited that something came out of it. Apparently I did get a little bit of the gardening gene from you, Grandma and Papa! Wish I was as good at it as you guys are!!

Back to the muffins..

Quite a title....these hearty muffins are a good start to the day. They taste like a whole grain breakfast, not a cupcake, which is what I prefer in the mornings and for a snack anyway. Portable and perfect for a quick weekday breakfast!

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

from Taste of Home Cooking Light

makes 12 muffins

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat bran
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup skim milk
1 1/3 cup mashed ripe banana
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
1/3 cup chopped pecans (I used peanuts)

In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In another bowl, combine the eggs, milk, bananas, applesauce and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips.



Coat muffin cups with cooking spray; fill three-fourths full with batter. Sprinkle with peanuts.


Bake at 375° for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm. Yield: 1 dozen.

Vegan Blueberry Banana Breakfast/Snack Cake

I wrote the title as breakfast/snack cake because you could definitely have it for either. Norris and I both really enjoyed this, although I will admit that while I was making it, I may have covered the part of the recipe title that said "vegan" just so he wouldn't not eat it due to that! This was just as moist and good as any regular cake/bread, but much better for you!
Blueberries are so good for you that it says so right on the container! As for the bananas--if you don't already do this, once you see your bananas going south, store them in the freezer and you'll have overripe bananas anytime the banana bread/snack cake mood strikes! I was really accumulating them, so I might be making something else with them soon...or this again because it's excellent!

Vegan Blueberry Banana Snack Cake

from Weekly Bite via Prevention RD

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (in a pinch, you can use 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup AP flour)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
4 overripe bananas, mashed
1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 325 F. Spray a 9-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar and set aside. With an electric mixer, combine the sugar, canola oil, and applesauce.
Combine wet and dry ingredients with an electric mixer. Add in the bananas half at a time, combining after each addition but do not overmix. Fold in blueberries.
Bake for 1 hour or until it tests done.

Strawberry Oatmeal Pancakes

I love to make breakfast on Sundays and just reheat every morning. Baked oatmeal is my normal breakfast of choice, but I wanted to change it up a bit. Once I realized that these pancakes took a lot longer to cook than my normal oatmeal pancakes, these turned out great. I ruined a few, so my recipe made less than ten, but I can see that it would make ten if you don't ruin the first couple batches:) Too many things going on in the kitchen at once--oops!

Strawberry Oatmeal Pancakes

1 cup quick oats
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 c nonfat vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup skim milk (I used 1/2 cup)
1 egg and 1 egg white
2 tbsp apple sauce
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup chopped strawberries (original calls for frozen blueberries)


Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in microwaveable bowl. Stir in milk and yogurt. Microwave for 90 seconds.
Beat egg and egg white for about three minutes or until light and frothy.
Fold egg, applesauce, cinnamon, and fruit into oat mixture.
Heat skillet over medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook until bubbles are popping, then flip. These did take quite a bit longer to cook than regular pancakes, so let them cook!!


Makes 10 pancakes


from Kim's Kitchen

Nutritional Info: (2 pancakes) (Info from Kim; using blueberries and 1/4 cup milk)

Calories: 163; Fat: 2 g; Carbs: 30.5 g; Protein: 8 g

Breakfast Turkey Sausage

I am officially broken of my "have to have cereal every day for breakfast" mindset. I ate baked oatmeal every morning for months, but have been trying to change it up a little this summer. Now that I'm back to work, I definitely need something that will keep me full through the morning, and these were pretty good at doing just that. You could have them on a breakfast sandwich, which I am planning on doing soon, or just on their own like I did with this breakfast. The original recipe source, Elly Says Opa!, shows a really good looking sandwich made from them! She used ground chicken, which you could also try!

Breakfast Turkey Sausage

from Elly Says Opa!

1 lb ground turkey or chicken
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 to 3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
heaping 1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
~3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 tsp maple syrup
2-3 tsp olive oil

Lightly mix all ingredients together until the herbs/spices are well incorporated – make sure you don’t over mix!
Divide the mixture into 4 equal parts, and then make 4 (or 2, for 2-oz. patties) patties from each part. (I made about 14 patties. They are super sticky when you are forming them--spray your hands with cooking spray to prevent them from sticking to your hands and so you are able to make better shaped patties out of it.)
Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat and add 1 tsp. of oil. Put 1/3 or 1/2 of the patties (depending how big your pan is and how much space your patties take up) into the pan and cook about 2 minutes per side or until browned and cooked through. Repeat with the next 1-2 batches, adding an additional teaspoon of olive oil per batch.

*Ground chicken breast will make a leaner patty, but dark (or a mixture of white and dark) meat will make a tastier patty. Nutritional information (also from Elly Says Opa):

Using all white meat (per 1 oz. patty, using 3 tsp. oil): Calories: 40.9 / Fat: 1.2g / Saturated Fat: 0.2g / Carbs: 0.6g / Fiber: 0.1g / Protein: 6.6g

Using dark meat (per 1 oz. patty, using 3 tsp. oil): Calories: 52 / Fat: 3.6g / Saturated Fat: 1.0g / Carbs: 0.6g / Fiber: 0.1g / Protein: 5.2g

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes

Last night on the way home, I was thinking about breakfast (as I often do before bed because I get way too excited about it:) and realizing we didn't really have much left. We will both kind of be in and out over the next week or so, and we are trying to save a little cash by eating from what we have, so I was thinking of how great whole wheat oatmeal pancakes sounded. A search led me to epicurious and their version, which I thought was really great! The changes I made are noted below. use old fashioned oats (since that's what we had) and soaked them for about 20 minutes, and then I had to add about 2 more Tbsp of flour since the batter was so thin. They're great!! How good would they be with cooked cinnamon apples on top?? YUM!

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes

from epicurious
3/4 cup oats
1 1/2 cups plus 2 Tbsp skim milk, divided
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
scant 1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp butter or margarine, melted
1 tbsp packed brown sugar

Soak oats in 3/4 cup milk for 10 minutes if using quick oats, 20 minutes for old fashioned.
While oats soak, whisk together all other dry ingredients except brown sugar.
Stir in egg, butter, brown sugar, the rest of the milk, and the oat mixture until just combined.
Heat a griddle over medium high heat and spray with oil if necessary. Pour 1/4 cup batter per pancake and cook until bubbles appear on surface and pop. Flip and cook about 1 more minute.

In other news, I have really felt like summer for my first few days! Scheduled dr. appt's, etc., cleaned out my closet for Goodwill, time to exercise every day, and work on my tan. This is awesome! Life will get much busier in the weeks to come, but it's nice to relax a while for sure! I also found out that the dogs do exactly what I suspected all day long (except that they're normally outside doing this when we're not here!)