ORANGE BERRY SMOOTHIE

I know summer is on it's way out, but it's still blasted hot and this is a delicious and healthy way to cool off!

Blend:

2 peeled {and take out seeds if any} oranges, cut into chunks
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup frozen raspberries


Optional:
1/2 cup apple juice, if it's too thick
1 container of any flavor yogurt to make it a breakfast smoothie

So easy and it's one of my favorites!

HOMEMADE MAPLE SYRUP

I loved Heather's pancake recipe, and thought this was the perfect chance to share the easiest homemade maple syrup recipe ever. It's so heavenly, we don't buy it at the store anymore!

1 cup water
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
{you can make as much or as little of this as you want, just keep everything in equal parts}

Stir water and sugars in a sauce pan on medium high heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Let it boil for about 5-7 minutes. Then add to your boiling mixture:

2 tsp maple flavoring
4 tsp vanilla

Stir well and allow to boil for another 2 minutes or so. Promptly remove from heat and pour syrup into a bowl, bottle, or container {if you leave it in the hot pan, it caramelizes and gets too thick} and it's done! Enjoy over waffles, french toast, pancakes, etc.

BUTTERMILK PANCAKES

My husband is a breakfast traditionalist (it is his favorite meal after all) and when he found out I was going to make these pancakes instead of the store bought pre-packaged stuff he was EXTREMELY hesitant. He begged me not to do it.

I did it anyways.

Now he begs for these. The pre-packaged stuff is now a last resort when I'm too lazy to cook and he has to do it himself.

I HIGHLY recommend these.

Ingredients:
1 C flour
1 T sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 C buttermilk
2 T & 2tsp milk
1 egg
1 T and 2 1/4 tsp butter
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:
1) In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt

2) In a seperate bowl beat buttermilk, milk, eggs, vanilla, and melted better. (**Make sure the melted butter is cooled a bit. If not the buttermilk will clump and you risk cooking the egg.)

Keep mixtures separate until you are ready to cook the pancakes. Combine and cook on a griddle.

Enjoy!

Helpful Tip:
Did you know you can freeze buttermilk? Poor 1 tablespoon portions of buttermilk into an ice cube tray and freeze. Now, whenever you need buttermilk for a recipe just pull out the right amount of cubes.  No more wasting buttermilk!

GERMAN OVEN PANCAKES

heaven for breakfast!

you'll need:

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

6 eggs

1/4 tsp salt

1 stick butter

makes a 9x13 pan of deliciousness

preheat oven to 350 degrees

mix first four ingredients in a large bowl with a hand mixer until runny and yellow.

then take as much butter as you want- no less than 2 tbsp, no more than 1 stick {i like to use a little more than half a stick of butter} and plop it in your glass/metal 9x13 pan. put pan in the oven for about 2-4 minutes, just long enough to melt the butter completely. 

take out your pan of melted butter, swirl it around to coat the pan, and then pour your batter in. bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. it's done when the top of your edges is golden brown.

enjoy with syrup, strawberries, powdered sugar, or anything else you fancy!