Fluffy Flapjacks

 I am a recipe collector. 

Whether I find one on a website, on social media, or go "old-school" and clip one from a magazine, each one is collected with the good intentions of giving it a try. 

This week I tried Fluffy Flapjacks. They were tasty and simple and made a perfect "breakfast for dinner" meal. Give them a try and let me know what you think.

FLUFFY FLAPJACKS

1 1/2 cups plain non-fat yogurt

1 egg

1 cup pancake mix (Bisquick)

3/4 cup fat-free milk

In a bowl, combine the yogurt and egg. Mix well. Add pancake mix and milk. Stir to combine. Spray a non-stick pan or griddle with vegetable oil spray. Ladle out 2 tablespoons batter per pancake. When edges are firm, turn pancake and cook 1 minute longer. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings (6 small pancakes per serving).

The Party's Over

Thanksgiving will soon be over for another year. Then it's time to relax, put your feet up and reminisce about the day. You've earned it! But wait, your out-of-town family is staying with you, and you still feel like you must be in hostess mode. Thinking ahead, here is a simple make-ahead breakfast or brunch recipe for Black Friday morning (before or after shopping.)  

Breakfast Casserole Bites

Ingredients

2 pieces whole wheat bread
8 eggs
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper, to taste
4 ounces grated cheese, I like sharp cheddar
1/2 lb cooked and crumbled breakfast sausage or bacon

Directions 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Distribute 12 foil muffin cups into a muffin pan. Cut the bread into half inch squares and evenly distribute them on the bottom of the muffin cups. In a mixing bowl or large measuring cup with a pour spout, thoroughly whisk together the eggs and milk. Add salt and pepper. Evenly distribute the mixture into each muffin cup. Bread may float to top.
Sprinkle an equal amount of both the grated cheese and the crumbled bacon or sausage into each cup on top of the egg mixture. Bake for 15 minutes or until eggs are set. Enjoy now or freeze for later.

Make a big batch and freeze. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator. Heat in microwave (after removing foil muffin cups) or reheat in toaster oven.

Thanks to Pinterest and 100daysofrealfood.com for this recipe.

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School Tools

Our Education Minnesota calendar from the State Fair

Crayons, pencils, notebooks! I remember when I was younger, how excited I was to go shopping for my school supplies. My parents were the practical, thrifty type, so it was usually the standard yellow pencils, solid color notebooks (no current cartoon characters or TV star covers for me) and I got the basic 24 Crayola box, even though I begged for the 64 Crayons with the built-in sharpener. But once the first day of school rolled around, I learned most of my classmates also had practical, thrifty parents!

With Labor Day behind us for another year, this means school began this week. Our daughter Sara and I are both employed by our local school district. Sara is an 8th grade English teacher. Many people have told her that she has already earned her place in Heaven as a reward for working with Middle-Schoolers, but she loves teaching and her students and wouldn't change a thing. I am always impressed by Sara's creative approach to teaching and the hours outside of her work day that she spends preparing. I often have a "proud mom" moment when parents tell me their child has Sara as a teacher, and they LOVE her!

School has begun, but not for me...yet. I am a Title 1 Instructional Assistant which means I help students that need a little extra help with reading or math. Later in September I will start my 15th year working with students in Kindergarten through Fourth Grade. I love, love, love my job and am thrilled when students have that "I get it!" look on their faces.

Now that the school supplies are bought, let's all remember that one of the most important school tools is a healthy breakfast. You can get some great breakfast ideas at dairy makes sense. I love the Yogurt and Banana Spice Muffins. Give them a try!

I hope your family has a wonderful school year with lots of  "I get it!" moments!