Pancake Mornings-What I'm Loving!

Believe it or not when I was a little girl I would only eat pancakes that my daddy made! If my dad didn't make them I wouldn't eat them. There was just something about my dads pancakes that were special. My dads pancakes always had a light perfect fluffy texture that would almost always be dotted with chocolate chips. But I think the reason I loved my dads pancakes the most was the memories that came from pancake mornings in my family. Almost always you would find an array of delicious toppings set out and cookie cutters scattered all over the table.  My sister and I loved cutting fun shapes in to our pancakes.  One thing I can safely say was pancake mornings were a treat!

So today I want to devote what in loving Wednesday to pancakes!  Because I have had serious craving for pancakes the last couple of weeks... I have just been to lazy to actually make them (what is wrong with me?)!

So here are a few delicious pancake recipes I have been dying to try...
Apple Walnut Pancakes from Taste of Home

Source: tasteofhome.com via Hilliary @ Happily Ever Healthy on Pinterest

These look delicious!

Cinnamon Bun Pancakes

Source: bakedbree.com via Hilliary @ Happily Ever Healthy on Pinterest

Pancakes cinnamon roll style!

Makin' banana pancakes

Source: howsweeteats.com via Hilliary @ Happily Ever Healthy on Pinterest

Yes I sing the Jack Johnson song when I make banana pancakes, makes it more fun!
And just because these pancakes remind me of cookie cutter pancakes...

Source: cutestfood.com via Hilliary @ Happily Ever Healthy on Pinterest

How cute are those?

Doesn't this list make you want to run to your kitchen and whip up pancakes?
I wish I had time to make pancakes before work, don't you?

Happy Wednesday!
What are your favorite pancake recipes?

Friday Calls for Cookies!

On Wednesday I got an unexpected day off from work.  Along with getting some much needed relaxing/reading in I decided that I wanted to do some baking.  I made cookies and a new pumpkin muffin.  I cannot say that I was that impressed with the pumpkin muffins, they just were not that pumpkiny (is that a word)!  Anyone have a good pumpkin recipe?

But the Snickerdoodle cookies I made I took the cake.  They were crispy on the edges and soft in the middle.  Not to mention snickerdoodles leave your kitchen smelling heavenly, nothing beets the smell of fresh baked cookies and cinnamon!  Snickerdoodle cookies rank right up there with chocolate chip cookies, and of course  peanut butter cookies.  

This particular snickerdoodle recipe comes from Cooking Light, I do love Cooking Lights online archive of recipes!

Lets get baking.

What you will need:

1 3/4 Cups Flour 

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda 

1/2 Teaspoon Cream of Tarter 

1 Cup Sugar 

1/4 Cup Butter Softened

1 Tablespoon Corn Syrup 

1 Teaspoon Canilla 

1 Large Egg 

3 Tablespoons Sugar 

2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon 

Cooking Spray

Here is what you do :

Combine the flour, baking soda and cream of tarter.  Stir to combine.

In a mixing bowl combine butter and sugar until well blended.  

Then add your corn syrup, egg and vanilla.  Mix well. 

Slowly add your four mixture and mix until well combined.

Now sit your cookie dough in the fridge for 10 min.

While the cookie dough is in the fridge combine 3 Tablespoons Sugar and your 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon.

After 10 minutes in the fridge pull your cookie dough out.  Roll cookie dough into 42-1 inch balls.

Roll the cookie dough balls into the sugar and cinnamon mixture. 

Once your cookie dough balls have been rolled in the cinnamon sugar, place them on a cookie sheet.

Now flatten the cookie dough balls with a water glass.

Bake the cookies for 5 minutes, and allow the cookies to cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet!

Next step, grab a big glass of milk and enjoy a nice warm, fresh snickerdoodle cookie!

Enjoy, and Happy Friday

A bit of inspiration!

Remember to live Happily Ever Healthy!

Chocolate Wonderland

Good Morning lovely bloggers!  I hope you had a wonderful and relaxing weekend.  Is everyone having a good start to the week?  My day has started a bit slow, and it is rainy here in Minnesota.  It makes me just want to stay curled up by the fireplace with a book.  But I know that cannot happen today, I have a long to do list and I have to go to work!  I have been sitting by my phone waiting to hear how Marks first day of work went!  I hope it is going well.

Anyways I have the perfect recipe that is sure to brighten any rainy day.  Because lets be honest who doesn't love lots and lots of chocolate?  I have grown up eating this chocolate cake, it has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember.  I remember being a little girl helping my mom make this cake.  This was the very first chocolate cake I learned how to make!

  The best part was getting to eat a cup full of the chocolaty batter before the eggs went in (and yes I did this the other day when I made it, and so did my mom)!  It is just that good.  This cake is nothing fancy, just a simple chocolate sheet cake, but sometime simple is better.

(You can see we have used this recipe a lot)

She's Home!

My sister finally made it home tonight!  And we had a wonderful dinner in the works to celebrate her birthday and gather with friends.  My sister and I are five years apart, but if you saw us you would totally think she is older!  

Sisters!

On the menu:

My Undone Caprese Salad (this turned out way better then last time!)  I omitted the Balsamic Vinegar this time!

Bruchetta:

1 Tomato, Fresh Basil, 1 Small Onion, 2 Teaspoons Olive Oil, 1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

Garlic Mashed Potatoes (Recipe to Come)

Mashed Cauliflower

Asparagus

Steak, and Fish

And for Dessert the Famous Strawberry Dumplings complete with homemade ice cream. I am going to leave you with a photo montage of the evening.  As it is very late and I am meeting Katie for an early AM run!  Think 6:15!

 The Pie Crust for Strawberry Dumplings

 Yum Strawberries

 You can tell we make Strawberry Dumplings A LOT!

Fresh From the Oven

The beginning of Bruchetta

Way better then the last undone Caprese Salad

Crispy Olive Oil Bread for Bruchetta! Easy to do cut a baguette brush each side with garlic and olive oil.  Bake in the oven at 350 for 15 minutes or until crispy and golden!

My little sister growing up!  She got a cook book and is actually cooking!

Goodnight Everyone, and remember to live Happily Ever Healthy!