Baby...it's cold outside! (Apple Pfannkuchen Revisited...)

HOWDY friends...

Just popping in to say hello and wish you all a blessed Thanksgiving.  I hope that you'll be able to spend it with the ones you love.  That's exactly what I plan to do!

We've had a blustery cold front blow in today, bringing our South Texas temps down from the mid 70's to the high 30's in just a few hours.  Aaaaahhhh...gotta love Texas weather!  This change has put me in the mood for one of my favorite cold weather suppers (Apple Pfannkuchen) tonight, so I thought I’d share a link for the recipe along with a few thought-provoking quotes on Thanksgiving!

I posted this recipe a while back, but I thought this would be a good time to share it again, in case you haven't had a chance to try it.  It's really easy, and a sure-fire hit.  My hubby loves it as much as I do, in fact, he's the one doing the cooking tonight!  He’s definitely a keeper!

 

Anyway, here's the link back to my original post with my recipe for Apple Pfannkuchen.  Give it a try and let me know what you think!  I hope you like it as much as we do.

If you're traveling for the holidays, please travel safely, and enjoy the time with your family...it's precious and fleeting.  AND…if you come across any new and interesting recipes while you’re at it, please share!! 

Gotta run, but I'll leave you with these thoughts for thanksgiving…

As we pause to thank Him for the blessings of the past year,

we must not forget to thank Him for the lessons we have learned through our difficult times.

We are not to be thankful for just the pleasant, easy things, but ALL things.

-- Millie Stamm --

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We tend to take all the gifts and pleasures and happiness and the joy

without saying much to God.

We take our health and strength, our food and clothing and our loved ones, all for granted;

but the moment anything goes wrong we start grumbling and complaining

and we say 'Why should God do this to me, why should this happen to me?'

How slow we are to thank and swift to grumble.

-- Martyn Lloyd-Jones --

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In ordinary life we hardly realize

that we receive a great deal more than we give,

and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.

-- Dietrich Bonhoeffer --

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You say, 'If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.'

You make a mistake.

If you are not content with what you have,

you would not be satisfied if it were doubled.

-- Charles Haddon Spurgeon --

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Thanksgiving is nothing if not a glad and reverent

lifting of the heart to God

in honor and praise for His goodness.

-- Robert Casper Lintner --

Blessings,

--Faithy

Fall fixin's revisited....

With the start of fall, I’m looking forward to pumpkin & apple recipes once again, so I thought I’d repost a couple to get you in the mood too!  This pumpkin pancake recipe is one I came up with last year after having something similar.  It goes perfectly with this homemade apple cider syrup.  

Mmmmm...pumpkin, apple & cinnamon deliciousness!!

The pancakes are delicious, with some extra health benefits to boot, and believe me, the syrup is so good, you may never go back to maple!  Give these yummies a try and let me know what you think!

Blessings,

--Faithy

Blueberry Cream Cheese Pancakes

Howdy friends,
Hope you and yours are well and happy as you read this.  I’ve been really busy lately…between work, doing my annual volunteer work in the swine barn (yes…folks…I work with PIGS) at the San Antonio Livestock Exposition, and beginning preparations for our annual family Easter bash…I’m not sure if I’m coming or going most days.

This past weekend, I had the luxury of a slow Saturday morning (unheard of in the past few months!), so I decided to take advantage of it, and try out a recipe I saw over at Lark’s Country Heart.  As always, I adapted the recipe to fit the ingredients I had on hand, and to try to make it a little more diet friendly (since I’m currently taking part in a “Get Healthy” Weight Loss Challenge at my office).  You can find my version below, or Lark’s version over at her blog site.

My husband and I both thought the finished product was delicious!  You should really give these a try…and while you’re at it, stop on over and tell Lark thanks for sharing this yummy recipe!  

I’m definitely going to make these again…I hope you’ll try them too.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Pancakes

4 oz. fat free cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup HEB Real Egg (or 2 actual eggs, beaten)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice (I always use fresh-squeezed rather than bottled -- it’s SOOOO much better! -- but bottled will work if you’re in a pinch)
1-1/4 cup skim (fat free) milk (you can also use almond milk, soy milk or whole milk, if you prefer)
2 Tbsp. Smart Balance Butter Blend sticks, melted (or real butter)
2 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (the original recipe called for 2 cups of AP flour, but I always prefer to use some whole wheat flour too)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2-1/2 tsp. low sodium baking powder (or regular baking powder if you don’t have this)
1/4 tsp. salt (the original recipe used 1/2 tsp., but I always use less)
4 Tbsp. sugar (you can use an equal amount of Whey Low or your favorite sugar substitute for a low-cal option)
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed (or Whey Low Gold for the lower calorie option)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 to 2 cups fresh blueberries (according to preference…you can also use frozen blueberries if you don’t have fresh)

Beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add eggs, mixing as you add them.  Add the lemon juice, milk, melted butter and vanilla.  Mix on low speed for a minute or so.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the flours, baking powder, salt, sugars and cinnamon.

Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well.  Add the remaining dry ingredients, and mix just until combined.

Fold in the fresh blueberries - by hand - do not use the mixer!

Heat nonstick griddle or skillet over medium-high heat.  Lightly grease or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Pour approximately 1/2 cup batter onto hot griddle.  Turn pancake when bubbles start to form and pop, and edges look cooked.  Cook second side; remove from griddle and serve immediately.  You’ll need to watch these very closely…if your griddle is too hot, they’ll burn on the outside and leave the middles raw.  (Don’t ask me how I know this...LOL!)

Serve with Homemade Vanilla Cream Syrup (another one of Lark’s recipes that I adapted a bit).  You can find that recipe here.

Give these yummy pancakes a try, and let me know what you think!
Blessings,
--Faithy

Winter Favorites #4: Apple Pfannkuchen

Howdy friends!  I originally came across this recipe in a booklet that came with my Oster Kitchen Center more years ago than I can count!  My hubby and I first started making it not long after we first married, and we’ve adapted it over the years to make it our own.

I always start craving it the minute the weather starts turning cool each fall.  I guess it’s supposed to be a breakfast food, but we generally have it for supper.  For me it has become the definition of “comfort food.”

Sometimes, my sweet husband has it ready and waiting for me when I come in from a long day at the office.  Having that wonderful aroma and that sweet guy greet me at the front door reminds me how grateful I am for the blessings of home.

Do you have any recipes that bless you that way?  If so, please share them!!

Apple Pfannkuchen

Batter:

1 cup skim milk (or whatever type of milk you prefer)

1/2 cup HEB Real Eggs (or 2 actual eggs)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup whole wheat flour (if you don’t have wheat flour, just use 2/3 cup all-purpose - that’s what the original recipe called for anyway)

3 Tablespoons Whey Low (you can also use regular sugar if you prefer)

1/4 teaspoon salt (the original recipe called for 1/2 tsp., but I cut that amount in half with no real flavor loss)

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel (you can use dried, but the fresh adds a much brighter flavor)

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

Put milk eggs, flours, sugar, salt & lemon peel into blender container.  Cover and process at a medium speed until well blended.

Pour butter into a 9” pie plate (you can use a cast-iron skillet, if you prefer) and turn the plate until the butter is evenly distributed, making sure to butter the sides as well as the bottom.

Bake at 400°F for 30 to 35 minutes.  (It’s ready when it gets puffy and deep golden brown.)

Pour apple filling (or whatever filling you prefer) into center of Pfannkuchen and serve immediately.  The pancake will collapse soon after removal from the oven.

NOTE:  Pfannkuchen is also good served with a simple topping of fresh berries (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, or whatever you have on hand) and a little powdered sugar.

Apple Filling:

2 Tablespoons butter

2 cups diced Granny Smith apples (The original recipe called for peeled, sliced apples, but I prefer diced - it’s easier to eat that way - with the peels on.  The peels are yummy and add color along with a nutrition boost!)

2 Tablespoons Whey Low (again, you can also regular sugar if you prefer)

1 Tablespoon sugar (the original recipe calls for 3 Tbsp. sugar - I generally substitute Whey Low for the entire amount, but in this case adding some real sugar helps with the caramelization process)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Hillshire FarmTurkey Lit’l Smokies sliced, optional (I usually use about 10 or 12 of them - the original recipe didn’t include these, but my husband came up with the idea of adding them, and it was so good that we’ve made it part of our recipe!)

(I’ve also served regular smoked sausage links, on the side, in place of the Lit’l Smokies)

Melt butter in a large skillet.  Add apples, sugars & cinnamon and cook over medium-low heat until the apples are tender.  (I usually have the apples already diced, so I can start cooking them when I put the Pfannkuchen into the oven.)  Stir in the sausage (it’s pre-cooked) and cook it just long enough to get hot.

PLEASE give this one a try…it’s soooooooooo good!!  Feel free to make it your own as well, but let me know what variations you try.  I’m always open to new ideas.

Have a GREAT weekend my friends!

Blessings,

--Faithy