Homemade Pecan Pancakes

I currently have a big bag of pecans in the pantry in preparation for a homemade pecan pie for Thanksgiving {yum, my favorite!}. This week I decided to use some of the pecans and give pecan pancakes a try. We had a breakfast for dinner night and enjoyed the pancakes with some extra crispy bacon, one of my all time favorite foods.

To keep the recipe a little more "clean" and natural, I chose to make the pancakes from scratch, rather than using a mix. Plus, we already had all of the ingredients in the pantry, so why not?

Pecan Pancakes

Adapted from Food Network

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Dash of salt

1 cup buttermilk*

Dash of vanilla extract

1 egg

3 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 cup chopped pecans

In a bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add in the buttermilk and egg and whisk until smooth. Pour in the melted butter and pecans and stir to combine. 

Heat a griddle to medium heat and add a small pat of butter. Using a ladle pour the batter onto the griddle and cook the pancakes to golden brown on each side. Add more butter to the griddle as needed during cooking to keep the pancakes from sticking.

Serve with butter and maple syrup (we use the real stuff for both, it tastes better and it is all natural). 

*Buttermilk: Pour one tablespoon of white vinegar into a measuring cup. Add in 1 cup of milk (any kind is fine, I used 1%). Let sit for 5 minutes and you have buttermilk! 

Oh, and for full disclosure, after taking this picture my phone was covered in butter and syrup because the pat of butter kept sliding off the hot pancakes. I had to keep sliding it back on with my finger while trying to take a decent picture. Good thing my phone has a screen protector so the mess was easy to wipe off. ;)

The Best Grilled Sandwich And Where To Get It!

Oh.my.gracious. Hubby and I just made and ate the most delicious grilled steak sandwich. I am serious, this thing was life changing, and that is not just the pregnancy talking.

In typical fashion I did not measure as I was making it and I scarfed it down before taking any pictures, but let's face it, my pictures would be lame anyway.

So, since I don't have a lot to share with you I just took a second and typed up the recipe on my T-Shirt and Pearls Facebook Page. Oh, I'm sorry, did you want the recipe?! Then hop on over to my FB page, like it, and check out the recipe. ;)

While I have you on a scavenger hunt, make sure you are following me via email or Bloglovin' since Google Reader will soon be gone.

Happy grilling, friends!

Liquid Sunshine

Liquid sunshine is also known as citrus salad. Liquid sunshine just seems appropriate because that is what it tastes like...warm Florida {citrus} sunshine. Yum-o. 

I have always been a fruit lover (and will choose fruit over vegetables any day) but during my pregnancy I have been particularly craving citrus. Citrus cravings are said to be a sign that your baby will be a girl and for me it happened to be true. 

I got this citrus salad recipe from my mother-in-law who always serves it as part of our Christmas brunch. I scaled the recipe down since I am the only one eating it, but you can increase the proportions to make as much as you need. If you let it sit more than a few days the apples get a little funky, so I prefer to make it in smaller batches.  

Citrus Salad

1 grapefruit segmented

1 orange segmented

1 apple peeled and diced (I like to use Fuji...the original recipe uses Granny Smith)

1 small size can diced or crushed pineapple

Put everything into a bowl and stir. I include the juice from the canned pineapple because I like it juicy. I also take the leftover orange and grapefruit, after all of the segments are removed, and squeeze the remaining juice from the fruit out into the bowl.

Mmm drinking the juice from the bottom of my bowl is perfection for helping satisfy my citrus craving. When I take citrus salad for lunch at work I try and discreetly get all of the juice up with my spoon, but at home...I just tip the bowl up to my mouth and drink it down. No shame. 

I wish I would have taken some pictures of the segmenting process. If you don't usually do your citrus that way here's how:

1. Cut off the top and bottom of the fruit so it will sit flat on your cutting board and so that the top is open with the flesh of the fruit exposed. 

2. Take your knife and cut down the side of the fruit from top to bottom removing the peel all the way around.

3. Once you are left with a round piece of fruit that is peel-less {carefully!} slide your knife between the white membrane on each side of a segment so only the fruit comes out.

4. When you are done you will be left with the empty white membranes (which always taste yucky and bitter to me) and some juice. All of the fresh delicious fruit will be in your bowl ready to enjoy!

While this recipe has been a staple for me during my pregnancy it is delicious any time. Enjoy!

Baked Apple Oatmeal "Muffins"

One kind of unfortunate symptom I am having from pregnancy is not sleeping well. I am pretty restless during most nights, and every morning on this amazing long weekend I have woken up early. Don't get me wrong I am not complaining. Overall I feel amazing and am having such a positive experience. If a little tossing and turning is included, oh well. But anyway, the point is I took advantage of being up at 7am (gasp) this morning to make some delicious baked apple oatmeal muffins. 

They were very dense yet super moist, which made them more like the consistency of baked oatmeal than a regular muffin. Many of the traditional ingredients were substituted for healthier alternatives, creating a reduced fat and calorie muffin. Now I wouldn't say that this muffin is necessarily health food, but it is definitely a healthier option. 

Baked Apple Oatmeal Muffins

makes approximately 12-15 muffins, recipe adapted from Fearless Homemaker

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour, sifted

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

OOPS here is where I see I was supposed to add 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda. That didn't happen. I guess another symptom I am having is pregnancy brain, seriously I am a scattered hot mess most of the time these days...Hmm well omit the baking soda if you want baked oatmeal cups like I made, add the baking soda and I bet you will get a fluffy yummy muffin. Oh my...

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 egg white

1 tablespoon 100% pure maple syrup (not the pancake syrup you have in your pantry)

1 apple (variety of your choice--I used Fuji) diced

Topping:

1/4 cup old fashioned oats

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare your muffin tin by filling with cupcake liners.

In a large bowl combine the first 7 (dry) ingredients and use a fork to combine. In a second smaller bowl combine the next 4 (wet) ingredients. Stir wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Add diced apple and mix in. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full (or all the way if you want to try my crazy method of no baking powder because they won't rise).

In a separate bowl combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle on top of the muffins. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

Here is what I ended up with:

I was so sad to realize when I was in the middle of this post that I left out one of the most important ingredients. Although, I have to say they still turned out pretty well. More like oatmeal less like muffin. Next time I will add the baking soda though because I bet they will be even more delish as a fluffy muffin. 

If you give this recipe a try let me know how it turns out!