Best Pancakes Ever

Buttermilk Pecan Pancakes

INGREDIENTS

• 3 eggs, separated
  
• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
  
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1/2 to 1 cup chopped pecans
  
• 1 tablespoon sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1-2/3 cups buttermilk
  
  

DIRECTIONS

In a bowl, beat the egg yolks and butter. Combine flour, pecans, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the egg mixture alternately with buttermilk. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot griddle; turn when bubbles form on top of pancakes. Cook until second side is golden brown. Yield: 16 pancakes. I served these with warm maple syrup and sliced bananas.

Bacon BBQ Chicken Smothered in Cheese

Maybe it is because four of the six of us are lactose intolerant that I find cheese so appealing (forbidden fruit)

Ingredients
chicken breasts
bbq sauce
cheddar cheese
green onions
fresh diced tomatoes
bacon (I like peppered bacon)

Grill your chicken and top with your favorite bbq sauce. Top with precooked bacon and cheese. Place on the top rack of your grill to let the cheese set. Remove from heat and top with green onions and diced tomatoes

Happiness in the Form of Pizza

I LOVE Papa Murphy's Pizza and I am drawn to their white sauce. I have always assumed that it was an Alfredo sauce variation but after much searching and experimenting I have discovered that it actually just two simple ingredients.

Papa Murphy's Copy Cat Recipe
Favorite pizza crust (I really like the one listed earlier on this site)
1 cup of your favorite ranch dressing
1 T. minced garlic
That is is, can you believe it!!!!

I like to throw the garlic in a saute pan and let it cook up for a bit to get a more nutty flavor. Add one cup of ranch dressing, let sit for five minutes.

Top you favorite crust with the white sauce. Depending on the density of your crust it may soak into the crust making it even yummier. Top with a blend of mozzarella and cheddar cheese. I often just buy a pre shredded pizza cheese blend. Add your favorite toppings. We like ham and black olive or grilled chicken strips. Sprinkle with a prebought herb and cheese blend or Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. Bake at 500 for 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

On Tonights Menu

I love it when I have a bunch of stuff sitting in my fridge that has to be used in the next day or so. It lends itself to creativity. So tonight it is Ham Fried Rice. I am pulling out all the veggies that are on their way out, the leftover ham slices from sandwiches the other day, and cold rice from Tuesday.

Scramble two or three eggs in a bit of oil and remove from the pan. In a bit of oil saute minced garlic and green onions. Add your veggies and stir fry until a bit tender. Add cold rice (leftover rice works best, fresh doesn't stick as well for some reason). Season with a bit of ginger and soy sauce and sesame oil. I add a bit of teriyaki sauce as well. Add your ham, or chicken or pork or whatever. Fry over medium high heat until desired doneness (is that a word). Add eggs and enjoy.

What to buy this week

Smiths has hamburger for $1.89 a pound. That is a good price and one that we might new see for a while because of the flooding. Buy a bunch and make freezer meals!!! Chicken is also at a decent price. Buy it fresh, throw it in your crockpot and freeze the shredded chicken in portion sizes for fast last minute dishes.

Albertsons is having a great 10 for $10 sale this week which includes Totino's Pizza Rolls and Bisquick.

One of the "blessings" of being one of my children is that from the time they can say "I'm hungry" they are handed a spoon, a bowl and an apron. I am a big believer in teaching them to be self sufficient. Maybe it is because I married a man who struggles to operate a new can opener and if he can't microwave it he doesn't cook it. I have vowed that my sons' wives will one day call me and tell me how much she appreciates me teaching her husband that culinary arts. (She'll find lots of other things to fault me for I'm sure).When I saw this project on Studio 5 today I knew we'd need to make it. Copy and paste the link.

http://studio5.ksl.com/?nid=61&sid=3618814

What's for dinner?

Caramel popcorn and frozen corn dogs. Not exactly what you'd expect for someone who loves to cook but sometimes you just have to let your cravings have their way.

We did have homemade pizza for lunch today with possibly the easiest and best thin crust I've ever made.

2 ½ tsp yeast
¼ t. sugar
¾ cup warm water
1 ¾ cups flour
½.t salt

*Mix, and knead for Dissolve yeast and sugar in water; allow to rest for 8 minutes.
*In a separate bowl, combine flour and salt.
*Pour yeast mixture over flour mixture and mix well with a heavy spoon.
*Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for 2 minutes.
*Working from the edges to the center, press dough into a 12" circle or onto greased cookie sheet
*Place dough on a lightly greased pizza pan and stretch dough to edges.
*Spread sauce over crust and top with cheese and desired toppings.
*Bake in a 500 degree oven for 8-12 minutes, or until edges are golden.
For a truly crispy crust I oven put the crust in the even for 4 minutes before topping it.

From my freezer I used my preshredded cheese, precooked sausage and frozen pizza sauce