Deb's Favorite Pancakes

Deb is my in-lawed mother, as in the law says she’s my mother because I married her son, its all very complicated. This recipe is for her favorite pancakes, well…actually…Deb hasn’t ever had these pancakes, but if she did they would be her favorite. How do I know this? Because they contain two of her favorite things, two ingredients she has on a daily basis (and no, one of them isn’t coffee, but good guess). Two ingredients she travels with, two ingredients she dreams about all night and wakes up in the early morning light to consume. Two ingredients that she whispers softly to, “You complete me.” Two ingredients she wants to be buried with…ok so maybe I exaggerate a little but she eats them everyday people, there’s a deep connection. And these ingredients are…Chia seeds and Greek Yogurt.


Maybe you are not familiar with these foods, maybe you should try them, maybe you know everything there is to know about them and I’ve insulted your intelligence, either way they are an excellent addition to your weekend morning ritual. Deb’s daily duo adds a rich and slightly crunchy texture to the traditional pancake, an excellent way to get your daily dose of calcium and omega-3. Top with bananas and blueberries and REAL Maple Syrup and be catapulted into your sweatpants wearing Sunday.


Little Debbie’s Pancakes
Makes Approx. 8-4 inch cakes
Serves 2-3

1 cup white whole wheat flour (King Arthur brand can be purchased at most Grocery stores)
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup Chia Seeds (can be purchased in most health food stores)
1 cup Greek Yogurt, honey flavored (again, available in more grocery stores)
1/2 cup milk (whatever you have in the fridge, I used soy)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tablespoons butter, melted

In a medium sized bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and Chia seeds. Add in the yogurt, milk, egg and melted butter. Stir until just combined*. Heat a skillet to medium, when hot coat pan with butter and drop approx. 1/3 cup batter per cake into the skillet. Spread out the batter evenly with a rubber scraper. When the batter begins to puff up and the bottoms are golden brown, flip them. Cook on the other side until golden brown. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

*This batter is thicker than a traditional pancake batter. Its consistency is between a drop biscuit and pancake batter; if you’d like it a little thinner add a little more milk.

Raggedy Andy's Bars

My brother-n-law, Andy, told me about this recipe. I love it when people are excited about discovering great recipes; it’s in these moments I get to be my absolute food obsessed self and the feelings are mutual. In my head I hug the other person so hard I lift him or her off the ground and run home to get cookin’ (because of course in this perfect moment I have everything at home I need to make it). Andy loved that this bar was a quick breakfast that kept him full. And let me tell you he is no sickly computer nerd wincing in the dim light of his parents basement, he’s a dominate male who thumps his chest to display his food chain status. Keeping him full is a challenge and these bars trained, spending hours in the gym to pull off gold.

Once I got my hands on this recipe I had to bastardize them with my healthy substitutions, I’m sorry, but if I can’t be myself in the kitchen where can I? And in my 100% bias opinion I made them even better. The sucanat I used instead of brown sugar didn’t fade out the natural sweetness of the dried fruit and the whole wheat pastry flour bulked up these bars to make them even more of satisfying breakfast. Lastly the vegan “butter” I used that bound together the grain and fruit into a hand held treat wasn’t blood thickingly rich so it gave me sustained energy without incidence of lethargy. A perfect mid-afternoon, how can I make until 5pm desperation snack. This bar will shot gun you into your work flow or bring you back when your focus strays. You will reach new heights in productivity. These bars can be your secret weapon to promotion after promotion until you can retire early circling the globe on your 100 ft. yacht. Damn, get to making these bars already.

Energy Bars

Adapted from The Joy of Cooking

1.5 cups packed dried fruit (I used apricots, golden raisins and craisins)

1 cup rolled oats

¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup sucanat, or brown sugar

½ cup chopped nuts (I used pecans and walnuts)

¼ tsp. salt

¾ tsp. cinnamon

¾ cup Earth Balance vegan margarine, or unsalted butter, melted

1.5 tsp vanilla

Pre-heat oven to 350 and grease a 9x9 baking pan and line with foil.

Combine the first seven ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the butter and vanilla, combine until well blended. Press the mixture in the prepared pan and bake until top is golden brown, 35-40 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack.