25 Days of Christmas - Day 1

I'm a day late typing this, but I have four excellent excuses.  They are very cute excuses, and they keep me very busy.

As you know I've been getting inspiration overload from Pinterest, and with the Christmas season here I couldn't wait to try some fun crafts and ideas I've stumbled upon.  I made a board on Pinterest entitled "Christmas crafts I WILL do 2011", so I could plan what I actually want to get to this year.  There are so many awesome ideas out there, but we don't have enough days to do them all.  What did our parents do with us before the Internet?  I'm crafty and hands on, but sometimes I lack in the idea department.  Thanks to the world wide web my children get to experience much more than they would have if I was left to my own creativity.

Yesterday morning I made pancakes in cookie cutters inspired by a Williams Sonoma product. Now before you think you need to run out and spend $19.95 to $34.95 know that I did this with cookie cutters I already own.  

You know that feeling when you are excited to wake up and get started on something?  That's how I was with these pancakes.  I just knew the boys were going to think this was cool.  I love doing exciting activities and seeing the look on their faces.  Pancakes are JM's favorite breakfast.  One of his first words was "chanchakes!"  He always said it with an exclamation.  Before we even started he was jumping up and down yelling "Pancakes!"

As always when we make pancakes I let JZ and JM help measure and pour the ingredients.  I use my Vitamix to blend all the ingredients since we use wheat berries and flaxseed to make it.  Jax used the Pampered Chef Apple peeler/corer/slicer to get some apple in our mix.  We love oatmeal apple cinnamon pancakes.  After blending in the Vitamix the batter needs to rest for 20 or so minutes.  As if on cue KJ and KO woke up.  I nursed them, and when they were done the batter was ready to pour.  Here comes the fun.

I preheated the pan.  (I have finally learned that the first round of pancakes will turn out if I'm patient enough to wait for the pan to heat.)  I sprayed the pan with Pam and put the cookie cutters on it.  Then I filled the cutters with pancake batter.  Here is the part where JZ and JM are supposed to get excited.  Instead JZ was like, "What are you doing?  Why are you doing that?  Why is the cookie cutter on the stove?  That's not how Daddy does it."  I kept thinking once he saw the pancakes he would think it was cool.

The most comical line was when he looked at me as if he had to explain everything to me and patiently said, "Mommy, Daddy just does it in little circles.  It's easy."  As if I didn't know how to make pancakes!  (As if I don't make them pancakes at least a couple times a month!)

In case you decide to try this in spite of my kids' lack of interest in the idea, here is how I did it...I filled the cookie cutters to the brim.  When the bottom was done I flipped the whole thing, cutter and all and let the other side cook.  I did it with my bare hands quickly.  An oven mitt was too thick for me to grasp the cutters, and I found as long as I moved quickly I didn't get burned.  When the second side was cooked I picked up the whole cutter quickly and put it on a plate to cool down.  When they cooled a bit I gently pushed the pancake out of the mold.

You might think this project was a bust.  Quite the opposite.  I laughed all morning about JZ's comments.  I called my husband and my mom to share his reaction, and we all got a good chuckle.  It isn't always about the end result.  It's about the experience.  Maybe next year I'll try again and see if he is more interested.  Both boys were thrilled when I pulled out the powdered sugar shaker and let them put "snow" on their pancake shapes.  All in all, it was a fun morning with my kiddos.

Oatmeal Apple Cinnamon Pancakes:

1 1/2 cups almond milk

1/2 cup wheat berries or 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 cup flax seeds or 1/4 cup flax seed meal

3/4 cup uncooked rolled oats

1/2 apple peeled and chopped

2 teaspoons cinnamon

If you are using wheat berries and flax seeds grind these first then combine all ingredients.  If you are using flour and flax seed meal simply mix all ingredients.  Enjoy!





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