Best Ever Pancakes

On movie nights my family and I like to do breakfast for dinner.  Tonight I whipped up these delicious pancakes.  I pour them free-hand into shapes on the griddle (mickey mouse, initials, an unsucessful lightning bolt) just like my Grandma used to do for me.   Even if they don't look very pretty, the kids love it.  Don't let the vinegar in the recipe throw you off.  It mixes with the milk to make a sort of buttermilk.  It also reacts with the baking soda in the recipe so you get nice fluffy pancakes.  We usually have some leftovers whenever we make pancakes. I just put them in the fridge and pop them in the toaster the next morning. If you've never tried a toasted pancake before, you should. They get crispy on the outside like a waffle and are delicious! 

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1 1/2 cups milk

1/4 cup white vinegar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup white sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1/4 cup butter, melted

cooking spray

Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to turn to "buttermilk". 

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg, vanilla and butter into milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone.     

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.  This makes enough to feed 4-6 hungry folks.  

Moroccan Meatballs

Warm spices and bright mint come together in bite sized meatballs.  These would be delicious as an appetizer with a warm chutney dipping sauce, folded into warm flatbread or served over a bed of couscous.


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1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 egg white
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 T. oatmeal
1 T. ground coriander
1 tsp. dried mint
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
a few grinds of pepper
1 T. olive oil

In a large bowl combine all ingredients, exept oil.  Form into 1 inch meatballs.  Heat a large pan over medium heat.  Add oil and cook meatballs in batches, shaking pan often to cook them on all sides.  Don't overcrowd your pan.

Spiced Cider Caramels

This is one of the three types of candy I made this Christmas to bring on our trip with us.  I wanted to have a little care package for each of my sisters and my parents to have in their hotel rooms.  I found this recipe on Pinterest via Blondie's Cakes.  She's got a great blog!  Be sure you have a large pot, because as the sugar boils it rises up quite a bit.  This is not something you want boiling over on your stove top!  You'll also need an acurate candy thermometer.

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2 c. good quality apple cider

1 c. heavy cream

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

pinch nutmeg

1 1/2 c. sugar

1/3 c. light corn syrup

1/2 c. real butter, cubed

Pour the cider into a saucepan and boil 20 minutes until it's reduced to 1/3 cup.  This is where that concentrated apple flavor comes from.

Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment making sure to leave some paper hanging over the edges for easier removal.  Coat with oil.

In a small bowl, combine 2/3 c. of the cream, the reduced cider and your spices.

Pour the remaining cream into a cup measure and add enough water for it to reach the 1/2 c. line.

In a large pot, combine sugar, corn syrup and cream/water mixture over medium heat.  Stir until sugar dissolves and the temperature reaches 234 degrees (soft ball stage) on your candy thermometer.

Remove pot from heat and whisk in the cream/cider mixture.  Add in the butter and stir until fully incorporated.  Cook again until it reaches 248 degrees (firm ball stage).

Remove from the heat and pour into prepared pan.  Let cool completely.  Then remove from pan, cut into desired sized pieces and wrap individually in waxed paper. I  made mine about tootsie roll sized.  Blondie's Cakes makes hers into cut-your-own sized logs.