LilSugar

Mommy Alert! Throw Out Expired Foods!

babysugar — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:00:00 -0700

Moms who stock their pantries on a weekly basis often forget about old packages of pasta or cans of beans stashed way in the back of the bin. Before cooking, I rarely double check expiration dates. However, an email alerting me to the dangers of old mixes had me lifting every box and can in my kitchen last night.

To see what happened to one child, read more.

A mother who also happens to be a registered nurse whipped up a batch of pancakes for her high-school-aged son. While at school, the boy called his mom to tell her he was having trouble breathing. After a trip to the nurse's office, the paramedics were called and took him to the hospital. Pancake and cake mixes that have yeast can develop toxic mold spores over time. People allergic to mold may have a deadly reaction, which is why we all should pay attention to expiration dates. Luckily, the boy was all right.

Mural Meal: Anna Banana Pancake

babysugar — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:00:24 -0700

Nothing gets my daughter more fired up for breakfast than funny pancakes. Whether it's Mickey Mouse pancakes or chocolate chip flapjacks, she's ready to dip into syrup and dive right in with excitement. Adding a little fruit to the dish helps to provide more nutrients and vitamins she would miss if just eating the batter as is. To see what is in this morning muse, read more.

Ingredients:

Pancake batter and necessary items to create regular mixture
Bananas
Grapes
Mini chocolate chips
Syrup

Prepare the pancake batter according to the maker's instructions. Slice up half of the banana in a disc manner and gently mix them into the batter. Using a non-stick pan or non-stick spray, cook the pancakes as usual. The bananas tend to fall to the bottom of the bowl so try to scoop some out with every flapjack. Once cooked, place it on the plate and add two banana discs for eyes. Add a few mini chocolate chips for the pupils. (They'll be the first things to go.) Use the tip of the banana for the nose. Cut a mouth shape from the remaining half of the banana and place it accordingly. Last, slice the grapes in half lengthwise and create a hair piece for Anna Banana.

*If you want to add protein to the meal, use bacon for the hair or smile. Fancy gals may appreciate a creative touch by adding blueberry earrings or a necklace and a strawberry hair-bow.

Lil Tip: Breakfast For Dinner

LilSugar — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 13:00:00 -0700

I'll take that dinner sunny-side up! Growing up, my friend's mom would surprise the family once a month with breakfast for dinner. She never told them when it would be, but one evening she would pull out the griddle and start fixing up pancakes, bacon, and eggs once the sun went down.

Being a mama myself now, I see why her mom dished up the morning favorites once in a while. The entire concept is fun, easy, and puts a smile on everyone's face at the end of the day. Sometimes we get in a routine that leaves us making the same foods on a weekly basis, and this changes it up every once in a while. So the next time you find yourself in a dinner rut, consider flipping your day on its head and a few hotcakes or omelets onto their dishes. If you want to take the concept one step further, have your child jot down everyone's orders and turn yourself into a short-order cook!

Source

It's International Pancake Day!

LilSugar — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 05:00:07 -0800

Hot cakes with butter and syrup have always proved a winner with my kids and most children I know. Heat your griddle and get ready to pour batter onto the pan this morning since it's International Pancake Day! Celebrate this festive day with a hearty breakfast, lunch or dinner of flapjacks made from your family's favorite recipe. Or check out Alpha Mom's tips to scoring them free at restaurants. Whether your youngsters like their stacks with blueberries, powdered sugar or peanut butter, this is one holiday that will keep their tummies from rumbling.
Source

Delilicious: Playful Flower, Truck and Plane Pancake Molds

LilSugar — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 12:00:18 -0800

If your pancake flipping skills aren't prepared for the animal skillet, you might try the Heart and Daisy or Truck and Airplane pancake molds ($15 each).

Instead of pouring batter into a skillet and braving the flip, you place the mold on the griddle, then pour in the batter and cook until it's safe to remove the molds, flip the pancakes and cook. No more messy pancake slipping and sliding and your tots will go bananas for the fun shapes.

Delilicious: Mini Bear Smile Skillet

babysugar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:00:08 -0700

It wasn't until I became a mother that I learned an important fact about cooking: everything tastes better when it comes in a fun shape.

The Mini Bear Smile Skillet ($18) will assist you in making scrumptious and silly pancakes and crepes that will have your kids begging for seconds. The pan is a great substitute or addition to the cute dollar sized Zoo Animal Pancake Pan we featured a few weeks back.

Do you use shapes to make snacks and meals more appealing for your picky eaters?

Lil Find: Zoo Animal Pancake Pan

LilSugar — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 07:00:30 -0800

If your house already feels like a zoo, one cage-free way to tame the chaos is with a fun breakfast And, the Animal Pancake Pan is the wild way to start the day and a good way for your child to brush up on their knowledge of giraffes, lions, monkeys, elephants, rhinos, camels and crocodiles.

Lil ones can practice their calls of the wild while filling their stomachs with the most important meal of the day. The $40 skillet makes seven three inch hot cakes at a time making it easy for a mother to feed her pride.

Elvis Pancake Sandwiches: Breakfast and Lunch!

LilSugar — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 08:00:39 -0700

Breakfast sandwiches are popular with rushing mothers and their kiddos on the go! From egg filled bagels to bacon and cheese caught between an English muffin they fill the tummy up right. My son favors waffles sandwiches. The handy breakfast is easy enough for him to munch on in the car if he doesn't finish it before I have to shuttle him to school. While all the hearty meal involves is the simple assembly of two whole grain waffles (store bought or homemade) and a slathering of fresh peanut butter between them, I recently watched Big Daddy over at the Food Network make a more inventive recipe for his boy.

A twist on a sandwich Elvis Presley was famous for - peanut butter and banana, the cook takes buckwheat pancakes, adds the protein spread, sliced bananas and a drizzle of honey to make a morning sammie that can be finished in the afternoon if you pop it in your kiddo's lunchbox. While the flavors appeal to wee taste buds, its quick prep time makes it a dish mama can accomplish even if she isn't completely awake.
To get the recipe, read more.

Elvis Pancake Sandwiches
Recipe courtesy Aaron McCargo Jr., Food Network

Looking for a meal that can be made for breakfast and finished for lunch? Try Big Daddy's Elvis pancake sandwiches.

Ingredients

Batter:

* 2 cups buttermilk
* 2 eggs
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 2 teaspoons sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 6 tablespoons butter, melted
* 1 cup all purpose flour
* 1 cup buckwheat flour
* 2 tablespoons butter, cold plus more as needed
* Peanut butter, for topping
* Sliced bananas, for topping
* Honey, for topping

Directions
In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, baking powder, sugar, salt and butter.

In another large bowl mix together all-purpose flour and buckwheat flour.

Slowly add flour into the wet ingredients mixing with a whisk. Mix until there are no lumps and the batter is smooth and velvety.

In a large cast iron skillet or flat grill pan over medium-high heat, melt a tablespoon of butter. Ladle pancake batter onto skillet to desired size. Using the ladle, form pancake into circular shape. Cook on each side for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Set pancakes aside and keep warm. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Once completed, spread peanut butter on a pancake, layer it with sliced bananas and drizzle it with honey. Top the pancake with another pancake to form a sandwich. Repeat with remaining pancakes and serve with extra honey.

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Courtesy of The Food Network.

Delilicious: Jack-O'-Lantern Pumpkin Pancakes

LilSugar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 06:00:21 -0700

Trying to trick your children out of sweet and fancy treats like Goblins, Ghosts and Spider Cupcakes?

Add a little festive flare to their breakfast by making pumpkin pancakes! Not only is pumpkin a great source of beta-carotene, vitamin C, and potassium, but a sprinkle of cardamom will help aid the digestive system.

Let your lil ones decorate their mini jack-o'-lanterns with a handful of chocolate chips, raisins or cookie icing for dramatic effect.

View 5 Photos ›

To get the recipe, read more.

Pumpkin Pancakes
Health.com

Ingredients

1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup cake flour
4 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
Maple syrup or honey

Directions
Whisk together pumpkin, yogurt, baking soda, egg yolk, and flour. Whisk egg whites with salt; fold into pumpkin mixture. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Spoon in 1/3 cup batter for each pancake. Flip when tops are covered with bubbles and edges are slightly brown (about 3 minutes per side). Drizzle with syrup or honey.

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Delilicious: Mickey Mouse Pancakes

LilSugar — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 10:30:20 -0800

Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse!!!

Today, America's most beloved mouse turns 79. And, we think his youthful demeanor has kept him looking as good as the day Walt Disney brought him to life in 1928. So celebrate the occasion by serving a breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes for dinner!

Just add a handful of chocolate chips to your favorite pancake recipe and pour the batter on the griddle to resemble Mickey's signature ears - one large pancake in the center with two silver-dollar sized ones fused on top. Your kids will love mixing meals and gobble up this sweet treat.