Greek Yogurt Pancakes

UPDATE 1/27/14: Since going gluten free, I swapped out the wheat flour in this recipe for Trader Joe's gluten free all-purpose flour.
A couple weekends ago I found this recipe at Everyday Belle, as I was looking for a healthier pancake recipe. Well, it was a HUGE hit with my kids! So, I just got done making them for the second time this morning, only I played around with the recipe a bit more today. The first time I made it I used plain, non fat/sugar free greek yogurt and surprisingly my kids still gobbled them up! Today, I had some left over orange flavored greek yogurt that none of us really cared for, so I decided to use that up in the recipe and I added 1/4 teaspoon of Spice Islands pure vanilla extract (which doesn't contain corn syrup, as many others do). I have to say (and I don't get paid in any way by the company...in fact I don't get paid for any part of doing this blog) that Spice Islands products are awesome!!! They are a bit more expensive, but worth it! A sweet friend of mine recently said that good things aren't always cheap and cheap things aren't always good. I think that is SO true! Anyhow, back to the pancakes...the batter is super thick, but they produce a very light pancake. Make sure you resist the urge to continue stirring the batter as you make the pancakes. It will fluff up a lot as it sits and that is what helps make them so great!
You can use any flavor yogurt you want, but the fact that my kids were just as happy with the sugar free version, I think I'll stick to that next time!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. Thank you to Paige at Everyday Belle!

Ingredients:
6 oz (3/4 C) greek yogurt (any flavor, I used plain fat free)
1 egg
1/2 C Trader Joe's GF flour, scant...which means just a little less than 1/2 (I used to use King Arthur, unbleached/ not bromated)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (if using plain yogurt)

Direction:
Turn on the stovetop to medium heat using a griddle (or non stick pan). Spray pan thoroughly or butter if you desire. While pans are heating up, mix wet ingredients. Then, mix in flour and baking soda until well combined. Let stand for a couple minutes, until mixture is fluffed up (resist the urge to mix again). The batter will be very thick. Plop onto pan and spread gently with the back of a spoon. Flip when edges are looking a little less wet. They will not get the same bubbles that you may be used to seeing on pancakes, so you'll just have to test these. Flip an extra time, if needed, to ensure the batter is cooked in the center.
Serve immediately and Enjoy!!!

Pumpkin Pie Cake

This is my absolute favorite pumpkin recipe! I have made it many many times and even people who do not like pumpkin have enjoyed this recipe. I've even been able to cut back on the sugar. This happened as a mistake when one time I left out ALL of the sugar by accident! That was a huge mistake, but surprisingly it still tasted good. Now, I must admit, I liked it better of course with the sugar, but I could not notice a difference by just reducing the sugar a bit. Anyhow, I originally got this recipe from a friend of mine named Tannis. She is always full of great recipes! I hope you all get to enjoy this one during the fall season!

Ingredients:
1 large can pure pumpkin (3 1/2-4 cups) or 2 - 15oz cans
1 1/2 C sugar (partly brown), if using full amt. sugar I'd use 1c white & 1/2c brown or reduced 3/4c white &1/4c brown
3 eggs
1 13-14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 t ginger
1/2 t nutmeg
1/4 t ground clove
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
3/4C butter
3/4C fine chopped walnuts
1 box dry yellow cake mix

Directions:
- Beat ingredients (except: butter, nuts & cake mix)
- Pour evenly into GREASED 13x9 inch glass pan
- Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture
- Melt butter & drizzle evenly over dry cake mix - sprinkle chopped nuts over
- Bake 350 degrees for 50 min or until set
- Enjoy!!! (great served warm or cold)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Here is a recipe I searched out to make use of the leftover pumpkin I had after making pumpkin spice lattes. I found it somewhere on the internet, I think maybe at www.5dollardinners.com.
Anyhow, it is pretty good and of course the kids loved them! You can also double the recipe so that you can use a whole can of pumpkin, in case you have no plans of making lattes. A double recipe would make 12 jumbo sized muffins.

Ingredients:
3/4 C sugar
1 1/2 C flour
3/4 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 t pumpkin pie spice
1/4 t salt
1/4 C vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/4 C water
3/4 C canned pumpkin (1/2 of 15 oz can)
1/2 C chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 12 medium muffin tins or 6 jumbo muffin tins. Mix all ingredients with hand mixer. Bake for 20-25 minutes (a little longer for jumbo muffins).
You may want to leave the chocolate chips out and in that case add a dollop of cream cheese icing to the top after muffins have completely cooled!

Costa Rican Carrot Cake

Here is a recipe that my friend Lila brought to our bible study group and (if you like carrot cake) this was quite possibly the best little cupcake I've ever tasted in my life!!! It was so moist and just simply delicious! The picture above is one of the cupcakes that Lila made and I brought home with me. Anyhow, I asked if she would share the recipe and she gladly did...along with the story of how she got the recipe in the first place. Here is her story, in her words and the wonderful recipe! Enjoy!

I studied in Costa Rica for a month after nursing school, and I lived with a host family there. My host mom's friend brought this cake over one day and I just LOVED it (naturally!). So, I begged for her recipe, and she gave it to me...IN SPANISH! ;) ha ha! So I took it to class and we translated it :) I still have the original in her sweet cursive handwriting. So what you have now is a hand-me-down!! Just this time I added the banana for the first time, it turned out, but I think it took a little away from the original, and she actually made it in a loaf. I've made it as a layer cake, a loaf, and cupcakes...it's ALL GOOD! :)


Ingredients for Batter:
1 can of pineapple (250 grams)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 ½ cups oil
4 eggs
2 cups grated carrots
(optional 1 mashed banana)
½ cup walnuts (or pecans), ground

Directions:
Drain the pineapple. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, & salt. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl combine sugar, oil, & eggs. Beat for 5 minutes. Then add flour mixture. Stir only until flour blends in.
Add carrots, pineapple, (optional banana),& nuts. Stir. Pour into greased pan. Cook at 350° for 40 minutes (for loaf).


Ingredients for Icing:
Cream Cheese (120 grams)
Butter (60 grams)
1 lime, zested & juiced
1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:
Cream butter & cream cheese. Add lime juice, add sugar a little at a time, then lime zest. (Can add more powdered sugar to thicken icing.)
Spoon icing into a Zip-Loc bag. Snip tiny bit of corner off baggie. Decorate!

How about some Chocolate?

I don't claim this recipe as my own but it was AWESOME. I'm pretty good at Googling something that I'm craving--this particular day it was Chocolate Cake with Chocolate frosting. All I had on hand was cocoa powder for the chocolate. I found this very easy cake with ingredients most of us have on hand already. Its says prep time is 30 minutes but it maybe took me 20. I also used the frosting recipe on the back of the cocoa powder.

Dark Chocolate Cake I

Rated:
Submitted By: Carol
Photo By: Trishie
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour 20 Minutes
Servings: 12
"This is an elegant cake to make."
Ingredients:
2 cups boiling water
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 1/4 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions:
1.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 3 - 9 inch round cake pans. In medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
2.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at time, then stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture. Spread batter evenly between the 3 prepared pans.
3.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe-Tools/Print/Recipe.aspx?RecipeID=7736&servings=12

"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING"

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine

2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.