Whole-Wheat Pancakes

One of the pleasures of being on vacation is trying new foods. One of the unexpected treasures from a trip to Maine last summer were the Whole-Wheat Pancakes from Denny's. We nearly missed out, though.

We planned on eating breakfast at about 6:30 in the morning, before driving on, and Denny's WAS CLOSED! As if to taunt us, we saw the "Always Open" sign and heard the shuffle of employees inside. Mike convinced a sleepy worker to open the door after ten minutes of waiting.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

2/3 c whole wheat flour

1/3 c all-purpose flour

4 Splenda packets

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

7 oz buttermilk

1 egg white

1/4 c Egg Beaters

1 Tbsp canola oil

Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, and then mix together. Be careful not to overmix, or the pancakes will not be as fluffy. Cook at medium-low heat on a prepared griddle. Serves 2.

Banana Bread (or Muffins) a la Mike

When Mike & I first got married, I told him that I had never attended an auction. I was intrigued by the sign a few miles down US 31 that boasted a weekly auction... So, he brought me to my one and only auction that weekend. I got excited during the auction about "all the bananas you can fit in a bag" for some silly, low price. The auctioneer organizers had somehow intercepted a truckload of bananas from the South. As it turns out, you can fit A LOT of bananas in the particular bag they employed.

We had raw bananas, smoothies with banana, banana bread, banana cake with banana cream frosting, banana on cereal, banana pudding... You get the idea (think Bubba Gump Shrimp, but with bananas). We couldn't give enough bananas away! For a couple who would have banana on cereal every morning in addition to one as a snack on most days, no one is more surprised than us that we got sick of eating them. The result was a month-long banana strike... and a loss of my auction privileges.

However, one of life's simple pleasures is homemade banana bread. The delicious smell is like a promise of the sweetness to come. Probably every household that contains a baker has its own recipe; I like to add raisins instead of nuts to ours, and swap some of the whole flour for oats and whole wheat flour. The result is still tender, but delightfully more wholesome.

Banana Bread a la Mike

1/2 c oats

1/2 c whole wheat flour

1 c all-purpose flour

1/2 c Splenda for Baking

1/2 c raisins

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 c Egg Beaters

1/2 c shortening (or 1/4 c each shortening and applesauce)

3 medium-sized ripe bananas, mashed

1 tsp vanilla extract

Blend the dry ingredients. Mash the shortening and bananas together, then mix in EggBeater. Mix all ingredients together. Transfer either to a prepared bread pan or prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle the top with sugar for some sparkle. The bread should be baked at 350F for one hour, while the muffins should be baked at 400F for 20 minutes. Enjoy!