Sunday Breakfast, Post-Tax!

Yesterday, day three in a row, was spent wrestling and finally wrapping up income tax. Ugh. There are few words that I should put into print that describe my feelings about dealing with this annual ordeal of fact-gathering and paper-picking. Present day has eased some of the frustration with somewhat user-friendly software plus filing via email and electronic signatures. Thanks to pdf files, actual paperwork is near archaic unless you enjoy finding a home for an insanely thick wad of complete forms for posterity (over a hundred pages!). Normally I would gleefully shove my information at a generously paid CPA, but the recession has pressed frugality. However, now that I have won, Won, WON! over Schedule C’s, wrought refund wonders with education and medical deductions, dealt with a mutual fund closing … I was looking forward to a new although gloomy, rainy Sunday (this is April??) with a guilt-free desire to celebrate with a leisure Sunday Breakfast.

The unusually cool weather invoked thoughts of hearty pancakes and there’s a favorite recipe I’ve tweaked over the years. My only child was a fussy eater when quite young and never liked mush, or any squishy, soft foods including bananas. Go figure. The only way to pry hearty goodness into her was to fry pancakes and offer lite syrup or chopped fruit as toppings. This recipe has morphed considerably from the original off the side of an oatmeal box, evolving into a sweet disguise of oats, yogurt, eggs and whole grain as I played with each “what it I try” in substituting ingredients. Remember, don’t mention the word healthy to youngsters if you want them to eat these solid pancakes — if they balk at the homeliness of these earthy flapjacks, make them half-size and sprinkle mini chocolate chips on the cakes before flipping. Call the mini version Pancake Cookies and their interest will shift quickly! Psst, leftover mini cakes are even good cold as a finger-food snack.


OATMEAL BANANA PANCAKES

1 cup non-fat yogurt
1 cup milk
1-1/3 cup old fashioned oatmeal
2 eggs
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 medium banana, roughly mashed
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix the yogurt with the milk in a glass mixing bowl, warming in the microwave about 90 seconds, stirring at about 45 seconds. Stir in oatmeal until well coated and let sit about 10 to 15 minutes to soften. Add the brown sugar and mix well, breaking up any lumps. Stir in eggs, oil and banana until blended. Mix well the flour, soda , salt and cinnamon in a separate bowl before stirring into the wet ingredients until just blended.



Preheat lightly greased griddle or large skillet to medium heat. When hot, plop and spread the thick batter by quarter cup measure — a gravy ladle is my favorite. Watch the pancakes as you may have to reduce heat to medium-low to prevent scorching before the center is cooked as extra sugar from the fruit makes this a concern, but still worth the effort. Cook until the edges look DRY and the underside is golden, before flipping to cook until baked through. This recipe produces about 15 pancakes, give or take a dribble. Leftovers can be wrapped into the refrigerator and gently heated on small plate about 30 seconds in the microwave for a quick Monday launch.

Don't expect these to be the perfect-pour, pretty pancake of the white flour fame.


These pancakes are tender, so don't rush flippin' the cakes lest you tear the undercooked batter. Little ol' impatient me invariably messes up the first three in the pan. And watch the pancakes as they will darken if unattended (note a couple of deeply colored samples on the back plate below — they're still tasty with syrup!)

And here we are with a bit of fresh fruit, complete with hot coffee in a favorite mug and a well-earned chaser of the Sunday funnies. Oh yeaaaah. Perfect Sunday morning.