Breakfast Week: Homemade Oatmeal Pancake Mix

Lately, in our house, we've decided to try to eat less cold cereal for breakfast on the weekdays, and change things up with different breakfast foods.  We actually sat down as a family and came up with a list of ideas of breakfast foods that most of us like.  This week, I want to share some of the recipes we've been making.  Some things don't require recipes, obviously; like toast & eggs, bagels, yogurt & granola.  (I actually hardly ever eat cold cereal, but my kids do.  I always eat yogurt and granola for breakfast!)  :)

One of my children does not like pancakes, so he can have a plain cold cereal on pancake day (like Rice Chex, which he loves).  One thing that we had not been doing well enough before was making sure the kids got a good source of protein at breakfast.  So now, if there isn't a source or protein served, they can grab a spoonful of peanut butter or a handful of cashews.  I also try to limit how much syrup they put on these pancakes; they don't need to start the school day with a ton of sugar.  Most of them like some peanut butter and then a bit of syrup drizzled over.  Serve these pancakes with real maple syrup, my homemade recipe, or this one from Mel's Kitchen Cafe (I will be putting that on the blog later this week). 

This pancake mix (also from Mel's Kitchen Cafe) is so exciting because you make it ahead of time and can store it in the freezer forever.  When you go to make it, you only need 1 cup buttermilk and 1 egg per cup of dry mix.  I made this recipe with all whole grains.  Rolled oats, whole wheat pastry flour, and oat flour.  They are still SO light, fluffy and delicious!  (Try any flour you want!)  For my fam, I usually make two cups at a time.  This makes extra, especially since I have one who doesn't eat them, but I use the extra batter to make little mini pancakes for my baby.  Then I cool those, freeze them (he's still asleep when the big kids are getting ready for school), and can heat them up for him at breakfast or lunch on other days.  I just microwave one or two for 15-30 seconds (until no longer frozen), spread them with a bit of smooth peanut butter, and cut them up.  He loves to eat them, and it's helped him practice using a fork.  :) 

I love this recipe; it makes a huge batch and we're already on our second one after discovering it!

One thing that makes this whole week-day breakfast thing more fun is planning:  we all come up with ideas, together, on what we want to eat.  Then I write down the menu, day by day, on a small magnetic whiteboard stuck to our fridge.  The kids like knowing what meals are coming up next.  We usually do planning on Sundays.  And we know if some days are extra hectic, we always have cold cereal and milk as a back-up.  Sometimes we even plan a "cereal" day for a break. 

One thing that I do to make it go smoother in the morning is to know what I'll be making so I don't even have to think about it.  Sometimes, the night before, I'll even set the breakfast bar with plates, forks, cups, etc., and get out the big griddle and a mixing bowl so things are easier in the morning.  Sometimes we also have to plan to get up a few minutes early, but it hasn't been a problem. 

Homemade Oatmeal Pancake Mix
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

3 1/2 cups rolled (old-fashioned) oats

3 cups whole wheat flour (I use whole wheat pastry)

2 cups oat flour (or just white flour)

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons baking powder

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon baking soda

3/4 cup- 1 cup vegetable or canola oil*

1.  Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixer with a paddle (or by hand). Grind the oats in a blender or food processor before adding to the other dry ingredients. (You can choose to use quick oats and skip this step). 

2.  With mixer on slow speed (or gently by hand), drizzle the vegetable oil into the bowl (start with 3/4 cup) slowly while the mixer is running. When all the oil has been added, stop the mixer and squeeze a clump of mix in your hand. If it stays together, it is just right. If it is still crumbly, add another tablespoon of oil at a time until the consistency is correct.  (*When I did this, it was way too wet, so I had to add more flour.  To avoid this, only add about 3/4 cup oil at first and see if that is enough.  If is is still too crumbly, add more gradually until it is just right.) 

3.  If mixture is not combining evenly, you may have to put the whole batch through your food processor.  I had to; it wasn't mixing up evenly for some reason.  I had it out anyway to grind up my rolled oats.  When it is right, it should look like the pic above in the red measuring cup. 

4.  Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature or indefinitely in the refrigerator or freezer.

5.  To make the pancakes: whisk together 1 cup of mix, 1 cup buttermilk (depending on how thick you want your batter), and 1 egg. The mixture may seem thin at first but the oats will soak up the milk as it stands while the griddle preheats. Heat a griddle and drop the batter onto it. When the edges look dry and bubbles come to the surface and don’t break, turn the pancake over to finish cooking on the second side.

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