Carrot Cake Pancakes

Pancakes:

1 cup all-purpose flour (you can use half whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I used a smidge less)
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 large egg
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk (I use regular milk)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups finely grated carrots (from about a 3/4 pound bundle whole carrots)
3 tablespoons butter, for griddle

Cream cheese topping:

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Dash of ground cinnamon

To make the pancakes: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and, if using, nuts and raisins. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, brown sugar, buttermilk and vanilla. Stir in carrots. Stir carrot mixture into dry ingredients, stirring until just Incorporated. Let rest for five minutes while you make the cream cheese topping.
To make the cream cheese topping: In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy and lump-free. Whisk in powdered sugar, two tablespoons milk, vanilla and cinnamon. If you’d like the mixture thinner, add the remaining tablespoon of milk (I did not).
Over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a cast-iron skillet or griddle pan. Spoon 2 tablespoons batter into the hot pan per pancake (to me, this seemed like too little but after experimenting with larger pancakes, I advise you to listen to Joy; It’s a wiggly batter and much easier to and cook in small puddles), flipping once, until pancakes are golden on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer finished pancakes to a serving dish or tray in the oven, to keep warm while you repeat the process with the remaining batter, adding more butter as needed.
Serve warm with cream cheese topping.

My little boys love vegetables, but I think it's great to squeeze even more in wherever I can. They will eat anything that I puree and put into something they like dark leafy veggies mixed with scrambled eggs make fun "green eggs and ham", or pumpkin, squash, zucchini, carrots, etc mixed into pancakes or muffins. They love it and I feel good giving them lots of extra veggies!

Zucchini Bread Pancakes

Makes 10 to 12 pancakes

• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons light brown, dark brown or granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup buttermilk or 2 tablespoons each of milk and plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups shredded zucchini (from about 9 ounces whole, or 1 1/2 medium zucchini), heaping cups are fine
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (half can seamlessly be swapped with a whole wheat flour)
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
• Butter or oil, for coating skillet

In a large bowl, combine eggs, olive oil, sugar, buttermilk and vanilla until smooth. Stir in zucchini shreds. In a smaller bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir dry ingredients into zucchini batter, mixing until just combined.

Preheat oven to 200°F and place a tray — foil-lined if you’re into doing fewer dishes later — on a middle rack.

Heat a large, heavy skillet (my favorite for pancakes is a cast-iron) over medium heat. Once hot, melt a pat of butter in pan and swirl it around until it sizzles. Scoop scant 1/4-cup dollops of batter (mine were about 3 tablespoons each) in pan so the puddles do not touch. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook another minute or two, until golden underneath.

Zuppa Toscana

• 1 lb Italian sausage (I like mild sausage) 
• 2 large russet baking potatoes, sliced in half, and then in 1/4 inch slices 
• 1 large onion, chopped 
• 1/4 cup bacon bits (optional) 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced 
• 2 cups kale or swiss chard, chopped 
• 2 (8 ounce) cans chicken broth 
• 1 quart water 
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream 

Chop or slice uncooked sausage into small pieces.
Brown sausage in your soup pot.
Add chicken broth and water to pot and stir.
Place onions, potatoes, and garlic in a separate pot.
Cook on medium heat until potatoes are done.
Add sausage and bacon.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer for another 10 minutes.
Turn to low heat.
Add kale and cream.
Heat through and serve.

Whole Wheat Zucchini Muffins

• 1 large zucchini
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, and set aside. Grate zucchini on the large holes of a box grater (to yield 1 3/4 cups); set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together sugars, oil, vanilla, and eggs.

Into a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, and stir to combine well. Stir in grated zucchini.

Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes; invert onto a wire rack, then reinvert, top side up. Cool completely before slicing.

Irish Soda Bread

IRISH SODA BREAD

•  4 c. Flour
• 1 c. Raisins 
• 1 t. Baking soda 
• 1 T. Caraway seeds 
• 1 t. Salt
• 1 1/3 c. Buttermilk, more or less 
• 1 c. Sugar 
• 3/4 c. Butter 

 Sift flour, soda, salt & sugar together. With pastry blender cut in butter till coarse like cornmeal. Stir in raisins & caraway seeds. (I usually put the raisins in about a cup or so of water and pop them in the microwave for a minute to plump up the raisins from their little dry state so they won't be all hard and burnt when they are baked in the bread). Add milk gradually (may need a little more depending on the humidity that day). Mix till blended. Knead on floured board for around 2 minutes. Divide dough into 2 pieces. Round each 1/2 of dough & flatten a little. Place kitty corner on cookie sheet. Cut diagonal lines in top of each rounded loaf. Bake about 1 hr. at 350 degrees. Enjoy!!!