It’s the first day of school and my boys are off ... both of them in high school this year. Wow, not to sound cliché but really, where has the time gone?
I so clearly remember my first days of school, that fresh feeling of a new, blank slate ahead. Even now, back to school is always an exciting time of year for me. I love that Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) falls in September rather than in January. While it is sad to say good-bye to summer, I do appreciate the new energy I feel in September. Summer refreshes me and clears my mind so I am ready for new challenges and growth in the coming seasons.
I want Sam and Isaac to be well prepared for their learning and new experiences, and what better way to energize them than with a hearty breakfast? I am crazy about oats in any form (my daily morning fare: oatmeal with almond milk and blueberries) and my other breakfast love is whole grain pancakes. So how about oatmeal pancakes? A happy combination, I think!
I’ve been making oatmeal pancakes for several years and learned this method of soaking oats in buttermilk overnight from Elise over at Simply Recipes. This creates a soft, oatmeal-like mixture. In the morning, I stir in whole wheat flour, eggs, chopped almonds and cinnamon and start frying. You can be creative with adding different nuts, some fresh or frozen berries or perhaps some coconut. After liberally pouring maple syrup on our fluffy cakes, we tuck into breakfast and start our day.
Oatmeal Pancakes
Adapted from SimplyRecipes.com
Makes about 10 4-inch pancakes
2 cups old fashioned oats (not steel-cut or instant)
2 cups buttermilk
3 eggs
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup almonds, toasted and chopped (optional)
Butter for frying
Maple syrup
In a large bowl, stir together the oats and buttermilk. Cover and leave on your counter overnight.
In the morning, stir in the eggs, flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon until well mixed. Add almonds, if using. It will be a thick batter.
Heat a large griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Add a pat of butter and, when melted, ladle 1/4 cup scoops of the pancake batter onto the pan. After a couple of minutes, when you see air bubbles form on the surface, gently flip the pancakes over. Let them cook for another minute or so and then check to see if they are golden brown. If they are browning too quickly, turn your heat down to medium.
Serve right away or keep warm in a low oven until ready to eat.
