Orzo Chicken Salad

This recipe was INSPIRED by the chicken salad I enjoyed recently at a BRIDAL shower in my neighborhood. It's LIGHT and REFRESHING—perfect for summer, and actually pretty darn good for you! Hope you love it.

Orzo Chicken Salad

1/2 cup orzo, cooked

1/2 cup chopped celery

2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken

1 cup red grape halves

3/4 cup cashew pieces and halves

1 green onion, sliced

1 (6-ounce) container Honey-Flavored Greek yogurt (I used Chobani)

2 to 3 tablespoons mayonnaise

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together all ingredients and serve on a croissant, soft flatbread or pita wrap, or a large leaf of iceberg lettuce. Makes about 4 to 6 servings.

Cordon Bleu Bake

This is a yummy little PASTA recipe that is super simple and always gets RAVE reviews. It's almost too easy. Like so EASY that I'm embarrassed when people ask for the recipe. But, the best part is that it is a WINNER with my KIDDOS, and that's a good thing! (Sorry for the weird photo!)

Cordon Bleu Bake

2 cups mini penne pasta 

1 cup cubed ham

1 (12-ounce) can good-quality chicken, broken up (LOVE the Costco brand)

1 (15-ounce) jar alfredo sauce (I use Classico's Light Asiago Romano Alfredo)

Dash of pepper

6 to 10 slices Swiss cheese

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and return to the pan. Stir in the ham, chicken, alfredo sauce, and pepper; warm through. Scoop mixture into 6 ramekins and cover each with a slice or two of cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cheese is slightly browned on top. Makes 6 servings.

TIP: You could stir some grated Swiss into the sauce if you want it more cheesy, but I don't think it's needed. You could also top with breadcrumbs if you so desire. My secret: I've found that if I stir chopped up broccoli or peas (or whatever veggie I feel like using) and stir it into a creamy-based pasta, my 2 year old will eat it without question. Just sayin'. :)

Coconut Chocolate Chip Muffins

For some reason I have been craving COCONUT desserts. I'm not sure why. Coconut just sounds really REALLY good! Anyway, I thought I'd try cutting a few calories and instead of making a DESSERT that is probably laden with lots of YUMMY frosting, I'd try the breakfast route instead. Sooooo, here is what I came up with! :)

Coconut Chocolate Chip Muffins
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
1 3/4 cup flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 small box coconut creme instant pudding mix

1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup toasted coconut, divided

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and prepare a muffin pan with nonstick spray.

In a bowl, beat together the milk, butter, and egg. Stir in the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Next stir in the dry pudding mix. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and about 1/3 cup of the coconut. Evenly divide the thick batter into 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle the remaining coconut over the tops. Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool a few minutes in the pan, then enjoy!

TIP: You can add more coconut to the batter if you want. I was trying not to use too much because I wanted my 2 year old to eat them. (She loved them by the way!) My husband said he would have preferred regular-sized chocolate chips. And I would have LOVED the toasted coconut on top of the muffins to be coconut streusel instead, but I was trying to be good and cut calories! Click here for my coconut streusel topping if you want to try it. :)

Sour Cream Lemon Pie

I love LEMON. And for some reason or another, I've really been CRAVING pies lately. So I made a super YUMMY lemon pie with the help of allrecipes.com. This creamy and luscious pie in a nice FLAKY crust was killer! Totally satisfied in every way. Enough said.

Sour Cream Lemon Pie
1 (9-inch) baked pie crust (I used my favorite recipe, here. I just do one thick crust though!)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sour cream
4 egg yolks, beaten
1/4 cup butter
2 lemons, juiced and zested

Bake crust and set aside to cool completely.

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, flour, and salt. Gradually stir in the milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Reduce heat and cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.

Gradually stir 1 cup of the mixture into the egg yolks to temper. Return yolk mixture to mixture in pan and bring to a gentle boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in the butter, juice, and zest. Gently fold in the sour cream. Pour filling to cooled crust and let cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve and top with whipped cream if desired.

TIP: This pie is so delish as is, it's hard to think of a tip. The one thing you can do to save time is to put the filling in a graham cracker crust. However, the baked crust is totally worth the effort!

Chocolate Pancakes with Vanilla Cream Sauce

These yummy little "cakes" are one of our SPECIAL breakfasts, you know for holidays or other special occasions. Let me tell ya, they are DELISH! If you are craving chocolate or are just CHOCOHOLICS like we are at our house, I would say EATING some of these would be the best way to start your day.

Chocolate Pancakes with Vanilla Cream Sauce
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons cocoa
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons applesauce (Or you can more oil and less applesauce)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 to 1 1/4 cups milk (Depending on how thick you want the pancakes!)
Chocolate chips (I used mini semisweet)

Vanilla Cream Sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons vanilla

In a bowl, combine all the pancake ingredients except chocolate chips. Set aside.

In a saucepan, combine the cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Whisk the milk and yolks together and then gradually stir into the sugar mixture in pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it starts to boil and thicken. (Don't turn up the heat though or you will have scrambled eggs!) Remove from heat and then stir in the butter and vanilla.

Make pancakes with the pancake batter and serve with the warm sauce over top. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

TIP: Serve with sliced strawberries on top or on the side for an extra special treat! You could also stir some chocolate chips into the batter if you want more chocolate. :)

Spaghetti Squash and Black Bean Bowls

So this recipe is not your normal CINCO de MAYO fare, but it tastes fabulous and is definitely a keeper! The slightly SPICY dish is easy to make, and even more easy to eat! The SQUASH takes on the role of carbs, if you will, and does a FANTASTIC job.

Spaghetti Squash, Chicken, and Black Bean Bowls
1 medium spaghetti squash
2 teaspoons olive oil

2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1 teaspoon chili powder

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 to 1/3 red onion, chopped
1/2 to 1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen super sweet white corn, thawed
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 lime

Cut the squash in half and then place the cut sides down in a microwave-safe dish that has about 1/2 inch of water in the bottom. Cover with plastic wrap, leaving one corner open to vent. Cook in the microwave for 12 to 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Let cool slightly and then remove the "spaghetti." Set aside.

In a frying pan, heat the oil and then saute the chicken with the chili powder, salt, and pepper. When almost done, stir in the onion, bell pepper, beans, and corn. Cook for a few minutes or until veggies are tender. Stir in the squash, cilantro, and juice from the lime. Let warm through and serve.

TIP: Try topping it with sliced avocado, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and/or salsa. All are delish!

Double Layer Orange Cream Salad

This one of those traditional (and tasty!) FAMILY favorites that everyone loves. It's a great combination of pudding and Jell-O, and super REFRESHING this time of year. Everyone thinks it tastes like a DREAMSICLE—you know, the orange popsicle with vanilla ice cream in the middle? YUM! The best part is that, just like the majority of the recipes on this blog, its SUPER easy!

Double Layer Orange Cream Salad

1 large box orange gelatin

1 small box Cook & Serve lemon pudding

3 (15-ounce) cans mandarin oranges, drained

1 small box instant lemon pudding

1 (8-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Make orange gelatin as directed on package and then set aside, but do not put in fridge to set. Make the Cook & Serve lemon pudding as directed on box. Gently stir liquid orange gelatin and cooked lemon pudding until smooth.

Place the mandarin oranges in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch glass dish (if you have an extra deep one use that!). Next pour the gelatin-pudding mixture over top and smooth with a spoon. Refrigerate overnight until set.

Make the instant pudding as directed. Fold the whipped topping into the pudding and then spread over the set gelatin-pudding mixture. Refrigerate 1–2 more hours before serving. Makes 12–14 servings.

TIP: Try using other combinations of the Cook & Serve puddings and Jell-Os to make your own unique dish! Vanilla pudding and raspberry Jell-O would be yummy with a layer of raspberries in the bottom!

Reese's Peanut Butter Bars

These have been FLOATING around Pinterest so I just had to try them. They are FABULOUS! The best part is that they really only take MINUTES to make. If you love peanut butter and CHOCOLATE like I do, these are a must-make!

Reese's Peanut Butter Bars
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups fine graham cracker crumbs
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter
4 tablespoons peanut butter
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Mix together the butter, cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and peanut butter until well blended. Spread in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan. Melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter and spread over top. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours before cutting and serving.

TIP: I prefer creamy pb, but I'm sure crunchy works just fine too. Also, even though you refrigerate these before cutting, I enjoy eating them when they are room temperature. But you can decide which way you like it best!

Southwest Pasta Salad

We love TEX-MEX foods at our house, so this recipe really hits the SPOT. It's great to take to potlucks, or add some CHICKEN and have it for dinner. Either way, it's DELISH! (Sorry for the terrible picture! I really need a nice new camera . . . and maybe some cuter dishes!)

Southwest Pasta Salad
1 (16-ounce) box penne or rigatoni pasta, cooked according to directions
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup corn
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped (optional)
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
3/4 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
1/2 cup roasted and salted pepitas (dark, small pumpkin seeds)

1 bottle Hidden Valley Farmhouse Southwest Chipotle dressing

1/4 to 1/2 head iceberg lettuce, chopped

In a bowl, combine the pasta, beans, corn, peppers, cilantro, bacon, and pepitas. Stir in about 1 cup of the dressing and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours. Just before serving, stir in the lettuce and more dressing to moisten. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

TIP: Add some cooked or grilled chopped chicken to make this a main course meal. Another great addition is some sort of cheese. I've added shredded taco blend cheese, and I think cubed pepper jack or cheddar would also be good. For tomato lovers, add tomato. And if anyone decides to add beef (shredded, ground), let me know how it turns out!

Hummus and Veggie Sandwich

I've recently become ADDICTED to hummus over the last few months, enough so that you might often find me standing by my fridge with a SPOON in hand as I sneak scoops out of the big container I bought from Costco. It's soooo GOOD! Anyway, I discovered this TASTY little sandwich that is very filling and great for someone trying to watch their CALORIE intake. I absolutely love it and hope you do too!

Hummus and Veggie Sandwich
Orowheat Sandwich Thin (or wheat bread)
1/4 to 1/3 cup hummus
Matchstick carrots
Sliced red and green bell pepper
Sliced purple onion

2 or 3 tablespoons finely shredded mozzarella cheese

Lettuce

Open up your sandwich thin (or place 2 slices of bread) on a work surface and spread the hummus over top of one side for a nice thick layer. Place a good amount of the carrots, peppers, and onion over top and press lightly into the hummus. Sprinkle the cheese over veggies and then place lettuce over top. Top with the other half of your sandwich thin and enjoy!

TIP: I've made this sandwich for my husband and added turkey to give him an extra boost of protein. He loved it even though he claims he does not like hummus! And as always, feel free to add your favorite veggies. Any variety would be great, I'm sure! :)

Baked Cheesy Taquitos

One night I was DREAMING up some recipes that would be good with GUACAMOLE (I had a huge avocado that needed to be used!). The hard part was that I needed it to be QUICK because we had a lot going on that day. Sooooo, these DELISH crunchy taquitos are the product of my "dreaming" session. Hope you like!

Baked Cheesy Taquitos

8 medium flour tortillas

Shredded cheddar cheese (I like to use Tillamook Medium)

Frozen corn, thawed

1 can diced green chiles

Easiest, Yummiest Guacamole

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a cookie sheet with foil and spray with nonstick spray.

Lay tortillas on a work surface and put desired amount of cheese, corn, and green chiles down the center of each (I say the more the better!). Roll up tightly and place seem side down on the prepared cookie sheet. Spray the tops with more nonstick spray and then stick in oven. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until nicely browned and toasted. Serve with some yummy guacamole (link to my recipe above) and salsa for dipping. 

TIP: You can obviously put whatever you want in these rolls of crunchy goodness! Feel free to throw in some shredded chicken or beef, or even rinsed black beans for some protein. Other veggies would be a great addition too. Just mix it up to your heart's content!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This is one of my husbands go-to appetizers. He absolutely LOVES this dip, and I have to tell you, it is SUPER addictive. I got this recipe from a friend of a friend of a friend, or something like that, and adjusted it slightly to fit my family's tastes. It is in my cookbook, 101 Things To Do With Cheese. I do ADMIT it's not necessarily pretty to look at when all is said and done, but it really is DELICIOUS!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

1 large can chicken, drained (I use the Costco brand)

3/4 cup chopped celery

1/2 bottle buffalo sauce

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temp

1/2 cup ranch dressing 

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided

In a frying pan, saute the chicken, celery, and buffalo sauce until celery is tender. Stir in the cream cheese, ranch dressing, and 1 cup cheddar cheese until mixed well and cheeses have melted. Pour mixture into a 2-quart glass casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until bubbling around the edges and cheese is melted. Serve with tortilla chips, crackers, celery sticks, or whatever you think might be good!

TIP: Try sprinkling some Gorgonzola crumbles on top as well. It makes the whole "buffalo" experience a little more authentic. But be warned that blue cheese does not smell super appealing!

BONUS TIP: I've made this same dip but used it as a filling for wontons instead. I bake them and then we dip them in some chunky blue cheese dressing. YUM!

Tilapia Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa

Back in January I did Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30 exercise program and also tried doing her MEAL PLAN that goes along with it on most days. Anyway, this is my VERSION of her Mahi mahi tacos. It's super yummy and tastes so FRESH. It's the perfect spring meal if you ask me!

Tilapia Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa

1/2 to 1 pound tilapia, cut into bite-size chunks

3 tablespoons lime juice

3 tablespoons orange juice

1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon chili powder

Salt and pepper, to taste

Dash of cayenne pepper

Mango Avocado Salsa

1 ripe mango, cut into pieces

1 small avocado, cut into pieces

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/3 cup chopped cilantro leaves

1/3 to 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon orange juice

Place the fish in a bowl and then combine the lime juice, orange juice, garlic, and seasonings and pour over fish. Let marinate about 15 minutes.

While fish is marinating, combine salsa ingredients in a bowl and set aside. (Make sure to toss well so the avocado doesn't brown!)

In a frying pan, cook the fish in about 1 teaspoon olive oil and the marinade until completely cooked through and opaque, about 4 or 5 minutes. Serve fish on flour tortillas topped with the mango salsa.

TIP: Another nice addition for serving . . . plain greek yogurt! Try it instead of sour cream for a more tangy taste. Shredded lettuce would also be a great addition.  

Creamy Avocado Pasta

So again, Pinterest is AMAZING! I found 3 or 4 avocado pasta recipes that I liked and came up with my own VERSION. Let me be the first to say that it turned out so YUMMY. Is that bad of me to praise myself like that? Anyway, hope ya like this super SIMPLE dish that is full of FLAVOR! Oh, and this would also be a great GREEN dish to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with your fam!

Creamy Avocado Pasta

6 to 8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti

Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 sprig fresh basil
2 small avocados, peeled and pitted (or 1 really big one!)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
2 to 3 tablespoons sour cream (I used light)
Thinly sliced green onion, to garnish

Start cooking your spaghetti in salted water in a pot according to package directions.

In a blender or food processor, blend together the lime juice, oil, basil, avocado, s and p, cheese, and sour cream, until mostly smooth.

Drain cooked spaghetti, then put back in the pot. Toss with the creamy avocado mixture and then put in individual serving bowls (or on plates). Sprinkle with more cheese and some green onion. Serves 2 or 3.

TIP: This is probably best served right after making. Leftovers may start turning brown and might not look so appetizing. Another addition that might be good—toasted pine nuts!

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Here's another soup to keep you WARM! I posted this recipe a year or two ago, but when I made it last week, it was so DELISH that I thought I better share it with you again. I think every time I make this I SWITCH up the ingredients according to whatever I have on hand. I love that it is so VERSATILE!

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

3/4 cup wild rice

5 cups water
1 chicken bouillon cube

1 to 2 cups frozen chopped broccoli, thawed

1 cup thinly sliced carrots

1/4 cup diced onion

1 can cream of chicken soup, condensed

1 packages (8 ounces) cream cheese, cut into chunks

2 cups rotisserie chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
Slivered almonds to garnish (optional)

In a large soup pan, combine the rice with the water and bouillon and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once about halfway through. Stir in the broccoli, carrots, and onion. Cover and simmer 10 minutes more, or until vegetables and rice are tender. Stir in the condensed soup, cream cheese, and chicken. Cook and stir until cream cheese is melted. Thin with water or chicken broth if soup is too thick for your liking. Serve with almonds sprinkled over the top, if desired. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

TIP: You can totally change this recipe every time you make it. It's also good minus the broccoli and with a cup of sliced celery instead. Or just add some celery and a little less broccoli. Or throw in a cup of corn. Diced bell pepper would probably taste pretty yummy too. So many possibilities! 

CInnamon Explosion French Toast

We love BREAKFAST foods at our house, and occasionally have them for DINNER. This yummy version of FRENCH TOAST is one of those quick dinners we threw together at the last minute. Boy did it turn out SCRUMPTIOUS. It is just bursting with cinnamon flavor—hence the "explosion" description in the recipe title!

Cinnamon Explosion French Toast

Cinnamon Cream Syrup

(Recipe from allrecipes.com)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup water

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

5 ounces evaporated milk

Cinnamon Whipped Cream

1/2 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

French Toast
1 loaf unsliced cinnamon bread (we used Cinnamon Burst from Great Harvest)
2 eggs
Milk
Cinnamon
Chopped pecans

For the syrup, combine the all but the milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Cool for 5 minutes and then stir in milk; set aside until ready to use.

For the whipped cream, beat cream with powdered sugar and cinnamon until stiff peaks form. Put in the fridge until ready to use.

For the French toast, heat a large frying pan or electric skillet and spray with nonstick spray. Slice the bread into 1-inch-thick slices (or 1 1/2 inches if you prefer); set aside. With a fork, beat together the eggs with a desired amount of milk and cinnamon (just like a regular French toast mixture). Dip bread slices in both sides of milk mixture and then cook until nicely browned on each side. Serve with the syrup drizzled over top and a dollop a the whipped cream. Garnish with the pecans.

TIP: If this is TOO much cinnamon for you, just make regular whipped cream without the cinnamon.

Snickers Hot Chocolate

Oh my, is this GOOD! I've been seeing so many fun HOT CHOCOLATE recipes, I decided to come up with my own version. This chocolatey concoction turned out AMAZING—its very decadent and definitely fulfills any desire for DESSERT.

Snickers Hot Chocolate
1 cup hot chocolate (I used a homemade milk chocolate mix made with skim milk)
Fresh whipped cream*
2 miniature Snicker's, chopped (not the fun-size!)
Caramel ice cream topping

Top your cup of hot chocolate with a scoop of cream, the chopped Snickers, and a drizzle of the caramel ice cream topping. Enjoy!

TIP: I made cinnamon whipped cream to go with some cinnamon french toast (that will be posted in a few days). Since it was already made, I just used some of the leftovers instead of whipping more cream. Try whipping 1/2 cup cream, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. AMAZING!

Nut-Encrusted Chicken

I recently did Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30 workout DVDs and 30-day meal plan. This recipe was one of my favorites. It was DELICIOUS. I made a few little adjustments to her recipe, but thanks for SHARING Jillian!  (Sorry for the really terrible photo!)

Nut-Encrusted Chicken
1/2 cup raw almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons olive oil, or a little more if needed
3/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Dijon mustard (optional)

3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 to 2 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 (5-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a food processor, combine the almonds, oil, lemon zest and juice, a few squirts of Dijon mustard, rosemary, garlic, and salt. Process until coarsely chopped. Put the chicken in a shallow baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray and pat the nut mixture over each piece to coat. Bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes or so, depending on thickness of breast halves.

TIP: I used chicken tenders instead of breast halves and they worked out perfect! Serve with a nice veggie salad for a great rounded and healthy meal.

Fresh Italian Pasta Salad

We love SALAD at our house and we love PASTA too, so why not combine them when we can, right? This is the perfect combo of salad—it's FRESH, cool, and crisp. Not to mention, full of FLAVOR!

Fresh Italian Pasta Salad

3 cups mini farfalle pasta (little bow ties)

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup sliced olives (green, black, or a combo)

1 to 1 1/2 cups cubed pepperoni or salami (or both)

1/4 to 1/3 purple onion, chopped

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 cup Bernstein's Cheese & Garlic Italian dressing, plus more if necessary

4 to 5 cups chopped iceberg lettuce

Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain and cool. Combine all ingredients except the lettuce in a large bowl and chill until ready to serve. Toss in the lettuce just before serving and add more dressing if salad seems dry.

TIP: Just like most pasta salads, this one is easy to customize for your family! If you don't like peppers, leave them out. You could add things like fresh tomatoes or mushrooms, or even cubes of fresh mozzarella (the marinated balls would be delicious!).

Cinnamon Applesauce Pancakes

Apparently it was National PANCAKE Day on Tuesday this week, so I thought I would add ANOTHER pancake recipe to the mix! These CAKES are so easy and crazy good. That's a recipe combination I always LOVE! (OK, so I see that most of my pancake photos appear to be very similar! Sorry about that—I will try to be more creative in the future.)

Cinnamon Applesauce Pancakes
2 cups Bisquick
2 eggs
3/4 cup applesauce
1/3 to 1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Preheat a pan and cook the batter like any other pancake batter. Serve with butter and maple syrup on top. Makes about 8 pancakes or so.

TIP: If you like more "thin" pancakes, add more milk gradually to your batter until the desired texture is reached. (I'm a sucker for THICK pancakes!) Also, a nice caramel syrup like they have at Kneader's would be delish on these pancakes though they don't really need it.